THOUSANDS of pounds in grants have been handed out to projects across Basildon.

Basildon Council has given out £13,726 as part of the £1million Community Investment Fund.

Presidents Community Hall Association has received £8,666.18 for its project to bring new life to an old community hall in Laindon with new equipment and the start of a new club, JFK Alliance, (Just for Kids).

The project will also include installing a new cooker which will enable the hall to hired out with a fully operational kitchen.

Pitsea Day Centre, which operates at the Place, and provides activities for the over 55’s will receive £5,060.00 for its project to re-landscape and re-design the outdoor communal garden area.

The revamp, which will benefit all users of The Place, will include new seating facilities, relaying of uneven paving slabs and tidying and replanting of the gardens flower beds.

Basildon Council’s cabinet member for community services, Terri Sargent, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many community groups coming forward with applications. These projects have a huge impact on the local community and they are extremely beneficial to the boroughs residents.”

The community investment fund was created to help support the council creating opportunity’ by allowing community and voluntary groups to apply for funding towards projects which will help the community and increase volunteering in the Basildon Borough.

The one-off funding of £1,000,000 was established as part of the council’s budget in 2013/2014 however the balance of £554,996.62 has been carried forward into 2014/15.

CIF is open for applications and they can be submitted at any time, you will be notified of the assessment date. The final deadline for applications is 1 February 2015 . However the fund will close before this date once all funds have been allocated, so do not delay.