Winners of a community fund are to receive cash injections which will go towards good causes.

Colchester Borough Homes’ community fund, which is worth £13,650, will be shared amongst 15 community groups – five of which are youth projects.

Judges scored each of the applicants and assessed how their services and projects would benefit tenants and residents throughout the borough.

Abberton Rural Training, which received the largest proportion of the fund at £2,500, is an educational charity which provides practical skills training for those in rural parts of the county who need help to access jobs or further education.

The grant will go towards upgrading a community café and creating new learning and volunteering opportunities within a community space.

Read more:

• Colchester Council sets vast sums of cash as Jubilee approaches

• Do I have to wear a face mask in Colchester hospital?

• Clacton car lover gutted after restored Ford Capri is torched

Christians Against Poverty (CAP) Debt Service also received a sizeable chunk of funding in the form of £1,500, which will go towards increasing their reach and capacity throughout the year.

Other groups which received significant grants were Colchester Fringe, which received £1,300, as well as Colchester Pride, Monkwick Munch Club, and Wimpole Road Make Lunch – all of which received £1,000 each.

A spokesman for Colchester Pride expressed its delight at receiving the cash award.
He said: “We are thrilled and grateful that Colchester Pride is one of the recipients of the fund – this money will go a great way to helping us support our community members over the coming year.

“From all of us at Colchester Pride, thank you to everyone involved in the selection process, it really does mean so much to us.”

The community fund is open for applications throughout the year from groups in need of support.

The chief executive of Colchester Borough Homes Philip Sullivan, who took over at the organisation last year, said the extra money the groups have received will be vital for them to help make a difference in the community.

He said: “I’m delighted we continue to support organisations and residents by providing funding to enable some extremely worthwhile work to be completed across the borough, which is going to make a real difference to many people.”