07/01/22: Narborough groups share almost £8k in 'green' grants

Two Narborough-based groups are to share almost £8,000 in Breckland Council grant funding to support them in delivering 'green initiatives'.

The Inspire Me allotment project has been awarded £3,000 and Narborough Bone Mill awarded £4,974. Cllr Ian Sherwood, Breckland Council's Executive Member for People, Communications and Governance and Champion for the council's Sustainability Strategy, visited both projects recently to learn more about them and present the grants.

The Inspire Me allotment project is a group set up for people with disabilities or mental health issues and their families. Their aim is to provide a safe and secure place for people to meet up, share information and support each other while growing fruit and vegetables. This promotes inclusion, mental and physical wellbeing, and environmental awareness. The group was founded by Nicola Langford and Lucy Carter, who both have children with disabilities, in August 2021. The grant of £3,000 will be used to develop the allotment further, creating natural habitats and promoting biodiversity.

Cllr Peter Wilkinson, ward member for Nar Valley, commented: "This will make a huge difference in the community, going hand in hand with mental health and creating safe places for people to get back together and regain some sense of normality."

The second grant was awarded to the Narborough Bone Mill. The mill dates to the early nineteenth century and is the last of its kind in Norfolk to have substantial remnants. The grant of £4,974 will help fund the project's focus on climate change reduction by using solar energy for all electricity on site. It will also promote environmental sustainability by using fallen trees to power wood burning stoves and creating habitat piles. The community will benefit from improvements to the walk and cycle route like bird nest boxes, cycle racks and repair facilities.

Cllr Ian Sherwood said: "It was fantastic being out in Narborough and seeing first-hand the brilliant work that these community groups have done so far. I enjoyed reading every application that was made to our Green Grants scheme: to be able to go out and see these projects and meet the people behind them has been even more satisfying.  I look forward to seeing more of these projects grow and flourish thanks to our grants."

Funding for these schemes comes from Breckland Council's Green Community Grants scheme which awarded a total of £98,226 worth of grants, shared between 30 projects across Breckland towards the end of 2021

This fund forms part of the council's broader commitment to the environment and becoming NetZero as an organisation by 2035. Commitments it has made as part of its Breckland 2035 Sustainability Strategy include:

• Increasing the number of electric vehicles charging points across the district.
• Protecting and increasing tree canopy.
• Reducing the impact of the council's buildings and employees on emissions levels.
• Empowering our communities to take action for themselves.