Gaming grant money to be returned to community groups: Clark
By Nelson Daily Staff
More than 2,000 non-profit community groups across BC will see part of $15 million in new grant funding restored to them, the province’s premier announced Thursday.
Christy Clark said the restoration of funding will bring over 500 organizations back up to historical funding levels, including youth arts and culture groups; community service groups like Rotary and Kiwanis; fairs, festivals and museums; and organizations involved in community education like parent support services.
Many groups in the health and social services sector – such as transition houses, food banks and drop-in centres – already received funding this year at approximately 100 per cent of historical levels.
This new funding will provide an extra 25 per cent to help food banks meet their demand, as well as to support youth and family programs; PACs and DPACs; community centres; cultural organizations; and scouts and cadets.
The additional funding brings to $135 million the total community gaming grant funding that approximately 6,000 community organizations will share in 2010-11. This represents a 12.5 per cent increase from the previous year’s total.
The year-end funding boost will also provide:
• An extra $5 per K-12 student for extracurricular sports and music programs across B.C. This represents a 25 per cent increase from the $20 per student that parent advisory councils and district parent advisory councils received earlier this year from gaming grant funding.
• Parents of young people in scout troops and cadet corps with an additional $25 per participating child, to help them cover registration costs.
• $300,000 to support seniors’ participation in nine annual sports competitions known as Seniors Games Zones.
