Norfolk's Social Infrastructure Fund gives 10 organisations money to improve community impact

Norfolk County Council has awarded £770,000 to organisations who will be able to make a large positive impact in the communities in which they operate.

This is the third round of Social Infrastructure Funding, which has provided capital grants to organisations who can use the money to improve facilities for communities and boost the level of local community services. This year's funding pot totalled £1 million, with £225,000 to continue the successful partnership with Norfolk Community Foundation in expanding their Nourishing Norfolk food hubs across the county, and £775,000 available for individual projects to improve communities across Norfolk.

Cllr Andrew Proctor, leader of Norfolk County Council, said: "We have some fantastic community groups in Norfolk, and we endeavour to do whatever we can to help them to provide the right support that they know their communities need. We committed to a significant investment in the Norfolk Social Infrastructure Fund, which has run since 2020 in response to the pandemic. We have continued this much sought-after funding because we have seen the impact that these projects have had on both the communities they are in, but also the wider area.

"The projects which have been successful have demonstrated their commitment to supporting the people of Norfolk, and they should be incredibly proud of the work that they are doing, and the work which this funding will enable them to do."

Stalham Baptist Church will receive £250,000 to transform the venue in order to extend and increase community use of space for activities such as lunch clubs, dementia cafes, sessions to promote digital inclusion and improved youth provision.

Maggie Harpur, a trustee of Stalham Baptist Church, said: "We're thrilled that the County Council has awarded our Community Rooms such a generous grant. This funding will mean our exciting vision of an inclusive space for everyone in Stalham can now go ahead. Stalham Baptist Church is a local church with its community at heart and we can't wait to get the project off the ground so that we can extend the range of our activities and support even more people in need in the local community. We want to see people's lives transformed and hope restored"

Another project which has received funding is the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich. They will receive over £95,000 to renovate their building to create a new, accessible, warm and welcoming community space in partnership with MensCraft, a charity that offers services, support and activities to improve men's health, wellbeing, connections, relationships and their sense of belonging.

Elliott Wilshier, general manager at Maddermarket Theatre, said: "This grant to renovate the theatre's Workshop space, and our exciting new collaboration with MensCraft, will allow us to jointly develop more effective approaches to widening access and deepening participation in the arts in Norfolk. Thanks to the support of Norfolk County Council, the Maddermarket Theatre is able to look confidently into the next hundred years of supporting and enriching the charities, groups and people of our county."

The other projects successful this year are:

• Whitlingham Charitable Trust who will get £100,000 to resurface and restore the wheelchair accessible path at Whitlingham Country Park
• North Lynn Methodist Church will get £50,000 to renovate and create new space to become an accessible community asset to host a variety of social events
• Banningham and Colby Community Hall will receive £39,790 to complete refurbishments of the hall to offer a welcoming space to bring the community together
• The Charlotte Harvey Trust in Watton will get £38,000 to refurbish and improve their toilets to make the community centre more accessible and fit for the future
• Castle Acre Village Hall in West Norfolk will receive £37,604 to make improvements such as refitting the kitchen and installing solar panels and batteries to invest in the future of the village
• Aylsham Community Church will receive £28,000 to refurbish the Jubilee Family Centre so it can once again offer a warm, welcoming, and safe space for the community
• Silver Road Community Centre in Norwich will get £18,500 to build accessible toilets and make the well-used community space more welcoming
• Sutton Parochial Church Council will receive £12,000 to add a kitchen and toilet to the church to enable it to be used as a community space

Five projects had their applications fast-tracked during the winter of 2022 to enable them to make the maximum impact as soon as possible.