AT a ceremony that saw over £10,000 being presented in grants to local organisations, Mayor of Westbury, cllr Gordon King, challenged community groups to think of new innovative ways to reach more people in Westbury.
Speaking at the evening, cllr King said, “It is you, more than we, who make our community work in your individual way through the delivery of your purposes. We at the council like to think that we are the enablers and that you in the spirit of that partnership, are the doers. We recognise that and celebrate it with grateful thanks.
“We move on though. We must recognise lives are changing, there are new perspectives, people do things differently, they are harder to reach or inspire, they challenge us to think and do things differently. As enablers the council cannot ignore that. So my challenge to whoever may be listening is to think about innovation, about doing things differently. Bring a good idea to the council that extends public engagement and participation and provided it can be backed up by evidence, you will be very well received.”
Each year the council budgets for an amount to be distributed to various causes that benefit the local community, and considers applications from local organisations. The grants were presented to representatives from the groups at a presentation evening at the Laverton on Wednesday 11th October.
Grants were awarded to: West Wiltshire Elblag Twinning Association, Splitz Support Service, Westbury & District Choral Society, Westbury Townswomen’s Guild, Warminster Riding for the Disabled, Cookery Club, Bitham Brook School, Cygnets Pre-school, Group Five, Westbury Art Craft & Natter Group, Westbury Amateur Swimming Club, Friends of WCR, Wiltshire Music Centre, Westbury Shed, West Wilts Special Needs Activity Scheme, Multiple Schlerosis Therapy Centre, Westbury Lions Club, Westbury Welfare of the Elderly, Friends of Westbury Station, Blue Circle Bowls Club, Westbury Area Churches Together, Little Marshians, Relate Mid Wiltshire, 1st Westbury Scout Group, Carer Support Wiltshire, Larkrise Community Farm, Wiltshire Family History Society, Westbury & District French Twinning Association, West Wilts Youth Sailing Association, Leigh Park Community Centre, Blazebright Parent, Baby & Toddler Group, Westbury Youth Club.
