Over the past year, Curo has given out twenty two Communities Grants totalling £10,010 to support local projects and events. Projects have ranged from a Jubilee tea party and a memorial garden, to children’s football teams (including Radstock-based Stratton United) and short breaks for children with disabilities.

Simon Matthews is a volunteer coach for Radstock-based Stratton United, which used a grant to buy essential items, such as a kit, for the youth team. “We’re massively grateful to Curo's Communities Grants and their support of local grassroots youth football,” says Simon.

“After a straightforward application process, we were awarded £500 towards the cost of new playing kits and rain jackets for players,” he explains. “This meant the team could look smart, without having to ask parents for money and risk children from disadvantaged backgrounds not feeling part of the team because of the cost of a kit.”

Community activities:

Action for Children benefited from a Communities Grant, which meant that 11 young Bath-based Curo residents with disabilities could enjoy activities such as swimming and bowling in the school holidays.

“These trips and activities give our children with disabilities new skills and experiences to help them thrive, encourage independence and fulfil their potential,” says Nina Rice, Senior Corporate Partnership Manager at Action for Children.

A Curo Communities Grant also supported Invent It! Bath Young Inventor of the Year Award 2023, which is helping children to learn about local inventors and to design their own inventions.

“The project is all about bringing the community together to recognise the history of Bath’s inventors, while taking pride in our surroundings,” says Katie O’Brien, a Curo resident who helped create the project. “We’re holding free community engagement events at the Museum of Bath at Work and 44AD art space for residents to participate in, helping to build connections with their community.”

Supporting local residents:

A memorial garden at Phoenix House, Bath, was funded by a Communities Grant. The garden is now a peaceful place for residents to relax, with a bench in memory of a resident who passed away.

And a Communities Grant funded a tea party in Odd Down, Bath, to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee in June last year. “The event was important in bringing elderly residents together to enjoy each other’s company after the lockdowns of the pandemic,” says resident Viv Fear, who applied for the grant.

Apply for a Curo Communities Grant:

Could your community benefit from a grant? If so, get in touch at: [email protected] or download an application form: www.curo-group.co.uk/get-involved/where-you-live/curo-grants/

Curo Communities Grants support two types of project:

Up to £250: for those who require a fairly small amount of funding in order to make their activity a success. For example, a group who may require some equipment to enable their activity to function, such as a shed to house garden equipment

£251-£500: for those who require more substantial funds to run a project. For example, sports activities for young people or community fun days.