Great Torrington Town Council Grant Funding

The Plough Arts Centre:

Great Torrington Town Council endeavours to support organisations and projects which it feels are essential to the community and will allow the town to grow and thrive.

One such organisation is The Plough Arts Centre. The Plough is now under new management with a new Chief Executive and Chair of Trustee’s and a new direction with a strong focus on working smarter to ensure that it remains open as a thriving base for arts, culture, film, comedy, craft, food and entertainment for many years to come.

Emma Marston, the new Chief Executive, has an impressive background in radio broadcasting, including the BBC Radio, Heart, and The Voice. She also has an excellent track record in working with local charities and turning them around. The new management has a clear strategy going forward, with a reduced programme focusing on live acts that will sell out. This strategy is already working and showing positive results.

The Plough hosts events which appeal to all ages and abilities both within Great Torrington and across surrounding areas, as such it is one of the town’s main attractions encouraging visitors throughout the year.

You will have seen that the organisation has been awarded large grants from the Arts Council, however this funding has to be spent on specific projects and cannot be used to fund every day running costs.

Therefore, The Plough are in a funding crisis while they wait for the new business strategy to kick in and support their long-term sustainability. Reserves have been significantly depleted, and they have asked for a total of £60,000 to ensure that this valuable community asset and regional hub for arts and culture is able to keep its doors open and continue to deliver entertainment from local and national artists on our doorsteps.

At a recent meeting of Great Torrington Town Council members voted unanimously to support The Plough with an emergency grant of £15,000. This will give the new management a chance to build on current progress and allow the new strategy to take effect. Members of Great Torrington Town Council see The Plough as an essential organisation within the community, which is at the heart of the regeneration of the town.

The Globe Project:

The Globe Project Community Share offer is gathering pace as we speak, and signs are good that the target will be successfully achieved, with the deadline for purchasing shares extended to August 2025.

Earlier this year Great Torrington Town Council supported the project with a grant of £5,000 towards the administration costs of the project.

The council is committed to initiatives that encourage the regeneration of the town, and this project has a central role to play in encouraging visitors back into Great Torrington to eat, relax and stay. The project will also offer valuable opportunities for training and employment which will benefit local people

Community Grants awarded to local organisations from the Commons Allotment Charity & the Precept 2025/26:

Emergency Grant Funding

Each year the Town Council allocate a sum of money for grant applications that come in outside of the grant application period. This year there is £3,000 in this fund, so if you represent a local community group who need a small amount of funding, which is required in the current financial year, do get in touch.

Call: 01805 626135 or email: [email protected] for further information.