Take a Chance on The Council’s New Community Chest Windfall

Community groups are set to monopolise a near £1M windfall thanks to the green efforts of the borough’s residents.

The scheme will see the groups given a share of the money the council saves through its recycling efforts, including all the recyclables collected from homes across Tameside.

Community Panels will be charged with awarding funds to local groups from a Community Chest which will hand out £200,000 in the first year and £380,000 each year for the next two years.

Each panel will be made up of a local councillor and representatives from a range of community groups, including sporting groups, churches and the scouts and guides.

Applications to become a panel member began in October when the advertising campaign encouraging people to ‘Have their say’ began. Through the scheme local community groups are encouraged to apply for grants which could be for anything related to their local communities such as a new roof for a scout hut or a CCTV camera.

Once each panel has decided on which applications to recommend they are sent on to the overarching Selection Panel, made up of the Chair of the Tameside Strategic Partnership (TSP) and Executive leader of the Council, Cllr Roy Oldham, Executive Member for DAs Cllr Jim Fitzpatrick and an opposition member who will decide which applications have been successful.

Panels will be appointed and advised in January to begin deliberating on applications in early March. We aim to advise groups who have submitted a grant bid as to whether they have been successful at the end of March with projects commencing soon after.

Cllr Roy Oldham, who has promoted the scheme, said: "This is a win, win situation for everyone as far as I am concerned. We are consistently telling our residents how well they are doing when it comes to recycling their household waste and here’s the proof.

"Handing the money back to community groups should not only encourage more residents to recycle, but it will also help the council’s recycling rates and mean, of course, less waste going to landfill which benefits everyone."

Although we have now finalised our Community Panels and are no longer accepting applications, any future panel recruitment will be publicised via this website at www.tameside.gov.uk/commpanels.

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