COMMA
Local Communities Benefit from Funding
Five local communities have been awarded COMMA funding this year. The Community Aggregates Fund, aims to compensate communities affected by quarrying, by supporting community-based projects in their area.The successful projects, all undertaken by local people themselves, received grants of between £3,000 and £8,000. They will provide a diverse range of local benefit to the relevant communities. The projects funded include:
- A new Multi Use Games Area at Layham Playing Field - £5,000
- Maintenance of Nacton Village Hall - £5,000
- Elderly/ disabled access to Westleton Common - £3,195
- Repairs to Waldringfield Village Hall car park - £3,500
- New staging for Offton & Willisham Village Hall - £8,000
The money makes a real difference at local level and the fund has been valued by local community groups who have contributed their own financial resources, time and voluntary effort, alongside the grants, in order to make these projects a success.
‘Suffolk ACRE is delighted with the outcome of this year’s COMMA round of funding applications and we very much hope that the programme will continue in future years. Local community organisations looking for funding for their projects should continue to contact us to take advantage of our Funding Advice Service, which has helped to bring over £1.75m into Suffolk in the last full year’. Barry Henson, Community Support Manager for Suffolk ACRE'
*This fund is now closed to applications*
The COMMA fund aimed to support projects in communities affected by quarrying. Eligible community groups in Suffolk could apply for up to £20,000 of this funding through Suffolk ACRE to support community projects and amenities. ACRE delivered the grants on behalf of DEFRA, funded by the Aggregates Levy on quarries.
Almost any community activity could be supported. If your community was within 10km of a quarry it was likely to qualify. This was a fantastic opportunity to get the support you need to make a difference in your community, and we will update the information if further funding is released.
The five conditions that needed to be satisfied for a project to be eligible for funding were:
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the community where the project is based is or has been affected by aggregates extraction or transport of aggregates
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the proposed project is within 10km of an aggregates extraction site, either current or disused
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the project must benefit the whole community or a section of the community, not an individual
- the applicant must be a community organisation, a charity or Parish Council
- all project works funded by COMMA grants this year were capable of completion by the end of March 2011.
Applications need to be made through Suffolk ACRE.
For an application form, guidelines or a leaflet about COMMA please follow the links below.
For more information about COMMA and other funding, please contact Elizabeth Storer on 01473 345311 or email elizabeth.storer@suffolkacre.org.uk
Great Barton Village Hall received funding in 2008
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