2019 is set to be the most exciting yet for the Whitemoss Community Fund!

With increased funding available for the local community it means a ‘new look’ Fund which previously distributed a pot of approximately £65,000 in one annual round.

Now, its size could nearly double and local groups will be able to apply for funding support twice each year with grants of up to £25,000 available for projects located anywhere within a 5 mile radius of the Whitemoss landfill site in Skelmersdale.

The changes come as the Fund announces the eight local groups to receive cash boosts this year, including two in Ormskirk and one in Westhead.

Deserving groups will share a windfall of £133,267 seeing the amount now distributed through the Whitemoss Community Fund in the local area soar to over £660,000.

Benefitting are: - Skelmersdale Cricket Club will be able to purchase a digital scoreboard thanks to a grant of £7,500. - Ormskirk and District Scouts will use their £20,000 grant to create an outdoor community learning space at their site near Lathom. - A grant of £17,500 will enable Westhead Village Hall to continue their programme of improvements which began when the community saved the Hall from closure in 2017. - Up Holland Methodist Church scooped £16,718 to improve the car park and access, alongside improving toilet provision within the building. - Users of the Greenhill Community Hub will also benefit from a grant award of £19,659 which will enable an upgrade to the heating system as well as provision of new specialist equipment. - Evermoor Lounge in Skelmersdale will be able to complete essential roof repairs, replace flooring and purchase new furniture now they have a grant of £20,000 from the Fund. - The garden area at the Ecumenical Centre in Skelmersdale will be transformed with an award of £16,190. - 40th Ormskirk Scouts will receive £15,700 to enable them to complete their outdoor area improvement project.

Bill Regan President of Skelmersdale Cricket Club said: “Members and friends of Skelmersdale Cricket Club would like to sincerely thank the Whitemoss Community Fund for their generous donation to support the Club in their purchase of a state of the art digital scoreboard.

This is amazing for our Club and what a difference it will make to our status and we will have moved to a different era. With our excellent facilities we will be able to attract more players, more members, school/college competitions PLUS Lancashire cricket boys and girls matches which, without the digital scoreboard facility, we would not get. Once again, a huge “thank you” from all at Skelmersdale Cricket Club!”

Funding for the Whitemoss Community Fund is provided from the Whitemoss landfill site in Skelmersdale through the Landfill Communities Fund. Veolia, the UK’s leading resource management company acquired Whitemoss Landfill in January 2019, and provides a wide range of recycling and waste management services across the UK.

Mark Langabeer, General Manager, Landfill said: “Veolia look forward to continuing the great work that has been achieved through the Whitemoss Community Fund, and we hope the changes to the Fund will encourage even more worthy applications.”

The Fund has awarded grants to local communities around the site each year since 2010. So far 51 local projects have benefited from the Fund.

The next application deadline is 11th December 2019 (decisions February 2020). Grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 are available for community projects in the funding area.

Interested? Visit www.grantscape.org.uk or call 01908 247630 for more details.