Thirteen groups in the South Norfolk area were celebrating this week after being awarded a share of just under £100,000 from the district council’s Community Action Fund (CAF).

The CAF panel made up of five South Norfolk councillors met on Friday 8th July to select projects that would improve life in the community and help the council meet its priorities.

Chair of the panel, Cllr Alison Thomas said: ‘We are delighted to be able to support so many wonderful projects that will make a real difference to the lives of our community.’

Burston & Shimpling Parish Council successfully applied to the CAF panel for £1,750 to install a basketball net and hard standing and also received a further £1,520 to purchase fixed wooden benches and some removable tables and chairs for their wooden pavilion.

£15,000 was granted to Deopham and Hackford Parish Council to use alongside the parish’s CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) money to install new play park equipment at Deopham playing field for children to enjoy.

Strong winds had left the fencing at Fersfield Play Park in a terrible state, so the CAF panel awarded £3,583.20 to the Playing Field Group to replace it to ensure it was safe for children and to stop them running out onto the road.

In Gillingham, improvement work at the village hall had unknowingly affected the acoustics, meaning groups had pulled out of hiring the hall; the CAF panel agreed to pay £4,268.74 to have new soundboards installed.

Great Melton Village Hall, Cricket Club & Bowls Club are benefitting from £13,820 to extend and improve Great Melton Pavilion. The new extension will include a changing room, toilet, shower and disabled toilet.

Equipment at Hempnall Play Park is over 30 years old and no longer meets RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) safety standards. The CAF panel awarded £15,000 to put towards new equipment.

The panel also awarded £2,000 to Hingham Playing Field Association to install a new extraction system over their existing cooker to prevent cooking odours spreading throughout the building.

In Long Stratton, St Mary’s Church had been vandalised and the lead stolen from the roof. This valuable community building provides the venue for the Norfolk and Waveney Foodbank and other community gatherings. The CAF panel awarded £10,000 to contribute to the repair of the roof with a different material and to make the building watertight.

£6,000 went to Poringland Men’s Shed to improve their buildings, including a dust extraction unit for their new workshop and the repurposing of an existing building into an office, kitchen and quiet room, as well as an access-for-all toilet.

To ensure Pulham Market Memorial Hall continues to be a valued community asset, the CAF panel agreed to pay £15,000 towards re-roofing and insulating it.

The balcony at Seething Control Tower will soon be open to visitors again after the CAF panel awarded £8,000 to put towards strengthening it, making it safe for people to enjoy the view.

Woodton Community Wood received £2,800 to revive a piece of woodland and make it accessible to the community with benches and a picnic table.

No Wymondham-based groups have benefited from this round of funding but there will be another CAF panel meeting on 7th October 2022. Applications are now open, and will need to be made via one of the ward's district councillors.

For more information, visit www.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/communities/community-action-fund