Here 2 Help You! Find out more about Crowdfund Worcestershire at latest online event

Here 2 Help You! Find out more about Crowdfund Worcestershire at latest online event

Has lockdown given you an idea of how you could improve things for your local community? If so, the County Council wants to hear from you.

Charities, local organisations and individuals across the county are being encouraged to join an hour long online event to learn about how they could fund their community project ideas through Crowdfund Worcestershire.

The latest event is running on Friday 4th September from 12-1pm.

Worcestershire County Council, alongside Malvern and Wychavon District Councils, are inviting anyone who may have a project idea that will support their local community, no matter how big or how small to join the latest online event.

Your project idea must be around the following themes:

    • Food Poverty – predominately focused on families
    • Social isolation/befriending – looking at virtual community connections / or adapted schemes that comply with social distancing.
    • Return to work – helping people prepare for a return to work or helping them into work.
    • Maintaining our volunteering offer – helping to create a legacy of community and volunteer action post Covid-19.
    • Healthy communities – activities to improve the health and wellbeing of your local community
    • Ticket to ride – transport projects that are sustainable, innovative, citizen-led and community-based to support increase resilience and boost connectivity of communities in Wychavon and Malvern by improving local people’s ability to travel to services and opportunities for social interaction.

The Crowdfund Worcestershire initiative has been launched to help build on the success of its Here2Help community campaign.

It is there to give anyone who lives locally who might have ideas about how to improve their community the opportunity to gain much needed funding through Spacehive, a crowdfunding platform.

Worcestershire County Council will be working with Spacehive on the initiative with a funding pot of £85,000 which they hope will at least double for the projects through the crowdfunding they will carry out themselves, with help and support along the way from Spacehive.

This funding, via the same Spacehive platform, will be led by Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils and there’s pledges of up to £50,000 up for grabs for this first round.

 

Spacehive is a funding platform that brings together people, businesses, councils and foundations to collaboratively fund projects that communities want.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Communities, said: “It’s great that we’re able to continue the community spirit generated from Here 2 Help, it has proven really successful, and we must hold on to it, as we look forward to the future and the recovery phase.

“So if you have an idea on how a to support your local community, then join the online event to find out more about how Crowdfund Worcestershire may be able with funding to get your project off the ground or improve on what you are already delivering.

The hour long event is a great way to learn more and ask any questions you may have. It could be the gateway to getting funding from the Council and from your local community.

“You know what your community needs best as you understand the challenges and opportunities your  local area and this model puts you and your ideas in the driving seat.”

If local people and organisations have an project idea they will need to register their idea on the Crowdfund Worcestershire platform by 30th September, clearly outlining how they may be able to help maintain progress in the key areas.

To find out more information about Crowdfunding Worcestershire and book your place on the event on 4th September, please visit the dedicated pages on Spacehive.