Aycliffe Monthly #1 | Page 21

Aycliffe Today Monthly | 21 @AycliffeToday NEWS DELIGHT AS £27K GAMP CASH IS DISHED OUT There was delight for 12 Newton Aycliffe community groups who scooped a share of £27,000 GAMP money. An Education Centre for Children with Downs Syndrome and an appeal for funding to build a Multi Use Games Area were amongst the projects that captured the public’s imagination at a community funding event, organised by Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership (GAMP) at Aycliffe Youth Centre. More than 900 people attended the Your Money, Your Area, Your Views Forum Event to vote for the community projects they believed most deserved a share of a £27,000 funding pot. This year, 31 groups applied for grants of up to £2,500 for various community projects. In the end, 12 projects proved successful, including Hordale Residents Association, which applied for £2,500 to build a Multi Use Games Area. The total cost of the project is £40,000 with the £2,500 secured at ‘GAMP WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR YOU’ The Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership (GAMP) dished out £27,000 to local groups recently the event, means that the project can now come to fruition Philip Clarke, chair of Horndale Residents Association, said: “The dream and promise I made to the youngsters of our neighbourhood became a reality. This would not have been possible without the help of all those who voted for us.” During the event 241 members of the local community also took part in an exercise to look at how the Council saves the predicted £100m from its budget. Brian Riley, GAMP Co-ordinator, said: “It’s been a fantastic event and we have been overwhelmed with how many residents made the effort to vote for their favourite projects. “As part of the event the community also got the chance to vote for the GAMP priorities for 2014-15 and I am grateful that 825 residents have given the GAMP Board direction on what they consider to be the main issues in the area.” GAMP WINNERS: Newton Aycliffe Youth FC: £2,320, The Wishing Well Club: £2,500, Sedgefield Water Polo Club: £1,040, Middridge Allotment Association: £2,500, The 1st Newton Aycliffe Scout Group: £1,500, The Education Centre for Children with Downs Syndrome: £2,429, The Cubby: £2,500, Kdanz: £2,500, Newton Aycliffe Division Guide Association: £2,500, The North East Autism Society: £2,344, Horndale Residents Association: £2,500, The Pioneering Care Partnership: £2,367. Bosses of Durham Council’s grantgiving arm say they will always be there for community groups in Newton Aycliffe. Great Aycliffe and Middridge Partnership (GAMP) dished out £27,000-worth of grants to local groups last month. With Durham County Council having to save a staggering £200m over a six-year period up to 2017, GAMP say funding to grass roots people is even more important. In a Video Interview, GAMP Coordinator Brian Riley told Aycliffe Today: “It’s really important that we support the local community and voluntary sector now more than ever. “With all the cutbacks, this has been an opportunity for them to get funding as well as vote for the community and voluntary areas to be GAMP’s second main priority. “We’ll continue to work with local groups throughout the year. GAMP will always be here for them and we look forward to working closely with local groups in the coming years.” More than 900 people attended the Your Money, Your Area, Your Views Forum Event to vote for the community projects they believed most deserved a share of a £27,000 funding pot. Brian added: “It was a perfect day for the groups of Aycliffe to showcase what activities they have and what they do.” More on this story including a Video Feature is at www.aycliffetoday.co.uk