TAUNTON Football Club have received £3,750 towards the cost of drainage works as part of the local authority's grants and sponsorships scheme.

Yesterday (Monday, April 8) Taunton Town Council held the first meeting of the Grants Committee for the new financial year awarding £20,050 from the grants budget, with £7,995 coming from the sponsorships budget for a total of £28,045.

The committee, comprised of councillors, was chaired by Councillor Packer-Hughes.

This year Taunton Town Council has £65,000 available for grants and £25,000 for sponsorships.

Councillor Packer-Hughes said “This has been our most challenging meeting to date.

"Whilst we would love to grant every organisation the full funding they seek, we must be mindful that this is public money and must be used to provide benefit to as wide a range of our residents as possible.

“That is not to say that those organisations who were unsuccessful this time, or those who didn’t obtain the full amount they requested, are not providing a valuable service, but that we don’t feel as a council that we are best placed to fund this need.

“We are excited to see how all our funded projects develop over the coming year and look forward to hearing from organisers and participants about the impact they have.”

List of the awards made at the meeting

Arts Taunton – £2,500 towards the creation of an artwork installation on Castle Green.

Community Men in Sheds, Taunton - £2,500 towards the purchase of a flat pack workspace to expand the facilities for members.

Military Wives Choir - £300 towards the costs accrued for performing at Somerset Armed Forces Day.

Somerset Comedy Festival CIC - £2,500 to facilitate bringing of top-class comedy to Taunton and the surrounding area.

Taunton Artistic Swimming Club - £1,000 towards the funding of training for coaches and ongoing running costs.

Taunton Canoe Club - £750 towards the funding of equipment for newcomers to the activity.

Taunton Deane Horticultural and Floricultural Society - £2,500 towards funding free activities for children within Taunton Flower Show.

Taunton Lactation Care CIC - £1,000 towards the purchase of uniforms for their volunteers and to cover the costs of advertising, printing and stationery, hygiene products and lending library resources.

Taunton Town Football Club - £3,750 towards the cost of drainage works.

Tiddlygigs CIC - £750 towards the delivery of their 2024/25 concert season for young children in the centre of Taunton, introducing them to a wide range of instruments and styles.

Whitmore Allotments – £2,500 towards the funding of a communal meeting and functions space for members including a composting toilet.

Sponsorships

Somerset Armed Forces Day - £5,000 towards the cost of facilities associated with the Somerset Armed Forces Day event.

Somerset Film and Video Ltd. - £2,495 towards creative and digital workshops for young people focussing on animation, projection mapping and 3D sculpture.

Somerset Opera - £500 towards a joint new initiative with Somerset Song Prize to create an informal performance opportunity to singers and pianists of all ages through classical song / opera