Two grants programmes have been made available to charitable and community organisations who are striving to make a long-term difference within their local communities.
The move comes thanks to funding from the Science Museum Group Wroughton Solar Park Community Benefit Fund, administered by Wiltshire Community Foundation.
The Sustainable Futures Programme will offer grants of up to £20,000 to projects that focus on the environment and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and benefit communities within a 10km radius of the solar park.
Sustainable Futures grants prioritise projects or activities that will help groups or communities to reduce carbon emissions, take positive local action to tackle climate change, create sustainable or renewable energy solutions, improve learning in STEM subjects and the environment, or use STEM or environmental solutions to a local problem.
Examples of projects that could be funded include the installation of solar panels, the planting of trees or wildflowers to increase biodiversity, and trialling or implementing new approaches to learning and developing in STEM.
Matt Moore, the Associate Director of the Science and Innovation Park, home to the Wroughton Solar Park, said: “We want to help people, especially young people, engage and facilitate a sustainable future for their communities and with this funding demonstrate how science, technology and engineering can improve the world in which we all live in.
"We hope that the Wiltshire Community Foundation grant scheme will deliver projects that can make a real impact on the local area, and just maybe that our investment will help develop the next generation of scientists and engineers.”
Fiona Oliver, joint chief executive of Wiltshire Community Foundation, said: “We are thrilled to be working with the Science Museum Group again, and to be running these two wonderful programmes, which will no doubt benefit our local community and the environment we all live in.
“Focusing on STEM subjects to help tackle problems like the environment is really important, and having a substantial grant available to projects that helps to tackle this is massive. Similarly, it is brilliant to have a grant available for projects that bring people together to tackle loneliness.
“We look forward to receiving the new applications and building on the success of the previous funding rounds.”
The fund is particularly keen to support projects or activities that will have a long-term impact. Wiltshire Community Foundation have provided an eligibility checklist and advise all applicants to read it before starting their application.
Alongside this, the Supporting Communities Programme offers grants of up to £2,500 to projects which will improve the lives of people living in Wroughton, Chiseldon, Clyffe Pypard, Broad Town, Broad Hinton, Ogbourne St George, Ogbourne St Andrew, Aldbourne and Baydon.
The types of projects that this grant will fund include activities that bring people together to tackle loneliness and mental or physical health and wellbeing, conserving a wildlife area, activities that tackle a local issue or that create a new life skill such as budgeting, cooking or IT.
Creation of a physical community asset, such as a play area or a garden for all residents to enjoy, will also be supported by this grant.
Both programmes are open for applications until 13 December. Full details of eligibility and how to apply for the grants are at wiltshirecf.org.uk/grants-and-support/groups.
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