The Colebridge Trust and Solihull SUSTAiN will soon have a new facility that puts Solihull’s voluntary & community groups in the driving seat, after being awarded approximately £29,500 from Capacitybuilders for a new community bus.
The new bus will provide a mobile exhibition space to help groups promote their services, recruit volunteers, raise funds and much more.
Charles Rapson, Enterprise Manager for Colebridge Trust & SUSTAiN says: “We already have interest from several organisations in the town who enjoyed the facility our previous bus provided. We have also had interest from Council and Care Trust departments who see the bus as a very cost effective way of getting information out to communities and encouraging people to get involved in the way the town is run. The beauty of a mobile space is that it can help groups in every part of this large borough”.
Charles hopes to have a bus on the road in early spring.
“The funds couldn’t come at a better time as the former bus has finally gone to the great car park in the sky after serving the community very well for over 20 years – first as a mobile library and then as a community facility”.
Dave Pinwell, SUSTAiN’s CEO
Funding comes as part of a pot of money earmarked by the government to improve facilities and resources the community could benefit from. Capacitybuilders, who manages the Capital Investment Programme on behalf of the Cabinet Office of the Third Sector, were impressed by the novel way SUSTAiN and Colebridge Trust approached this problem in Solihull.
SUSTAiN’s Autumn/Winter newsletter has now been published. Copies have been sent to all voluntary and community organisations in Solihull which we have details of, as well as to our strategic partners.
If you are in a voluntary organisation that has not received a copy and you would like to be added to our directory so you can receive future editions, please email directory@solihull-sustain.org.uk with your organisation name and contact details.
Solihull’s charities and voluntary groups turned out in force for the first ever Solihull Together sponsored walk on Sunday 11th October. In spite of a damp start, over 180 people took part, with 120 completing the full 12 mile course from Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst to Knowle Primary School. Everyone involved had a fun day out and raised some much needed extra funds for their organisations.
The first walk of its kind in the borough, there was lots of support on the day for the walk to become an annual event. Even the Mayor’s Deputy Councillor Gary Allport, who officially started the walk, said he would like to join in next year!
“It was a fantastic day with a real community spirit from all the walkers. Lots of new friends were made whilst everyone raised money for their chosen good cause. We have been delighted by the support and hope to make this the first of many Solihull Together annual walks across the borough, bringing people from all parts of Solihull togther in support of local people in need”
Claire Milican, SUSTAiN’s Sector Development Manager
The Solihull Together walk was sponsored by Ramada Solihull.
