The Mayor of North Yorkshire will spend £1.35m to support community buildings after receiving the third largest allocation of a rural fund.
The 2025/26 Community Building Programme, due to be delivered in partnership with North Yorkshire Council and City of York Council is funded through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
In previous rounds of SPF funding, North Yorkshire Council supported 43 village halls and community buildings. Building on this work, Mayor David Skaith committed £600,000 from his Mayoral Investment Fund to help more than 20 community hubs, ranging from village halls to cricket grounds.
Mayor David Skaith said:
"After the great success of the first round of our community buildings programme, I want to expand on this and make it easier for people to look after each other in their own communities, wherever they are in the region.
"That's why I will be spending an extra £1.35 million to support community buildings after receiving the third highest allocation of rural funding from the government.
"This is a specific focus on healthy and accessible spaces in this programme so that can assess support with their communities."
He added:
“This is particularly key in our rural areas. They are vast and beautiful but often the people who live there feel more isolated than those who live in towns and cities.
“I have visited community buildings from Hawes to Whitby and so many places in between. It might be a village hall or a cricket ground but it’s the passion of the people who make these into more than places, but anchors for local life.
“That is why community buildings are essential to be able to create healthy, thriving and connected communities right across the region.
“I have seen so many fantastic examples of how this funding has made a difference, and I want to see more. It might be how our community buildings can promote better physical and mental health, or it might be how they can be made more accessible. This fund will be a real investment into the foundations of local life.”
"You can be a youth hub that wants to develop an outdoor garden and a walking path to support nature-based mental health activities or a local art centre looking to fit an induction-loop system and subtitle screens for hearing-impaired.
"This is a really exciting project that's going to benefit lots of people in York and North Yorkshire and I can't wait to get started on it."
The combination of REPF and SPF funding will ensure that our most rural communities can benefit. But by including SPF funds, it will ensure that non-REPF areas can also access vital funding.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for stronger communities, Cllr Heather Phillips, said:
“We are looking forward to working with our partners on the delivery of this programme.
“These buildings are incredibly important to local communities, particularly in rural areas where it may be the only meeting place for that village. They bring the community together, often by providing services and activities for all age groups.
“A key focus of the fund will be on accessibility to help ensure that we are meeting the needs of residents.”
Hornsea Inshore Lifeboat Rescues Walkers and Dogs Stranded by Tide
Scarborough Class A Drug-Dealer Jailed for 11 Years
A64 Malton Bypass Ropen After Collision
Scarborough Councillors Welcome Football Pitch Repair Backstop
North Yorkshire Council Advances Major Housing Joint Venture for Yorkshire Coast
MENCAP Craft Fair On Today To Raise Money For New Scarborough Centre
Council’s New Transport Head on Plans for Yorkshire Coast and Potholes
Bridlington MP Seeks Urgent Clarification on New Specialist SEND School
Campaign Group Inundated With Requests for Help Over School Transport Policy
Police Seek Witnesses to Kirkbymoorside Collision
Viking-Themed Bar Applies for Licence in Whitby
Eastfield Prepares for Council By-Election
Comments
Add a comment