MORE than £7,000 has been handed out to community projects in West Bradford through a grants scheme run by the churches in the area.

The Ark Charity Shop, in Heights Lane, was set up more than 20 years ago.

It was started by churches in Girlington, Heaton and Manningham to raise funds to give back to small local organisations.

As a result of its success the latest round of grants saw £7,476 handed out to 16 groups in total.

Grants of up to £500 for each project were handed out to benefit a variety of different projects helping people of all ages.

Ark trustee Heather Grinter said: “There are lots of people in our area who want to bring people together and help the community.

“The shop gives small grants to help them with projects from job clubs to trips for young and old.

“As a trustee from a local church, I am very pleased that the shop itself is a place where people from many backgrounds feel welcome and part of the community.”

One of the grant recipients, the Refugee Allotment Group, which received £500 to support the allotment on Scotchman Road run by volunteers and refugees, thanked Ark for its donation.

The group said the money was “a great boost” and that it would mainly go towards providing weekly bus tickets to help members attend their activities.

The latest round of grants includes:

£500 to Manningham Project to pay for exam fees for two workers to be able to give advice on immigration

£500 to Holiday at Home for the local Methodist churches to run a holiday scheme in 2018

£500 to the Refugee Allotment Group in Heaton to support the allotment on Scotchman Road run by volunteers and refugees

£500 to Bradford Family Church in Heaton to purchase an iPad to support a job search club at Heaton Village Hall

£500 to the Millan Centre in Manningham to purchase two laptops and a sewing machine to support classes

£500 to Wise Women in Manningham to pay for room hire and assist in other costs for a self-run group for the elderly

£500 to St Cuthbert and 1st Martyrs’ Inn Churches to buy food and cleaning materials for hosting the homeless

£500 to One in a Million in Manningham to buy materials to support activities for excluded pupils

£500 to City Girls to support an exhibition of photos of women in the area at the National Science and Media Museum

£176 to the Maryam Project in Girlington for bulbs and materials to support a clean-up and planting project

£300 to the St Paul’s Light event in Manningham to support an alternative celebration for Halloween for children in the area

£500 to BIASAN Women and Children in Manningham to provide entertainment and activities for children of refugees at Christmas

£500 to Creative Connections in Heaton to provide craft sessions for isolated women

£500 to Margaret McMillan in Manningham to support the research and production of a children’s book

£500 for Nightstop to provide transport for homeless young people in the area

£500 to Millan Centre girls’ group to provide craft materials and support for activities for girls.

Further grants will be made in February, for which applications are being invited. To apply, visit thearkcharityshop.co.uk/grants

The shop is run by the Girlington, Heaton and Manningham Council of Churches, and is currently looking for volunteers to sort donated goods and serve in the shop.

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