Gloucestershire County Council has launched its Levelling Up Together grant scheme.

The scheme will see £1.5 million committed to supporting the 10 areas of the county that need it most.

At the Levelling Up conference in May this year, the county council committed the cash to support the 10 areas in Gloucestershire that are in the bottom 10 per cent most deprived nationally.

This funding will support communities to deliver the initiatives that will be most effective for them and their area. The council says it wants to see improved opportunities for children and adults in these areas as well as improved wellbeing, skills and employability.

A wide range of community groups and organisations working in these 10 areas are eligible to apply:

• Podsmead (Gloucester)
• Tuffley (Gloucester)
• Barton and Tredworth (Gloucester)
• Matson and Robinswood (Gloucester)
• Moreland (Gloucester)
• Kingsholm and Wotton (Gloucester)
• Westgate (Gloucester)
• St. Mark's (Cheltenham)
• St. Paul's (Cheltenham)
• Cinderford (Forest of Dean) 

Cllr Nick Housden, cabinet member responsible for levelling up, said: "I don't want anyone to be held back from opportunities as a result of where they live. Unfortunately, that is the case for some areas in our county. People living in these areas are full of potential, talent, and enthusiasm - they just need to be given the same opportunities as others.

"We are looking for creative ideas to boost these communities from the people who know them best. So, whether you need funding to upgrade a community building or support to launch a new club, please apply."

Siobhan Farmer, director of public health for Gloucestershire County Council, said: "I am pleased to support this scheme designed to start tackling health inequalities in our county. We need bids to show how they will help achieve at least one of the five missions we're focussing on from Government in its Levelling Up Paper, which are fundamentally about improving life for those living in areas across the country that have been left behind."

Drop-in sessions

If you would like to ask any questions about the scheme, or discuss your application, please feel free to come along to an online drop-in session where the Levelling Up Together team will be on hand to answer any questions:

• Wednesday 26 October 12pm - 1pm, via MS Teams
• Tuesday 1 November 1pm - 2pm, via MS Teams

If you would like to join one of these sessions, please email levellinguptogether@gloucestershire.gov.uk  and you will be sent the joining details.

This funding is building on the success of other initiatives to Level Up Gloucestershire. In 2021, the council secured funding approaching £13m from the Government's Levelling Up fund, which is helping to deliver significant transport improvements in the heart of the county.

Also in October last year, as part of its ongoing support for communities right across Gloucestershire, the council evenly allocated more than £2 million amongst its 53 county councillors, giving each £40,000 to spend in their area.

A further £500k was also committed, through the Build Back Better - Market Towns fund, to support events across the county, helping to boost the economy of the county's market towns and high streets.

Applications to the scheme close at midnight on Sunday, 27 November 2022.