Leader Funding

One way for rural areas in the South East to access EU and Defra funds is through the new Leader scheme. This can help support a wide range of activities undertaken by rural communities, businesses (including farmers, growers and foresters) and community organisations. These activities could include, for example:

· Woodchip boilers in village halls.
· Facilities to help those with care responsibilities to return to work.
· Supporting the set-up of new businesses.
· Improving skills and access to information technology.
· Farm diversification.
· Local food projects.
· Protecting and/or making better use of local cultural and heritage assets.
· Sustainable tourism projects.

You will be aware that most grants are usually administered by regional or national organisations, but not Leader – Leader funds are put into the hands of local action groups (LAGs) for them to disburse to projects that can help address local problems and opportunities.

In the South East there is a Leader budget of about £22 million for the period 2008 to 2013 and a typical Leader group might have around £350,000 per year for supporting activities in their area. Grant rates for individual projects will range from perhaps 30% to 80% of the eligible costs of projects.

The Leader approach to supporting rural communities and businesses is based on:

• Creating a local partnership – A wide range of rural businesses, community groups and public and voluntary sector organisations coming together in a partnership, called a Local Action Group (LAG), to provide a fresh and co-ordinated approach to solving local issues.
• The LAG should be representative of a wide range of interests in their specified geographic area in order to generate a strong local identity, to develop greater community ownership and to ensure people work together – this is key to having a successful LAG.
• A bottom up approach – When a local action group starts to form it is vitally important that a good range of businesses, local organisations and individuals come forward to develop ideas, offer potential projects and provide support for the creation of the new partnership. You have to identify the issues and opportunities that are important in your area and identify how these could be addressed with Leader funding. Each LAG has to prepare a Local Development Strategy (LDS) which describes their area and the ways in which they want to address the issues that are important to the people in that area.
• Local management – The subsequent development and support of projects is organised and managed in a way which suits the area. The “Local Action Group” is responsible for facilitating and supporting projects that will meet the objectives of their local development strategy. The LAG will also be responsible for assessing and approving projects in their area.
• Encouraging innovation and experimentation - Leader encourages LAGs to find new ways to deliver their local development strategy through co-operating and networking with other regions and countries in the exchange of ideas and experiences.

In our Area

Since the summer, a working group comprised of a number of organisations and farmers has been working towards putting forward a bid for money to come to our area. A successful application to Leader could result in around £2million for rural north east hampshire  businesses and communities to spend on projects that will help revitalise farm enterprises and the rural economy.

Have a look at www.loddoneversleyleader.org.uk to find out more.