Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are hosting a free Funding and Volunteering Fair this February for community groups looking to attract more funding and volunteers across the districts.
The Fair is open to all parish councils, community groups, from sports clubs to village hall committees, and offers attendees the chance to tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience in fundraising and attracting volunteers.
The Fair, in partnership with Stowmarket Town Council, is to be held at the Cedars Park Community Centre, Stowmarket, between 9.30am and 3.15pm on Tuesday 13 February.
Several workshops will be run during the Fair, which will be manned by experienced community support agencies including by Janet Perry of Community Action Suffolk (Young Leadership Project) and Angela Lee-Foster from Suffolk ProHelp.
Guest Speakers include Barry Salmon of Stowmarket Men’s Shed, a group supporting informal learning, individual pursuits and community projects in Stowmarket and David Blackburn, Stowmarket’s Town Clerk, offering advice on securing town council funding for community work.
Cllr Julie Flatman, Mid Suffolk’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “It often falls to volunteers to navigate what can sometimes become a maze of unfamiliar rules to secure vital funding. By running this workshop, we will be able to break down these barriers and help residents and community groups secure the support they need to transform lives in their areas.”
Cllr Margaret Maybury, Babergh’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “Babergh is a wonderful place to live, but whilst we enjoy beautiful countryside and historic locations they alone don’t give us that distinction: the hard work of our residents building their communities is just as important, and I’m delighted that we can offer this opportunity to support those individuals and groups seeking to make a difference. The skills, knowledge and opportunities covered in this workshop could be vital to any group looking to bring something new to their community.”
Sarah-Jayne Thomas, fair co-organiser from Stowmarket Town Council said “it is great to have an event based in Stowmarket offering some really useful information to our community groups. We are proud to support all the amazing grass roots activities that happen in Stowmarket through our grants schemes and our new volunteer project StowVolunteers.”
Those wishing to attend the Funding and Volunteering Fair can book a place by calling 01449 724 654, or by emailing [email protected]
Attendees must book in advance: attendance is free and a light lunch will be provided. Spaces will be allocated on a first come-first serve basis, with up to two spaces available for each community group.