Cash boost for Wells projects thanks to Mendip Communities Fund

By Emma Dance

19th Mar 2022 | Local News

Some 47 organisations, including several from in and around Wells, have successfully secured grants from the Mendip Communities Fund.

Mendip District Council (MDC) has allocated £350k to groups with project plans that support community resilience, physical and mental wellbeing and access to arts, creativity and heritage.

Projects that secured funding of up to £2k and up to £30k include, improvements to village halls, skate park developments, music and seasonal events, a defibrillator, play area refurbishment, dance groups and equipment for a cricket club.

One of the Wells organisations to successfully secure a grant is Wells Theatre Festival, which takes place in July.

A spokesperson for the Festival said: "One of our key priorities at Wells Theatre Festival is to ensure we offer a wide range of children's theatre for children of all ages. This grant will allow us to programme more children's theatre for the 2022 Festival by providing financial guarantees to visiting theatre companies. The grant will also help us fund a British Sign Language (BSL) performance of Hordern Cain's production of The Secret Garden."

Cllr Liz Leyshon, Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and Projects, said: "It's been a pleasure to see so many varied and fantastic community projects be recognised and rewarded through the Communities Fund.

"At Mendip, we believe that investing in these projects will help ensure groups can follow their vision for community involvement and achievement, and help them realise their plans which will bring people together again, provide new opportunities and create lasting projects for Mendip residents to enjoy."

A full list of the successful projects can be found on Mendip's website here.