A number of local groups across the Stokes are looking for the support of the community as they hope to win funding for their projects from the annual Aviva Community Fund. The competition, which will finance over 500 projects across four different fund levels, runs over four months allowing time for applications to be submitted, voting by the public to take place and then final judging with the winners being announced in January.
Last year, one of the successful applicants was the Friends of Holy Trinity Primary School in Bradley Stoke. They received funding of £1,000 which was used towards making significant improvements to the outdoor learning areas for the Reception and Year 1 classes.
Local projects that have applied for funding this year include…
The Parents, Teachers and Friends Association at St Michael’s School, Stoke Gifford have applied for funding up to £5,000 which they would like to use towards replacing a large wooden outdoor obstacle course which was well-loved but is now old and deemed unusable.
Safe Space in Little Stoke, a charity that supports children with additional needs, are hoping for funding up to £1,000 to buy new toys for play therapy including football goals and balls.
Aretians RFC in Little Stoke are looking for funding up to £25,000 which they would use to extend the clubhouse as the existing building is too small for the number of children and adults who are a part of the rugby club.
Unit 70 “Avonation” Scout Group based in Little Stoke would like to use the £1,000 that they have applied for to provide First Response First Aid training for all 40 of their members.
The 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group have applied for funding up to £5,000. They are hoping to purchase two giant inflatable stand-up paddleboards which would be used with their water activity unit to develop skills and provide new opportunities for the children.
Wheatfield Primary School in Bradley Stoke are hoping to receive funding up to £25,000. The Friends of Wheatfield Primary School are hoping to create a new outdoor Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) in the grounds to allow the school and community to better utilise a rundown field area prone to flooding, creating an all-weather surface for engaging physical play.
The Friends of Bowsland Green Primary School in Bradley Stoke are looking for funding up to £25,000 which they would like to use for their ‘playground regeneration project’. At the heart of this project is the redevelopment of an area known as ‘the green area’. Within this area there is a large wooden ‘ship’ structure as well as some basic wooden climbing equipment. The surface in this area has begun to crack and the wooden elements are tired, dated and not fit for purpose.
Bradley Stoke Youth FC have applied for funding of £1,000 and are hoping to use this money to purchase some winter training clothing as well as new training equipment such as mini hurdles, training ladders and slalom poles to ensure training sessions remain engaging and interactive for the children.
How to vote
Now that all of the applications have been submitted, the entrants are vying to get enough votes from friends, family and supporters in the community to get their project entered into the finals, where a judging panel will award the funds. The voting for the competition is open from 23rd October until 20th November 2018. Anyone who lives in the UK and registers on the Aviva Community Fund website (www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk) will have ten votes to use during this time and can vote for just one project or spread their votes across different projects. The finalists will be chosen later in November and the winners will be announced in January 2019.
This article originally appeared in the November 2018 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal magazine (on page 23). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH (except August), to ALL 8,700 homes in Bradley Stoke. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
POSTCRIPT (18th November 2018)
Here are direct links to the voting pages for local groups:
- St Michael’s School seeking up to £5,000 to replace a large wooden outdoor obstacle course
- Safe Space seeking up to £1,000 to buy new toys for play therapy including football goals and balls
- Aretians RFC in Little Stoke seeking up to £25,000 to extend the clubhouse
- Unit 70 “Avonation” Scout Group seeking £1,000 to provide First Response First Aid training
- The 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group seeking up to £5,000 to purchase two giant inflatable stand-up paddleboards
- Wheatfield Primary School seeking up to £25,000 to create a new outdoor Multi Use Games Area (MUGA)
- Bowsland Green Primary School seeking up to £25,000 for their ‘playground regeneration project’
- Bradley Stoke Youth seeking £1,000 to purchase winter training clothing and new training equipment
