UK Shared Prosperity Fund – Burnley Community Grant Scheme 2023

This fund is about levelling up opportunity and prosperity and overcoming deep-seated geographical inequalities that have held some areas back for too long.


It is also, fundamentally, about levelling up people’s pride in the places they love and seeing that reflected back in empowered local leaders and communities, a stronger social fabric and better life chances.


This is the vision and ambition for the new £2.6 billion UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). This money is going straight to local places right across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to invest in three local priorities: communities and place, support for local businesses and people and skills.

All places have their challenges, with affluence and deprivation often coexisting. In recognition of this, the UKSPF amounts to a predictable, long-term funding stream which local leaders are free to use as they see fit to unleash their unique potential.

They can focus on what works best for their communities, including in new and innovative combinations, unshackled by previous restrictions.


This is a new approach to investment and the empowerment of local communities that Burnley Council is confident will make a real difference on the ground and change lives.

Burnley Council is looking forward to seeing the creative, ambitious choices that communities make as they level up and take charge of their destinies.


Aims


The UKSPF will support restoring a sense of community, local pride and belonging, especially in those places where they have been lost.
The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK. This aligns with Levelling Up White Paper missions, particularly: ‘By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.’
People’s lives are shaped by the social and physical fabric of their communities. The local mix of social and physical capital gives local areas their unique character and shapes where people choose to live, work and invest.

Recognising the acute challenges communities have faced during the pandemic, this Fund will improve the places people live in, and support communities. It will drive noticeable improvements that matter to local communities, foster local pride in place and increase life chances including health outcomes.
Who can apply to the Fund?
This fund is being made available to community projects across Burnley and Padiham.
There is a strong focus for small groups, quality, single locality delivery.
Projects or schemes should complement the strategic aims and priorities detailed within the ‘What Can Be Funded’ Section of this guidance.


Applications should support one or more of the following Outputs.
· Increase levels of social contact, awareness of skills, training, activities and behaviours that improve wellbeing.
· Increased number of community facilities and venues developed or improved to include but not limited to energy efficiencies e.g., solar panels, LED lighting, etc; improved access e.g., wheelchair accessible ramps, lifts, etc; redecorating; new roof, etc; protection from flooding, etc, etc.
· Increased level of improvements to neighbourhood e.g., creation of community gardens, tree planting area development, etc, etc.
· Increased levels of participation in physical activity e.g., new tournaments, development of teams, etc, etc.
· Increased number of community-led arts, cultural, heritage and creative programmes
· Increased volunteering opportunities.
· Increased number of community events bringing people together.


Outcomes:


Projects which include the Outputs detailed above over the 3 years of the programme, will result in:
· Increased visitor numbers by at least 5% (from baseline)
· Improved perception of facilities/amenities by at least 5% (from baseline)
· Increased users of facilities/amenities by at least 5% (from baseline)
· Improved perception of increased facility/infrastructure project by at least 5% (from baseline)
· Improved engagement numbers by at least 10% (from baseline)
· An increased number of new community led arts, cultural, heritage and creative programmes as a result of support
· An increase in volunteering numbers as a result of support

To read the guidance in full please click here for a PDF Copy


Please click here for an Application Form