TEN community organisations across Colchester will receive a share of £207,000 from the council.

Four times that amount was submitted to Colchester Council for a share of its Voluntary Welfare Grant for 2019/20.

Registered charities, voluntary and community organisations and not-for-profit organisations across the borough were eligible to apply.

Organisations submitted their applications last autumn and could apply for a one-off grant of between £5,000 and £50,000.

Applicants had to demonstrate they would either increase volunteering, help people build skills for life or work, prevent loneliness, support people to take action in their communities, or help vulnerable people to improve their lives.

More than £810,000 worth of requests were made to the fund.

At a funding panel meeting, it was agreed the 2019/20 fund would be split between the following organisations:

  • £20,000 for the Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse Essex in Colchester
  • £33,148 for the Colchester and Tendring Women’s Refuge
  • £6,000 to the Colchester CAP Debt Centre
  • £25,000 to the Citizens Advice Bureau
  • £23,000 for Age Concern Colchester
  • £23,027 for Action for Carers in Colchester
  • £28,000 for the Youth Enquiry Service in Colchester
  • £5,700 for the Cockpits Wood Trust
  • £22,300 to Signals in Colchester
  • £21,220 to the Colchester Gateway Clubs

Tina Bourne (Lab), Colchester councillor responsible for housing and communities, said: “It was incredibly difficult deciding which organisations to award this year’s grant to as we received so many fantastic applications to support community groups.

“I’d like to congratulate all ten organisations who were successful and I’m really looking forward to seeing the great work that will take place in the borough over the coming year as a result of this funding.”

The Voluntary Welfare Grant supports the Council’s Better Colchester campaign, supported by the Gazette, which aims to make Colchester a better place to live in, work in and visit.