Grants & Donations

We have been lucky enough to receive the following grants and donations, which have been spent as described:

• We are delighted to have been awarded grants from Eveson Charitable Trust and EF Bulmer Benevolent Fund, to enable us to recruit and employ a Youth Club Co-ordinator for TDCC Youth Club.
• We are grateful for donations of £250 from Ross Rotary Club, £250 from Ross Lions, and £100 from parents of young people attending Sarah’s Performance Academy, for new mirrors.
• Thank you very much to the Tudorville Post Office, who have nominated TDCC as their chosen charity, under the 'Local Pride' initiative. This means they not only have a charity box in the shop, but are also donating money from their 5p carrier bag charges to TDCC, and have also set up a page where you can donate to TDCC online. These monies will go in the general fundriaising pot, to help with the upkeep of TDCC.
• A grant of approximately £1000 was awarded by Herefordshire Council's Adult Community Learning Team to cover the costs of an Interview Techniques course and two Family Cookery Workshops.
• We have gratefully received funding from various sources to enable us to build a disabled toilet, and to refurbish the gents and ladies toilets. Thank you to Garfield Weston, Awards for All, New Grove Trust, Ross Town Council and EF Bulmer Benevolent Fund.
• A grant of £970 was awarded by the Royal Warrant Holder Association for external noticeboards and IT equipment.
• A grant of £1528 was awarded by the Joanies Fund to TDCC Youth Club, to be spent on purchasing equipment, marketing, training and more.
• A grant of £940 was awarded by Herefordshire Council's Adult Community Learning Team via the Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities Project, to cover the costs of putting on a series of taster sessions at TDCC.
• A grant of £97,171 has been awarded by the Big Lottery Fund, to fund a new kitchen and meeting room, and to employ an Activities Co-ordinator for 3 years. This role involves co-ordinating the introduction of new activities at TDCC, and a commitment to outcomes such as providing opportunities for greater employability, healthier lifestyles, community events, active volunteering and much more.
• £35,846 from European Union (EAFRD) and Defra through the VITAL Herefordshire LEADER programme, £12,600 section 106 money from Herefordshire Council, £750 of funds raised directly by TDCC and many volunteer hours enabled us to complete Phase 1 refurbishment to include new heating system, new raised gym floor, insulation, new sign and general decoration.
• A grant for £9,900 was received from Herefordshire Housing to fund architects fees for the second phase of refurbishment to include new kitchen, new toilets, disabled toilets, improved disabled access and a car park.
• £27,036 was received in further section 106 monies from Herefordshire Council which was used to fund a new car park.
• £10,000 was received from the Gannett Foundation (parent of the Hereford Times) towards new outdoor play equipment. This was combined with £2,372 of section 106 money from Herefordshire Housing to fund various items of play equipment to include slides, springers and new benches. £2,000 was also received from the People’s Patch for new football and basketball goal posts in the play area.
• A further £5,000 was received from LEADER for new windows and patio doors and £3,000 was received for vital electrical work to update the outdated electrics.
• £5,000 was received from the Eveson Trust to install a new ramp to provide disabled access to the Centre.
• £5,000 was received from the Garfield Weston Foundation to go towards refurbishing the current toilets and installing a new disabled toilet.
• An Active 60 grant for nearly £3,000 was received to fund EXTEND sessions at TDCC.
• A £2,000 grant was received from Herefordshire Housing to help set up Jumpstart affordable soft play sessions for the under 5s on a Tuesday morning.
• Ross Town Council awarded us £500 towards insurance, a grant of £1,000 towards legal fees associated with the Community Asset Transfer of the building and £800 to purchase a ride on lawn mower and strimmer to maintain the grass area.
• EF Bulmer granted us £2,000 towards start-up costs, to include legal fees and initial running costs before we received any income from hiring the Community Centre.
• We received a £750 Community Pride grant from Herefordshire Council which part funded the purchase of new tables and chairs (the remaining funding coming from direct fundraising).
• We have also received various other donations to include two donations of £250 from Ross Rotary, £250 from Sainsbury’s, £264 from Ross Lions, £300 from the Tudorville Residents Association, over £300 from the Tudorville Post Office (mainly from the charity box), £400 from the Police Fund, £425 from the Gresleys Christmas lights switch on, various personal donations and many prizes donated from local businesses for our monthly prize bingo and Christmas Fayre (too many to list!).

Fundraising

Over £18,000 has been raised in direct fundraising by TDCC to date after costs. Fundraising has come from various activities and events to include the regular Prize Bingo sessions, calendars, charity shop weeks organised by Iris Price, Christmas Fayres / Concerts, race night, New Year’s Eve party, football tournaments, discos organised by Anne Gray, Ian Gray’s Edinburgh marathon, a fashion show, royal wedding street party and Lonnie Hill’s sponsored runs/marathons.

Early fundraising combined with other events and donations went towards the initial costs involved in transferring the building from Herefordshire Council to TDCC and initial running costs ‿to include legal fees, insurance, gas and electric; improvements to the building, kitchen equipment, various repairs and maintenance and towards new play equipment. Ongoing fundraising has also gone towards the cost of improving the toilets and play area.

TDCC are very grateful to past committee members who have played a big part in saving the building from closure, raising funds to improve the building or being part of the buildings committee; to include Toni Hall, Tina Knapman, Horace Downing, Pauline Forsyth, Alan Napthine, Theresa Napthine, Ian Gray, Brian Higgins, Neil Brooke and Richard Parry.

We would especially like to thank Dave Tristram of Herefordshire Council, Rob Grunsell of Community First (who sadly passed away in 2013) and Amelia Quinlan of Herefordshire Voluntary Action / HVOSS for their ongoing support in helping us to secure funding and for providing their valuable time and advice.

We are very grateful to everyone who has donated time or money to TDCC - there are far too many to mention everyone here!