Dacorum in the national spotlight - Building a stronger, more connected community
Community Action Dacorum have for the last two years been distributing grants on behalf of Dacorum Borough Council, to local organisations from The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
At Community Action Dacorum our communities' team were very happy to have supported Dacorum Borough Council, who were awarded this government funding to distribute to grass roots community organisations. The idea of the fund was to help local organisations put on cultural or sporting events, or to improve community buildings, making residents feel better about the place they live.
As a council for voluntary service our mission is to work with, and support community organisations. Our knowledge of them and the work they do, put us in an ideal place to help them put in successful applications to the fund.
Through the Dacorum Shared Prosperity Fund, our communities' team have administered £228,675 in grants distributed across 46 unique organisations. Our role went beyond simple distribution providing solutions the groups needed to succeed, from helping with complex funding forms to strengthening their governance to meet the funders expectations.
As Karen from Inclusive United CIC noted, our "in-depth knowledge about the UKSPF was invaluable" in securing vital funding.
The fund gave £5,000 to the Ton‑Up SCUBA project who successfully gave 100 young people from diverse backgrounds across Dacorum a two‑hour introductory SCUBA diving experience at Everyone Active in Hemel Hempstead, with all places quickly filled and additional participants wait‑listed. Over seven months, groups of ten learned essential water skills, underwater communication, equipment use, and experienced supervised diving with a strong safety‑first instructor team, culminating in a final session attended by young helpers alongside Doctor Simon Aulton, Chief Executive of Community Action Dacorum who said “this is a fantastic project that is a great leveller for the participants, I saw a young man with learning difficulties punching the air because he was better than his able bodied mates today. If that’s not worth the money I don’t know what is.” The organisers expressed particular thanks to Loretta Anderson of Community Action Dacorum for her vital support in making the programme possible.
There was incredible diversity of projects supported over the life of the fund, not only in their activities but also from towns and villages across the whole borough. A significant £96,000 was specifically directed toward 20 sports and physical activity clubs to enable inclusive programming and facility upgrades.
Chris from Kings Langley Allotment Society said “I made the announcement of our Shared Prosperity grant award at our AGM, and our members reaction was a joy to see and made all the effort worthwhile. There was an immediate burst of applause, and the buzz around the room was clear”
The panel meet next month to approve the final round of the fund, when the last £21,325 of the £250,000 pot will be distributed to other amazing organisations across the borough.
To find out more about The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, contact us at Community Action Dacorum Hub at the Roundhouse, call us if you have any questions about how we can help your local organisation. 01442 247 209 alternatively, send us an email to [email protected]