Cast your vote for winner of £1,000 prizes

The Huntingdon based construction business that specialises in skip hire, waste management, aggregate and concrete supply, as well as bulk earthworks and demolition services has shortlisted applicants in need of financial assistance.

Throughout the year, Mick George Ltd is continuously supporting local communities in which the business operates, providing sponsorship arrangements both financially and practically through its service or product provisions.

Some of its existing sporting sponsorships include Godmanchester FC, St Ives Town

FC and St Neots FC Academy, on top of other major grants issued to Eaton Socon FC and Eynesbury Rovers FC for facility improvements.

Additionally, community based support includes funding for Huntingdon Commemoration Hall as well as The Octagon, St Ives.

Jon Stump, finance director at Mick George Ltd, said: “Skip of Gold is an initiative which allows us to delve a little deeper to uncover what it is the people of

Huntingdon and the surrounding areas are involved in so we can invest our money in projects that will directly benefit.

“Having witnessed first hand how this competition has positively impacted on the winners from previous years, we’re keen to launch the 2016 campaign.”

VOTE A: 1st St Neots Scout Group

Why we need the money: We have worked hard to raise funds and source grants to enable us to renovate and rebuild our existing 100-year-old facilities, which is progressing now.

We are looking for further funding to fit out the new facilities with a kitchen, bathroom and disabled access. Finishing this project will allow us to increase capacity for scouting activities, and meet the required standards to offer the use of the hall to other community groups.

VOTE B: Daybreak

Why we need the money: Daybreak needs the £1,000 to facilitate the development of a sensory garden for its service users. They wish to level off the ground and create raised beds to grow plants with sensory qualities. The money would also be used to purchase a bench suitable to accommodate wheelchair users.

VOTE C: Huntingdon Methodist Church

Why we need the money: We are planning to launch a new weekly parent/guardian and toddler group and we would use the money to provide a wide range of new educational toys and facilities which will both entertain and stimulate.

This activity would be free and open for all families within our community.

VOTE D: Huntingdon Music Group

Why we need the money: From September Huntingdon Regional College is withdrawing its support and the music school faces closure unless our enthusiastic group of volunteers can raise funds.

The £1,000 would help keep our Family Community Choir, Junior String Ensemble and Junior Concert Band going for a whole term. Please support HuMSA and help us to continue our community activities.

VOTE E: Little Acorns Pre-school

Why we need the money: Our 20-year-old tables and chairs are used daily for gluing, drawing, painting, building, role-play and cooking activities, to name a few. They are showing signs of age now. As a charity, we fundraise for new toys but we need some financial help to update our furniture.

VOTE F: Little Miracles Ramsey

Why we need the money: We would love to be able to continue to offer a Toddler Group where we will be playing, exploring and active learning and also an After School Club for the older children too, where they can come and have fun and have the chance to learn new sporting skills.

VOTE G: Ramsey 1940s

Why we need the money: Ramsey 1940s want to turn back time. The original buildings on the site continue to be restored and the searchlight is the missing component. Once purchased and installed, it would add to our authenticity and

become a focal point on the site and is much needed to make our site complete.

VOTE H: Riverside Theatre Company

Why we need the money: Our members need extra dance training. It is our hope that we can get your support in Skip of Gold to provide free workshops for a term to our members and others in the area. We need money for a tutor and rent to do this. Please vote for us.

VOTE I: St Neots Timebank

Why we need the money: Our community’s support is vital for us to be able to run events which are a lifeline for isolated local residents including hiring the hall, providing tea and cake and paying for our database which enables us to link volunteers with those who need help.

VOTE J: Vir2oso

Why we need the money: We have just purchased a four-berth caravan that we hope to renovate and decorate inside and out to create an all-weather Vir2oso mobile art studio. We will need to have art supplies so that we can offer all sort of creative activities for the children who come to the art caravan at any of the events and farmers’ market. We don’t ask children or families to pay, so this competition could be a huge boost to ensuring that the art caravan is fully kitted out.

VOTE K: Godmanchester Town Cricket Club

Why we need the money: 2016 sees the club commence a programme of improvements to our equipment, playing facilities and pavilion. With an expanding

youth section, the club needs to invest in additional equipment, particularly for our girls U13 team, and our new initiative for four to five year olds called Kids In2 Cricket.

VOTE L: Huntingdon Boat Club

Why we need the money: Our rowers represent Huntingdon across the country and put in many hours of practice. Our equipment is ageing and we need investment to keep our growing numbers of juniors safely on the water while also providing them with the opportunity to learn and grow through representing the club at competition.

VOTE M: Huntingdon Rugby Club

Why we need the money: Unlike other large sporting clubs in the area, the rugby club does not own its own ground and is therefore very restricted financially by having to pay an expensive commercial rent.

The club has at last, a chance to buy its own premises within the next three years. To make this possible the club has a relocation fund, aimed at raising £300,000. All cash raised at present goes straight into this fund. Your donation, if we are lucky enough to win, will go towards much needed kit for our junior teams.

VOTE N: Huntingdon Town Rowdies YFC

Why we need the money: We rely solely on a few people in their spare time and what little finances we have to keep the pitches use able. We have four pitches and a training area with 15 teams and the Saturday morning Quid-a-Kid sessions the pitches take quite a hammering and are getting bare and uneven. Additional to the ground care, we have two new teams coming in at under 7s next season and as the age groups move up a year they go from five-a-side to seven, nine and 11-a-side, so will need two new pitches. This means we will need two new sets of goals and corner posts etc.

VOTE O: New Saints Boxing Club

Why we need the money: We train in a converted industrial unit with a painted concrete floor that gets slippy and hazardous during use and also impacts on the body’s joints when training. We have managed to lay safe gym matting across approximately half of the area, but cannot afford to complete the work.

VOTE P: SAS Sharks

Why we need the money: We really do need support in order to help the club grow and to keep offering the training. We also need funds to help us with uniforms and equipment, as we don’t have any uniforms because of the expense and this really makes us stand out at competitions and athletes feel out of place.

We also need equipment as we don’t have mats which we need for safety and progressing. We also need help with transportation costs to get to competitions.

We want our club to be affordable to everyone, so any funding will help us keep the costs to an affordable level. So please support us and thank you.

VOTE Q: St Ives Rangers Girls Under 11s

Why we need the money: Being a new team, we started from scratch with basic equipment and donations. If we were lucky enough to win, we would spend the money on new equipment including portable goalposts, new goalie gloves and some additional kit such as hoodies, team drink bottles and boot bags.

VOTE R: St Neots Rugby Club

Why we need the money: We have a boiler which heats water for our showers, it’s more than 50 years old and has given up. We need to get this installed before our festival as we have lots of visiting teams. We have raised a fair chunk of the money, we just need £1,000 to finish off the project.

VOTE S: Upside Down Swimming Club

Why we need the money: The club has existed for nearly 30 years and until very recently benefitted from free pool time. We now have to find funds to pay pool fees, as well as for our teachers. Historically, the community has generously supported us financially, and still does. We are very grateful. The £1,000 would almost cover a term’s pool fees.

VOTE T: Warboys Sports and Social Club

Why we need the money: In September 2015, the club was in danger of closing due to deteriorating facilities, a lack of funds and rising debts. Without the club, the village’s sports teams and community groups would have been put in jeopardy affecting some

200 sports players (children and adults) so a new committee was formed to rejuvenate the club.

The money would improve the club’s facilities including improvements to the sports/function hall, meeting room, bar area, and toilet facilities. All or which will help secure the future of the club, encourage greater participation in sport and help the village’s community and charity groups.