8. Achievements
What has been achieved so far with UK Shared Prosperity Funding?
The UKSPF and REPF funding has had a huge impact in East Devon over the last three years. Below are just some of the key achievements of the fund:
- 140 organisations in the voluntary and community sector supported through the Council for Voluntary Service for East Devon.
- 153 organisations supported, 528 volunteering opportunities supported and 217 people attending training courses through the Cultural Programme (see the ACED network).
- 42 organisations awarded grants through the Creative East Devon Fund (CEDF), engaging over 7,000 people, supporting 28 local events, and creating 11 roles in the arts and culture sector.
- Over 25,000 participants in sports and leisure activities through the Leisure Programme, including specialist classes for residents recovering from illness and injury and an enhanced leisure offer for children. Funding has also gone to supporting new volunteers to complete their coaching qualification.
- 119 businesses supported through the Business Support Programme, including 39 entrepreneurs supported to start their own enterprises.
- 40 businesses awarded grants through the Innovation and Resilience Fund Rounds 2, 3, and 4 including 7 farm businesses and 25 micro businesses. This led to the creation of 15 jobs.
- 51 organisations received grant funding to decarbonise through the Culture, Leisure, and Tourism Fund and the Carbon Action Fund. This is forecast to save almost 200 tonnes of carbon per year.
- 166 residents were supported to access education, employment, and training opportunities through the East Devon Employment Hub. This included 75 people who were economically inactive and 81 residents who identified as having a disability. Through the Hub, 28 individuals gained employment and 14 people benefited from a supported employment provision.
- The Retrofit Programme trained 136 residents across seven courses including Level 2 Retrofit and Introduction to Heat Pumps. Almost 1,000 school children across East Devon benefitted from extracurricular green skills activities, including sustainability workshops and innovation competitions.