Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and its contractor, Veolia Environmental Services have launched a £130,000 Community Fund to find the best ideas for reducing, recycling and reusing household waste across Merseyside and Halton.
The record sum includes £110,000 to be split between six ‘large scale’ projects – with each getting a grant significantly larger than anything the Authority has handed out before.
Only community and voluntary groups, not for profit social enterprises and schools in Merseyside and Halton can apply for the big grants and the Authority is setting the bar high. Applicants must be able to prove their idea works on a large scale and satisfy a list of ten criteria – including engaging residents, promoting economic growth and permanently changing consumer waste habits – to stand a chance of winning a share.
Successful projects which received smaller grants in 2012-13 include:
• Liverpool Lighthouse – a waste prevention project with the local community promoting healthy and economical eating, Love Food Hate Waste and cooking skills.
• Bulky Bobs Furniture World – a reuse project for furniture for disadvantaged families.
• Tomorrow’s Women Wirral – a waste prevention project enabling ex offending women to learn sewing and recycling skills.
Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority Chairperson Councillor Joe DeAsha said: “In the past, our Community Fund has handed out small grants to a large number of projects. There’s a much bigger pot this year to benefit a smaller number of projects which will reduce household waste, benefit local communities and ensure we give council tax payers value for money.
“The bigger awards will help make sure we attract the best and most robust ideas and are then able to give each of them as much support as possible to succeed.”
A further £20,000 will be awarded later in the year to up to ten schools or colleges in the region delivering projects on one of four waste themes – food, textiles, growing/composting and recycling champions.
Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority will be holding briefing workshops to give organisations in district areas in Merseyside and Halton more details about its new Community Fund criteria and application process. The Authority plans to select successful projects by the end of August 2013.
Application for the fund will be accepted from 3 June 2013 and the closing date for applications is 28th June 2013.
More information and application forms can be obtained from 20th May 2013 from the MRWA website www.merseysidewda.gov.uk or by calling Tel: 0151 255 2577 or email: communityfund2013-14@merseysidewda.gov.uk
Briefing Workshop dates and locations
Register for one of the events at email: communityfund2013-14@merseysidewda.gov.uk or by calling 0151 255 2577. They Include:
Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority Central Workshops:
20th May 10.00am – 11.30am and 14.00pm -15.30pm
30th May 10.00am -11.30am
Location: No 1 Mann Island, Liverpool L3 1BP
Liverpool area Workshop
23rd May 17.30pm – 19.00pm
Location: Venture Housing Community Room – 212H Boaler St, Liverpool, Merseyside L6 6AE
MRWA Chief Executive Carl Beer said: “We’re giving the right projects a real opportunity to succeed and make a big difference to the huge volumes of waste that we currently have to send to landfill.”
Alex Paterson, Director of Veolia Environmental Services Merseyside and Halton, said “The community fund has a history of supporting fantastic waste and recycling projects in Merseyside, the increased funding allowance gives us a greater opportunity to support the local community with their creative steps towards waste reduction, reuse and recycling.”
