Grants up for grabs for sustainable Broads projects

Grants totalling almost £267,900 have been given to 31 wide ranging projects from new boats for sailing clubs to recycling bicycles by the Broads Authority’s Sustainable Development Fund over the past financial year.

A £4,479 grant was given to Colman Infant School to create a garden where children now grow their own vegetables, share the experience with their parents and take them home to eat. At the other end of the scale a £7,700 grant aided the development of a tidal electricity generator for use in estuaries.

Boating activities have been well supported with over £10,000 going towards the replacement of a Topper sailing dinghy fleet for the Norfolk Schools Sailing Association, £5,000 towards the cost of four Wayfarers at Norfolk Broads Yacht Club and £18,500 towards a new quay heading and slipway with disabled access, including a lift, for Norwich 1st Sea Scouts, one of the oldest troops in the country.

The fund contributed £20,000 towards a mooring pontoon at Cantley Staithe and £20,000 towards a quay heading and slipway for a new rowing and canoeing centre at Whitlingham.

Recently a grant of £4,500 was approved for a 32 ft long floating pontoon with a ramp at Beccles Quay so that people with walking difficulties and wheelchair users can easily get on their boats. It will provide an accessible mooring for the Waveney Stardust, which gives trips for disabled people, and can moor nine boats stern end on. Moorings can be booked by ringing the harbourmaster on 01502 712225. Rowing boats will be hired from the pontoon from next season.

On land a £7,500 grant has been given to a community bicycle recycling project in Norwich which encourages people to get on two wheels. Wednesday workshops help people refurbish old and unwanted bicycles while developing life skills. Every two weeks there are lessons in custom building bikes from scratch, cycle maintenance and guided cycle rides.

A £9,000 grant has been awarded to Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden for a bird hide designed for wheel chair users at the end of a boardwalk overlooking South Walsham Inner Broad. The hide, which should be erected ready for winter bird watching will feature windows at wheelchair height, audio interpretation and wildlife cams which will relay activity in bird boxes to a television screen in the tea room.

Although the government fund was reduced in this financial year to £150,000 there is still money in the pot for projects which involve young people, best practice, well being, health and education.