As reported in The Leader earlier this week, I am urging individuals, businesses or groups from across Wrexham to come forward for vital funding that will be a huge benefit to the Wrexham community.
Last week, as part of the Budget announcements, the UK Government launched a fund aimed at creating and preserving local amenities, by bringing them into community ownership. The new £150 million fund will help ensure that communities can support and continue benefiting from the local facilities, community assets and amenities most important to them.
From the summer of 2021, community groups will be able to bid for up to £250,000 matched-funding to help them buy or take over local community assets at risk of being lost, to run as community-owned businesses. In exceptional cases, up to £1 million matched-funding will be available to help establish a community-owned sports club or help buy a sports grounds at risk of being lost without community intervention.
The Community Ownership Fund will help ensure that important parts of the social fabric, such as pubs, sports clubs, theatres and post office buildings, can continue to play a central role in towns and villages across the UK.
I believe that amenities such as parks, leisure facilities, music venues, museums and galleries all foster a sense of community pride and bring people together. There has been a trend of decline in these facilities, which has a knock-on impact on people’s pride in where they live, and the strength of local communities.
The first bidding round for the Community Ownership Fund will open by June 2021. Bids will be accepted from all communities across the UK. In most circumstances, bids should be made from community and voluntary organisations with formal governance in place, such as a Community Trust. Local authorities including parish councils will not be eligible to bid.
Any community groups that want to make a bid should feel free to make contact with my office. I will be delighted to support any project that will allow local residents to benefit and shape their own communities.
Telephone: 0207 219 4885 | 01978 291742
Email: sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk
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