COMMUNITY groups in the Suffolk Coastal area have received grant aid of more than £60,000 to help them continue providing their services over the next 12 months.

COMMUNITY groups in the Suffolk Coastal area have received grant aid of more than £60,000 to help them continue providing their services over the next 12 months.

Some 39 different groups gaining funding - with grants ranging from £300 to £10,000.

District councillors considered nearly 60 requests for help, looking at each on its merits, targeting those organisations who make a real difference to their communities.

Key organisations which received funding included Suffolk Acre, which received £5,000, The Rochford Trust £6,650, Cedar House Trust £4,100, Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality £1,750, Suffolk Coastal Disability Advice Service £2,000, Coastal Homeless Action Group £7,500 and Ipswich Women's Aid £3,250.

Cabinet member Stephen Burroughes said it had not been possible to help everyone and there had been tough decisions to make.

“These are important groups who offer help across our district to a wide range of our community with information and advice on hand for young or disabled people, or those facing problems with domestic violence or racial harassment, or those in rural communities,” he said.

“All our grants are aimed at providing support to those voluntary organisations who are either giving support to people in our community or are improving the quality of life of residents by the service they provide.

“We have an active and excellent voluntary sector in our district, with lots of groups who are making a real difference and this council is keen to support these activities.

“The largest grant we are making of £10,000 is to assist the work of community partnerships in the district who are busy promoting new initiatives in their towns.”

WEBLINK: www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk

Do you think the council should give grants to such organisations? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk

Panel: Community groups who received grants . . .

Other organisations to receive grants were:

Art on the Prom £400, Aldeburgh, Leiston and Saxmundham Volunteer Centre £2,480, Arts Framlingham £400, Aldeburgh Marine Regatta and Carnival up to £400, Coastal Accessible Transport £600, Disability Advice Service (East Suffolk) £2,000, East Anglian Traditional Music Trust £300, East Anglian Sailing Trust £500, Eastern Angles Theatre Company £500, Felixstowe RLSS Lifeguard Club £500, Felixstowe Area Community Transport Ltd £500, Felixstowe Old Peoples Welfare Association £500, Framlingham and District Volunteer Centre £500, Felixstowe and District Council for Sport and Recreation £500, Ipswich Transport Museum £100, Ipswich and Suffolk Credit Union Ltd £1,000, Just 42 £1,000, Leiston-cum-Sizewell Town Council £1,000, Long Shop Project Trust £1,000, Mouth to Mouth Theatre Company £300, National Coastwatch Institution £850, Pisces Swimming Club for Disabled People £500, Rendlesham Youth Group £2,000, Suffolk Artlink £750, Suffolk Coastal Crossroads £450, Suffolk Accident Rescue Service £400, Suffolk Real Nappy Network £400, Saxmundham Arts and Recreation Trust £400, The Voluntary Help Centre £300, Woodbridge Regatta £250, and Yoxford Arts Festival £400. Landguard Fort Trust received £1,500 and Volcare £1,000 and their grants will be doubled if they provide the relevant information by the end of this month.