Enhancing Local Lives
Every year Chilton Councillors forgo the allowance they receive for covering their public duties to put the funds into community awards that support local groups to enhance local lives. This year the council is pleased to award five grants of £500 to the following organisations:
1st Chilton Scouts Group – to pay for cooking equipment to improve life skills for the young people of Chilton
Capturefilms – to create an exhibition, to be held within the welfare pavilion, that will showcase heritage assets for the first time and allow the people of Chilton to celebrate the centenary of the Miner’s Welfare Recreation Grounds (Trust).
Chilton Juniors Football club and Chilton Club FC– the grant will be used for match day and training equipment including a boot cleaner, new corner flags for the Charlie Wayman Fields in Chilton. Not only will it be beneficial to our teams, but it can also be readily available for the public to use on request.
Chilton Academy Friends– The grant will be used to purchase pantomime tickets for the children and also the cost of hiring the coaches to and from the venue. All the children from Reception to Year 6 will be attending, some of whom may never have attended live theatre before.
Chilton Community Fund – the grant will be used to support the Harvest Festival lunch for local residents.
The Awards were made at a presentation evening in Hutton House which also provides the opportunity to acknowledge the long-term contribution of Victor Collinson and thank him for his 30-year service as a Councillor. Victor, a former mayor said “it has been an honour to serve and everything I have done has always been to support the Chilton Community. “
The Council also gave a donation to Ferryhill Town Band, a group of dedicated musicians aged 12 to 70 with a rich history in County Durham – they perform regularly at Chilton events. They have qualified for the National Finals for a second consecutive year and being one of the only two County Durham bands to do so. The funds are to help the group with the travel, accommodation and competition fees.
Mayor, Cllr Sue Reece said “it was a pleasure to be able to make the awards, all of the recipients embody local pride and community spirit that drives them to work hard to enhances the lives our community.”
Grants are now closed for 2025/2026 but will open again in April 2026
