Two Ridings awarded £2 million for Selby District Community Legacy Fund

Supporting people and communities in the Selby district forever

Last week Selby District Council awarded Two Ridings Community Foundation just over £2 million to fund community projects and help to support a sustainable voluntary sector in the Selby district for years to come.

This sum constitutes the ‘Selby District Community Legacy Fund’ following an initial allocation of £100,000 of funding made earlier this month. The initial fund will open in Autumn this year, with the £2million invested as an endowment fund. Subsequent grants are then made from the interest gained from the endowment on an annual basis.

This means the interest from the investment will benefit local people year on year, forever.

As the accredited Community Foundation for the region, and a nationally and locally trusted expert charity, Selby District Council felt Two Ridings were perfectly placed to both manage and fairly distribute this huge investment to local people.

Cllr David Buckle, Selby District Council’s Lead Executive Member for Communities and Economic Development, explained:

“The Selby District Community Legacy Fund is something which we, as the Elected Members of Selby District Council wish to give to our communities to support the voluntary sector in our district over many years to come. Working with Two Ridings will ensure that these funds are used to support local projects for decades to come and this will allow us to continue to directly improve the lives of local people long after the council ceases to exist.

“The money will be used to strengthen community activity as well as tackle poverty and stigma, reduce inequality, prevent loneliness and isolation and improve wellbeing and peoples’ lives. In short, it will bring positive change to whole communities.”

 

One of the groups who have previously benefited from a Two Ridings grant in the Selby district is The Big Communitea. Their call service positively impacts many different people.

Their support ranges from simply having a chat over a virtual cup of tea, giving a listening ear, enabling someone to share their problems, to dealing with mental health first aid situations where people are in a serious mental health crisis.

The funding allowed The Big Communitea to take on more call operators, leading to an increase in calls and highlighting the wider need for the service.

With a further grant this month, they have now been able to secure a physical base for the charity on Abbey Walk in Selby. This will enable them to extend their offer to a Drop-In service as well as phone support.

This support adds real strength to the communities in and around Selby. It improves people’s wellbeing and quality of life. In some cases, it has saved lives.

Jan Garrill, Chief Executive of Two Ridings Community Foundation said:

“This is a huge investment in the people of the Selby district, with it we will reach out to fund small local organisations who are already making a huge difference in reducing poverty and inequalities and bringing purpose to people young and old.

“Grassroots organisations like The Big Communitea makes such a positive impact on people’s wellbeing it is crucial they receive this kind of support.

“This fund will create positive change, not just now, but forever.” 

The Selby District Community Legacy Fund will enable Two Ridings to provide more grants to more organisations just like The Big Communitea. The initial grant making process starts this Autumn. Check our website for latest grants available.

Listen to Jan, our Chief Exec, discussing this huge investment on BBC Radio York (scroll to 2:46:45)

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Please Note: 

Local Government Reorganisation in North Yorkshire

The Government announced that a new unitary authority will take over from the district, borough and county councils of North Yorkshire in April 2023. At that point Selby District Council will cease to exist. More information here: Government announces plans for a unitary council to cover the whole of North Yorkshire | Selby District Council