Funding

November/December 2020 update

After a huge and determined effort by a number of individuals over many months we have managed to finally secure another £35,000 from Milton Keynes Council adding to their already significant S106 contributions. In the same month again after a huge effort on the part of our grants officer Chris Barrington ASTRA has been successful in securing £22,540.00 from the Margaret Powell Community 1st Fund , MK Council Community Fund and MK Council 2050 Fund.

Despite the above success in order to now fully complete the project, pay off £20,000 in loans, create an exciting educational `children’s garden’  and provide a modicum of internal furnishings, we are now looking to the National Lottery Community Fund to provide a much reduced grant of £65,000 down from £100,000 (detailed below)!  We are hoping to hear from TNL in January!

This work has been supported by funding from MK Council, MK Community Foundation, our Member of Parliament Iain Stewart MP  and our Ward Councillor David Hopkins.

Community fund raising continues at a pace despite COVID 19 with:

  • Sponsor a slate – £3,500
  • Virtual Christmas Raffle  – £665
  • Whiskey Lottery – £500
  • Computer Auction  – £50

June 2020 update (Key to the Door campaign)

We now stand at 12 donors and have raised an amazing £42,000 plus Gift Aid under this campaign! This is truly the building of Community and not just buildings! A huge thank you to all those individuals and families supporting the project.

May 2020 update

At last our funding strategy is being realised. We are grateful to Milton Keynes Council for its financial support of £100,000 towards the new building.

In February 2020 the ASTRA team submitted a bid to the Lottery Community Fund for £100,000. Two weeks ago, after nine months of submissions and just days before a £100,000 grant was due for final approval, The National Lottery announced that Community Fund applications would be `paused’ and all funding prioritised for communities affected by COVID -19.

After six years of effort – and despite having already raised an incredible £300,000 – this shortfall is a devastating and likely fatal blow to the critical task of saving our hall.

The hall is at point of collapse and our plan to build this summer is now significantly under threat.

We are presently appealing for very URGENT donations under `Gift Aid’ to bridge our immediate funding gap and are again hopeful of last minute success. Under the scheme it costs a 40% tax payer donating £1,000 just £750.00 however the benefit to the project is £1,250!

In the last few days of May just two donors alone have gifted the project in excess of £17,000 so the gap is narrowing!

To date total donations from generous residents and `Friends’ of ASTRA have contributed in excess of £200,000 to this project alone!

March 2020 update

At last our funding strategy is being realised. We are grateful to Milton Keynes Council for its financial support of £100,000 towards the new building.

In February 2020 the ASTRA team submitted a bid to the Lottery Community Fund for £100,000. This application follows on from our preliminary proposals to the Community Fund, and we are hopeful of success.

In addition the ASTRA team is delighted to have gained financial support from private donors amounting to more than £100,000!