ARMY Cadets, sports clubs and community initiatives are among the Wem groups set to receive their share of £5,000 worth of grants.

At Wem Town Council's full council meeting, held virtually on Thursday, February 25, a number of grant requests were heard by various community groups around the town.

The town council has a budget of £5,000 dedicated to grant requests but collectively the grant requests totalled less than that, meaning the town council were in a positive position to grant the requests.

First of all was a request from the Amateur Dramatic Society for £500 for decorating the Stage Door Theatre.

Councillor Edward Towers agreed with the request, saying: "I would support this, they deal with a lot of young people in our town and this is something to show our appreciation and support."

Following this was a request from the Arm Cadet Force League, for £200 for their annual camp.

Cllr Paul Drummond supported this request, once again praising the support for the town's youth.

"This is another thing with the young people," said Cllr Drummond. "We've got to help them, they've suffered a lot through Covid and anything to bring them together I would support."

Next up was a request for £500 from new group Blossoming Wem, to promote events in the town.

The group has been launched following the demise of the Sweet Pea Festival and Cllr Mandy Meakin backed the proposal, suggesting the need to 'pretty Wem up'.

"Anything that makes the town of Wem more inviting then I agree with that," she said. "We need to pretty Wem up, it's looking dull and dismal with everything closed and when it opens up we want it to look vibrant."

Following this there were two requests of £500 each from Wem Cricket Club and Wem Jubilee Band.

The cricket club requested a grant to purchase cricket balls and pitch covers, meanwhile the Jubilee Band would use their £500 to purchase supports for the band room roof.

Cllr Paul Johnson, backed the cricket club proposal, saying: "We've talked about the youth of the town and what they do at the cricket club is superb and £500 would go a long way to supporting what they do."

Meanwhile, regarding the Jubilee Band, Cllr Towers was in support.

"The band are a good advertisement of the town," he said. "We owe it to show our support to them. If that's what they need to feel support from us its money well spent."

The North Shropshire Wheelers Community Bus also put forward a grant request, for the purchase of a new automatic door.

Cllr Johnson supported their request, highlighting the lengths they have already gone to to adapt their bus to Covid conditions.

"I fully support this," he said. "With Covid they've had to go to lengths to adapt the vehicle already."

Next up was a potential request from the Wem Vehicles of Interest for £500 to spend on toilets and first aid.

The annual event has been a fixture of Wem for several years but was not able to go ahead in 2020 because of Covid-19

Council clerk Penny O'Hagan explained that if the event was cancelled again for 2021, the money would not be used.

"If the show does not take place they would not claim the grant," said Ms O'Hagan. "They didn't claim grant last year."

Cllr Geoff Soul suggested the request be granted, saying: "It's an important folk event for the town, it was sadly missed last year."

Wem Bowling Club also made a grant request, for £500 to replace the ground's floodlights.

Cllr Chris Mellings supported the request, highlighting the tough year the bowling club has had.

"With different things at the sports centre they have struggled through Covid," he said. "Every help and support we can give would be appreciated."

Wem First Scouts and the Wem Scout and Guide HQ Committee made requests of £300 and £500 respectively, to support the Bowensfield HQ and to update the kitchen area.

Cllr Connie Granger supported the request, saying: "I fully support this, it's for the young and it does very well in the town."

Finally, the council received a request for £250 from Hope House Children's Hospice to pay for a day of care for a terminally ill child.

Cllr Drummond supported the request and praised the work of the hospice.

He said: "We never know when some poor family are going to be in need of their care and they do a fantastic job."

All of the requests were granted by the council.