Grant success for community groups in Baldock

PR Date: Tuesday, 11 February 2020 - 10:45am

Two community groups were awarded funding at a meeting of North Hertfordshire District Council’s (NHDC’s) Baldock and District Committee last month (27 January)*. The Committee awarded nearly £2000 to projects that will benefit the local community.

Baldock Town Youth Football Club received a grant of £1,250. This will go towards the cost of the cost of kit, equipment including new goals, balls, training bibs, cones, and the purchase of gazebos for use at tournaments and fundraising events.

Baldock Town Youth Football Club has been operating since 1988 and is made up of 5 Volunteer Committee Members and over 24 unpaid volunteers. The Club has teams from under 5s to Under 18s and more than 250 players.

Juan Cowell, Chairman of Baldock Town Youth Football Club said: "It has been fantastic news for the club to receive funding from North Herts District Council. We are a fully self financed organisation and this cash injection will really help us move forward with additional equipment that is so desperately needed in order for the club to keep providing a safe and secure environment for the local young people to enjoy playing football. My thanks to the committee on behalf of all our players and also all the team managers and coaches who surrender their time and resources week in week out for our youth." 

Ashwell Playgroup was also awarded a grant of £700 to assist with the cost of annual venue hire and publicity costs. Ashwell Playgroup is a registered charity and has been operating since 1975. The group currently provides provision for 18 children with children on average attending two sessions a week.

The group is looking to use publicity to increase its numbers to 20 children per session and have extended their opening hours to five mornings per week, which includes options for an early drop off from 8am and attendance at the playgroup’s lunch club.  Currently all the children at the playgroup are residents of Ashwell but the group is keen to attract new members from Baldock and the surrounding villages.

Merry Smith, Treasurer of the Ashwell Playgroup said: "We are delighted to have received this sum of money from NHDC, which will help us greatly with the resulting increase in costs of hall hire and staff incurred as a result of our newly extended opening hours. We hope now to provide a more flexible service for families in Ashwell and would like to extend a welcome to families in the Baldock area also, whom may be looking for Early Years Preschool childcare. Once again very grateful thanks to the NHDC Baldock committee for their time and generous support.”

Cllr Val Shanley, NHDC’s Baldock & District Committee Chairman said: "We are pleased to be able support these local community groups and look forward to hearing how the projects develop”.

For further information on Ashwell Playgroup go to their website.

Further information on Baldock Town Youth Football Club can be found on their website. 

*subject to completion of necessary formalities