MORE than £21,700 has been awarded to 14 organisations in Cornwall from a fund run by a pioneering mineral exploration and development company.

The Cornish Lithium Community Fund has given out individual grants of between £250 and £2,500, totalling £21, 739, via the Cornwall Community Foundation which administers the scheme.

Cornish Lithium is focused on extracting lithium, an essential component of rechargeable batteries, from hard rock and geothermal waters in Cornwall through the Trelavour Lithium Project in the Clay Country and the Cross Lanes Geothermal Lithium Project near Truro.

The community fund aims to support the work of clubs, charities and activity groups that seek to make a positive difference in the areas where the firm is operating.

The organisations receiving money from the fund this time are: Chacewater Players; ClayTAWC; Cornwall ScrapStore; Fraddon Village Hall: Gunners Kids CIC; Indian Queens Band: Indian Queens Pit Association; Lowender CIO; Really Lovely Projects CIC; TECwomen CIC; the Tregargus Trust; the Wheal Martyn Trust; Whitemoor Recreation Ground; and Whitemoor Village Hall.

Chacewater Players, who perform pantomimes, plays and musicals, will use their grant to upgrade stage lighting, while the ClayTAWC community hub in St Dennis will use the funding to contribute to the running of a new weekly toddler group, Clay Tots.

The Cornwall ScrapStore, based at St Stephen-in-Brannel, will be increasing the availability of its mobile service, while Fraddon Village Hall will be installing two wheelchair ramps.

Gunners Kids CIC, which supports families where a parent or caregiver has a terminal illness, will be providing tailored sessions for a number of families.

Indian Queens Band will be buying an additional cornet, replacement mouthpieces and new sheet music, while the Indian Queens Pit Association will be purchasing electronic equipment for its community building.

Redruth-based Lowender CIO, which celebrates Cornish heritage, will be buying costumes for Gwerin, a traditional troupe that showcases choreographed dances.

Really Lovely Projects CIC facilitates creative events that connect communities and champion traditions. Its grant will enable the development of a Clay Country song with the children of St Dennis Primary Academy, who will then perform it at the village’s Christmas tree light-up and lantern parade.

TECwomen CIC delivers events and training opportunities for women and girls with a focus on technical, engineering and creative digital skills. Its award will fund an eight-week programme in five Cornish primary schools.

The Tregargus Trust at St Stephen-in-Brannel educates visitors about the quarrying history of a 35-acre wooded valley that it preserves and maintains. The trust will use its grant to create a website, replace signage, print an information leaflet and carry out promotion.

The Wheal Martyn Trust which operates the Wheal Martyn Clay Works museum will use its award to subsidise 1,200 educational visits for primary and secondary schools.

Whitemoor Recreation Ground will put its grant to towards a new picnic bench among other things.

The Whitemoor Village Hall committee is raising funds to‍ ‌‍build new premises. In the meantime, it is using a secondhand portable building and its award will be spent on this.