Trafford Council funding continues to 'make Sale smile'

Trafford Council’s commitment to supporting local communities through its locality partnership working and the ‘Making Sale Smile’ initiative, has once again proved hugely positive for 33 local groups.

Now in its third year, ‘Making Sale Smile’ has seen neighbours and groups of friends getting together and submitted grant applications for a wide range of fantastic, innovative projects to help improve their area. The prize on offer, was a share of £7,000 grant funding available from Sale Locality Partnership.

With competition high, all the 37 applicants were invited to a networking event. Here they had the chance to meet each other and discuss not only their individual ideas, but also their skills. This has ensured even more connections and sharing of knowledge, skills and enthusiasm have been achieved, all of which will continue to benefit local communities.

Applications ranged from street parties, community planting schemes, arts projects, coffee mornings and choirs to funding forensic science workshops and reading with grandparents.

The Chair of Sale Locality Partnership Councillor John Lamb, said in total, 33 of the projects received funding, 13 were completely funded and a further 20 part funded.

"As a Council we are committed to supporting our local communities and through ‘Make Sale Smile’ we are demonstrating this. We have been delighted to see the huge efforts local people have made, getting together to pool ideas and come up with some truly inspirational projects. Once again the exceptionally high standard of funding applications submitted made it very difficult for the panel to come to their decisions.

To have so many people who, in spite of the pressures of modern life, care enough about their immediate and wider neighbours to find ways of making things that little bit better and encouraging community spirit is something to be celebrated.”

Organiser of the Abbey Road Street Party, Mark Hayward, said “The people that make up our local community are great, yet it is too easy with the pressures of modern life to lose touch with your neighbours, let alone all of the other people on your road. With the support from Make Sale Smile we have been able to host the Abbey Road Street party which brings everyone together in a celebration of our community - we know that our community is stronger because of it.”

While Dianne Latham said “The Meadway Singers are so grateful to Trafford Council and ‘Make Sale Smile’ for their grant towards new sheet music. It will certainly mean we can entertain our friends in care homes, with a wider variety of well-known songs”

Anyone wanting to find out more about the Make Sale Smile projects, or Trafford's Locality Partnerships should contact (details please).

The list of successful applicants are: