£50,000 up for grabs for community improvement projects

Have you got an idea for how you could improve your community? Are you involved in a local group that needs funding for specific activities? Merlin Housing Society’s Community Action Groups may be able to help.

Each of the five groups has access to a pot of money made available annually by the housing society to support projects in its communities.

The groups themselves – run by local residents in Kingswood / Cadbury Heath, Staple Hill / Mangotsfield, Filton, Patchway, and Thornbury – receive the applications and make the decisions on where the money is spent.

So far, the groups have part funded bikes for the Patchway Police Beat Team, paid for benches and new non-slip surfaces on paths, supported the Guys and Dolls over 50’s club in Cadbury Heath, and many other small things that make life for just that bit better.

The only criteria is that the projects need to benefit at least six or more Merlin residents, be fairly distributed over the Community Action Group area, and everyone who is likely to benefit should be offered the chance to comment on the idea.

Head of Housing Jack Bailey said: “We want to be an organisation that provides first class services to our communities, with our residents at the heart of all we do – and this is a great way to achieve that.

“We call resident involvement Making a Difference – or MaD – and the work our Community Action Groups do certainly does that, to the benefit or everyone in the community – not just our residents.

“Our Community Action Groups open annual general meetings are happening over April and May, and people are more than welcome to come along and talk about the improvements they think should be made and find out how they can get support for their group.

“Details of the time and dates of the meetings and who to contact for more information or an application form are on our website – www.merlinhs.co.uk -  in the Making a Difference section.”