Theddlethorpe GDF Community Partnership has awarded £1 million in Community Investment Funding to local projects during its first year.

A new adventure playground and community garden, an employability programme, a befriending service, and new cookers are just some of the projects benefiting from the GDF programme funding.

Eight projects have been granted money for a variety of community facilities and projects as the area takes part in the search for a suitable site for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF).

Interim Chair of the Partnership Jon Collins said: “We’re pleased to have been able to award the £1 million allocated funding for these projects in our first year as a Community Partnership. We’ve already started considering projects for year two, so there’s more opportunities in the year ahead for anyone with an idea or project.”

The money is provided by Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) to enable the Community Partnership to allocate up to £1 million of Community Investment Funding each year as discussions progress around what a GDF facility could mean locally.

Funding is not tied to support for a GDF and engagement with communities is without prejudice meaning that because individuals become involved in the process, it does not imply their support for geological disposal.

Community Investment Funding Projects

The projects to benefit from funding in year one are:

• £382,067 for Theddlethorpe Village Hall to build an adventure playground with outdoor gym equipment and create a community garden. Plus provide CCTV for the hall and outdoor facilities.
• £230,000 for an employability programme with Magna Vitae to help and support people to gain jobs in hospitality and leisure and access training opportunities and work experience leading to potential long-term employment.
• £164,975 to the National Centre for Rural Health for a Community Catalyst Care Worker Pipeline to identify and train local people, enabling them to become self-employed, skilled care workers and provide care assistance for those who need it.
• £49,981 for a ‘Coastal Chat’ befriending and social activity project hosted by Age UK Lindsey, helping to reduce loneliness and social isolation by supporting older people to be socially active and connected through friendship groups and coffee clubs.
• £132,371 to the Thriving Communities Support project ran by Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service. This will help empower residents by sharing knowledge and skills to improve community connectivity, increase confidence and raise aspirations.
• £26,102 for The Parrot Zoo Trust to provide learning and enable primary school pupils to visit Lincolnshire Wildlife Park and increase their knowledge and understanding of the natural environment and animal welfare.
• £13,854 to allow the Linkage Community Trust to offer activities for young people (aged 13 – 16) with learning disabilities and/or autism to help improve their well-being and social skills.
• £650 for the Mablethorpe OAP Association to buy and install two new cookers for the meeting centre kitchen and replace broken ones.

Funding Feedback

Aeneas Richardson, Executive Director for Magna Vitae

“We are delighted that Magna Vitae has been chosen to lead on the Employability Programme to support local educational providers, uplift skills, and employment opportunities this project will help create. I am sure this will benefit Magna Vitae hugely, especially with the opening of the new leisure centre development just around the corner but it will also simultaneously help individuals and other employers in Mablethorpe and the immediate surrounding area.”

Gill Hutchinson, Linkage

“Linkage helps people with learning disabilities make the most of opportunities that others sometimes take for granted. The GDF program will help fund our Outreach service, where we are piloting informal support for young people. Our many different services all have a common aim – to provide more opportunity and choice so the disabled or autistic people we support can achieve their aspirations in life and be as independent as possible.”

Andy Storer, Chief Executive Officer, Age UK Lindsey

“We are thrilled and delighted to have been awarded funds for our ‘Coastal Chat’ befriending and social activity project, from the Theddlethorpe GDF Community Partnership.  We know the money will help us to address issues of loneliness and social isolation that many older people in the area face, by supporting older people to be socially active and connected through friendship groups and coffee clubs. The funding will make a real difference and we are excited to have the opportunity to develop our project and give help where it is so needed.”

David Fannin, Chief Executive Officer of LCVS

“Lincolnshire Community & Voluntary Service is pleased to have received funding which will enable us to share knowledge, skills and experience in community development and help local groups and volunteers grow and thrive. This is a rare opportunity for people to get involved in making a difference in their communities and we want to enable as many people as possible to contribute to and benefit from the opportunity. We are employing two local people to do work in the community, so there is an immediate local benefit.”

Are you interested in applying for funding?

Theddlethorpe GDF Community Partnership is a group consisting of local people, local authorities, and Nuclear Waste Services, as the GDF developer. Their role is to ensure that the community is fully informed throughout the process of exploring the potential of hosting a GDF within the area, and the community’s voice is represented.

The Partnership is keen to hear from groups with projects that could be eligible for Community Investment Funding in support of people and the environment within the Search Area, which consists of the electoral wards of Withern & Theddlethorpe and Mablethorpe.

To find out more information go to our Community Investment Funding page