Harborough District Council helps keep the Whittle jet airborne

The Council’s Grant Panel this week awarded £12,000 to the Whittle Trust for essential maintenance to the jet.

The panel said the money was a one-off grant to help preserve an iconic landmark.

Council leader Blake Pain said at Monday’s Executive meeting of the council: “We’ve done everything we can to make sure that this landmark is in optimum condition for whatever the future holds.”

The Whittle grant is the largest of 26 grants totalling £100,000 which will be handed out by the council in 2016.

Other large grants include £10,660 to the Harborough District Children and Young People’s Charity for “extended youth provision” and £10,000 to Voluntary Action South Leicestershire towards a rural isolation project.

There are also grants of £7,000 for the School Sports Partnership, and £5,000 each for the Kibworth Youth Band and the parents’ charity Homestart.

The District Council’s Community Grants are funded through the New Homes Bonus received by the Council for housing growth in the district.

This is a national initiative designed to ensure that the economic benefits for new house building are returned to the communities where the growth takes place.