ANOTHER round of emergency grants are available for Denbighshire community groups to support recovery and community resilience post-lockdown.

The Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) has opened a third round of £2,000 emergency grants for not-for-profit groups and organisation in the county.

The DVSC has £26,591 in funds, enabled by Comic Relief from monies raised from the Big Night In.

DVSC’s chief executive Helen Wilkinson said: “It is great to be launching this new grant round. The previous two have been great successes and have helped the voluntary and social enterprise sector here in Denbighshire offer great service in such unprecedented and uncertain times.

“15 groups and organisations have so far been funded and over £24,000 distributed. It has been inspirational to see the work being done and this will hopefully continue during this grant round.”

Groups that benefitted from the previous round include Prestatyn & Meliden Community Action Group, St Kentigern Hospice, Rhuddlan Community Centre and the St Asaph City Times.

The new grant round offers support to voluntary sector organisations and community groups. Its purpose is to enable those providing vital support to groups such as people in isolation, the elderly, carers, people struggling to access food so that they can continue to receive support as the county emerges from lockdown.

Projects must meet one of three funding criteria outlined:

  • Maintain or increase activities that support the vulnerable during the #COVID19 pandemic
  • Ensure voluntary, community and social enterprise groups and organisations have the resources needed to deliver vital services for their communities e.g. volunteer expenses
  • Encourage stringent health and safety protocols for volunteer activities to safeguard volunteers, beneficiaries, and voluntary sector staff, volunteers and beneficiaries, e.g. the purchase of PPE, hand sanitiser

To apply for the grant, an online application is available at dvsc.co.uk.

Applicants also benefit from a governance health check and can be signposted to other funding sources.

For advice and guidance you contact DVSC’s bilingual Community Support team member, Rhys@dvsc.co.uk or call him on 01824 702441.