Community projects targeting social exclusion on the Isle of Wight are once again being invited to apply for grants from the Isle of Wight Foundation.

The Foundation, made up of the partners involved in delivering the Highways PFI, is again making a total of around £80,000 available in grants of between £3,000 and £16,000.

In its third year the Foundation – established by Ringway Island Roads, Meridiam, VINCI UK Foundation and VINCI Concessions – has launched its annual appeal encouraging potential recipients to come forward. So far around £160,000 has been donated to some 15 Island-based good causes.

The Foundation is looking to support projects that:

• Provide people with better chances to access training and development to improve their life skills and opportunity for employment

• Help to build stronger communities with more active citizens working together to minimise social exclusion.

Last year the projects to receive Foundation support were Aspire, Nature Therapy – Expedition Leaders, Bodster Equine, The Way Forward, Linking Carers Islandwide, Shanklin Voluntary Youth and Community Centre, Independent Arts – Creative (Digital) Café and the Daisy Chain Club.

The Isle of Wight Foundation, a charitable trust, was launched in 2014 as part of the companies’ commitment to contribute to community life beyond their extensive programme of work to improve the Island’s highway network.

Phil Jackson, Chair of the Isle of Wight Foundation board said, “We have always held the view that the Highways PFI should be about more than improving and maintaining the Island’s highways infrastructure – as crucial a function as that is.

“In addition we wanted the PFI to bring wider benefits and the Foundation is one way in which we are doing that – by supporting projects that work to tackle issues of social exclusion on the Island.

“We have already been able to support a number of extremely worthwhile projects in our first two years and now we hope more charitable and community groups will apply for funding so that they too can realise their ambitions.”

Applicants from the charity, voluntary and not-for-profit sector on the Island are invited to submit applications with details of their projects before the deadline of 12 noon on 2nd May 2016. These will then be shortlisted and visits undertaken to discuss the projects in more detail, before the final grant awards are approved and the funding award is made in December 2016.  The financial support approved must be able to be used within 12 months of the award – by December 2017.  Whilst the Foundation prefers to provide financial support for ‘capital’ projects, all forms of support will be considered whether for new projects or opportunities to extend existing projects.

For more details on the Isle of Wight Foundation, past recipients, current projects underway and details on how to apply for the 2016 grant scheme visit http://www.islandroads.com/137-iw-foundation.html or contact us on 01983 822440.