The Isle of Wight Foundation grant window closes on June 15 but there is still time to get your application in.
Since 2014, the foundation – comprising the companies behind Island Roads – has awarded grants of between £3,000 and £16,000 to projects involved in helping build better communities or supporting people to access employment or housing.
One project which has benefitted in recent times is the Bay Youth Project (BYP).
Its £14,000 grant helped create a grassroots music/media project within the renovated Sandown Town Hall in Grafton Street.
The BYP project called LINK is based around sports and the arts and supports young people aged between 10 and 18.
The young people who attend are thrilled with the facilities now at their disposal.
One of them, E, aged 14, said: “It’s been very helpful and has allowed me to learn a new skill that I probably wouldn’t have ever done if it wasn’t for the studio and staff at LINK.
“I get excited to attend and play the bass guitar and look forward to developing my skills and showing them off to others.”
Jake, BYP Music, Multi-Media and Arts co-ordinator, added: “The impact the music studio at Link has had on our local community has been incredible to witness.
“I’ve always believed that giving young people access to studio-grade equipment is vital – not just for learning skills, but for building confidence, self-belief, and opening doors to creative expression they may never have thought possible.
“It is amazing seeing the smiles on their faces when they figure something out, create something they’re proud of, or catch themselves doing something they never thought they could do.”
So, with just days to go before the deadline, make sure your project is in with a shout of getting one of the grants, which have contributed more than £900,000 since 2014.
The companies making up the foundation are Ringway Island Roads, Island Roads Services, Vinci Concessions and Meridiam.
The money is a charitable donation from each organisation as part of their community initiatives and separate from the highways services delivered by Island Roads.
IW Foundation Chairman Eddie Fellows said: “Although we have already received some quality applications there is still time to get your applications in.”
You can find out more about the foundation and how to apply for a grant by visiting https://islandroads.com/iw-foundation/