City of Kelowna’s Neighbourhood Grant to fund resident projects

The City of Kelowna encourages residents with creative, neighbourhood-enhancing projects and ideas to come forward and apply for the Neighbourhood Grant by June 7.

The matching grant increased by $500 from last year for up to a total of $1,500.

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“Even though the program supports small-scale neighbourhood-based projects, the increase from $1,000 to $1,500 will allow for greater flexibility for creative neighbourhood-enhancement projects and will help create social connections in Kelowna neighbourhoods,” community development co-ordinator Tanya Sletten said.

“It allows for more money to go to the project as opposed to permits and insurance that they may also require.”

The grant, funded by the Central Okanagan Foundation through the City of Kelowna’s Strong Neighbourhoods program, saw more than 400 people participate across nine projects in 2018. Together, these residents beautified a back alley, created a mosaic tile and planted a neighbourhood garden.

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A Neighbourhood Grant recipient from 2018 said the project brought Rutland together.

“Starting this project (beautifying a boulevard in Rutland) felt intimidating at first,” Sara Thirnbeck said. “But, we really pulled together as a whole neighbourhood to make it happen piece by piece. The boulevard has become a point of connection and a topic of conversation.”

The following intake will be on Nov. 1, but prospective applicants can pitch their ideas to the city at anytime throughout the year, as funding is released three times a year.