Press Releases
Mid and West Essex communities receive £1million
Date: 27 March 2006
Communities in Mid and West Essex are set to receive approximately £1million worth of funding through the East of England Development Agency’s Investing in Communities programme.
The funding has been made available to the Essex Development & Regeneration Agency who are managing the delivery of the programme in Mid and West Essex, an area covering the districts of Harlow, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Brentwood, Uttlesford, Braintree and Maldon.
IiC is a new regional initiative that will encourage a new approach to tackling regeneration and renewal in deprived communities in the East of England. In Mid and West Essex three initial priorities have been identified to deliver and make a real difference in those areas with the greatest need. These are:
a) improving basic skills and qualification levels
b) developing community assets
c) building social capital in the voluntary, community and social sector
c) building social capital in the voluntary, community and social sector
A range of projects will be delivered as a result of the IiC funding including initiatives in Braintree, Maldon and Harlow to address basic skill levels and a contribution to the development of “Science Alive” in Harlow town centre, a unique project through which young people can be encouraged to engage in science and technology in a hands on and interactive way.
Other projects to assist in investing in deprived communities across the Mid and West Essex area are also under discussion.
Paul O’Brien, Chief Executive of the Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA) is delighted with the award: “I am delighted that all the hard work of the IiC team at ExDRA and the Mid and West Essex IiC steering group has been rewarded in this way. The allocation of nearly £1 million through IiC in the Mid and West Essex area will make a real difference to the communities that need it the most. We can now move forward with the delivery phase of the programme, with our partners, to ensure that the money is effectively used.”
ENDS
Notes for Editors
1. The key points of the Investing in Communities (IiC) programme are:
· IiC is a unique initiative among Regional Development Agencies, fundamentally changing the way public, private, community and voluntary organisations work together to achieve holistic community regeneration.
· IiC relies on joint planning of investment and action to achieve sustainable economic growth.
· IiC will ensure that investment for tackling deprivation and inequality is effective, by basing it on a firm understanding of community needs.
· Community engagement is fundamental to the success of IiC.
· It is not about short-term fixes to problems, it is about lasting improvements to the way services are delivered.
2. In the East of England the East of England Development Agency has awarded £13 million across the six counties of Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire under the IiC programme.
3. The Essex Development & Regeneration Agency was formed in 2004 from the former Enterprise and Regeneration Division of Essex County Council and the Essex Economic Partnership. The Agency works with a variety of partner organisations on a series of programmes and activities to help improve the economic prosperity of Essex.
For more information please contact:
Dianne Hardy
External Funding Manager
Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA)
Tel: 01245 702472
Email: dianne.hardy@exdra.co.uk
Stuart Graham
Media and PR Manager
Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA)
Tel: 01245 702415
Email: stuart.graham@exdra.co.uk
Media and PR Manager
Essex Development & Regeneration Agency (ExDRA)
Tel: 01245 702415
Email: stuart.graham@exdra.co.uk
