Applications are now open for Babergh's Locality Awards funding – enabling communities to improve facilities, learn new skills and work towards becoming environmentally sustainable.

Councillors on the peninsula each have £2,000 to allocate to groups and organisations within their ward during the 2021/22 financial year.

This can be used for a wide range of projects, but must meet the councils' priorities for grant funding to help:

create strong, thriving and connected communities

support communities in their response to the climate emergency

promote resilient and healthy communities

One such project to receive funding last year, was the installation of a defibrillator in Shotley Gate – allowing a dose of electrical current to be delivered to the heart in life-threatening cardiac emergencies – made possible by contributions from Babergh District Councillors' 2020/21 Locality Awards budget.

Cllr Derek Davis, cabinet member for Communities for Babergh District Council said: "Locality Awards ensure that councillors can use their local knowledge to support the projects needed in their communities, as we all work towards Babergh being somewhere that everyone is proud to call home.

"Creating bright and healthy futures for our residents is key and it's great news that Shotley Gate now has their own defibrillator, which can mean the difference between life and death, as we witnessed from the shocking collapse of Christian Eriksen during a recent Euro 2020 match."

Applications are also welcome for providing medical skills such as first aid to communities, as well as supporting them in other training including safeguarding, fire safety and anti-social behaviour prevention.

It is hoped that this year's Locality Awards funding will help to foster and maintain bonds between both councils and the districts' voluntary and community sectors, with foodbanks, good neighbour schemes, Scouts and Guides, community transport groups and village halls amongst previous grant recipients.

Ensuring that no resident is left feeling lonely or excluded remains of great importance for both councils, and Locality Awards grants can be used towards combating this in communities by installing hearing loops, providing Wi-Fi in rural areas, or hosting coffee mornings or lunch clubs.

Groups can also apply for funding for sports and play equipment, exercise classes, walking festivals and other initiatives which support the councils' aim for communities to lead active lives and manage their own health and wellbeing.

Those wishing to apply for funding can visit the councils' website for further details or to download an application form.

All applications must be signed by a district councillor before being submitted to the councils' Communities team no later than 25 February 2022.

The minimum award amount is £250 per application and all payments will be released by 31 March 2022.