WESTBURY Community Project (WCP) will receive a £16,000 boost from the town council to help with day-to-day running costs and further support the work of the charity in the town.

The WCP offers a wide variety of community services to the town, hosting the Children’s Centre services, the Westbury Shed, Westbury Area Network and the community fridge, Penleigh and Oldfield Community Action Network (POPCAN) and the Warminster and Westbury Youth Club.
At a meeting of Westbury Town Council, held on 10th January, councillors approved the one-off grant for WCP, but will re-consider the requested annual grant of £5,000 for three years at a future date. Providing the annual grant would have increased the town council’s precept (the amount of money which is paid by residents to the council as part of council tax). The town council has asked for an updated three-year business plan, before agreeing to further financial commitments. The business plan will demonstrate how the project will develop its client base and education and training packages to generate the income required to cover its costs and build up its reserves.
At the town council meeting, cllr Ward Jones said, “This project is crucial in the life of Westbury. That said, it needs to be able to achieve its aims and it needs to be financially viable. We, as a town council have to be prudent in our financial management. On that basis, and that basis alone, I will stand with those that agree with the one-off grant, but wish to not follow through on further funding.
“I’m saying to the project, come back to us this time next year and let us see where you have gone and come back with detailed financial information.”
Cllr Matthew Dean, who also sits on Wiltshire Council added, “It is an amazing place. The facility is in really good order, it’s a vibrant facility and it is such a shame that Covid has had such an impact on the level of usage of the centre and revenue stream in the last two years.
“Hopefully, this is a temporary phenomenon – we’re hoping for things to resemble some sort of normality soon. I’m personally very keen that the council makes a one-off grant of £16,000 as it’s been a very difficult time, but personally I don’t agree with an on-going annual commitment of £5,000 until the financial situation is clearer.”