A LEARNING disability support provider has given out £90,000 in grant funding.

Discovery, which runs the LD support across Somerset for the county council, has split the funding between seven community groups.

The fund, managed by Somerset Community Foundation, aims to support improvements to the health and independence of adults with learning disabilities and autism right across the county of Somerset.

Luke Joy-Smith, managing director at Discovery, said: “We want to use this fund to help people to live a full and active life and the first seven community groups will certainly do that, with a range of exciting and valuable activities. We are looking forward to seeing what these groups can do with their funds and to launching the next round of awards in September.”

One of the groups to benefit, Calvert Trust Exmoor, was awarded £10,000 worth of bursaries so that people with learning disabilities can attend their activity centre in Exmoor National Park.

Mike Gray, chief executive officer at Calvert Trust Exmoor, said: “We’re delighted and very grateful that Discovery has made this generous grant to our bursary fund. It means that we can give more of the county’s residents with learning disabilities and autism the opportunity to visit and benefit from taking part in our challenging, adventurous activities.”

Mr Joy-Smith added: “If you deliver a service in Somerset that requires investment to become more inclusive and accessible to local people with learning disabilities and/or autism, then please do submit a proposal to Somerset Community Foundation when the fund reopens for applications in September. We accept applications from organisations of all types.”

Director of Adult Social Services at Somerset County Council, Stephen Chandler, said: “Our whole approach is about helping people with learning disabilities play an active role in their communities and raising aspirations about how they can live their lives. This grant scheme is an excellent way of supporting that, funding grassroots, community-driven projects that help make Somerset a more inclusive place to live.”

The seven groups to benefit from funding are:

• The Angel, run by the Langport Church Community Trust: £2,870

• Calvert Trust Exmoor: £10,000

• Dunster Festival, delivering classical music to the Seahorses Day Centre in Minehead: £684

• Openstorytellers in Frome: £20,320

• Orchard Vale Trust, county-wide: £15,651

• People First Dorset in Crewkerne and Chard: £29,985

• The Pod in Frome: £7,500

If you run a local community project and would like to find out more about grant funding in general, call Somerset Community Foundation on: 01749 344949 or visit

somersetcf.org.uk.