More free crowdfunding workshops are being offered by East Devon District Council to help community and voluntary groups and other not for profit organisations across East Devon access over £50,000 of funding.

So far East Devon District Council has funded ten community projects through Crowdfunder, giving out a total of over £49,000 in grants.

Crowdfunding enables community groups and other not for profit organisations, including town and parish councils, to raise money online in one place to help make their project happen.

If you are involved with a not for profit group and want to find out more, East Devon District Council are running two free sessions to help you:
• Tuesday 7 September from 9.30am to 11am
• Wednesday 8 September from 5pm to 6.30pm

To book a place on either of the sessions please email crowdfund@eastdevon.gov.uk stating which one you want to book onto.

Councillor Jack Rowland, portfolio holder for Finance said:

“I’d encourage eligible groups who are not familiar with the crowd funding process to take advantage of one of the free workshops next month. By obtaining pledges to a project and reaching the target then access to a grant from East Devon District Council is available as can be seen from the examples of successful projects.”

Some of the fantastic projects given Crowdfund East Devon grants so far include:
• £3,500 to Pippins Community Centre in Axminster. The very popular Pippins Community Centre in Axminster houses more than 40 community groups and initiatives under normal circumstances, each doing amazing work in the community. Their building needed to be made watertight, windproof, safe and warm for the future, whilst making sure their room hire prices stayed affordable, so they decided to run a crowdfunding campaign.

• £4,867 to 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.

• £9,000 to a project to provide beach wheelchairs for the disabled in Exmouth. This will provide custom made wheelchairs to allow people with mobility issues to access Exmouth’s wonderful beach and sea.

To find out more about crowdfunding, please visit our website: www.eastdevon.gov.uk/crowdfunding