A COMMUNITY trust set up by the council in Wotton-under-Edge has distributed £5,000 to groups in the town.

Wotton-under-Edge and District Community Recreational Trust has awarded £1,000 to fund projects by five organisations operating in the area.

Money was given to 1st Wotton Scouts, Wotton Arts Project, Wotton Community Sports Foundation, Wotton Historical Society and Wotton Youth Liaison.

Wotton’s Scouting group will use the money to invest in benches. WCSF will put their £1,000 towards the proposed pathway to their skate park off New Road.

The town’s historical society will use the cash to replace cabinets in the heritage centre and Wotton Arts Project will invest the money into Wotton Blues Festival. Wotton Youth Liaison will put the money towards their mental health and wellbeing programmes.

Wotton-under-Edge and District Community Recreational Trust was set up by Wotton Town Council in the 1980s to facilitate the establishment of Wotton Bowls Club.

It has grown over the years into an umbrella organisation which small constituted organisations can join and use in their fundraising activities.

The funding is a legacy from the town’s cinema project, where public money was invested in restoring the cinema back to life. Once that was achieved and the cinema transferred from a volunteer operation to a commercial operation, funds became available for investment in the community via the trust.

Chairman of the trust Jeff Walshe said: “The trust has limited funds available and plans to invest it in community projects while it lasts.”

The trust welcomes applications from other groups in Wotton and the surrounding areas.

Application forms are available by emailing Mr Walshe via jeff@fairmech.freeserve.co.uk