Civic leaders have announced an extra £1.5m of investment to support communities in Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire County Council leader Mark Hawthorne (C, Quedgeley) made the announcement at a recent Levelling Up Conference held in Gloucester.

He said an additional £1.5m would be allocated to support communities go further and achieve more. This builds on £2.5million already committed by the county council to support levelling up in Gloucestershire.

Opposition groups have welcomed the news of more investment. And they say it is critical the funding is allocated to the county’s most deprived areas.

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Cllr Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton), Liberal Democrat spokesperson for public protection and adult social care, said: “I’m very pleased to see this county council pledging this money following the Liberal Democrat motion last September calling for action to lift all our communities out of deprivation, culminating in last week’s Levelling Up Conference.

“While today’s announcement marks an important step, it’s critical that there is ongoing consultation on how this money is to be allocated in our most deprived communities. The key takeaway from last week’s conference was that top-down decision making will not lead to the lasting change that will help our communities thrive.

“Lifting all areas of the county out of deprivation must be a key target for any council administration – and the Conservatives will need to demonstrate a long-term commitment to our poorest communities to ensure that all our residents are supported to achieve their full potential.”

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Labour group leader John Bloxsom (L, Rodborough) said there are many active community groups and projects that would welcome council support. He said: “Assistance can enable them to develop and continue their vital work in supporting communities. ­We look forward to further information on how the funding announced last week is to be used and allocated.”

Councillor Hawthorne said Shire Hall must work alongside the strengths and knowledge within the county’s communities and be even more flexible and responsive in their approaches. He said they need to make sure they level up all neighbourhoods and communities, helping them flourish in ways some of us take for granted.

“I am delighted that we can go further in demonstrating our support for this vital work by committing £1.5m of additional funding that, with what we have previously set aside, will go a long way to making our great county even better, even fairer, and more prosperous for all, not just for some.”

The conference, held at Quayside House, Gloucester was attended by more than 100 people, representing a range of Gloucestershire groups and organisations and was an opportunity for local leaders and decision-makers to listen to what communities need from them and what, with a greater level of co-creation and design of services and process, can be delivered and achieved in neighbourhoods and the local area.

Five community organisations were showcased at the conference. These were G11 Hub, Gloucester Community Building Collective, Grace Network, Fair shares community time banks and Matson, Robinswood and White City Community partnership.

Of the £2.5m already committed by the council, £500k was allocated to supporting a range of schemes and events to support market towns, which have all been brought together in an online calendar. A further £2m was allocated equally, £40k each, across the county’s 53 councillors to support communities recover and rebuild following Covid-19.