A NEW £30,000 grant scheme will be set up in Jaywick to help fund small projects to improve lives in the deprived ward

Jaywick Sands Community Forum has been awarded the cash from the Big Lottery Fund to set up the project,

Gill Elkins, secretary, said the forum has been working with lottery fund organisers on an idea to benefit the community.

She said: “There are lots of ideas from residents and community that would benefit people in Jaywick, but they are often not from larger organisations.

“They come from real people doing great things locally.

“We are going to run a small funding scheme that would allow these ideas to be funded quickly - to capture the enthusiasm of the community - and easily, and enable people to make their ideas happen.

“Good ideas will be ones that improve people’s happiness, health and wellbeing, bring people together, improve the local area, and encourage people to be active in and proud of their community. “

The aim of the pilot scheme is to support residents and local informal groups in the area.

The forum will be able to assess and awarding micro-level grants between £50 and £1,000 for various ideas and groups,

Mrs Elkins added: “Residents groups and local informal groups will be able to apply directly to the Jaywick Sands Community Forum, based on short criteria and a written proposal.

“We also run a similar scheme with the Rank Foundation for individuals and charities.

“We developed this idea as a result of knowing our community and residents well and listening to what they felt about getting funding for small projects or ideas.

“They told us they’d like to access funding easily and quickly, and were put off by forms and procedures.

“We feel that this project will allow us to help local people and groups build on the area’s strong community spirit and bring their ideas to life.”

Decisions on grants will be made by a panel, including the forum, a Lottery Fund manager and an Essex County Council representative.

The Lottery Fund’s legal team has developed a template agreement between the forum and any informal groups which will act as a constitution to cover its activity while they hold any funding they are given.

Mrs Elkins said the move will enable groups of more than one person to apply for funding.