A NEW local action group is looking to breathe fresh life into rural communities in the Whitby area by bidding for a slice of European funding – and locals can have their say in a consultation in town tomorrow night.
The group, headed by the North York Moors National Park, is inviting people through a series of public consultation events, to be involved in giving key priorities for the funding from the LEADER (links between actions for the development of the rura
l economy) programme.
The LEADER funding was set up to help rural communities to improve the quality of life and economic prosperity of their local area through small-scale innovative projects.
The European Commission and Defra will be funding the scheme over a six-year period.
The new local action group has been invited to prepare a local development strategy which will be assessed in the autumn and, if successful, will be ready to start spending late this year.
The consultation is open to the whole community including individuals as well as community or voluntary groups who may be interested.
Five events are being held in the region including one in Whitby at Sneaton Castle tomorrow between 7pm and 9pm.
Peter Barfoor, director of conservartion at the North York Moors National Park, said: “Through the LEADER approach, we have the chance to bid for money to enhance the quality of lives in our rural communities so it’s really important people come and tell us what they think these priorities ares.
“Events like this are important to make sure local communities are involved in identifying issues and voicing their needs. Although LEADER projects tend to be small-scale – for example, the average project cost probably won’t be more than £20,000 – they can have a terrific impact on a local community.
“The types of things people might think about are village improvements, access to services, local culture and the heritage of an area.”
The full article contains 330 words and appears in Whitby Gazette Tuesday newspaper.
