£8.1 million worth of prosperity funding to boost Westmorland and Furness communities

Millions of pounds worth of funding aimed at improving the lives of residents in communities all over Westmorland and Furness has been agreed.

Twenty two projects will share £8.1 million from the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), allocated by Westmorland and Furness Council.

Ten funding calls for schemes aimed at improving community and place, supporting local business, and people and skills were launched in May and the council's Investment Board agreed on the successful projects last month.

Just over £6 million was available for Westmorland and Furness as a whole from the UKSPF for the next two years, with £2.1 million from the REPF targeted at the former South Lakeland and Eden Localities.

Focussing on its Communities and Place priorities, the council will support a number of diverse projects ranging from activities to boost third sector growth and sustainability, targeted interventions to address the cost of living crisis,  increasing the accessibility of sports facilities and improving town centres.  The tourism, arts, culture and heritage pedigree of Westmorland and Furness is further supported through improvements to fell paths, programmes to fund events and festivals and arts and heritage organisation as well as investments to grow the visitor offer.

Under the Supporting Local Business priority, a range of projects that aim to boost business growth, profitability and decarbonisation are set to receive vital support.  These will be further boosted by specialist support to grow and innovate within the social enterprise sector as well as capital grants for small and micro rural businesses. Support will be tailored to individual business needs and deliver a significant boost to the local economy.

People and Skills investments will focus on the council priority areas of young people, addressing worklessness and supporting those furthest from the labour market to return to employment.  A targeted programme will also seek to link those seeking work with vacancies in the visitor economy, meeting this critical economic need.

Read more on the Westmorland and Furness website.