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District Council awarded over £890k to support rural communities

Posted on: Thursday, April 13, 2023

Newark and Sherwood District Council has been awarded £891,417 through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) to invest in rural communities across the district between April 2023 and March 2025.

REPF provides capital funding to eligible local authorities, integrated within the delivery of UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to support activities that specifically address the challenges rural areas face, including improving productivity, strengthening the rural economy and enhancing opportunities for rural communities through developed infrastructure.

The additional funding comes following the submission of an addendum to the District Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan in November 2022 and will enable the delivery of a number of capital projects across the district. This will include support to rural businesses to foster growth and diversification as well as rural community development initiatives through funding for local organisations.

Further details of local grant funding opportunities through REPF will be shared by the District Council in due course.

John Robinson, Chief Executive at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: "I am delighted that we were successful in our bid for more than £890,000 additional funding through the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

“The projects the District Council and our local partners are delivering through the UK Shared Prosperity are incredibly important for our communities. So far, we’ve been able to help young people learn new skills and qualifications, make plans to improve community facilities across the district and support our local businesses to grow by connecting them with industry experts. It’s excellent news that we have received additional funds to continue investing in our rural communities to provide them with the support they need.”

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is providing £2.6 billion of new funding that local authorities were able to bid for and invest in their district and boroughs by March 2025. In December 2022, it was announced the District Council had successfully secured £3.28m to allocate to eligible local organisations. More information can be found on the District Council website: https://www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/spf/.