Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

Why not come along and hear for yourself…

Arm Community Fund | Grants up to £3,000
Bright Futures Fund | Grants up to £2,500
Cambridge in Need | Up to £20,000 in a year or £30,000 over 3 years
Cheffins Grassroots Endowed Fund | Grants up to £1,000
D&J Lloyd Community First Fund | Grants average £3,000
Dementia Carers Fund  | Grants up to £3,000
Marshall Community Fund | Grants up to £3,000
Mills & Reeve Cambridge Grassroots Endowed Fund | Grants up to £2,000
October Fund | Grants up to £10,000
Olive and Jesse Palmer Fund | Grants up to £5,000
Outlook Fund | Grants up to £12,000 over 3 years
The Cambridge Building Society Community Fund  | Grants up to £10,000

Fund spotlight | Cheffins turns 200!
One of our longest-standing supporters, Cheffins, are celebrating their 200^th anniversary this year. As part of this, they will be launching a special fund later this year, which will focus on supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing. These grants will be distributed through a separate funding round, in addition to the Cheffins Grassroots Endowed Fund’s May application deadline. Further details on how to apply will be shared soon. 

If any of these funds sound like a good fit for your project, please visit our Application Guidance page to see our 10-step guide that explains the process of applying for a grant from Cambridgeshire Community Foundation.

Once you are ready, please submit your application using the ‘Apply Online’ button found on the specific fund webpage.

The application deadline applies to the submission of ALL documentation in support of your application. Please check our ‘Application Guidance’ page for details of the documents we require. 

Outcomes of funding applications for this round will be available by the end of August 2025, so any projects should start from September 2025 onwards. We cannot award grants for retrospective costs. 

Are you interested in more than one fund? We recommend that you submit no more than one application per round to our general funds, so as to maximise your chances of receiving funding. The exceptions are for specific and one-off or short-term funds with a separate application process to our general funds.
Please do feel free to contact one of the team before submitting an application if it’s not immediately clear what’s what. 

Now very well publicised on various platforms, this very important step for the future of ALL of Fenlands Leisure Centres…..
Read the BBC article by Clicking Here

Manor Leisure Centre – Whittlesey

The fourth Festival of Stories will bring another exciting programme of storytelling events to families of children from birth to five across Cambridgeshire this February.

Children’s storytellers, an author and a puppet show will be joining the festival, which runs from Wednesday, February 19 to February 26, at a range of venues across the county including in Fenland

The festival works together with families to help young children better understand the world we live in, while boosting their communication, language, and literacy skills through the magic of stories.

There will be over sixty storytelling events, both in-person and online, at venues across the county, including interactive activities such as scavenger hunts, wild play, story-making, rhyme times, treasure box-making, mini movers, mark-making, and stay-and-play sessions.

All events are free unless stated otherwise.

Events in Fenland include: Rhyme time at March Library on Wednesday from 10.30am; story-telling with Marion Leeper at All Saints Meeting Room Elm on Wednesday, Whittlesey Library on Friday from 10am.

At the Oasis Centre, St Michael’s Avenue, Wisbech on Monday (24) from 9am and again at March Child and Family Centre in Cavalry Drive on Monday (24) from 1pm.

Contained within the FDC Cabinet paperwork, (agenda published yesterday) is a report Leisure Centre Facility Strategy – potential refurbishment and improvement projects. (attached below).

Regarding the Whittlesey Manor Centere there are various options, potential costings and risk. The document takes a lot of reading and one of the major choices being whether a Sport Hall is added and if the Rifle Range (Club) is to be retained/rebuilt alongside the modified building.
Lots to read and understand/absorb.

Below is a floor plan of what the facility could look like (with Rifle Range)

( click on picture to enlarge)

Dear Roy,

Our patrols of the rural areas in the county have continued this week, taking us to places such as:

🚜Pondersbridge

🚜Grunty Fen

🚜Balsham

🚜Newton

🚜Aldreth

🚜Eastrea, where our day was made as we got to meet Bowie the horse

🚜Six Mile Bottom, where we came across this burnt out car and tracks on a nearby field

During these patrols, we were able to speak to farmers and other members of the community, and it was wonderful to hear their feedback about the work we have been doing.

Talking to us face-to-face is a great way to make us aware of your concerns, so if you ever see us while we are out and about, do come and say hello!

Alternatively, you can report any incidents to us by calling 101 or online. Always call 999 if you believe a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger.

E-mail received from MP Steve Barclay – some of which I agree with his views, some not and some indifference too….You read make your our mind and decision – thats what democracy is about….

SB Letter to Cllrs Feb 25