£1 million Telford 'Pride in Your High Street' fund opens
Charities and businesses in Telford & Wrekin can now start applying for a slice of a £1 million fund aimed at boosting high streets.
The Pride in Your High Street is open to organisations in Dawley, Donnington, Hadley, Ironbridge, Madeley, Newport, Oakengates, St Georges and Wellington.
Those behind the project say groups will be encouraged to work together to submit bids that will benefit a town or centre rather than smaller bids that may just benefit individual groups. Parish and town councils, regeneration partnerships, businesses, charities and voluntary sector groups are being urged to apply.
About £800,000 of the fund will be given out for projects focused on increasing footfall in a high street or local centre, bringing redundant or empty buildings back into use, bringing a new service or function to a high street or centre, or making a high street or centre cleaner and more pleasant. Projects which extend established operating hours of a high street or centre, for example at evenings or weekends, or create or protect jobs will also be considered.
The maximum any area can receive from the fund is £100,000 and the smallest grants available are £5,000.
Kate Callis, assistant director for development, business and employment at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: "This is a great opportunity for these areas to come forward with exciting ideas and schemes that can make a real and lasting difference and help attract more people and business to these towns.
"The fund has already grabbed a lot of people's attention and we look forward to receiving some really exciting bids before the end of July."
Bidders will be expected to provide at least 10 per cent match funding for their project and it is hoped that the Pride in Your High Streets fund will be used to secure much larger amounts of match funding from other organisations.
A £200,000 innovation fund is also available to groups in the same areas who wish to develop original ideas that will help the community, and expressions of interest are being sought by the council.
The application process for bids for each fund is now open and the deadline for submissions has been set for the end of July.
Successful schemes will be notified in the autumn. Anyone wanting to find out more about the fund can email highstreetprideenquiry@telford.gov.uk
More information can be found at www.telford.gov.uk/highstpride or by calling (01952) 567589.
