The spotlight is shining on arts, heritage and culture across Westmorland and Furness thanks to a major grant fund to help communities thrive.
Launched by Westmorland and Furness Council, the new Thrive with Arts, Heritage and Culture Fund invites not-for-profit organisations to apply for grants between £10,000 and £35,000 for projects with one or more of these outcomes:
- Improving accessibility
- Increasing visitor numbers
- Creating new jobs.
The funding pot has been provided by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund as part of its Levelling Up programme to help to build pride in place and increase life chances for residents.
To make the application process as simple as possible, the council is encouraging interested parties to go online and fill out an expression of interest form by 22 April 2024 giving a brief summary of what they do, their project and what they hope to achieve.
Once the completed forms have been checked against the grant fund criteria, those eligible will be notified, asked to complete a draft application and invited to a workshop where council officers will be on hand to help complete the full grant application.
Steph Cordon, the council’s Director of Thriving Communities, said: “Our arts, culture and heritage scene is one of the jewels in the crown of Westmorland and Furness. It enriches people’s lives as well as our economy by supporting thousands of jobs and attracting millions of visitors from around the world.
“That’s why this new grant scheme is so important as it will help organisations with valuable work such as improving accessibility, increasing visitor footfall and creating new jobs. This all aligns with our vision of making Westmorland and Furness a great place to live, work and thrive.
“We’d like as many people to apply for these grants as possible, which is why the first step is a simple expression of interest form. This will help save time for busy organisations who often rely on unpaid volunteers, and will give us the information we need to see who is eligible to go on and make a full application.”
To read the full criteria and to download an expression of interest form, go to: Westmorland and Furness Council website l UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Expression of interest forms should be returned by Monday 22 April 2024 to: artsandculture@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
