Latest news with #SharedProsperityFund
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
First phase of Newbury garden project opens in town centre
The first phase of a new town centre garden funded by a government grant of almost £800,000 has been completed. The Peace Garden in Newbury was set to welcome visitors for the first time following an opening ceremony at 13:00 of the site has so far involved tree planting and the creation of a picnic lawn. The second phase of work will be completed by West Berkshire Council at a later date. Councillor Justin Pemberton, from the local authority, said, the opening of the garden "marks a proud and transformative moment for Newbury". "It's a vital part of our vision to reimagine the town centre as a place where people can connect, not just with each other, but with nature and the environment around them," he said."This welcoming space is a tribute to thoughtful design and strong partnerships and I'm excited to see it flourish." The project has been funded by the government through its Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership and UK Shared Prosperity Berkshire Council said the new space "blends nature, accessibility, and community connection".A second phase of the garden's development will involve putting mixed grass in new raised planters for "picnics, play and pause".New timber benches will also be installed, leading to a viewing platform by the riverfront, new metal railings to the water's edge and some more planters and a spokesperson for the council last month said the second phase of work had not yet been finished due to work shoring up the garden's canal the new Peace Garden, a new Tudor garden at the Grade I listed Elizabethan mansion Shaw House - also in Newbury - was also set to be officially unveiled. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Playground to open outside heritage centre
A natural playground is being built in a country park after receiving £150,000 in funding. The new park is being constructed at the the Land of Oak & Iron heritage centre within the Derwent Walk Country Park in Gateshead. It has been designed in keeping with the area's natural surroundings and will include a wooden climbing frame, swings and a roundabout. Chris Watson, from Groundwork NE & Cumbria, which owns the centre, said the playground would allow more "family-focused" events to take place. "We host many wonderful events and activities at the centre, from seasonal children's trails and school holiday activities to music events, creative workshops and heritage talks," he said. "This new natural play park will be an exciting addition, which we hope will attract more families, and allow us to host more family-focused activities in the safe environment of the heritage centre." The Land of Oak & Iron promotes the local woodland as well as the area's heritage of British sword making and iron and steel production. Visitors were asked for their views on what should be added to the centre and a children's play park was the most popular recommendation. The playground's equipment will be installed in time for the school summer holidays in July and will be placed on top of turf, rather than synthetic flooring, to fit in with the natural landscaping. The £150,000 investment was provided through the government's Shared Prosperity Fund. John McElroy, cabinet member for environment and transport at Gateshead Council, said the playground would give more children access to green space and the "associated physical and mental health benefits this delivers". Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. New trail 'connects area's historic sites' Beams supporting woodland path damaged Land of Oak & Iron Groundwork NE & Cumbria
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Natural play park being built in Gateshead country park
A natural playground is being built in a country park after receiving £150,000 in new park is being constructed at the the Land of Oak & Iron heritage centre within the Derwent Walk Country Park in has been designed in keeping with the area's natural surroundings and will include a wooden climbing frame, swings and a Watson, from Groundwork NE & Cumbria, which owns the centre, said the playground would allow more "family-focused" events to take place. "We host many wonderful events and activities at the centre, from seasonal children's trails and school holiday activities to music events, creative workshops and heritage talks," he said."This new natural play park will be an exciting addition, which we hope will attract more families, and allow us to host more family-focused activities in the safe environment of the heritage centre." The Land of Oak & Iron promotes the local woodland as well as the area's heritage of British sword making and iron and steel were asked for their views on what should be added to the centre and a children's play park was the most popular playground's equipment will be installed in time for the school summer holidays in July and will be placed on top of turf, rather than synthetic flooring, to fit in with the natural £150,000 investment was provided through the government's Shared Prosperity McElroy, cabinet member for environment and transport at Gateshead Council, said the playground would give more children access to green space and the "associated physical and mental health benefits this delivers". Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Rhyl Journal
6 days ago
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Denbighshire groups urged to apply for new grant funding
According to DLL, the grant fits into the 25/26 Shared Prosperity Fund priority of Communities and Place, the theme of Healthy, Safe and Inclusive Communities, and the sub-theme of Healthy: Improve health and wellbeing. Jamie Groves, managing director of DLL, said: "We are delighted to once again be able to support local clubs and organisations to provide funding to improve the health and wellbeing of Denbighshire residents. "Our community is one of the three pillars of our company, and helping maintain community participation and club infrastructure remains a priority for DLL. "With this funding from the UK Government, and Denbighshire County Council, it will enable us to help sustain and support important third sector groups, sports and cultural organisations. "Many clubs and organisations are run by volunteers for the benefit of the local community, and provide opportunities for people to come together, which we know has a positive impact on people's mental health and wellbeing." According to a spokesperson for DLL, the objective of providing this community grant scheme is to support the 'strengthening of our social fabric and sense of local pride and belonging' and will have both 'short term and longer-term benefits'. Grants of between £2,000 and £15,000 are available for capital projects under the scheme. Voluntary and community groups, not-for-profit sports clubs, parish and town councils, charities delivering local services, including uniformed groups, and schools are eligible to apply. Projects must demonstrate how they support either 'Healthy, Safe and Inclusive Communities' or 'Improved health and wellbeing' as outlined by the Shared Prosperity Fund. The funding round opened on June 30 and is set to closes on July 28. The DLL Community Grant Scheme is open to projects in sports, arts, and culture. Applications can be submitted via a downloadable form from the DLL website. Completed forms should be emailed to activecommunities@ or posted to the Active Communities Team at DLL, 8-11 Trem y Dyffryn, Colomendy Industrial Estate, Denbigh, LL16 5TX. Further information, including full terms and conditions, is available at According to DLL, the scheme aims to deliver both short and long-term benefits for Denbighshire.
Rhyl Journal
13-06-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Denbighshire businesses urged to bid for share of £1m fund
The second round of the Prosperous Denbighshire Business Fund, distributed by regeneration agency Cadwyn Clwyd, is now open for applications. This follows an initial £1.3 million fund that helped almost 100 companies across the county. Grants of up to £35,000 are available, with a closing date for applications of Thursday, July Pharmacist Ravi Kiran Palutla - recipient of a Cadwyn Clwyd grant is pictured with Donna Hughes from Cadwyn Clwyd (Image: Supplied) Further smaller grants of up to £2,000 are also on offer. The first round of funding had some remarkable success stories, including a 150-year-old village chemist shop in Dyserth that was saved thanks to the financial boost. Solution pharmacist Ravi Kiran Palutla received a grant of just £1,897 to update the website and install a computerised booking system at the Dyserth Pharmacy when he took over in 2023. Mr Palutla said: "A grant of just £1,897 enabled me to update the website to make it more functional and install a computerised booking system, and the difference it has made has been amazing." This system has driven customer numbers up by 44 per cent, with appointments soaring from 20 a month to 300. The system allows for online booking of in-person consultations, allowing for prescriptions, treatments, or referrals to be administered promptly, thus reducing the long waits people often experience at Wales's GP surgeries. Mr Palutla said: "The population of the Dyserth area is about 2,000, and for me to have a viable business, I need a patient base of 4,000 plus, and the computerised system has allowed me to build that." Cadwyn Clwyd business partnership officer Donna Hughes said: "It is remarkable the difference it has made to Ravi's business and to access to healthcare in North Denbighshire. "He was in the first phase of the Prosperous Denbighshire rollout, which can pay up to 70 per cent of the value of a project, to a maximum of £35,000 of a £50,000 scheme." "The success of what Ravi has done just shows that this kind of funding can do wonders for a business." The fund comes from the Shared Prosperity Fund, administered by the UK Government, which announced a further £900 million of funding for local investment in the Autumn Budget to be allocated by March 2026. Cadwyn Clwyd is expecting a similarly high level of interest in the second round of funding, given its success in the first phase. The funding is intended to support people in the area in building businesses, bringing benefits to the individuals and the wider community. Ms Hughes said: "The first phase proved hugely popular which was shown by the number of grants we were able to make and it also shows the need and the effectiveness of this kind of support for local people to build businesses with all the benefits that has for them and the communities in which they live." For more information on the fund, interested parties can contact Donna Hughes at Cadwyn Clwyd on 01490 340500, email or visit the Cadwyn Clwyd website.
