East Devon District Council still has £80,000 of funding available to local community projects through Crowdfund East Devon.

East Devon District Council still has £80,000 of funding available to local community projects through Crowdfund East Devon. To find out more: www.eastdevon.gov.uk/grants-and-funding/grants-available-from-us/crowdfunding/ At the same time as raising money from the local community by crowdfunding, organisations can apply for up to £10,000 from the council for East Devon projects, and for a large amount of county-wide funding available from Devon County Council and from Devon and Cornwall Police. If you’re interested and would like crowdfunding training, please email jbuckley@eastdevon.gov.uk  

The decision was made by East Devon District Council’s Community Grants Panel on 1 September to give a grant to both of the following projects to enable them to reach their crowdfunding targets:

The Budleigh Salterton Community Workshop project
This project aims to create a workshop and other recreational facilities in Budleigh Salterton for the community to enhance skills, confidence and social inclusion. Volunteer led activities would be made available to individuals who have need for them because of their age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances, to try and improve their lives.
Activities on offer will initially focus on carpentry, wood turning and other DIY, textile crafts and repair skills under the supervision of experienced practitioners and support volunteers.
Through crowdfunding, they managed to raise £50,000 towards their bigger project from 230 supporters in 27 days which included £4,867 from Crowdfund East Devon.
To find out more and watch their explanatory video: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/budleigh-salterton-community-workshop-bid

Coleridge Memorial Statue
The Coleridge Memorial Trust is fundraising to place a life-size statue of world famous poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, born in the town in 1772, at St Mary’s Church in Ottery St Mary. There is no memorial statue of Coleridge anywhere in the world. The Coleridge Memorial Trust wishes to recognise and honour his shaping of people’s modern view of the world through his literary and philosophical contributions.
Through crowdfunding, they managed to raise over £20,000 towards their project from over 78 supporters, which included £5,160 from Crowdfund East Devon.
The Memorial Trust are now going to start the project. They will continue fundraising, as they haven’t as yet raised the total costs of their project.
To find out more and watch their explanatory video: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/coleridge-memorial-statue

Councillor Jack Rowland, Chair of the Community Grants Panel said:

On behalf of the East Devon District Council Community Grants Panel we were pleased to be able to support these two projects where they had already raised considerable amounts of money via crowdfunding, as they met the criteria to apply for a grant from the specific budget held by East Devon District Council.

We wish both projects every success in their work to make the projects a reality.”

Bill McDermott, Chair of Budleigh Salterton Trust said:

A big thank you to EDDC for helping us over the line with their generous donation to our Crowdfunder campaign to raise £50,000 toward the purchase of the Budleigh Fire Station. The public has been fantastic in digging very deep to raise the funds and we now need the Fire Service to accept our bid. Fingers crossed.”

Mike Ferguson – Member of Coleridge Memorial Trust and Manager of its current Crowdfunding Campaign said:

The Coleridge Memorial Trust is delighted to have reached its Crowdfunder target of £20,000 with the significant and welcome support from East Devon District Council. 

We also appreciate and are thankful for every individual donation of whatever amount, these so often accompanied by positive comments offering encouragement for the project and including quotations from Coleridge! A memorial statue of Samuel Taylor Coleridge is beginning its journey to Ottery St Mary.”

East Devon District Ward Councillors for Budleigh Salterton, Cllr Tom Wright, Cllr Paul Jarvis and Cllr Alan Dent said:

As Ward Members we are truly grateful to the Community Grants Panel for supporting the crowdfunding bid in aid of the Budleigh Community Workshop Trust. As a result and together with individuals and organisations who raised some £50,000 in four weeks through crowdfunding, and all other funds donated outside of crowdfunding, the bid to purchase the Budleigh Fire Station has been successful. The BCWT project is potentially one of the most valuable and enterprising community initiatives to have come forward in recent years.

In conjunction with the Budleigh Wellbeing Hub this project offers practical and recreational facilities which will enhance skills, confidence and inclusion. Volunteer led activities will be available to all facets of the community with the objective of improving individual lives, overcoming loneliness and isolation for anyone - young or elderly - who need support.”

East Devon District Ward Councillors for Ottery St Mary, Cllr Peter Faithfull and Cllr Geoff Pratt said:

As Ward Members for Ottery St Mary we would like to confirm our support for the Coleridge Statue Project which a dedicated and hard working group of residents have been championing. A Statue of Coleridge placed in the church grounds of his birth place will be a fitting tribute.”