Cumberland Infant School in Portsmouth have received a funding boost from Portsmouth City Council’s Crowdfund CIL Transformation Fund to reach their target to fund their Community Wilding Project.
The Southsea school has raised a total of £11,710 of which £1,000 came from the CIL Transformation Fund. The money will fund green wild spaces around the school where the children can look after plants, grow fruit and vegetables, and learn about the insects, birds and other animals that the green areas will attract.
Cllr Hugh Mason, Cabinet Member for Planning Policy & City Development, said: ” I am delighted that the CIL Transformation fund is benefiting local projects such as the Cumberland Infant School’s Wilding Project.
With a New Year and new start, we want to remind local organisations that funding support through the CIL Transformation Fund is available for great ideas that benefit our communities in Portsmouth.
Projects that can qualify include buying new equipment for a community group, building and open space improvements to existing community spaces, public art, street furniture and safety infrastructure like zebra crossings”
Mrs Herbert, Headteacher at Cumberland Infant School said, ‘We were so pleased to reach our fundraising target because it’s about getting the children involved so they understand, love and respect nature. To give them a chance to engage and feed their curiosity. ”
The CIL Transformation Fund has been developed in partnership with Crowdfunder UK. The money comes from the Community Infrastructure Levy fund (CIL), which allows local authorities to raise funds from developers who are undertaking new building projects in their area. Community projects can raise more money by crowdfunding to receive match funding from the CIL fund for half of their project, up to the value of £5000. The council launched the CIL Crowdfunder scheme last year and has received several applications from community fundraisers, but welcome more.
Dawn Bebe, Crowdfunder Director said ” The Crowdfund Portsmouth CIL Transformation Fund is an incredible opportunity for organisations in the city to get up to £5,000 to help improve the area and make it a great place to live, work, and play. It’s aimed at crowdfunding projects which are playing a role in managing pressures on local services, taking action towards a carbon neutral future, supporting green infrastructure across the city, and so much more. Everyone here at Crowdfunder is excited to see the amazing things that projects in Portsmouth achieve with the funding available from Portsmouth City Council.”
For more information about the CIL Transformation Fund visit https://www.portsmouth.gov.uk/cil-transformation-fund
or email CIL@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.
