November 2008 ~ £200,000 for Essex Projects

At its meeting on 19 November, the Essex Environment Trust agreed funding of over £200,000 for 20 projects seeking assistance. Sixteen of these will benefit local communities with help to village halls etc whilst 4 churches will get help towards the cost of repairs and 2 biodiversity projects will also be receiving support from the trust.

Amongst the projects to benefit are:

• The equipping of a multi games area at Sible Hedingham for use by the public but of particular benefit to the local Hedingham Hawks youth football club that runs some 10 teams of youngsters from 7 yr olds upwards and which previously had no local practice pitch.
• At Hockley, the “Massive” Youth Project will benefit from a grant of £22,849 to provide for a lift for the disabled and fire escape to serve the proposed new Youth Centre in the Eldon Way Industrial Estate. This is designed to serve the needs of some 1,000 youths in this area currently without facilities. Chief executive of the environment trust, Keith Derry, said, “Whilst everything the Trust supports is worthwhile, occasionally a really exceptional project comes along. This is one such where a dedicated local group has made a major commitment to providing a much needed facility. The Trust is proud to be associated with it.”
• The youth of Great Waltham will benefit by the provision of a youth shelter provided by the Parish Council with 50% support by the Trust which has also offered additional funding of ten times what the local youngsters can raise up to £1,000, i.e. if the youth of the village raise £100, the Trust will give an extra £1,000 towards the shelter.
• A similar “deal” is on offer to the youngsters of Good Easter where the Good Easter Sports Field Association will be providing a range of play and recreational equipment with the help of nearly £7,000 from the Trust. Once again, local children can earn an extra £1,000 from the Trust by their own local fundraising efforts.
• More aid to youth is to be provided at Clacton-on-Sea where the Trust will be providing £15,000 towards the new Youth Sports Pavilion for Clacton United Football Club.
• The reclamation of 3 ponds and creation of a fourth at Great Dunmow will benefit  by 50% funding from the Environment Trust whose Trustees complimented the Town Council for their responsible approach to the safeguarding of the ponds for their amenity and ecological value.
• At Ashdon, north-east of Saffron Walden, assistance towards extending the kitchen at the local Baptist Church will enable them to better serve their Senior Citizens’ Luncheon Club and other users of the church hall.
• Also in that area at Great Sampford, the Sampfords Cricket Club will be receiving £20,000 towards the cost of building their long-overdue new pavilion.
• At Rayne, Widford, Writtle and Fyfield church repairs are to be helped with a total of £13,000, whilst the Priest House adjacent to All saints’ Church at Doddinghurst will receive a much-needed boost of £19,000 towards the repair of this important listed buildings.