Community Awards open for nominations

 

 

Community Awards

 

Nominations have opened for residents to put forward their local heroes in Blaby District Council’s special Community Awards.

Following a difficult 18 months for the country, communities and voluntary groups, the Council has been keen to find a way of honouring local people of all ages and community groups who make a positive difference to the district.

Three categories are open for nominations until Wednesday 15 September 2021:

  • Volunteer of the Year
  • Young Volunteer of the Year
  • Community Group of the Year

Both Volunteer and Young Volunteer of the Year will honour people who have given up their time to help others in the Blaby District community. Their efforts can include volunteering at a club or group, or supporting an individual or improving the district. The winner of both categories will receive £100, with the runners up getting £50.

£750 will also be given to a chosen community group selected by the Volunteer and Young Volunteer winners, with £500 cash available for a group chosen by the runners-up.

The Community Group of the year category recognises groups or organisations that have improved the quality of life for residents within the District of Blaby. £1000 is up for grabs for the winning group, whilst the runner up will receive £500.

Councillor Sharon Coe, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing, Community Engagement and Business Support, said “The Community Awards are our way of honouring the volunteers and voluntary groups who have done so much in their community, particularly since the pandemic hit.

“Funding for the individual awards has kindly been donated by Central England Co-operative and BHIB Charities Insurance. The group prizes are being funded by proceeds from the Love Blaby Lottery. We can think of no better way of using this money than to ensure it’s given back to the local community to support their activities and voluntary efforts.

“If you know a person or group who has done something extraordinary to improve people’s lives, please nominate and let us know!”

Anyone interested in nominating can find out more and nominate online by visiting the Community Awards webpage.

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First charging points go live in Blaby

Electric Vehicle

 

The first charging points in Blaby District Council’s pay and display car parks are live and ready to use, as part of a project to make electric vehicle owning more accessible to residents.

Johns Court and Enderby Road car parks in Blaby are the first charging points to go live, with eight bays in each car park exclusively reserved for electric vehicle car owners to charge their vehicle using the 7kW chargers installed.

The phased launch will also see charging points go live in Narborough, with six bays in Weavers Court and two bays in Leicester Road available for use in the coming weeks.

£77,000 for the project came from the Office of Low Emission Vehicles for the ‘On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme’. The rest of the funding will come from EB Charging, who installed and will manage the charging points.

Local residents who cannot access a charging point are being encouraged to take advantage of the new chargers, as well as for shoppers in Blaby and Narborough taking advantage to top up their electric vehicle.

EB Charging will be offering the first two months of charging for free as part of the scheme. After the free period ends, charging will cost 30p per kW, with cashless payment made via the EB Charging app.

The app will not need to be used during the free introductory period, after which payment will be required via the app.

Dedicated charging bays will have a three-hour maximum stay from 8am-6pm Monday to Saturday, and cars parked in the bays must be plugged in to a charging point and displaying a valid parking ticket. Out of hours and Sunday parking is free, but the 30p per kW charge will apply at all times.

Councillor Les Phillimore, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Community and Environmental Services, said: “We are delighted to launch these charging points in our car parks as part of our ambition to make electric vehicle ownership as accessible to as many people as possible, as part of our Carbon Neutral Action Plan for the district.

“We are hopeful that residents in Blaby and Narborough who can’t access a charging point where they live will now have the opportunity to take the plunge into the world of electric vehicle ownership.

“Our new EV charging points will also support local businesses by encouraging Electric Vehicle owners to shop and relax locally, and will be able to top-up their electric vehicles whilst they do.”

For more information about charging points in the district visit the Electric Vehicle Charging page of the website.

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Community Grants Scheme Open

Picture2

 

More Green Grants are available for community groups in the district, with the next application deadline for Blaby District Council’s Community Grants scheme looming.

Green Grants of up to £4000 can support Community Groups who have projects including low carbon heating and electricity adaptations, composting and litter picking related equipment and waste reduction or recycling measures.

The Green Grants join the other grants available, ranging from £500-£4,000 and suited to a variety of different projects:

  • Capital Green Grants – up to £4000 (20% match funding required)
  • Revenue Green Grants – up to £500
  • Large Capital Grants – up to £4,000 (50% match funding required)
  • Small Capital Grants – up to £500
  • Revenue Grants – up to £500
  • Everyone Active Grants – up to £500

The next deadline for applications in the summer round of grants is 5pm on Wednesday 1 September.

Councillor Sharon Coe, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing, Community Engagement and Business Support said: “The Community Grants are an important part of our offering to voluntary groups in the district, particularly with the impact the pandemic has had.

“We’re encouraging all community groups in the district to take a look and see how these grants can support your project. Whether it’s a coach trip to the seaside or major improvement works, there’s a grant to help you!”

Find out more about the new Green Grants, as well as the other funding available and apply online via our Community Grants webpage.

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