Earlier this week we announced the chance for local people to apply for funding to help change the areas they live in, we thought we’d explain here why we’re backing this initiative.
The saying ‘from small acorns’ most definitely applies here. We like to see the good use of public money, and in three of the most deprived areas of our city it is most definitely being put to good use.
These are areas where passionate and entreprenurial people are caught in a trap, and if this funding can help them escape from this and realise their ambitions this can only be a good thing.
We need to see this money used, and used well, to inspire small charities, community groups and more to build on the community in these areas.
The withdrawl of the area forums money by the council hurt these areas more than most. It’s not the sort of area where Dad can just put his hand in his wallet and pull out 30 quid, that could be the difference between paying the gas bill on time or not.
These small grants should act as a catalyst to give young people a chance to fulfil their love of sport, music or the arts. We hope anyone reading this post who is currently studying and being told to be ambitious has the courage to attend one of the events over the next month and find out more. Don’t just jot down ideas on sheets of paper in a classroom, sieze the opportunity to do something alongside your studies.
Put aside the ‘somebody else will do it’ mentality, because no one else will. It doesn’t matter how small your idea is, it’s going to be worth a shot. Blog Preston started one quiet Sunday afternoon in January two and a half years ago, and has now seen hundreds of articles, photos, and different contributors – not to mention being named as one of the best local community websites in the UK. If you don’t pursue your ideas then no one else will make them happen for you.
We’re backing these grants as we feel it’s a positive step for our city, attracting money into these areas and hopefully from all those small acorns sown by the’ Autumn of Action’ there will be one local community oak that grows.
Image credit to Tony Worrall