Just three down the road, an online crowdfunding scheme in the Cotswolds has hit the £1m mark for money raised to kickstart local projects.

Crowdfund Cotswold, a hybrid crowdfunding and grant-making platform that pools funds between councils, businesses, foundations and the community, has been working with Cotswold District Council (CDC) in partnership with civic crowdfunder Spacehive.

As an online moneyraising platform, CDC says it has now hit this significant funding milestone thanks to support from local residents, community groups and businesses.

In its latest round of action, the CDC has pledged more than £30,000 to six local community projects, the latest being: an electric mower for Poulton Cricket Club, the Woodmancote Community Space and Playpark, the Spend a Penny campaign for Swell School, New Brewery Hearts: Community Creativity, the Phoenix Festival in Cirencester and much-needed new play equipment for Poulton village.

A spokesperson for CDC said: "Local communities have led these initiatives that will provide incredible benefits, from improved outdoor community play space to access to free creative workshops for those who need them most."

Since 2021, Crowdfund Cotswold has pledged more than £180,000 towards 42 community projects.

Cllr Lisa Spivey, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Safety, added: "It really shows the power of the community! In three years, there have been some really amazing projects with so many different benefits to the community."

Pledges from the Council will help projects make significant strides toward achieving their goals, she said - but they still require additional backing from the local community to fully realise their potential.

She added: "I would encourage all residents and businesses to visit Crowdfund Cotswold and show your support for the many remarkable local initiatives crowdfunding to improve the Cotswolds.

If you are interested in raising funds for your own ideas, you can get started today by visiting the Crowdfund Cotswold website and creating your own project page. Businesses, people and organisations can pledge as little as £2 towards a project. To view all of active projects, visit the Crowdfund Cotswold project page here. spacehive.com/movement/cc/projects.