Spreading good cheer in south west Chilterns

Residents and communities in the south west Chilterns area are already starting to reap the benefits from community board funding for local projects and initiatives.

At the board meeting held last night (Tuesday 24 November), members agreed funding to a number of local projects including:

·         £4,000 allocated to Marlow-based Seed1, a social enterprise set up to benefit homeless and disadvantaged people in the local community. Working together with local headteachers, the funding will be used to provide fresh fruit and veg boxes to families in receipt of free school meals.

·         £675 match funding towards holding an outdoor Christmas event in Lane End. In line with social distancing guidelines and other Covid restrictions, the event will take place in four locations around the village church.

·         £465 match funding towards restarting a men’s football club in Lane End, helping to tackle social isolation and improve mental health.

Lora Wilson, Founder and Director of Seed1 CIC said: “At Seed1, we believe community should be at the heart of everything we do. We aim to help those around us in as many ways as possible and were delighted to receive funding from the South West Chilterns Community Board, which allowed us to provide fresh fruit and vegetables to families locally who were suffering financially as a result of Covid-19 and the lockdowns. Fresh fruit and vegetables are so important to our health and wellbeing but for those on a tight budget it can be difficult to afford these, so we wanted to use our resources to help those in need and we are extremely grateful to the other local groups and organisations who helped us achieve this.”

Like the other 15 community boards across the county, South West Chilterns Community Board has agreed a list of priorities to focus on for this year. The four priorities are:

·         Covid-19 response and recovery

·         Young people

·         Crime and anti-social behaviour

·         Highways and infrastructure

Smaller working groups have been created to focus in more detail and further funding is available towards projects and initiatives tackling these areas. One such idea planned jointly with North West Chilterns and Beaconsfield & Chepping Wye community boards includes a project in collaboration with Bucks Business First to provide courses and training for those made redundant by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dominic Barnes, Chairman of the South West Chilterns Community Board said: “I’m so pleased that we are able to start making an impact in our local communities by helping to support a range of initiatives and projects that benefit the whole community.

“We have been listening to what people want and are working with partner organisations to make a real difference on a local level.”

Community boards are the local link between Buckinghamshire Council and the community, enabling communities to have a stronger voice, influencing how services are delivered, identifying local priorities and working together to improve local areas. If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved with your local community board visit our website or email: localities@buckinghamshire.gov.uk