Hertfordshire county councillors allocated additional funds to support local causes

Hertfordshire County Council has agreed an increase in Locality Budget funding this year, with each county councillor now having £15,000 to allocate to great local causes which benefit the lives of Hertfordshire residents.

Every year, each of Hertfordshire’s 78 County Councillors is provided with a Locality Budget to spend on projects in their local area.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, councillors were each given a total of £10,000 per year to spend on projects which promote the social, economic or environmental wellbeing of their local area.

In light of the ongoing challenges the county faces as a result of the pandemic, this funding was increased in the 2020/21 financial year to help support Covid-19-related schemes, with an extra £5,000 made available to each councillor, increasing their Locality Budget to £15,000.

These grants can be provided for any project, as long as they are legal and do not contradict any county council policy.

Additionally, the project must not require an ongoing funding commitment from Hertfordshire County Council.

Since the launch of the initiative in 2009, the Locality Budget grants have made a positive difference to many Hertfordshire communities, with funding being provided to thousands of worthwhile projects.

Councillors have previously awarded grants to:

Charitable organisations such as the Manna Food Bank, who were awarded £1404 to aid in their collection and provision of food to meet the needs of disadvantaged families, and Electric Umbrella, a charity combatting social isolation and challenging the perceptions about adults with learning disabilities. The charity were provided with £1000 to provide a virtual entertainments to members and wider audiences in the past year.

Educational organisations such as the Friends of Little Gaddesden Primary School, a school PTA group who spent their £500 grant to support the plans for the regeneration of their School Grounds Project around the school’s playground and adjoining grassed area.

Minority groups such as the Watford African Caribbean Association, who work to contribute to the overall wellbeing of the community in Watford and the surrounding area, with a particular focus on the African and Caribbean Communities. The Association used their grant of £1250 to help counteract the disproportionate affect of Covid-19 on ethnic minority communities.

Community projects such as the Little Hadham Village Hall’s community hub, who were awarded a grant of £1582.91 to help people stay connected socially and to their vital services across our rural villages in response to Covid-19 self-isolation and social distancing policies.

Cllr Terry Douris, executive member for education, libraries and lifelong learning said: “We are delighted that every councillor will be provided with a larger Locality Budget to enable them to provide support to even more worthy causes across the county.

"As we work to help our communities recover from the effects of Covid-19, we hope the grants will provide the necessary financial backbone for projects and organisations which help make Hertfordshire such a prosperous, inclusive and supportive county to live in.

"If you have a project that would benefit from support, we urge you to apply to your local councillor."

In order to apply for a grant, applicants must first get in touch with their local councillor and obtain their agreement before starting their application online. Click here to find your local councillor's details.