Forces funding for local groups

More than £45,000 has been awarded to community projects designed to strengthen links between civilian and armed forces communities in Wiltshire.
The funding has come from the latest grant round of the Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant Scheme. Since the launch of the scheme in August 2011 more than £585,000 has been awarded to Wiltshire projects.

Worldwide Volunteering, a specialist volunteering partnership in Wiltshire, were awarded £30,000 to employ a volunteer project manager. They will support, through the identification of local volunteering opportunities, wounded, injured and sick service personnel, veterans and their families, who might be going through post trauma recovery, or changes in their career.
£10,000 was awarded to the Wiltshire Barn Project, which offers craft-based training, qualification and employment through manual bookbinding to veterans.
Codford Local History Society was awarded £4,000 to help fund its Wylye Valley 1914 Project which will commemorate the centenary of the start of the Great War.
Malmesbury Children's Centre was awarded £774 to provide summer holiday fun activity sessions for families - both military and non military. The activities include soft play and a session with the Wiltshire Scrapstore.

The Ministry of Defence has made £30 million available over four years to provide financial support to similar projects.
The deadline to send in applications for the next round of funding is Friday, August 30. All projects must be endorsed by the local community covenant partnership and all completed applications should be sent to VCS@wiltshire.gov.uk .
Information about the covenant grants and how to apply is available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/militarycivilianintegrationpartnership