Grants awarded by Heart of Bucks help a variety of organisations with a wide range of projects. From foodbanks and homeless charities where the impact on individuals is clear to the more unusual where the effect is more subtle but no less powerful as the second leg of their 25th anniversary tour highlighted.
Heart of Bucks staff, trustees and committee members were joined by the newly appointed High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire Pippa Kirkbride on Wednesday 23rd April to visit charities and community groups in Amersham and Chesham. The day included stops at:-
Scannappeal at Amersham Hospital which received funding for, amongst other things a contactless donation station and technology to upgrade their till to take contactless payments. Funded during Covid this allowed the charity to continue selling books and other items from their hospital shop safely to raise funds for life-changing medical equipment.
Amersham Town Football Club where grants helped with renovations to the club house and new wiring. Without these essential upgrades the club would not have been able to put in the new kitchen they had won, which now allows them to hold fundraising events and rent the space to other community groups making the club more financially sustainable.
Café 23 run by Little Chalfont Area Dementia Support is one of the regular tenants at the football club. The group provides a safe and supportive place for those with dementia and their carers. From a social cuppa and piece of cake to engaging activities and a friendly ear to listen. A grant from Heart of Bucks allowed this lifeline to continue operating and extend the services it offers for its members.
Chesham Youth Centre which received a Voluntary Sector Resilience Fund grant towards core costs following the pandemic. This grant allowed the centre to continue providing youth services as well as maintaining the centre for use by other community organisations too.
Chesham Movers and Shakers, is one group using this town-centre based facility. Heart of Bucks funded a fitness instructor for the group aimed at supporting the physical and mental health of men predominantly, but not exclusively from the Southeast Asian community. The location of the centre makes the club easily accessible for members most of whom are able to walk to the sessions.
Chesham Town Council received funding from Heart of Bucks for two projects to support the community. 1. Bois Moor Road Playground, which was damaged by a falling tree during storm Eunice. The grant helped rebuild the playground keeping it open as a meeting place for local school children and providing a safe play space for families in the area with no garden. 2. The Sluice Gate on Moor Park Road which was put in place to prevent flooding which caused thousands of pounds of damage and huge disruption to residents and businesses as well as damaging roads and footpaths used regularly by the local community. The new gate has prevented any more flooding and benefitted an estimated 30,000 people.
The day really highlighted the breadth and variety of projects which can receive funding from Heart of Bucks, from the obvious to the unusual but all of which have a positive impact on our community and the lives of people living and working in Buckinghamshire.
Pic: The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire Pippa Kirkbride with Richard Sherry from Heart of Bucks and Kathryn Graves from Chesham Town Council at the site of the Moor Park Road Sluice Gate funded by Heart of Bucks.
