COMMUNITY projects in Wellow and Peasedown St John are among those to benefit from the latest round of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Community Contribution Fund, which has awarded £7,500 to initiatives supporting older residents across the district.

In Wellow, The Parlour Shop has received £500 to offer free hot drinks to older residents, helping to reduce loneliness by encouraging people to stay and chat. Meanwhile, in Peasedown St John, the Golden Oldies charity has been awarded £1,000 to launch new ‘Sing & Smile’ sessions aimed at bringing people together through music.

The aim of the latest round of funding was to help organisations get a new activity off the ground, or take an existing activity to a different area within Bath and North East Somerset with a view to these becoming self-sustaining.

These projects are among eight to receive funding this year, with other grants awarded to Café Concerts CIO, BANES Digital Drive, We Get It; We Hear You and Dorothy House, Age UK BANES, Time Bank Plus, and The Bath Shed.

Councillor Mark Elliott, cabinet member for Resources said: “We are grateful to residents for their continued support of this fund which is always used to enable projects that help reduce inequality to flourish. Every penny donated to the Community Contribution Fund supports local projects to improve people’s lives, particularly those in our most disadvantaged communities.”

The Community Contribution Fund will re-open again in 2026 when sufficient funds have been generated. Contributions to the fund are purely voluntary and separate to residents’ Council Tax contributions. The minimum contribution is £5, however there is no maximum contribution and residents can donate more than once.

To find out more, or to make a contribution visit the Community Contribution Fund webpage.