Local projects have four weeks left to apply for a grant of up to £10,000 from the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s Community Fund before the deadline.

The Community Fund has donated more than £60,000 to 44 different community projects and charities based in Mid and West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly since it was launched.

Entries for the fund are currently being accepted with the closing date for applications set as July 14th.

The fund has already donated more than £14,000 in 2019, contributing to the estimated £1 million the Steamship Group returns to the community each year through subsidised travel for the islanders, NHS flights, sponsorships and charitable donations.

2018 saw the Community Fund’s single biggest donation yet – a massive £5,000 to the Cornish Pilot Gig Association towards its project Pulling Together the Past, which aims to preserve irreplaceable historical data on the traditional Cornish sport.

Sam Hicks, Chairman of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group’s Community Fund, said: “We would like to remind people they only have a few weeks left to apply for the Community Fund. We want to hear from any local groups and good causes which may need a financial boost to help them with the work they are already doing.

“Many people are unaware that we have this pot of money to give away and we’d like to encourage as many applications as possible. We’ve given money to school academies, sports clubs, special events and charities to name a few.

“It is heartening to read the applications from so many worthy causes, often run by enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers for the good of our communities.”

Recent beneficiaries include:

  • £1,200 to Home-Start Kernow, a small charity which offers support, friendship and practical help to struggling parents in Cornwall. The money paid for 10 new volunteers to be trained.
  • £1,200 to Build-a-Bike, a scheme in Camborne which has helped hundreds of disadvantaged people rescue old bicycles and give them a new lease of life. The money was used to buy new parts for bikes they are rebuilding.
  • £1,250 to St Agnes Island Hall, which paid for wifi to be installed for the first time and for two years’ running costs
  • £2,000 towards replacing the old, leaky roof at Constantine village hall
  • £2,000 towards an impressive new made-to-order outdoor adventure playground at Mount Hawke Academy, providing the growing school and local community with a long-lasting asset to be enjoyed by future generations

The Community Fund, which first launched in 2016, is open to good causes and local projects across Mid and West Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Bids to the Community Fund are open to voluntary groups or charities, schools and education establishments, community clubs or societies, and individuals undertaking not-for-profit projects for the benefit of the wider community.

Full details, eligibility criteria and application forms are now available from the Steamship Group’s website. All projects are judged by members of an independent panel.