LOCAL community projects are being invited to apply for funding to support their cause.

Bude-Stratton Town Council (BSTC) is encouraging projects and activities that benefit people in the parish to apply for its Community Grants.

Each year, the council administers grants to local community and voluntary organisations. These ventures must operate for the benefit of residents within the parish, and demonstrate a clear need for financial support.

In total, the council has £10,000 to support these causes throughout the year.

A spokesperson for the council said: “We welcome the community to come forward with their ideas. Examples may include: Funding for a new project, setting up a new group or local forum; funding for capital items that will help the organisation, eg equipment; events, training and/or capacity building; or exceptional organisation running costs, such as wages, for a focused time on a project.

“The grant can act as part funding for a project which has been the subject of a previous application, but evidence of how the previous funding was spent will be needed. BSTC will consider more than one grant per group or organisation in each financial year if clear, exceptional circumstances or separate projects are demonstrated.”

This comes as one of two opportunities throughout the year to receive community funding from the council, with the deadline for this round of applications being June 9.

The grant has, so far, supported a number of local groups and organisations carry out important projects.

One example is Bude Carnival Committee, which received a £1,500 grant to cover the increasing costs of hosting this cherished community event. Bude Football Club has also benefitted from the initiative, receiving a £1,000 grant from the council which went towards helping the club address urgent accessibility and facility improvements.

On top of this, Bude Cancer Support is among beneficiaries, receiving a £500 grant from the council which contributed towards the running costs of its twice-monthly café events.

A grant of £862 enabled Bude North Cornwall Cricket Club to launch a youth cricket section, providing young people with the opportunity to engage in the sport for the first time. The funding was used to purchase essential equipment, including a cricket batting cage, allowing the club to offer hard ball cricket to local children.

The Bude-Stratton Town Council’s Community Grant scheme also played a role in the success of Bude Lifeboat Day by awarding a £500 grant to help cover rising event costs.

A £138 grant from the council helped also helped Atlantic Academy ensure that all Year 7 students could participate in their annual residential trip, which fosters team spirit and creates lasting memories.

Finally, Bude Pilot Gig Club benefitted from the scheme after it needed support in refurbishing its wooden racing gig Bedehaven in 2023. This included removing many layers of old paint to take her back to wood and then a fresh coat of speciality marine paint and new signage. The club was awarded a £2,000 grant towards the project.