West Kirby Christmas Lights have topped the charts in a public vote for community grants from Wirral council – picking up £1,000 towards this year’s big switch-on.
Community groups and organisations across west Wirral were invited to bid for grants from a £50,000 fund allocated by the Wirral West constituency. The public were then called on to vote for their favourites.
Each of the five west Wirral wards receives £10,000 in funding to support projects aimed at improving the area and people’s lives.
West Kirby Christmas Lights received 193 public votes in the West Kirby and Thurstaston ward, and has been given the maximum £1,000 grant towards the almost £10,000 cost of funding the lights each December.
Martyn Collins of the lights committee told West Kirby Today they were “delighted” at the award. “Every year we have to raise money to install and then take-down the lights,” he explained.
“We have insurances to pay and lights to repair or replace. We organise a switch-on event to which we invite the whole town and need to pay for permissions from the council to do this. The total cost is nearly £10,000!”
You can help support the Christmas lights by donating here.
Over in Hoylake and Meols ward, the biggest winner was Hoylake and Meols in Bloom (HMiB), which topped the voting with 187 public votes in a bid for new events equipment, receiving £963.51.
HMiB also came fourth in the ward, with a second bid for cash towards the renovation of the Parade Gardens seaside “grasses bed” wall picking up £400.
Cllr Jeff Green, chair of Wirral West Constituency Committee, said he was delighted with the “fantastic” response to the community vote, with more than 1,000 more people voting this year than last year.
Said Cllr Green: “Once again, our communities have demonstrated that they want to participate in influencing decisions and I am committed to this continuing.
“My congratulations to each and every group that will now receive funding and I know that the Constituency Committee will look forward to hearing about the success of these local projects.”
For a full breakdown of the voting, and to find out all the grants awarded to community groups, click here.