COUNCILLORS have been told they have a matter of weeks to commit their funds to local projects.
The Central Area Council, which covers five wards in Barnsley, met on Monday when they were given an update on ward alliance budgets. Each ward alliance is given £10,000 from the council’s core budget and, in addition to this, receives a further £10,000 from the Central Area Council from which community groups can apply for help with local projects.
At the meeting, area council manager Carol Brady said any remaining funds should be committed by March 31 this year.
A report seen by councillors showed that the Central ward alliance only has £1,517 left to spend and this year it has already provided help to a number of community projects including £1,200 for the Polish library and advice service, more than £6,600 installing fencing and bollards on Tennyson Road, Monk Bretton, and £500 to the Immortals youth group.
In the Dodworth ward the alliance has £1,588 left to spend and the biggest spend was the Christmas festival and lights at a cost of £5,750. Other groups to benefit were the Moorland Community Group who received £700, Crafty Kids who were given more than £285 and Gilroyd Community Group received £1,150.
The Kingstone ward alliance has £4,877 left in the coffers and its biggest spend this financial year has been on the AD Astra project who received more than £2,650. Other projects include the Friends of Locke Park who were handed £1,325, TESOL UK, who provide English language lessons, received £1,540 and Elim ESOL, who provide IT lessons were given £2,000.
The Stairfoot alliance has £5,473 remaining and the most it forked out was on the Action CIC which received £2,150. Other projects to benefit included Lavender Court Gardening club which received more than £710 and £500 to set up new Neighbourhood Watch groups.
Worsbrough has the most left to spend with £12,395 left in the budget. Some of the projects to benefit were the Worsbrough after school provision which received £2,500, St Thomas’s Church wives’ group was given £500 and the Worsbrough Junior Wardens received £1,770.
