EHDC choses recipients of the government's Rural Grants Scheme
An eco light festival in Selborne and a memorial garden for Jane Austen in Alton were among the business-boosting projects to receive money from EHDC last week.
In total six schemes were awarded money through the Rural Grant Scheme, a government programme to fund small businesses and community infrastructure.
Other projects to get backing included improvements at two more of East Hampshire’s most famous tourist attractions, Chawton House and Butser Ancient Farm, and upgrades to two community halls.
The scheme makes up part of the council's wider Grow Up programme which seeks to bring improvements to businesses and communities in rural East Hampshire.
In total the council received 44 applications and officers and councillors worked together to assess the bids and allocate the funds.
Cllr Rob Mocatta, Portfolio Holder for Portfolio Holder, Regeneration and Prosperity, said: “I am delighted that so many organisations applied for this grant fund, and I strongly recommend that organisations look out for the next round of the Rural Grant programme which will launch in 2024, when the money is received from central government.
“The applicants were spread across the district and covered the full range of both visitor economy and community outreach requirements of the fund, from new ways of farming to health and wellbeing services for those most in need in the community. I thank every organisation for their time in putting their applications together.”
Grants awarded through the Rural Grant Scheme
Eco light festival, Gilbert White and the Oates Collections, in Selborne
£41,455.48
This grant fund will go towards the UK’s first ‘eco light festival’ which will place sustainability at the forefront of the experience and bring to life Gilbert White’s work as the ‘father of ecology’. The light festival will create minimal light pollution while being powered by portable packs developed in Bordon. This will boost the visitor economy and provide affordable entertainment for the residents of East Hampshire.
Jane Austen memorial garden, Alton Town Council
£46,705.36
The Alton Assembly Rooms garden is in a prominent town centre location and is used not only by residents stopping for a rest at one of the benches, but also by the international visitors who come to Alton for Jane Austen Regency Week. This project will put in place paving to make the garden accessible and new covered seating areas, complemented by a Regency style planting scheme and a bespoke Jane Austen statue.
Hub for social occasions and celebrations, Stroud Village Hall
£9,616
Stroud Village Hall already has a vibrant and engaging community participation programme, and with improved facilities in its function room it can increase the number of people it can entertain and improve the quality of the entertainment it provides. This will increase engagement with the younger members of the community and promote the social benefits while combatting social isolation.
Enhancing barn for event use, Chawton House
£10,102
Dyers Barn sits at the end of the drive to Chawton House, next to the public car park. With improved off-grid power source, improved lighting and facilities it can be used for more community and visitor events.
Upgrading roads, parking, paths and accessibility, Butser Ancient Farm
£50,000
Butser Ancient Farm is an archaeology centre providing outdoor education and tourists from around the world, run with the help of volunteers. The current parking and pathways isn’t currently as accessible as the visitors require, and these practical improvements will enable more people to access the positive physical and mental effects being in nature will bring.
Community Kitchen, Passfield Social Club
£35,698
The Community Kitchen will allow the club to entertain a wider breadth of the local community, while attracting new ventures (such as bidding for a mobile banking space), providing a refurbished meeting space and brand new catering facility will enable Passfield Social Club to improve its remit as a community hub.
NOTES
The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) is a complimentary programme to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), with the specific aim of funding capital projects for small businesses and community infrastructure to advance the aims of SPF in rural areas. SPF is administered by DLUHC. REPF is administered by DEFRA on DLUHC’s behalf.
The REPF programme runs over two administrative years: 2023/2024 (£196,248) and 2024/2025 (£294,370). The first year’s allocation has been divided into a small projects budget of between £5k to £50k. The REPF grant programme prioritises projects that deliver the greatest economic, environmental and social benefits and are part of the council’s Grow Up programme