University awards grants from Special Projects fund
TWO organisations have been awarded funds by Loughborough University to support their work in the community.
A total of £27,500 has been donated from the university’s Special Projects Fund, one of the Community Donations Funds available to local charitable and voluntary groups.
The Special Projects Fund is for projects which are exceptional or ‘one-off’ in nature, providing considerable benefit to communities in Charnwood.
G&S Services received £12,500 towards the cost of replacing a vehicle used to provide free or reduced cost services to local people, including garden maintenance, house clearances and furniture recycling.
They work in partnership with the Community Rehabilitation Company to supervise offenders on community punishment, who support the delivery of these services to benefit people who would not otherwise be able to access them.
Scott Wheatley, director of G&S Services said: “We are very pleased to have received this generous donation – it has been an enormous encouragement to all of us working here. With the new vehicle, we will be able to confidently expand what we do and take on more volun- teers.”
Also receiving a funding award is the Shree Ram Krishna Community Project, a vibrant centre in Loughborough which exists to improve the quality of life for a diverse, multicultural community by delivering a range of educational, recreational and social opportunities.
The £15,000 donation will be put towards the cost of replacing the current kitchen with a fit-for-purpose industrial kitchen.
Project manager, Rajesh Karsanji said: “A big thank you to the University for their kind grant.
“Our project will benefit all communities in Loughborough, from 0 to 90-plus year-olds, providing a facility where local residents can participate in activities, events and projects.
“The new kitchen will help us to start new projects, and through private hire, we can also let other groups and our partner organisations use the facility.”
Alison Barlow, stakeholder relations manager at Loughborough University, said: “The university is thrilled to be donating to these organisations through the Special Projects Fund.
“The purpose of our Community Donations Fund is to support groups such as these, who do so much for the community and provide vital services to those in need. We are honoured to be able to help them grow and expand their work.”