Cash Boost For Community Groups

Community projects across Harborough have been given a cash boost totalling over £640,000.

The grants have been handed out by Harborough Council, using money provided by developers who have built homes locally to go towards community facilities.

Those to benefit are:

• The Robert Smyth Academy in Market Harborough – given £370,000 towards a new all-weather sports pitch, which will be made available to other community groups, including the Market Harborough Hockey Club
• Fleckney Village Hall – handed over £48,000 for refurbishment of toilet facilities
• The Bowls Club in Houghton On The Hill – given £37,000 to renovate and extend their green.
• The Kibworth Joint Recreational Committee – receiving a grant of £18,750 to replace the current, run-down fencing at the Warwick Road Recreation Ground with steel railings and gates, and to create new seating areas and bike racks.
• Lutterworth Tennis Club– awarded £120,000 for a new Tennis Dome to cover two courts to provide all year round tennis
• Broughton Astley Parish Council – handed £50,141 towards the major new leisure centre facility

Councillor Michael Rickman, Harborough Council’s Cabinet member for communities, said: “This is another significant amount of money which will make a huge positive impact on local projects with benefits to residents across the whole of the district. Since 2015 we have allocated approximately £1.6m from Section 106 grants; this round takes it to over £2million – with much more to come.”