News Maidstone organisations encouraged to apply for Rural England Prosperity Fund
Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is encouraging organisations to apply for the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).
The REPF grants for the borough of Maidstone aim to support rural communities to help modernise and improve assets to provide multiuse spaces and improve health, wellbeing, reduce rural loneliness.
The Government announced in September 2022 that the REPF (as part of Levelling Up), was to be made available to support countryside communities across England. MBC has now been allocated £539,728 to spend between 2023 and 2025 to be awarded to projects for rural communities across the borough. Applications for grants are available up to £50,000 and will be open from Tuesday 18 April until Sunday 21 May 2023 for eligible projects based in rural areas.
The money could help projects that may include the provision of net zero infrastructure for rural communities to create sustainable multi use facilities; these could be anything from installing EV charging points for the local community, improvements to village halls, sustainable kitchens in community hubs or retrofitting community buildings to reduce energy consumption and emissions.
The funding should also have a positive impact on the local environment, contribute towards net zero emissions, support the local rural economy and promote community cohesion. It is available for applications from the following organisations:
- Registered charity/community associations
- Parish Councils
- Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO)
- Community Interest Company (CIC) limited by guarantee (and have charitable objectives)
- Community Benefit Society (Bencom)
- Constituted community groups
- Faith groups, where the activity is not promoting religion
- Small groups with no formal constitution (non-constituted groups will be considered on a case-by-case basis)
Angela Woodhouse, MBC Director of Strategy, Insight and Governance said:
We are encouraging as many rural communities as possible to come forward and apply for REPF grant now. This fund could offer the perfect opportunity for rural communities to upgrade a community facility, improve sustainability and ensure it remains fit for the future.
REPF grants are available to areas in the borough of Maidstone which include:
- towns, villages and hamlets with populations below 10,000 and the wider countryside
- market or ‘hub towns’ with populations of up to 30,000 that serve their surrounding rural areas as centres of employment and in providing services
The closing date for applications is Sunday 21 May, apply here:
Shared Prosperity Fund | Maidstone Borough Council
To discuss any aspect of the Rural England Prosperity Fund before submitting an application, or need guidance to complete the application form, please contact us by emailing: VCSLiaison@Maidstone.gov.uk
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