Inspiring Eden to achieve “rural excellence”

Thanks to Inspiring Eden - the District Council’s “achieving rural excellence delivery programme” - the money is there.

The District Council has itself invested £780,000 to kick things off and has access to money from the Government’s shared prosperity fund, which is all part of its ambitious levelling up agenda.

“We have just under £2 million and we have to write an investment plan over the summer to draw that down from government.

“There is also the Borderlands funding, which is part of an inclusive growth deal from government, which is focused on Penrith, and we have got around £2 million for that,” said Mr Mcdonald, who has been in post since last summer.

However, he said that one of the challenges the council has faced is “getting a really good pipeline of projects up and running that are ready to go.”

In order to find out exactly what projects could be supported, the council has launched an expression of interest form which seeks information on projects, including where these projects are located, what help is required and when they are going to happen.

For this initial phase, the deadline for submission of completed forms is 5pm on Friday 20th May.

An example of one of these projects is the Eden Youth Hub which has been running since last October.  It is helping young people that are not in training to get employment.

In the project’s first six months, 30 young people have been given intensive help and support and are now looking at what they can do to access employment and improve the accommodation where they live and get the support they need.

There is also the Eden dragon apprentices, which is being run by the Eden Youth Hub youth worker, where work is being undertaken with young people to help them get back into working as part of a team.

“Fundamentally, it involves young people, a business and a charity.  Those young people then come together as a team and we give them £100 and they have got a number of weeks to turn £100 into more money by coming up with some ideas to raise money, and make money and then that money they make is then given to the charity,” said Mr Mcdonald.

“We need young people to be aspirational and as an organisation working with young people we need to inspire them.”

Mr Mcdonald added; “We are in uncertain times with COVID and with everything that is going on in the world and we just need to encourage enterprise and entrepreneurship and everything we do.”

“Local Government Reform (LGR) presents an extra challenge, but also an opportunity that is coming down the line on 1st April next year,” said Mr Mcdonald.

He was based in Northampton last year when the county was going through the same process of restructuring local government.

“The learning I have brought from that, and what Eden has really embraced is that you don't wait for that to happen.

The council is in my view - and I have only been there for 8 months - really inspirational.  They have said, ‘well let's grasp those opportunities now.’

We are not going to stop - we are going to keep going and accelerate - so we will be well placed to really take advantage of it.”

“Eden isn't just a council it's a place.  It's a river valley, so that's always going to be there,” he said.

The whole Inspiring Eden programme is about looking at “achieving rural excellence.”  But it's not all about jobs and prosperity, it is also looking at arts and culture initiatives.

“The reason town centres exist is because people like meeting people,” said Mr Mcdonald.

“We are looking at potentially bringing events into town centres and having theatre shows around the district.  Some arts activity could also be brought into empty shops to reanimate town centres.  If you talk about the quality of life, arts and culture is one way to really improve it,” he said.

Copies of Inspiring Eden expression of interest form can be downloaded in the Inspiring Eden section.