Warminster Town Council has awarded almost £17,000 to local groups in Warminster following discussion at the council’s Finance and Audit Committee on 24th June 2024.
Councillors gave full consideration to all aspects of the grant applications received during the meeting and agreed the grants to be given to 11 different organisations. This year all the grants awarded came from the council’s own budget, with grants ranging from £200 to £2,500.
Westbury and Warminster Youth Club were awarded £2,000 to support core running costs. Warminster and Westbury Talking Newspaper were awarded £200 to purchase five replacement USB memory stick playback speakers. Warminster Walkers were also awarded £200, to help towards the cost of updating the website and replacing kits.
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Warminster and District Stroke Club were awarded £1,000 towards to cost of room hire and equipment. Wessex MS Therapy Centre were awarded £2,500 towards the cost of counselling.
Group Five, which visit Warminster each week collecting and delivering furniture was awarded £1,000. Warminster Football Club were awarded £1,000 to replace five rotten windows to protect the club from anti-social behaviour. Alzheimer’s Support were awarded £2,160, which will provide up to 360 hours of respite.
Open Door Warminster was awarded £1,920, with the money going towards the cost of operating a new prostate cancer group for 12 months.
Trio Parasis (Musicians South West CIC) were awarded £2,500, to put on monthly free concerts at The Athenaeum. Warminster Action Group were awarded £2,500 with the money put towards expanding the group. A complete list of grants awarded is set out below.
Members deferred four applications to the meeting of the Finance and Audit committee on 2nd September 2024, requesting that additional information be sought. Messages of thanks have already been received from some of the organisations given a grant explaining the difference which the grant will make.
All grant recipients are required to attend the Annual Town Meeting in April 2025 to explain how the grant has been used.
| Name | Benefit to local residents | Purpose | Total |
| Westbury and Warminster Youth Club | To support core running costs which include staff costs, hall hire, training and DBS checks, session and office equipment, public liability insurance and meeting space hire for staff and trustee meetings. | To support core running costs which include staff costs, hall hire, training and DBS checks, session and office equipment, public liability insurance and meeting space hire for staff and trustee meetings. | £2,000 |
| Warminster and Westbury Talking Newspaper | Keeping predominantly older people up to date with local news and events via the spoken word on a memory stick free of charge. The majority of service users live in the Warminster area. | To purchase five replacement USB memory stick playback speakers. | £200 |
| Warminster Walkers | Two or three walks are arranged every month in and around Warminster for members under the guidance of a leader. Benefits to physical and mental health. People can walk safely in company, discover new areas and make new friendships. The group also keep an eye on local rights of way and report any problems. | To help towards the cost of updating the website two or three times a year, annual insurance, and replacing/updating first aid kits. | £200 |
| Warminster and District Stroke Club | Support and activities are provided for people affected by a stroke. Activities include speakers on a variety of subjects, bringing in petting animals, quizzes, show and tell sessions, outings for lunch and will be having a 21st party in July. | The grant would be used to pay for the hire of the room and equipment along with the expenses for the speakers etc. | £1,000 |
| Wessex MS Therapy Centre | A counselling project for Warminster residents with MS and other neurological conditions, their families and caregivers, addressing a critical need for specialised mental health support when there is significant emotional and psychological strain. 30.1% of beneficiaries come from Warminster. | Counselling for individuals with MS & other neurological conditions so members can develop effective coping strategies, enhance their emotional resilience, and improve their overall mental well-being. | £2,500 |
| Group Five | Group Five visit Warminster every week collecting and delivering furniture. Last year they delivered furniture to 74 Warminster families and expect a similar number this year. | Group Five is a furniture charity which collects unwanted furniture, refurbishes it and redistributes it free of charge to families in west Wiltshire who are unable to afford to purchase their own furniture. | £1,000 |
| Warminster Town Football Club | To make the people using the club feel safe and to protect the club and its contents from anti-social behaviour. | Replacement of five rotten wooden windows at the rear of the building with Upvc windows. | £1,000 |
| Alzheimer’s Support | The day club provides a much needed day out for local people living with dementia and critically needed respite for their carers. | The grant would support 60 days worth of visits and benefit carers by providing up to 360 hours of respite. | £2,160 |
| Open Door Warminster | The Chat Café and social media work will serve two purposes: 1. Preventative – raise awareness of the disease, encouraging men to understand the symptoms and to engage with appropriate health professionals where they have concerns. 2. Supportive – for men already affected by the cancer, the Chat Café will provide the opportunity to talk about their prostate cancer journey in a safe space, with men going through similar experiences. The Cafe will help men build a trusted local support network locally. There is currently no support group locally. | The grant will be used to serve two growing needs: 1. The costs of operating a new prostate cancer group for 12 months from 01 July 2024. 2. An increasing need to promote ourselves via social media. Raising awareness of our services is a constant aim – particularly reaching out to family members who don’t live in Warminster, but who are supporting relatives here | £1,920 |
| Trio Paradis (Musicians South West CIC) | Free monthly daytime music events at The Athenaeum attracting c70-100+ people, mostly 55+, carers and those for whom they care, local care home residents, parents with young and/or home educated children. Events are also a social hub to counteract loneliness, counteract anxiety and improve mental health. | To put on monthly free Trio Paradis Concerts at The Athenaeum and cover the cost of room hire, advertising and travel expenses. | £2,500 |
| Warminster Action Group | WAG directly benefits the Warminster community by addressing the needs of its most vulnerable residents, fostering social inclusion, and promoting well-being. Various demographics are targeted, including the elderly – befriending service, families facing financial hardship – school uniform bank, individuals experiencing social isolation, and those seeking community engagement and personal development opportunities – the WAG Community Shed and social groups, environmentally conscious residents – a TerraCycle recycling point and promotion of sustainable waste management practices within the community. | Having been in new, larger premises for over a year, and now renting the upstairs space as well, WAG’s capacity to support the community has significantly increased. However, with this expansion comes the need for additional resources and tools to maintain and improve the services provided. The grant will be used to: Equip and furnish the upstairs space, Expand the WAG Community Shed, Support the Befriending Services, Sustain Core Activities, Develop new programmes. | £2,500 |
| Totals | £16,980 |
For more information contact Tom Dommett, Town Clerk, Warminster Town Council, Tel: 01985 214847 or email: admin@warminster-tc.gov.uk or Cllr Andrew Coopercllr.cooper@warminster-tc.gov.uk
Last modified: 5 July 2024
