Council wins £1.5 million for community projects
Two dozen local projects are to receive £1.5 million in funding over the next 12 months.
On the back of three years of successful delivery of £4.8 million worth of schemes and initiatives, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council made a final successful bid to the government in the last year of its UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Now funding will be shared to support voluntary and community groups across the Borough, as well as supporting people learning new skills to improve their employability.
A spokesperson for the council said:
Due to the successful delivery of three years’ worth of programmes across our communities we have been able to bid again for more Government funding.
As a local council we are focusing on using this money across a variety of projects that will make a difference to people and the communities they live in.”
Funding includes extending commitments to a worker supporting people struggling to access services quickly after discharge from hospital or prison, someone working in the community to support those with mental illness, and others promoting volunteering opportunities to help group and give individuals experience they can use on their CVs.
Other money will be used towards developing Navigation House which will open later this year to help vulnerable people stay off the streets, supporting Keele University students and graduates using their skills to help develop businesses, not-for-profit and community groups, and a dedicated worker in Kidsgrove helping people back into work.
Over the last three years, the Borough Council has overseen delivery of £4.8 million worth of projects within three key themes of community and place, people and skills and supporting local businesses.
From business enterprise coaching to supporting a homeless hub, the network of previous projects has included promoting community hubs at community managed libraries, nature recovery in urban spaces and enhancements at amenity spaces including Brampton Park, Clough Hall Park and the Trent and Mersey Canal.
Schemes supporting local businesses included enterprise support, a small business space at Kidsgrove Town Hall and advanced digital technology and innovation support for businesses.
The spokesperson added:
We are delighted to have won more funding for our communities among strong competition.
Some of these schemes, ideas and projects may seem quite small, but they have the potential to bring real change across the borough, helping to cement a feeling of community and define a sense of place, alongside improving opportunities for people and enhancing their skills, as well as supporting local businesses.”
A full list of recipients for 2025/26 can be found here.