Proud Moments for Cheltenham Projects Thanks to £30k Funding

Proud Moments for Cheltenham Projects Thanks to £30k Funding

· A boxing club for young people is just one of many local projects to receive money this year

17 projects created to improve the lives of Cheltenham residents are now underway, thanks to the popular community pride initiative from the council.

Successful events this year include the vibrant Culture Fest by Lives of Colour at Pittville Park, Cheltenham Paint Festival 2024, Pride in Cheltenham 2025 in celebration of the LGBT+ community, and a celebration of the Hindu festival of Durga Puja (Durga Ashtami) this October.

Projects providing support and opportunities for young people include St Marks Youth Music Connect, the Wilson Art Gallery’s free kids arts club workshops in St Pauls and St Peter’s and The Moors, and boxing at Kings ABC. Kings ABC is a community boxing club based in Colletts Drive, and the project will give more children and young adults from the local area coaching and exercise but also a sense of belonging, direction, and a safe place to be.

The Friends of Elmfield are working on enhancing the community rest garden and Monkscroft Community Action Group is running a garden project, while the InterClimate Network will be working in Cheltenham secondary schools to act together on climate change.

Councillor Victoria Atherstone, cabinet member for safety and communities, said: “We are always impressed with the range of valuable community projects that apply to our funding for support, and this year was no exception. We have no doubt that those successful will make a big difference for our residents.”

Steve Arlin from Kings ABC said: “Many of our children come from underserved communities and face significant challenges, and our mission is to provide a safe environment where young people can learn discipline and self-confidence through boxing.

“Through our community pride grant, we can expand our reach to provide free training sessions and mentorship programs and continue to create an environment where young people feel valued and inspired to reach their full potential.”

Other projects provide support for communities to come together, such as the Community Lunch project at School House Café and the Homeward Horizon peer support group for refugees.

Cllr Rowena Hay, leader of the council, said: “It is great that Cheltenham can help its communities in this way and it’s even better to see the direct impact this support can have. I’m looking forward to seeing these events and projects unfold throughout the year.”

The community pride fund is open every year and provides match funding for projects with grants of up to £3k. This year, the five themes for the funding were:

· bringing people together and celebrating our culture and diverse communities

· improving biodiversity in our green spaces

· making Cheltenham a place where all children and young people can thrive

· enabling neighbourhood hubs and spaces to be used to engage and support young people and promoting and supporting physical and mental wellbeing in celebration of the 2024 Olympics.

Community pride funded projects 2024

In 2023, the community pride funding was distributed through the Coronation Community Fund.

In 2022, the community pride funding was used to support celebratory events and projects for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

To read more about community pride, click here.