KCOM doubles the size of community grants - and invites public to vote for winners

KCOM is boosting its support for local good causes by doubling the value of its community grants.

From this month the IT and broadband provider is relaunching its grants scheme and is also asking the public to get involved by voting for which good causes should receive one of three £1,000 awards.

The community grants are awarded every three months to groups that improve the quality of life of people living in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Sean Royce, KCOM’s managing director, said: “As a company that’s been at the heart of Hull and East Yorkshire since 1904 we’re committed to being part of the community and doing whatever we can to make this a better place to live and work.

“Each year our employees spend more than 1,500 hours volunteering as part of our community activities and we give donations, time and fundraising support to around 150 different organisations across our region.

“As well as supporting local sporting success through our sponsorship agreements, we invest around £100,000 each year into a range of community and charitable initiatives. A key part of this is our quarterly grants, which have been helping fantastic charities, community groups and sports clubs make a real difference to people’s lives for more than a decade. By opening up the voting process to the general public we’re giving the people of Hull and East Yorkshire more say on who benefits.

“We’d like to see as many people as possible getting involved to raise awareness of what their group does and by telling us why they deserve to receive £1,000.”

Grant applications are open to all groups in the KCOM region and can be used to provide activities, services or equipment that help enrich local lives.

Previous recipients of KCOM’s community grants have included the Sailors Children’s Society, HEY Smile Foundation, Hedon Scout Group, Hull Community Voices and Peter’s World Hull Autism Support.

Applications for the first round of grants are open until Friday 3 May. KCOM’s community panel – made up of KCOM employees who live and work in the region – will consider all applications before choosing a shortlist of six finalists. The six finalists will then go forward to an online public vote with the three receiving the most votes each winning a grant of £1,000.

For more details about how to apply for a KCOM community grant visit https://www.kcomhome.com/community-grants/