The Create Your Space (CYS) is a seven year programme that will enable communities to lead on making positive and sustainable transformations to their local natural environment. The fund, totalling £8.8 million, is to be shared between up to eight successful projects, throughout 9 targeted areas throughout Wales, including Wrexham. The programme summary is to support communities to come up with their own vision and plan, for conserving and/or improving their natural environment in a way which meets their needs and those of future generations.
EVWG took the opportunity to prepare and submit a bid for this funding, and we heard in late June, that we were one of 16 projects selected to go through to the second stage. (70 projects applied, so this is a great achievement for us).
The first stage bid outlines many ways we can achieve this transformation, and a number of people, including Ann, Geoff and Ian, will be focusing on preparing a final and second stage application, which will be submitted by 7th December. We are currently asking for a total of £1.6 million, of which £1.1 million will go on developing our site, such as improving site access, extending buildings and erecting new facilities, as outlined in our Development Vision Booklet.
We have already held 2 consultation events, but will need to further develop this process, and work further with existing and new partners to raise our profile in the communities of Wrexham and North Wales.
The picture shows Geoff, our Chair, talking about EVWG to many organisations at the ‘Care to Co-operate launch’ held in Llanwrst last week.
We will hear in March 2017 if we have been successful in the second stage. Finger’s crossed!
(A Bit of Big Lottery Background:)
- The Big Lottery Fund supports the aspirations of people who want to make life better for their communities across the UK. We are responsible for giving out 40% of the money raised by the National Lottery and invest over £650 million a year in projects big and small in health, education, environment and charitable purposes.
- Since June 2004 we have awarded over £8 billion to projects that change the lives of millions of people. Every year we fund 13,000 small local projects tackling big social problems like poor mental health and homelessness.
- Since the National Lottery began in 1994, £34 billion has been raised and more than 450,000 grants awarded.
- Create Your Space is a jointly funded programme from the Big Lottery Fund and Dormant Accounts money.
