Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Men’s Sheds is among two Somerset groups to have received thousands of pounds of funding this week from the Hinkley Point C Community Fund Small Grants Programme.
The programme, administered by Somerset Community Foundation, has awarded a combined £10,000 to Middlezoy Arts and Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Men’s Shed (BOSHed).
BOSHed plans to use its grant money to expand their facility in Highbridge by purchasing a shipping container which will house their café and model room and enable more members to attend the activities on offer.
Men’s Sheds combat social isolation and loneliness, and BOSHed has now outgrown their current premises with numbers swelling to over 60 members.
The additional space, it says, will allow for more new members, as well as a weekly session for women ‘shedders’.
Tony Cradock, Chairman at BOSHed said: “We are absolutely over the moon about receiving the grant. It will enable us to move ‘The Shed’ on to the next level helping to ensure we can cater for all our members – including the new Ladies Shed!”
“We offer an oasis where people can come together to pursue ‘hands on’ interests in a safe and informal environment, where advice, support and friendship are always near at hand.”
The Middlezoy Arts project focuses on connecting with the arts through the surrounding environment. The Hinkley Point C grant will improve a popular walking trail of approximately 2.5 miles by making it more accessible for pushchairs and wheelchairs and, for the more tech-savvy, a geocache route will also be available to encourage all ages to explore the village.
To apply for the funding, charities, voluntary groups or social enterprises that normally operate on less than £100,000 a year must show that the projects they are seeking to support will help to mitigate the impacts and take advantage of the opportunities of the Hinkley Point C project.
Further information regarding the Hinkley Point C funding and how to apply can be found here or you can give Val Bishop, Programmes Director for the Hinkley Point C Funds, a call on: 01749 344949
