Latest news with #communitydevelopment
Associated Press
4 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance Requesting Access Capital Proposals
Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance is once again seeking proposals from nonprofits and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) as part of its Access Capital program to invest in emerging developers. The Access Capital program provides financial contributions to nonprofit organizations that are focused on developing, maintaining or expanding their technical assistance or training to better support developers. Recipients will be selected through an application process where nonprofits submit proposals describing how they could use additional capital for technical assistance or a training program with the goal of building capacity for developers. Once proposals are submitted, Impact Finance will select three to five recipients. Organizations with both existing and new programs are encouraged to apply. 'Capacity-building and technical assistance programs are a vital first step for emerging developers,' said U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance senior vice president Torrence Moore. 'The Access Capital program supports organizations that are providing these opportunities for developers, helping them learn, network and gain skills as they grow their businesses and ultimately get ready to take on capital.' This will be the fifth year of the program. From 2021 to 2024, Impact Finance awarded $1.2 million to 19 organizations. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2025, and the next round of financial contributions will be distributed in the fourth quarter of 2025. For more information or to obtain a copy of the request for proposals, email [email protected]. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from US Bank
Mail & Guardian
8 hours ago
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Helenvale celebrates grand opening of Extension 12 Play Park
MBDA - Helenvale Celebrates the Grand Opening of Extension 12 Play Park. The Helenvale community welcomed the official opening of the Extension 12 Play Park in Allan Heights. Community members joined the executive leadership of the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), including Board Chair Glenda Perumal, Vuyani Dyantyi, Mxolisi Moolman, Khwezi Ntshaynyana and MBDA CEO Anele Qaba, Ward Councillor Pieter Hermaans, and the City's Deputy Executive Mayor, Gary van Niekerk, to mark the opening and kick off a day of activity in the park. Qaba made his pleasure at being on site today clear, noting the bustle of residents and youth who joined the opening. 'This project has been close to our hearts. We were tasked to deliver for all communities, and we are very happy to have worked with the community of Helenvale to make a place like this,' he said. 'This work was not done in isolation. Community voices helped shape and guide the project from the start.' This community facility is an intervention of the SPUU programme (Safety and Peace Through Urban Upgrading) – a multi-disciplinary programme consisting of both infrastructure and socio-economic projects aimed at increasing safety and peace in the community of Helenvale, funded via the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and KfW Development Bank of Germany. The development of the park is aimed to provide a safe, open play space for the children and youth of Extension 12 in Helenvale. The project work included the construction of a seated pavilion area, paved pathways, a soccer and netball court, play area and a gym facility. Civil works began on-site in 2023, with landscaping, fencing and finishing touches on-site completed by locally contracted SMEs. The project was handed back to the city at the end of 2024. Collaboration on-site included co-operation with the SAPS and Metro Police, in terms of the site safety strategy, and the mobilisation of community safety via the Ward Committee, Stakeholder Forums and other engagements. Yolanda Jassen spoke on behalf of the community to thank the project team for the care taken to engage, listen and involve the community at every turn. 'We felt it was a partnership,' she says, 'and the project reflects what the community wanted and needed.' She identified lighting as the next issue she wanted to see tackled as a resident. Nita Goss, also a resident of the area, said she was glad that there was now a safe space where children and the youth could play. 'This is a busy area. This project has taken what was a dump site and turned it into a place that will bring the children safely off the streets. It's place that we can use as residents, and we are very happy to see it open now.' The launch day saw the youth of the area participate in a soccer tournament, and the painting of a colourful rock garden begin on-site. Perumal was pleased to be part of the celebrations. 'It's a pleasure to be here today – not only as a representative of the Board that oversees the Mandela Bay Development Agency, but as someone who believes deeply in the value of public infrastructure that changes lives.' She said that as Board Members, their role was to ensure that the Agency worked with integrity, accountability and impact. 'This park is an example of what happens when vision, planning and strong partnerships come together. We are proud of what has been achieved here, and we are reminded why we do this work: to bring dignity, safety and joy to every part of our city.'
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Whigham's Inn in Sanquhar: Robert Burns' hostelry to get new life
When Scotland's national bard stopped off for a drink in Sanquhar, there was only one place he found Burns liked the inn run by Edward Whigham so much that he immortalised it in verse, with At Whigham's Inn, prominent property in the heart of the south of Scotland town has become much less welcoming in recent years and has fallen on hard the local community has now stepped in with the hope of bringing the building back into use - with a nod to the poet who found it such a pleasant hostelry. Ronnie Bradford is the community development officer with the Sanquhar Enterprise Company (SEC) which recently bought the building for £30, they hope it can be the subject of an overhaul likely to run close to costing £3m."We need to go down the route of trying to find the funding which, obviously, in today's landscape is going to prove challenging. But we are committed to doing something," said SEC was actually set up to with a view to taking over the town's historic post office when it looked like it might close for good. Luckily that prospect was avoided, but now it has turned its attention to a similarly important building in the Upper Nithsdale old pub occupies a central site on the A76 that runs through the heart of Sanquhar and emerged as a key potential project from consultation with the community."It's a property that is on the High Street in a very prominent position and had been lying derelict for approximately 40 years," Ronnie explained."Dumfries and Galloway Food Share used it for a while as an office but it had basically just been left to rot by a succession of speculative owners who had bought it at auction and sold it." About four years ago the SEC started its efforts to look at taking it over, but the asking price proved too in March this year it heard it might have come into range and - thanks to the Nithsdale Community Trust - got the funds together to snap it said the hard work would really begin now."We own the building, we've got the keys and the next stage is to see what we can do," he said.A first "quick win" will hopefully be to improve the exterior look of the building before developing plans to bring it back into use - most probably as some kind of affordable housing. However, he said anything they did would recognise its significant past."We fully understand the importance of this building - not only in terms of Sanquhar, but it is also nationally important," he said."It fills a gap if you like between the established buildings that have Burns associations up in Ayrshire and down in Dumfries."This Upper Nithsdale corridor very much fills in this gap and we're delighted to have secured the building for that reason alone."We will make sure that we pay homage to the fact that the building has this historic and cultural significance."He said that what the project might finally include was "very much up for discussion".However, he said they felt that due to the housing crisis some kind of housing development was appropriate."We feel that it would be a major flagship in terms of our plans to bring back life and commerce to Sanquhar High Street," said could also be a community space or a heritage element - to recognise its Burns links."It was the only acceptable place in Sanquhar that he would either drink or stay at," Ronnie added."He obviously struck up a major friendship with Edward Whigham and his wife and we want to recognise and pay homage to that." In the process, they could help turn around a story familiar across the region and the rest of the country."We've got a problem with depopulation, we've got a problem of businesses falling by the way," said Ronnie."We've just lost the bank in the last few weeks."So we needed to do something to try and redress that balance and we see Whigham's Inn as being a potential major kickstarter to revitalising that."He knows they have a long way to go in terms of raising funds - and getting work fully by the end of it all, they hope they will have a building back in use which the bard would be proud of. At Whigham's Inn, Sanquhar by Robert BurnsEnvy, if thy jaundiced eye,Through this window chance to spy,To thy sorrow thou shalt find,All that's generous, all that's kind,Friendship, virtue, every grace,Dwelling in this happy place.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Local MP attends Gala following busy surgery
A LOCAL MP attended Alston Gala, following a busy surgery with constituents, on June 28. Markus Campbell-Savours attended the gala where there was a strong turnout, despite damp weather on the day. Markus Campbell-Savours said: "Community Development Co-ordinator Sarah Stamford explained the work she is doing with volunteers for Alston Moor Partnership and is keen to hear from anyone who might want to offer help in the community. Markus Campbell-Savours attended the gala following a successful surgery (Image: Markus Campbell-Savours) "Before the Gala, I held a busy surgery where people brought a variety of issues to discuss with me. Now I have a number of things to follow up for them. "Special thanks to Westmorland and Furness Council Councillor Michael Hanley for your company today. And put July 18 and 19 in your diary - for Alston Live Festival."
CTV News
4 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
More than 1K new homes included in affordable housing project in Waterloo
Waterloo says a new affordable housing project will include more than 1,000 homes. CTV's Heather Senoran has the details. The City of Waterloo has finalized the transfer of city-owned land for an ambitious affordable housing project said the be the only one of its kind in the country. The city hosted an event Thursday at the 25-acre piece of land at 2025 University Avenue East, near RIM Park, to celebrate the next step in the project. Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region partnered with the city for the project that will include more than 1,000 homes from studio apartments to four-bedroom units for families. 'There's going to be a bit of everything. The idea here is to create a whole community so it's not what's normally being built. It's not patchwork,' said Philip Mills CEO of Habitat for Humanity Waterloo Region. 'Everything you'd need - daycares, a gym, health care, food.' Affordable Housing at 2025 University Avenue East Waterloo The future site of an affordable housing project at at 2025 University Avenue East was pictured on June 26, 2025. (Heather Senoran/CTV News) Waterloo's mayor, Dorothy McCabe, said it is a once-in-a-generation transformational project. 'About 30 per cent will be for deeply affordable [units]. Thirty per cent will be for affordable. And the rest will be attainable,' she said. It's expected to cost about half a billion dollars with $22 million in funding coming from the federal government's Housing Accelerator Fund. 'A huge portion of that is going into the work that's being done on this site and to provide some compensation to the city for the land itself,' McCabe said. It will be a mix of rented and owned homes. The price to rent or to own will depend on the size of the unit and other factors. The team said they will be among the most affordable homes on the market. The team hopes the project will have national impact. 'We're really hoping that other communities will take a look at this and see how this could be replicated across the country,' said McCabe. Shovels are expected to be in the ground by 2026. The goal is for it to be move-in ready sometime in 2027.
