Last year Councillor Allan Siao Ming Witherick was able to use his locality budget to support a wide variety of local groups with everything from new doors for St Albans Judo Club through to helping use community payback people to do work improve the area.

This year he has already started to award funding to a number of organisations working with people in his division of Batchwood and Marshalswick South.
“Ideally I look for projects and activities which might not get funding from other sources or where I can show that there is a real benefit to my small donation being made. With a total budget of just £10,000 a year it isn’t much.
In particular I am interested in small capital projects and those where hopefully there is a lasting benefit to the local community with most of the grants I make under £2000 so that I can spread the money around.”

The grant year runs until March 2011 and there are still funds to be allocated.
You can read more about the locality budget scheme at: http://www.hertsdirect.org/localitybudgets

The county council also provides advice on other sources an opportunities for funding for local groups and organisations at: http://www.hertsdirect.org/funding