Houghton Regis Town Council's Grants Sub Committee on Monday night agreed to make grants to the
following Key Partners.
- SORTED - £3000
- Dunstable and District Citizen's Advice Bureau - £2200
- Voluntary and Community Action - £2500
- South Beds Dial A Ride - £2200
- Keech Hospice Care - £3740
The Council has the power to award grants. The awards are made annually after the applicants are
approved for Key Partner Status, for a period of 4 years. The Key Partner status gives an organisation
a fair degree of certainty that in each of the four years, an award will be made, and assist the
Council to budget. The contribution made above is just a small help towards the total cost of running
each service.
Chair of the committee, Cllr Alan Winter said, “We hope this boost will continue to inspire others to also support these worthy charities. People in Houghton Regis are frequently very charitable, and there is nothing more worthy than helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves”
“Our next Grants Committee meets in March 2013. I would like to think that local organisations and clubs will come forward to apply for small grants to help them with a project that will benefit
members of our community. If the cash help is required before March, the officers have the power to
grant up to £200. Please don't be shy in coming forward. Our budget is limited, but I'd rather it was used up for the purpose it was allocated, rather than pushed back into general funds. To apply just visit the Town council offices.”
About the organisations awarded.
SORTED is a free and confidential counselling service for young people aged from 5 to 25 in the
Dunstable and Houghton Regis area. The service has contracts with local schools, including All Saints
Academy and Houghton Regis Academy. Play therapy is offered for younger children 5-13 who have
experienced domestic violence.
Dunstable and District Citizen's Advice Bureau is a member organisation of Citizens Advice. They have approximately 28 volunteers at Dunstable and District CAB, and the end user is not charged for their services. They hold outreach services in Tithe Farm and Parkside Neighbourhood Centres, when a paid member of staff visits.
Voluntary and Community Action South Bedfordshire works with voluntary organisations and
community groups on a range of organisational, management and development issues, offering such
things as financial advice, networking events, and volunteer guidance.
South Beds Dial A Ride provide door-to-door transport for the disabled and elderly frail of
Bedfordshire who are unable to use normal public service transport.
Keech Hospice Care cares for adults living in Luton and South Bedfordshire and children from across
Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes, some of whom reside in Houghton Regis. Their aim
is to help patients enjoy the highest quality of life while providing vital support for their family and
friends throughout their loved one's illness and in their bereavement.
