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Small Grants Awarded

Batcombe Parish Council - Batcombe Parish Community Review

Batcombe Parish Council have been awarded a grant to conduct a Community Review of the parish, working in collaboration with Thrive (CCS), to identify parishioner’s priorities on infrastructure, amenities and services. 

The aim of this project is to: 

  1. Identify parishioners’ priorities for parish amenities, assets and services. 
  2. Identify activities key to community health & wellbeing required by parishioners. 
  3. Identify resources to support the above. 

This will be the first public review in parish history and will serve to produce a Community Plan for the next five years. 

The outcome of the Community Review will be a Community Plan that:

  1. Prioritises funding requirements and projects for community health and wellbeing. 
  2. Identifies devolved services that could be replaced by parish activities. 
  3. Identifies activities and events for village amenities and infrastructure. 

The Bawdrip Community Garden project will establish a space for the whole community to use. The Parish Council will collaborate with local organisations Bawdrip Action for Climate Change and the Polden Environmental Network and the project will be completed by a group of local volunteers. 

Project aims: 

  1. To inspire interest in horticulture and encourage gardening.  
  2. To grow produce which could be harvested for residents in the village. 
  3. To create a space that could be used for workshops to share gardening knowledge. 
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Bishops Hull Parish Council enhanced their community allotments by installing raised beds and seating areas to make gardening more accessible and inclusive. The raised beds provide an opportunity for those with mobility issues or those who prefer smaller plots, while the seating area encourages social interaction among plot holders. This was a very successful project thanks to many volunteers. All the new beds are now in use and has provided more people in the village an opportunity to garden.

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This project, in collaboration with On Your Bike, offered free bike safety checks, bike repairs and bike marks for local residents. Workshops focused around bike maintenance skills, encouraging active travel and promoting cycling in the community. 

Project aims and objectives:

  1. To increase physical activity in the community by encouraging cycling. 
  2. To increase bike safety by improving bike maintenance education. 
  3. To support environmental sustainability by reducing car usage. 
More information about On Your Bike can be found here

This project aims to deliver bike maintenance workshops to local school children in collaboration with On Your Bike. These sessions aim to encourage young people to use bike as a means of active travel, emphasising fitness, safety and environmental impact. Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge are also working in partnership with local police to promote re-engagement of young people through practical skills and awareness. 

This project aims to: 

  1. Encourage physical activity and active travel among youth. 
  2. Provide hands-on learning in bike maintenance and road safety.
  3. Support environmental sustainability by promoting cycling as a transport option. 
More information about On Your Bike can be found here

The Bincombe Beeches Nature Reserve enhancement project successfully delivered significant improvements in accessibility, community engagement, public health and environmental engagement. This project achieved improving the community’s connection with the reserve as well as promoting biodiversity awareness and conservation efforts. 

The project successfully involved a range of community groups. Local organisations, such as Brownies, Cubs, Scouts and the Eco-Council from local primary schools, actively participated in conservation activities, educational sessions and creative projects such as sculpture design. This collaborative effort strengthened community ties whilst providing young people with hands-on learning experiences about nature and sustainability. 

The installation of new welcome points at the main entrances greatly improved the accessibility of Bincombe Beeches. The leaflet offers essential information on accessible pathways, points of interest and an engaging nature trail with wooden sculptures. 

This project will provide cookery classes for families in the village, offering skills to provide nutritious meals on a budget. The project aims to help residents learn practical cooking techniques, while also creating a supportive social space for people to connect. 

This project aims to:

  1. Increase access to nutritious food through practical cooking skills. 
  2. Reduce isolation by offering a social, supportive environment. 
  3. Improve financial wellbeing by teaching participants how to cook healthy meals affordably. 

This project involves the refurbishment of dormant allotment plots to create a community space and encourage broader involvement. Interest in the allotments has increased and generated the need for a community space to be more available. 

Project objectives:

  1. Refurbishment of dormant allotment plots to create a more useable community space. 
  2. The parish council will collaborate with the Probation Service who will provide volunteers to complete clearance and building work with the hopes of creating long-lasting relationships with the allotment for maintenance.
  3. Local organisations and groups will also be involved in the project, such as the Youth Club and local villages through the Village Agent.
  4. Henstridge Parish Council hope that fruit and vegetables grown will be made available through the Church hosted Fridge. 
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Leigh-on-Mendip Parish Council have created a welcoming, accessible community green space including a play area, allotments and social spaces. This grant funded the creation of an immersive sensory garden created and built by volunteers. The horseshoe seating area creates a natural ‘room’ and is full of plants and herbs. 

The green space is now multi-generational and used daily by people of all ages within the village. 

This is a photo of the venue where Chatty Hour is hosted. There is a park bench in the foreground, and the building in the background with a beautiful green space in between.
This is a photo of a resident greeting two horses and their riders. She used to ride as a younger woman.
This is a photo of residents enjoying Chatty Hour
This is a photo of residents sitting at table playing games and chatting.

This project created a warm and welcoming space for residents to connect. Held weekly at the Community Café, it provided a friendly environment where people could enjoy a subsidised meal, join in games and activities and hear talks on helpful topics. The project focused on supporting older residents, those with memory challenges, and those who may feel isolated by achieving a community spirit and helping reduce loneliness. 

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Meare Parish Council successfully delivered a free, inclusive community event with a focus on wellbeing, social cohesion and accessibility. 

Project successes: 

  • Community engagement: The event was well attended and received positive feedback from attendees across all age groups. 
  • Health and wellbeing: The event offered free access to entertainment, workshops and activities. 
  • Collabrative partnerships: Strong partnerships were established with local vendors, organisations and a neighbouring village. 

 

Activities offered: 

  • Yoga & meditation
  • Owl Handling 
  • Training on the new outdoor gym equipment 
  • Art and drama workshops for different age groups
  • Graffiti workshop for teenagers
  • Afternoon tea for older residents 
  • Music and live band performances
  • Talks from mentors, life coaches and other professionals 

This project involves the creation of a Zen & Sensory Community Garden within the Old Quarry Gardens in Nunney. 

The aim is to create a peaceful environment where residents and visitors of all ages can connect with nature, support biodiversity, take part in wellness activities and have fun. 

Key deliverables: 

  • A Zen area made with gravel and rocks donated by the local quarry, and planted with red acer trees and blossoming Japanese cherry trees. 
  • A newly design exploratory woodlands with willow arches and animal habitats. 
  • A sensory garden using perennial plants like lavender, rosemary and chamomile. 
  • Raised beds with maze-style stone pavers designed for young children’s engagement. 

 

Community involvement is central, with volunteers being recruited to help with the clearance and planting. The Parish Council is also collaborating with Nunney Community Association and Sustainable Nunney. 

The garden will also be complemented by:

  • Weekly summer fitness bootcamps for ages 16+.
  • Woodworking workshops for ages 11-15, focused on building wildlife habitats. 

‘Growing Together’ is an inclusive, proactive health and wellbeing initiative aimed at reducing loneliness, increasing social cohesion, and improving community resilience. This project aims to use arts, crafts and gardening to foster social health and connection amongst residents of all ages. 

Key aims: 

  1. Strengthen community bonds and networks. 
  2. Promote social sustainability and cohesion. 
  3. Improve social and emotional wellbeing.
  4. Reduce isolation and support intergenerational activity.  

 

Key activities: 

  • Over 30 planned events including art workshops, horticultural presentations, plant propagation days, community BBQ, school holiday pottery and craft sessions and a revived Flower, Arts and crafts Festival. 
  • Weekly art sessions and gardening outreach at a local care home. 
  • Garden help scheme where members of the community assist with garden jobs. 
  • Collaboration with schools, artists and local experts. 
Photo of the inside of the Somerton Town Council Community Shed.
Photo of two ladies working at a table, making crafts.
Photo of two men sanding a wooden bench.

Somerton Town Council created a Community Shed, providing a welcoming space where residents can come together to socialise, learn new skills, and take part in practical activities such as woodworking and DIY projects. 

The project offers opportunities for social engagement and shared experiences. 

In 2024, West Bagborough Parish Council conducted a Community Reveal, with support from CCS, identifying three key community priorities: 

  1. More events to bring the community together.
  2. Friendship benches in the village to enable more physical and social interaction.
  3. Better access to information about support services. 

 

This project will address these priorities by:

  • Hosting a village fete as a community wide-event with stalls, live music, games, crafts, dog show and refreshments to strengthen village unity.
  • Inviting supporting organisations to host information stands at the fete to increase awareness and usage of community support services. 
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This project successfully revamped the Community Garden in West Monkton, providing a space for local residents and schoolchildren to grow food, socialise and learn about healthy eating and sustainability.

The garden grows produce all year round for the Community Fridge, providing seasonal vegetables and fruit for the community. The garden team and volunteers also work with the primary school to support growing sessions so that children can learn about growing and taking care of plants.  

In 2022 Wiveliscombe Town Council carried out an extensive Community Plan Consultation with nearly 25% of households engaging. To dig deeper into some of the actions identified, a further smaller consultation took place which included a H&WB focus on physical activity and mental health, however this did not reach the full demographic of Wiveliscombe. 

Wiveliscombe Town Council have been awarded a grant to fund a Health & Wellbeing Project which will:

  1. Employ a project development worker to help Wiveliscombe Town Council to review the evidence already gathered, as well as source and gather views from missing demographics and report on findings. 
  2. Identify gaps and unmet needs in current H&WB provision across Wiveliscombe groups and organisations. 
  3. Identify barriers to engagement. 
  4. Carry out a scoping exercise trialling activities relating to H&WB, such as physical activity sessions, arts sessions, sessions at the Rec and Community Centre. 

 

The findings and outcomes of this project will help develop an ongoing health & wellbeing strategy which has a long lasting impact on the community. 

Click here to find out more about the Seed Grants we have awarded
Click here to find out more about the Large Grants we have awarded

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