KCOM announces latest shortlist for community grants

The six charities to make the shortlist have been announced and will now face a public vote to pick the eventual three winners.

They are: The Wellies Explorer Scout Unit, Kaleb’s Wish, Cavendish Primary School, Hull Scrapstore, Croxby Primary Academy and the PDSA.

Brendon Smurthwaite, KCOM’s community coordinator, said: “Yet again it’s been an incredibly difficult decision to choose just six groups for the shortlist from more than 40 great applications.

“The standard has been incredibly high and it’s brilliant to see a wide range of groups doing such important work in their local communities.

“The six finalists our panel have chosen to go through to the public vote stage are all making a real difference to people’s lives and deserve your support. I’d urge everyone to have a look at the finalists on our website and then vote for whoever they think most deserves a grant.”

The six groups in the running include The Wellies Explorer Scout Unit, which is seeking a £700 grant to buy tents to take disadvantaged Hull youngsters on camping trips where they can learn new life skills.

The second finalist is Kaleb’s Wish which aims to use a grant of £400 to buy eight portable DVD players to keep children in Hull Royal Infirmary’s isolation unit entertained during treatment.

The third finalist is Cavendish Primary School which wants to buy “story sacks” which include books and learning aids to help foundation and Year One children learn to read.

Hull Scrapstore hopes to spend its grant on a newspaper Stixx Rolling kit, which rolls newspapers into solid sticks which can be used to make objects such as chairs, towers and bridges as well as other larger scale sculptures. Using the kit the charity will host a family sculpture workshop on the theme of fishing heritage, with the resulting sculptures going on display in April.

Animal charity the PDSA will use its grant to buy specialist equipment that will speed up the diagnosis and treatment for pets of people who often can’t afford to pay expensive vet bills.

Finally Croxby Primary Academy, in Hull, would spend its grant to create a butterfly garden in memory of one of its pupils who sadly died last year. Called Esma's Butterfly Garden it would feature 60 trees and Buddleia plants to attract butterflies, which were her favourite things. The garden would provide a space where pupils can go to relax and reflect.

Voting for the community grants will close on Monday, 24 February. The three winners will be announced on Sunday, 1 March.

For more details about the shortlisted groups and to vote for your favourite click here.