Council to over see £1.9m for deprived areas

Wakefield Council will oversee a community programme which could see former coalfield communities benefit from £1.9m worth of European funding.
Coun Maureen Cummings said the funding programme would be a huge boost for deprived areas of the district.Coun Maureen Cummings said the funding programme would be a huge boost for deprived areas of the district.
Coun Maureen Cummings said the funding programme would be a huge boost for deprived areas of the district.

The council, along with Nova - an organisation which supports voluntary and community groups in the district - has submitted a bid to access the money as part of the EU Community Led Local Development programme (CLLD).

People living in Airedale, Hemsworth, South Elmsall, Havercoft and Ryhill would benefit from the fund, which aims to improve the skills of people living in some of the most deprived areas in the country.

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Coun Maureen Cummings, Wakefield Council’s cabinet member for communities, said: “The funding would be a massive boost for these areas, helping people to get jobs and support businesses to grow.”

The next phase of the bid involves forming local action groups and coming up with project ideas on how the money could be spent.

And at a meeting of the full cabinet last week, senior councillors decided that the council would act as an ‘accountable body’ for the programme, setting out a financial plan for the scheme and overseeing the projects.

The council will also help to identify a further £1.9m of public match funding.