East Northants community projects received £368,000 of funding

Every year from 2011 - 2021, each ENC district councillor was allocated £1,000 each to spend on small community-based projects. The money could be awarded to parish/town councils, community groups, voluntary organisations and charities who work in East Northamptonshire.

MEF supported community events, sports activities, environmental enhancements, local facility improvements, equipment for youth groups and projects that promote safer communities.

Since MEF started in June 2011, communities have benefited from over £368,000 of grant funding and grant money over the past year has been used for a variety of projects including:

• Purchase of equipment for the efficient running of the Library for the community of Raunds
• New laptop equipment to support home learning for schools in Oundle
• Restoration of the children’s roundabout and rocking horse at the play area in Woodnewton
• Towards the purchase of life-saving equipment defibrillators to be used across East Northamptonshire
• Installation of entrance gates to the village of Apethorpe
• Purchase of craft materials for users of the Day Centre in Irthlingborough
• New football goals for the junior football team based in Thrapston
• Purchase and installation of six defibrillators across Rushden

Leader of East Northamptonshire Council, Cllr Steven North, said:

“Over the past 10 years, ENC Councillors have supported a wide variety of projects, all of which have made a huge difference to communities across the district and directly helped residents.

“Since we started MEF, the projects we have helped have been diverse and included community events, money for equipment for use by local residents and projects aimed to make our district a safer and healthier place.”

With the new North Northamptonshire Council coming into existence on 1 April 2021, this was the last year of MEF.

To find out more about the scheme and projects it has helped visit, www.east-northamptonshire.gov.uk/MEF