Grants and awards
We could not have achieved so much without financial help. There are always jobs to be done, and equipment and materials are often needed. We appreciate the support of local people and are always on the lookout for grants to support voluntary work…
Voluntary donations
The Friends of Conway Rec make no charge for membership but, from time to time, our newsletter and website may invite voluntary donations to support the work. We have been delighted with the generous responses and grateful for the many kind comments.
Local people have also made spontaneous contributions which have helped to keep the ship afloat and motivation high. We hope our benefactors can both see and enjoy the difference their contributions have made. Thank you!
Support from Enfield Council
The Friends are also grateful to Enfield Council for a start-up grant and grants from the borough-wide Friends’ Fund. Conway Rec has qualified each year to apply for the maximum grant – up to £1000 – by achieving the gold standard set for volunteers by the Council. The standard includes, amongst other things, the input of a large number of voluntary working hours over the year.
This money has allowed us to acquire necessary gardening equipment and supported specific projects, like buying a storage shed, mending broken railings and renting a rotavator to help with tough digging.
Grants and bids
We’ve been fortunate to secure some grants from other organisations that encourage community projects. In 2012 we applied for money from Briffa to rebuild the crumbling pond perimeter. Much of the original stonework was in a bad state and poor quality paving had been used for rough patching where edging had disappeared. It was unsightly and unsafe. We were fortunate enough to be awarded £5000, enough to allow the edging around the whole pond to be checked, secured and renewed where necessary with York stone matching the original.
In 2014, the Friends applied for and were awarded £2000 by the People’s Postcode Trust to start the process of creating a discovery trail in Conway Rec.
The first stage involved the creation of four information panels. Members of the Friends’ Committee and other supporters worked together to design the panels, which focus respectively on:
- the history of Conway Rec
- grassy slopes, wild flowers and their visitors
- trees and birds
- the ancient natural pond and its residents
The panels were then constructed professionally and installed with the help of colleagues from the tennis club. They are being enjoyed by visitors of all ages.
The Friends were also awarded a £50 voucher and some useful litter-picking equipment by the former Mayor of London’s Capital Clean-Up campaign.
Current campaigns
We are currently seeking a grant to buy a storage shed. We also need funds to tackle the next stage of the discovery trail – a learning circle for use by pupils and teachers from St Monica’s School and other young visitors to the Rec. If we are successful, the projects will soon be under way. If not, we will keep trying!