NEARLY 40 people gathered at the Forest Community Centre in Bordon for a funding information evening, organised by charity Community First.

Representatives from charities and voluntary and community groups met people from four different grant-giving organisations at the event on Thursday, November 19, entitled Funding Your Future.

The evening aimed to introduce East Hampshire non-profit-making organisations to a range of local grants.

The funders attending were:

* Whitehill Town Council: offering minor grants to smaller organisations.

* Radian: offering three different community grants.

* East Hampshire District Council and Hampshire County Council: helping organisations to understand how their own councillors, and councillors’ grants, can support local projects.

* Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation: introducing a wide range of easy-to-access local grants.

A wide range of voluntary groups attended, including The Phoenix Twirlstars, Neighbourhood Watch, Liphook Youth Club, The New Testament Church of God, Home-Start, the Blackmoor and Whitehill Women’s Institute and The Kingsley Centre.

As well as the funders, Claire Coxwell and Janet Easton, Community First’s development workers, were on hand to give informal support to groups looking to develop new projects or to strengthen their existing organisations.

“Community First is able to meet with organisations who need help and can support them with volunteer recruitment, registering as a charity, health and safety matters and much more,” said Claire who organised the event. “Whatever the issue a group is facing, we aim to direct you to organisations that can help.”

The charity also runs an extensive learning and development initiative, with subsidised places for staff and volunteers from non-profit-making organisations.

The funding event is part of a series of activities being organised by Community First in Whitehill and Bordon.

The next event is a Christmas tree festival to be held at St Mark’s Church, Bordon, tomorrow, Saturday, as part of the Whitehill and Bordon Christmas fair. This is billed as an opportunity to find out more about community and voluntary organisations in the area.

Another funding event will be held on Wednesday, January 27, at a venue to be confirmed.