By: Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News
Three local organizations were approved for funding from the Together CK Core Grant program at the Oct. 20 Chatham-Kent Council meeting.
The Kenesserie Camp, St. Vincent DePaul’s Camp Vincent and the Mary Webb Centre are among the 18 successful organizations that will receive funding annually for the next four years.
Kenesserie and Vincent Camps will receive $18,363, while the Mary Webb Centre will receive $11,063 each of the next four years.
St. Vincent De Paul also received $18,363 for its Our Lady Help of Christians program.
A total of $311,660 in funding is available annually in the 2026-29 Together CK Core Grant program period.
Together CK Core Grants are awarded every four years to provide operational and program-specific grants to local organizations.
Twelve other organizations also received $18,363 – the Alzheimer Society of Chatham-Kent, Blenheim Youth Centre, Chatham-Kent Arts Council, Chatham-Kent Women’s Centre, CK Pride, Dresden Side Streets Youth Centre, Reach Out Chatham-Kent, Restorative Justice, Mental Health Network of CK, The Village Resource Centre, Theatre Kent and the Wallaceburg District Council for Arts.
The Wallaceburg Concert Band will receive $13,983, and the Chatham Concert Band $11,172.
All 18 successful applicants will receive 73 per cent of their funding request.
Applicants are eligible for up to $25,000 annually, based on a 50% matching contribution from the applicant organization.
Recipients are required to provide annual financial statements for the duration of the funding period to continue to receive funding.
The application process for 2026-29 Together CK Core Grant funding opened in June, with a total of $311,660 in annual funding available.
A total of 41 applications were received for this round of funding, totalling $867,945 in requests.
Applications were reviewed by administration and Together CK Committee for eligibility, as 23 applicants were not recommended for funding.
The municipality initiated the Core Grant Program in 1999, which was renamed the Community Partnership Fund Core Grants Program in 2013 to align with the Community Partnership Fund’s application process, which is used for one-time projects.
The program’s name was changed again in 2022 to Together CK, which continues to include annual grants for Events and Community Projects, as well as the Core Grant four-year funding program.
