We have submitted our plan and vision for Kingstanding to the Community First Foundation but due to the size of the plan, we are having difficulties uploading it here.  Whilst we work to resolve this, if you would like a copy, please contact mary.kennedy@birmingham.gov.uk .  Once we have had the o.k. from the Community Development Foundation, we will update our priorities and ask you to submit your applications. 

The deadline for this round of applications has passed – the panel meet on Friday, 31 May and we’ll let you know what’s been supported as soon as we can.

The panel met on 26 April 2013 and considered three projects all of which, they would like to recommend but first, we need to finalise and submit our ward plan.  If you have any last minute comments, we’d love to hear from you but please do so before 10 May 2013.

The panel next meet on 31 May 2013 but the deadline for applications is 15 May 2013.  We’ll update you about the recent recommendations as soon as we can.

We’re about to circulate the final draft of our community plan.  This plan will shape the way in which the community first fund is spent in Kingstanding.  Before we hit the send button, please tell us what you’d like to see in the plan – email mary.kennedy@birmingham.gov.uk with your ideas or a copy of the plan.

We’re busy doing our Community Plan and desperately need your ideas, concerns and compliments – please get blogging – if we don’t know, we can’t help so its important you keep us posted! 

On a slightly different note, our website is sad and miserable looking – if you’ve got any photos of Kingstanding, we’d love to share them online. Good news and details of Kingstanding events are always welcome! 

We want this funding to make a difference to Kingstanding so to be sure that we spend the money where local people need it most, we would welcome your thoughts.  The panel are currently undertaking a series of planning days at which you would be most welcome.  We next meet at 1.30 p.m. on Friday, 15 March 2013 at Kingstanding Leisure Centre – if you can’t make it but are keen to get involved, please contact us via our blog or any existing panel member. 

Our intention is to produce a ward plan which will detail our aims and how we will allocate the fund in relation to these aims.  Get involved in your area!

The Kingstanding Community First Panel met on Friday and recommended the following projects be awarded some funds;

• Acacia Befriending & Group Work Support – Acacia
• Golf Fore – The Youth Project – Big Bang Prospects
• Not Alone Parents – North Birmingham Gingerbread Group
• Boxing Clever Boot Camp – 2nd City Amateur Boxing Club
• Growing Good Health – Wyrley Birch Allotments Association

The panel doesn’t meet again until 26 April 2013, with the closing date for applications being 12 April.  Spread the word! 

The deadline for the final allocations of Year 2 funding has now passed.  A total of 7 applications were received and the panel meets on Friday, 15 February 2013 to discuss these.  Watch this space for further info!

The deadline for submission of Community First fund applications to the Kingstanding Community First Panel is Friday, 1 February 2013!  We have £8,100 to allocate before 31 March 2013 and to date, unbelievably, we have NO applications!!!!  We really don’t believe that the money isn’t needed so please, if you are considering applying and need any guidance, contact Mary on 0121 303 7975.

To make sure we spend our money in the way that local people would like us to, we need local people to sit on our panel.  If you would like to take part, please contact us – we meet once every three months and although there is some reading required in between times, we keep fuss to a minimum.  Help us to make a difference in Kingstanding!

The Community First panel met on 30 November 2012 and recommended funding of £14,485 to the following Kingstanding based community groups! 

• Perry Common Community Watch
• The Ring of Sound
• Lovin’ People
• Kingstanding Soup Kitchen
• The Furniture Bank
• The Silver Surfers Club
• The Plumstead Masters
• Kingstanding Regeneration Trust
• BUACK

To access your funding, it is necessary to complete the online forms sent to you directly by the Community First Foundation.

Since the fund began in March 2011, funding totalling £41,297 has been allocated to 25 local groups but we still have more to spend.  If you would like to submit an application to be considered at the next panel meeting, the deadline is 25th January 2013.  Please note, NO applications will be considered after this date so make sure you get your application in on time.  If you require any help, please do not hesitate to contact our administrator at mary.kennedy@birmingham.gov.uk .