Liverpool City Council - grants to groups benefit residents and organisations. (Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats)

Garston and Halewood Liberal Democrats <info@garstonld.org.uk>

Liverpool City Council - grants to groups benefit residents and organisations.

March 19, 2009 12:00 AM

UK Money - notes and coins Thousands of Liverpool residents have been helped by a grants scheme for the city's community and voluntary organisations.

And a review of the first year of the scheme has shown that millions of pounds of welfare benefits have been claimed as a result of the programme.

The Lib Dem City Council's Community Resources Unit Funding programme is investing just over £12 million over three years in nearly 80 projects. It is the City Council's main discretionary grant programme for voluntary and community organisations.

In the first nine months of its first year (2008/09) some of the programme's key achievements have been:

More than 28,000 local residents have taken part in social activities ranging from lunch clubs for older people to animal husbandry workshops at Rice Lane City Farm

Nearly 850 residents have given up their time to become new volunteers in a wide range of activities including helping to deliver meals to housebound people, helping to translate documents and running gentle exercise sessions for older people.

'Helper' organisations have assisted smaller community groups and charities to raise over £2.3 million in extra funds for their activities

Advice agencies have assisted residents to claim an additional £4.4 million in welfare benefits directly through the grants they get from the City Council.

More than 1,000 victims of domestic violence have received support from projects funded through the scheme

Over 40,000 residents have used community legal advice projects.

Cllr Flo Clucas, the City Council's deputy leader and Councillor for Allerton and Hunts Cross said: "This review shows we are achieving what we set out to do with this programme and it is very much on track.

"It means that tens of thousands of our residents have been helped directly or participated in projects funded through the programmes.

"And it has led to many hundreds of extra volunteers throughout the city.

"What has been achieved underlines the importance of the voluntary and community sector to the city."