Councillors want more Congleton charities and organisations to apply for grant funding as they agree marketing improvements to promote the initiative need to be made.

At Thursday's Congleton Town Council meeting of the Finance and Policy Committee, which was conducted via Zoom, councillors discussed a £200 grant application from Congleton Park Bowling Club.

The money would go towards the cost to re-render brickwork on the front veranda of the clubhouse for which they informed the council they have had a quote of £700.

Cllr Robert Douglas, chair of the Finance and Policy Committee, said: "In line with past procedures, I advise the committee of previous grant applications made in the previous two years.

"Although they (Congleton Park Bowling Club) made no grant applications in 2018/19, in 2019/20 they made two applications and were awarded grants worth £250 towards the cost to upgrade the burglar alarm and £200 towards the cost of new floor coverings in the ladies toilet."

Cllr Russell Chadwick, vice-chair of the committee, said: "Irrespective of their previous applications, I think it's very good to support local activities, we're coming out of Covid-19 where people need to get together safely and I would like to support this application."

Cllr Chadwick proposed that the £200 grant application was approved.

Cllr Denis Murphy seconded Cllr Chadwick's proposal and said: "It's a very valuable asset, quite a lot of people from the U3A and pensioners use the club, so I think it's well worth the money to support."

Although he supported the application, Cllr James Smith wanted to highlight the "repeated applications" the town council receives from "particular organisations".

Cllr Smith said: "I think we need to do more to distribute the funds more equitably amongst charities and organisations within Congleton as we seem to have repeat applications from those who know about this grant scheme."

Cllr Paul Duffy echoed Cllr Smith's concerns and felt the town council needed to be "mindful" of repeat applications from the same people.

Cllr Suzy Firkin said: "It seems very hard to even give this money away, I've had two or three organisations who I have been strenuously recommending that they should be applying via this process for a small supported amounts of money for the past year and yet they still haven't.

"Whilst I recognise, we're going to get organisations who know how the system works and uses it to the benefit of the residents of Congleton then they shouldn't be penalised because others are more backwards then coming forwards."

Cllr David Brown said: "A lot of people, especially the elderly use the bowling green in the summer, it's a wonderful facility."

Cllr Chadwick stated that the council "can only approve the grants that are in front of us" and agreed that the town council needed to push marketing to get further organisations applying for grant funding.

Cllr Chadwick added: "We are coming out of lockdown, businesses are going to need help, so it's up to us to try and push people towards the money we have got.

"The town council website needs a lot of work doing on it and I think that's a separate project as a group of councillors need to get a grip with."

Cllr Kay Wesley agreed that the website needed an "overhaul" which would be a "significant project" and suggested that links to the town council's grants page should be shared across social media platforms.

Councillors voted to approve the grant application of £200 from the Congleton Park Bowling Club.

If you are interested in applying for grant funding, visit the town council's grants section.