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15
Aug
Masham project among those to benefit from £39m funding, says report
A £39 million investment fund helped a Masham-based organisation purchase a former police officer and create a “ripple effect” to benefit the area.
According to a North Yorkshire Council report, the funding which was drawn from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund helped a wide range of schemes aimed at businesses and community groups.
One of those organisations was Mashamshire Community Office, which was granted £145,000 to help purchase a former police house in the town.
The money was also used to install 10 solar panels on the building’s roof, new double-glazed windows and an automatic front door to improve access, and the project was match-funded by the local community.
It also paved the way for an upgrade of the office’s IT systems and new websites as well as additional investment in staffing, including the recruitment of an intern from the University of York.
The organisation's community library serves almost 3,500 visitors, volunteers lead 50 wellbeing walks, and the building is also the base for Acorns Pre-School, Citizens Advice, a local branch of the MIND charity and Masham Parish Council.
Mashamshire Community Office’s manager, Hayley Jackson, with Holly Stockdale and her daughter, Laila Stockdale, during a children’s book-reading session in the library at the organisation’s base in Masham.
Hayley Jackson, manager at Mashamshire Community Office, said:
The funding has created a ripple effect that has allowed us to successfully apply for other funding and to deliver even more projects.
All this activity has increased our volunteer numbers by 43 per cent this past year alone, meaning that we now have 73 volunteers with more people locally engaged and giving back to their community. This would not have happened if it were not for the initial investment from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, for which we are very grateful.
Consultants' report
It comes as North Yorkshire Council has published a report into the £39 million fund and its impact on businesses and organisations across the county.
The government allocated North Yorkshire £16.9 million of Shared Prosperity Funding and a further £5.4 million from the Rural England Prosperity Fund in 2022.
The council also secured match funding of £16.6 million from other sources.
According to the council’s report, which was written by Wakefield-based Thrive Economics, the delivery of the two funds led to 1,031 jobs being created or safeguarded with a further 11,212 opportunities for volunteering.
Meanwhile, a total of 1,300 people were involved in work experience or training to develop their skills, and the green sector was also supported by the introduction of 6,634 square metres of technology to cut carbon emissions – the equivalent size of a football pitch.
Cllr Carl Les, leader of the council, said:
The funding has made a real difference to our residents and businesses, providing the opportunity to create new jobs, increase skills and develop valuable projects in our communities.
The report clearly shows the benefits that have been achieved in North Yorkshire and we are committed to building on the successes of both the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund.
More funding is available now and we will work with our colleagues at the combined authority to ensure that the money is directed at the schemes that will benefit the most across the county.
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