Council set to join crowdfunding site

Torbay Council backed a pilot project to set aside £10,000 to support local ideas

Torbay Council is set to join a crowdfunding website to give financial support for community projects.

Councillors backed a pilot project to set aside £10,000 to support local ideas across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham.

Under the Crowdfund Torbay scheme, the council will give financial backing when 25 per cent of the project total has been raised from at least five people or organisations.

It will fund up to half the cost of a scheme, up to a maximum donation of £5,000.

The council’s ruling Cabinet voted in favour of signing up to the Crowdfund Devon section of the Crowdfunder website.

The pilot project runs until the end of April 2020, but may be extended.

Torbay Council says it will support projects which:

• improve mental health and wellbeing;
• reduce social isolation;
• increase physical activity levels and/or promote a healthy diet;
• help people in their recovery from substance misuse problems;
• improve the lives of children and young people;
• support the integrated health and social care model for Torbay;
• help to reduce inequalities between communities;
• improve the local environment to make people feel safer;
• increase cultural opportunities;
• support local infrastructure projects;
• address the Climate Change Emergency;
• link to council services and outcomes it seeks to achieve.

Any project which meets all the conditions will go to the council’s director of corporate services for a decision, after consulting councillors.

There is more information about Crowdfund Devon at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/crowdfund-devon