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West Somerset Railway Association was awarded £250 to fund St John's Ambulance hire for its annual steam fair. The association had previously received a Community Grant in 2023 towards its station repairs. 

One of the organisers said, "Not only is the rally our main fundraising event of the year, it also brings together the whole local community for a fun day out, including everyone who volunteers on the West Somerset Railway throughout the year. All monies raised by the Steam Rally will be put back into the maintenance costs of running the heritage railway."

The Walton Charity were awarded a grant of £250 to help pay for general running costs of The Bridge. The Bridge is a community hub supporting local parents and families across Elmbridge who are struggling with the rising cost of living. Last year it was awarded £250 to help pay for shelving to comply with food hygiene requirements. 

A member of staff said, "The Bridge gives people breathing space whilst going through a transition. We make sure they are aware that there is a helping hand whilst they’re going through that journey."

One client said, "It’s been a difficult time and there was not a huge amount of emergency funding. I don’t think we would have got through it without The Bridge."

Hearing Help Essex was awarded a grant of £250 to help purchase a laptop for its outreach project. The trained outreach team make home visits to housebound individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing. The project is an all-age project, however, the vast majority of those who access the service are over 80 years old and often have complex needs alongside their hearing loss. The project is open to all and it supports many Hastoe and other social and sheltered housing residents.

A team member said, "At these visits the skilled team are able to assess the individuals needs, and provide support and guidance around safety, health, and emotional wellbeing. We are currently delivering approximately 1000 of these visits each year across Essex and we desperately need to buy another laptop to increase our capacity. The staff and volunteers who deliver this work need to write up reports and make onward referrals after the visit and they need a computer to do this."

The Curdridge Reading Room was awarded £250 to fund its playground equipment refurbishments. The regeneration project used the grant to buy a new scramble net. The Curdridge Reading Room is very close to 8 new Hastoe homes and will be used by future tenants. 

The Chair of Trustees said, "The project to regenerate the play area at the Reading Room will benefit Hastoe residents and the local community by enhancing the space, making it more attractive to users. The project also includes creating a seating area in the play area so that families can have picnics and spend time together in a safe space."

The Powerstock Fete fundraiser was awarded £250 for a PA system to help with its announcements across a large open field. The fete was fundraising for the local church and sports field, close to Hastoe homes. 

Powerstock holds a biennial fête and open gardens weekend on alternate years and Hastoe has supported both events with Community Grants in the past.

An organiser said, "It's a great day out for locals and visitors, particularly children, in a beautiful rural setting."