First recipients of Neighbourhood Pitch funding announced

More than 30 community groups have been collectively awarded more than £130,000 as the first recipients of Let’s Do It Together Neighbourhood Pitch fund.

Neighbourhood Pitch funding has been made available by Bury Council to support projects which will benefit Covid recovery in their neighbourhood as part of the borough’s Let’s Do It!Strategy. Through this there is the opportunity to develop every neighbourhood to be better and stronger by tackling the causes of inequality and ensuring good life chances for all.

Across the East (East, Moorside and Redvales wards); Prestwich; and Whitefield (Besses, Pilkington Park and Unsworth) neighbourhoods 1,317 people cast more than 6,500 votes for the projects that local people most wanted to see receive financial support through the Pitch.

For the East Neighbourhood, covering East, Moorside and Redvales wards, this included an ‘in person’ Pitch at the Mosses Centre on 5 December in which local residents discussed the projects with applicant groups and these votes were added to those received online. For Prestwich and Whitefield, based on feedback from local groups and in consultation with ward councillors, as a public health precaution given increasing concern relating to the Omicron variant, the in-person Pitches scheduled for 12 December did not take place and funding was allocated based on the online votes received.

Councillor Richard Gold, cabinet member for communities, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to support an array of different community projects which will support recovery in our neighbourhoods.

“Bury Council’s Neighbourhood Pitch initiative has seen hundreds of people in each part of the borough have their say on how best to support local priorities as we collectively respond to the impact of the pandemic.

“We look forward to bringing all the successful groups together in the new year, when safe to do so, to showcase their projects and provide further opportunities for local residents to find out more about the projects and how they can get involved with them.”

• For the North and West Neighbourhoods, following consultation with ward councillors and community groups, the in-person Pitch events have been postponed to the new year in the hope that it will be possible to host physical Pitch sessions early in 2022. This will be reviewed in January. Online voting remains open in these neighbourhoods – to find out more about the projects and to vote please visit https://www.onecommunitybury.co.uk/let-s-do-it-together-neighbourhood-pitch
• Prestwich groups are reminded that the Parklife Community Fund opens in the new year, with £27,000 in grants available along with access to more than £20,000 in microgrants– details will be available from www.bury.gov.uk/neighbourhoodfunding from 4 January 2022.

List of awards made so far:

Projects in East, Moorside and Redvales wards via East Neighbourhood Pitch

The BAME Project:£5,000

The Big Fandango:£3,649

Bury Active Women’s Centre:£5,000

Bury Athletics Club:£5,000

Bury Defence Academy:£5,000

Bury Street Pastors:£5,000

Bury STARS:£5,000

Bury Veterans Hub Café:£5,000

Friends of Bury Young Carers:£5,000

Friends of Clarence Park:£4,255

Jinnah Centre:£5,000

The Mosses Centre:£4,975

Young People of St. John’s and St. Mark’s: £2,500

Projects in Holyrood, Sedgley and St. Mary’s wards via Prestwich Pitch

Clean Team Prestwich:£5,000

The Fed:£4,913

Friends of Prestwich Forest Park: £5,000

Friendship Circle:£5,000

Incredible Edible Prestwich:£5,000

Jewel Foundation:£5,000

Jigsaw:£5,000

Phoenix Centre:£5,000

Prestwich Community Cinema:£1,000

Prestwich Clough Centenary Group: £4,500

Prestwich Remembers: £576

Urban Cycle Centre CIC:£4,500

Projects in Besses, Pilkington Park and Unsworth wards via Whitefield Neighbourhood Pitch

Besses Boys Band:£2,866

Friends of the Unsworth Centre:£4,575

Love Springwater Park:£1,150

St. Andrew’s Community Hub:£5,000

Trust House/ Victoria Youth and Community Centre: £5,000

Unsworth Juniors Football Club:£5,000

Whitefield Graveyard Community Group: £2,961

Whitefield Painting Club: £457

ENDS

Press release issued: 20 December 2021.