Rural communities across Herefordshire have received a multi-million pound boost with the extension of a successful Europe-wide programme to promote sustainable economic and community development in rural areas.
The LEADER programme in the West Midlands runs until 2013 with more than £2.5million of support committed in Herefordshire through regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.
LEADER funds Local Action Groups (LAGs) to develop and implement solutions to rural development issues and is driven by the needs of local communities.
In Herefordshire the LEADER LAG has just approved its first project, Herefordshire Voluntary Action’s REACH project, with joint funding from the Big Lottery Fund. REACH is a partnership approach to increasing the level of support provided to voluntary groups in the market towns and villages of the county. As part of this project, an officer will be based at the Marches Access Point, a community led facility run by a team of local volunteers, which provides local people with access to reliable and affordable computer and office facilities.
Based at the old police station, Market Hall Street, Kington, Marches Access Point offers the people of Kington and the surrounding area with photocopying, scanning, fax and typing services, as well as access to equipment, room hire, plus industry recognised training opportunities.
In England, LEADER forms part of the Regional Development Programme for England (RDPE) and is paid for through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and Defra.
Advantage West Midlands is responsible for the overall management of the socio-economic elements of RDPE in the region, and also co-ordinates the distribution of RDPE funding in the region. The day to day running of the LEADER programme in Herefordshire is managed by Herefordshire Council.
Matt Smith, Partnerships Manager at Advantage West Midlands, said: “Herefordshire LEADER is the largest of the region’s Leader programmes and the first project in the region to be approved through the new LEADER funding.
“This is all about generating community activity, particularly through community planning, and by enhancing the natural, built and cultural environment. It’s also about developing skills and encouraging communities to shape their own future.
“LEADER’s extension is fantastic news for the local economy and will be just one of the ways we help the region move out of recession and prepare for the opportunities that will be presented when the economic upturn arrives.”
Wendy Coombey, Chair of Herefordshire’s LEADER Local Action Group, said: “There have been successive LEADER projects in Herefordshire for 15 years. The confirmation of funding for LEADER until 2013 is great news for our local rural communities.
“We will be focused on helping local communities develop and implement plans to improve quality of life, develop and access the services they need, support and improve democratic structures, identify and fill skills gaps, encourage enterprise, and enhance and maintain the distinctiveness of the countryside, including cultural, historic and natural environments.”