Community-based organisations to benefit from £2.1 million of Shared Prosperity Fund

11 Stoke-on-Trent community-based organisations will benefit from a total of £2.1 million from Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s allocation of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been awarded £9,477,820 from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to deliver projects which support local businesses, improve local spaces and assist residents with employment and skills.

The 11 beneficiaries fall under the Community and Place category; one of the three investment priorities identified for the funding.

Successful organisations for UKSPF funding for Community and Place include:

• The Portland Inn Project– £496,290 to complete the co-designed renovation of the Portland Inn and deliver a creative educational programme.
• Spode Museum– £282,000 to create The Spode Museum Mixing Bowl which will consist of a refurbished tearoom/café, outdoor green space, art gallery, community meeting room and two smaller studio/workshop spaces, all housed within the Spode Museum.
• Middleport Matters– £233,546 to create a digital space that celebrates the area and allows improvements within the area to be made.
• Trent Rivers Trust– £189,993 to run the “Rediscovering the Trent Valley Way in Stoke” project which will develop and deliver a variety of initiatives through Stoke-on-Trent along existing rights of way.
• Citizen’s Advice Bureau– £175,000 to pilot a largescale benefit and tax credit take up campaign in selected areas of the city.
• Urban Wilderness– £150,000 investment to bring a programme of large-scale, high impact events to Longton Town Centre. 
• B-Arts– £140,000 to create Animate:72 an Arts Hub for Stoke Town, co-created by teams of experienced and emergent artists working with diverse local communities.
• British Ceramics Biennial– £135,000 to create Clay & Communities: activity enabling hands-on engagement with clay and opportunities for people in Stoke-on-Trent to enhance their skills and to access new opportunities.
• Canal and Rivers Trust– £109,633 to deliver a community-led placemaking project which will reach out to work across two waterside communities on the Trent & Mersey and Caldon Canals.
• Stoke Creates– £99,250 to deliver the Cascade programme to reanimate spaces through creative concepts, amination and digital technologies as part of a Cultural Action Zones programme.
• Claybody Theatre– £98,484 to engage communities in cultural activity culminating in two live-streamed events on New Year’s Eve 2023 and 2024, featuring local emerging music talent and storytelling.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We are delighted to be offering over £2 million in funding for a wide range of community-focused organisations as part of the Shared Prosperity Fund.

“The funding allocated to the Citizens Advice Bureau will form part of our cost of living support, giving all residents the opportunity for a financial MOT, to ensure they are getting the benefits and tax credits they are entitled to.

“The other exciting projects include waterside activities in the city’s canal network plus schemes across the city that will improve our heritage offer and drive footfall to places such as the Spode Museum and create cultural action zones across Stoke-on-Trent.”

Recipients of the People and Skills and Supporting Local Business categories will be announced in the coming weeks.