What is the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF)?
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a central pillar of the UK government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. To read more > UK Shared Prosperity Fund: prospectus – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Projects fall within one or more of the following categories:
- Supporting Local Business
View Local Case Studies
Destination for All – Accessible Adventure Day
Families joined MonLife’s Outdoor Accessible Adventure Day at Gilwern Outdoor Centre.
Chepstow All Ability Outdoor Activity Space
MonLife Leisure Centre members will have access to a brand-new bespoke outdoor space for exercise and physical activity.
New art installation unveiled in Abergavenny
The Gwent Green Grid collaborated on a project to enhance an area of Bailey Park in Abergavenny with a new art installation.
Creative Futures – MonLife
Creative Futures allows time and space to develop creative work and creative practice with young people.
iConnect
“Our volunteers are the unique selling point of our project! We couldn’t achieve what we do without them and we are so grateful for their time and passion for the project…..”
Be Community
Be Community offers a tailored training program aimed at empowering grassroots community groups to thrive sustainably.
Spring Food Fair
The Fair showcased local businesses and producers to put visitors back in touch with sustainable food production in our special landscape.
Wye Valley River festival 2024
It’s here! WVRF celebrates its 10th anniversary this year!!! Please come and celebrate with us!
Y Prentis
The project will target unemployed, those in FT education seeking employment and persons seeking a career change from low or unskilled work in Monmouthshire.
Shared Prosperity Fund projects in Monmouthshire
Click below for more information!
▼ Be Community
Be Community
Communities and Place
Be Community provides opportunities to volunteers within Monmouthshire to assist them with their volunteer roles. Providing a variety of courses aimed at volunteers including; food hygiene, first aid, wellbeing, safeguarding and many other courses that can help volunteers overcome any barriers they may face. Bespoke courses are also developed based on specific needs.
▼ Destination For All – MonLife
Destination For All – MonLife
Communities and Place
“A Destination for all”: This project aims to improve the accessibility of the destination for everyone in Monmouthshire, whether they’re here for a day, a week, or a lifetime. It includes capital and revenue funded activity. The capital funding will be used to provide grants for physical adaptations at local cultural and heritage sites to improve accessibility and counter the effects of isolation, particularly for older and disabled people.
▼ Gwent Green Grid – MonLife
Gwent Green Grid – MonLife
Communities and Place
The Gwent Green Grid is a collaborative partnership of the 5 Gwent Local Authorities and NRW, supported by a wide range of stakeholders and NGOs delivering a consistent approach to Green Infrastructure management across Gwent. The project will help deliver a range of outputs supporting resilient ecological networks and nature-based solutions, nature, and climate actions, manage our tree and woodland resource, support health and wellbeing opportunities and support green skills training.
colettebosley@monmouthshire.gov.uk
monlife.co.uk/outdoor/green-infrastructure/gwent-green-grid-partnership/
▼ Together WORKS
Together WORKS
Communities and Place
Together WORKS is a multi-faceted community hub based in Caldicot, South Monmouthshire jointly ran by MCC and GAVO. It is home to 12+ community groups who use and interact with the space on a weekly basis, as well as a community fridge, Makers Space, Benthyg (Library of things) and various wellbeing and digital inclusion services. TogetherWORKS has plugged a huge resource gap in Caldicot and is doing a fantastic job at improving the lives of the people who use it.
▼ Business Monmouthshire
▼ Regional Tourism – MonLife
Regional Tourism – MonLife
Supporting Local Business
Cardiff, capital of Wales collaborative marketing project. This revenue project will help fund a regional marketing plan targeting overseas, group travel / travel trade and business events markets. The project will build on the success of previous Southern Wales Partnership campaigns to help recover and sustainably grow the region’s visitor economy following the pandemic.
▼ CELT (Connect, Engage, Listen Transform)
CELT (Connect, Engage, Listen Transform)
People and Skills
The CELT projects supporting those furthest from the labour market with wellbeing and counselling and those in work with individually training needs, providing a wraparound to our Welsh Government funded programme Communities for Work+. Providing a weekly timetable of work-related courses in Abergavenny and Caldicot.
▼ MCC Economy, Employment and Skills
MCC Economy, Employment and Skills
Multiply
Monmouthshire Multiply is an adult numeracy programme designed to improve functional numeracy skills through free personal tutoring, digital training, and flexible courses. The focus will be family learning through primary schools. Care Leavers focus on managing finances and engagement work to offer non-accredited workshops/courses and support participants wanting to achieve additional numeracy courses.
▼ YPrentis
YPrentis
People and Skills
The project will target unemployed, those in FT education seeking employment and person seeking a career change from low or unskilled work in Monmouthshire. The trainees complete a 6-month fast-tracked accredited Building Surveying qualification, NET Zero, decarbonisation and the retrofit courses. Subsequent employment will be secured on completion of the programme, where participants can progress onto a higher apprenticeship and/or a degree in university.
Darryl Williams darryl.williams@yprentis.co.uk
▼ Creative Futures – MonLife
▼ Flowing Through Communities – Wye Valley River Festival
Flowing Through Communities – Wye Valley River Festival
Communities and Place
The Wye Valley River Festival CIC is an arts organisation, led by artists and communities creating work with the environment at its heart. Bringing local people, environmentalists, and talented artists together for a creative exploration of what is possible. Every other year those explorations lead to the biennial Wye Valley River Festival, hosted up and down the Wye Valley.
▼ iConnect – Monmouthshire Housing Association
iConnect – Monmouthshire Housing Association
Communities and Place
iConnect offers all-round digital support ranging from getting online, to accessing services, seeking health and well-being advice, keeping in touch with loved ones, applying for jobs, as well as sourcing devices and affordable wi-fi. iConnect are committed to pushing back the many barriers that people have exploring the digital world and in doing so helping them find new interests, new connections, and new opportunities.
▼ Today’s Heritage Tomorrow – MonLife
Today’s Heritage Tomorrow – MonLife
Communities and Place
This project will enhance ten of the county’s Heritage sites through the implementation of the Heritage Strategy Action Plan. Activities include the creation of visitor experience plans for each of sites, development of new training and induction plans for site teams, enhanced stakeholder engagement and new play and exhibition programmes.
▼ Elevate – Alacrity Foundation
Elevate – Alacrity Foundation
Supporting Local Business
Combining programmes and expertise between two established organisations operating nationally in the entrepreneurship space, namely the alacrity Foundation and Townsquare, the aim of Elevate Monmouthshire is to create a new ecosystem that promotes entrepreneurship, stimulates growth in new businesses and supports firms with ambitions for growth. Elevate will deliver practical commercialisation programmes and events that will offer help, advice, training, and mentoring to start-up entrepreneurs and existing enterprises across the Monmouthshire area.
▼ Food Resilience Programme
Food Resilience Programme
Supporting Local Business
Food Resilience Programme is a project to support Monmouthshire food and drink businesses. Linking producers with customers, promoting career opportunities, improving local supply chains, and flying the flag for Monmouthshire food and farming. Another strand of work is to host and grow the Monmouthshire Food Partnership as a forum for cross-sector collaboration on strengthening the local food system, farm to fork.
▼ TaLK – Hartpury College
▼ Inspire – MCC Economy, Employment and Skills
Inspire – MCC Economy, Employment and Skills
People and Skills
Inspire aims to work with young people aged 14-19 who are at risk of becoming or who are NEET (Not engaged in Education, Employment or Training). The programme operates in each secondary school in Monmouthshire with a designated worker per school and has the addition of an outreach worker to support young people with less than 50% attendance across Monmouthshire. Inspire will focus on four key indicators – Wellbeing, attendance, attainment, and behaviour and will work towards achieving a qualification and life skills with our young people.
▼ Caru Cymru
Caru Cymru
Community & Place
The SPF funded Caru Cymru project builds on an existing partnership with Keep Wales Tidy involving all the major Welsh local authorities. At its heart, it is about working with communities to create a cleaner, safer environment and make a positive difference. Key areas of focus are around reducing the impact of dog fouling, litter and fly tipping through targeted interventions.
▼ Marches Forward Partnership
Marches Forward Partnership
Marches Forward is a groundbreaking partnership between Herefordshire, Powys and Shropshire, Monmouthshire County Councils. This is the first-time neighbouring authorities in England and Wales have worked together in a planned cross border collaboration.
Marches Forward provides a flexible umbrella framework for joint working, supporting local service delivery, based around how people and place’s function, rather than being confined within organisational or geographical boundaries.
This unique and strategic partnership provides opportunity to support government ambitions around Union Connectivity, improving joined up thinking between England and Wales, helping to increase investment and accelerate delivery of key infrastructure projects.
Marches Forward Partnership – Marches Forward Partnership (English)
▼ Llanwenarth Bund Resilience Project
Llanwenarth Bund Resilience Project
The delivery of a resilient infrastructure that protects local businesses, property, livestock and the community in the Llanwenarth area from flooding. The project aims to establish the current level of protection offered by the bund, identify areas for improvement and carry out the most urgent construction work to increase protection from flooding.
▼ Monmouthshire Circular Economy Project
Monmouthshire Circular Economy Project
This project works with local communities and schools to build on the considerable progress setting up and running circular economy activities in the county. These are projects such as Benthyg Libraries of Things, Repair Cafes, community fridges, uniform swap shops and so on.
These activities are extremely important in reducing waste, saving carbon, sharing skills and saving people money.
The Circular Economy Project Officers will add invaluable resource to recruit, support, develop and retain volunteers to existing and proposed circular economy projects to make them sustainable and resilient.
hazelclatworthy@monmouthshire.gov.uk , markcleaver@monmouthshire.gov.uk
▼ Business Innovation in Agriculture
Business Innovation in Agriculture
A dynamic community dedicated to fostering innovation, collaboration, and growth within the agricultural sector.
We provide businesses with a gateway to agriculture, supporting the commercialisation of agri-tech products and services – accelerating your journey to market. With our support, businesses are leveraging their diverse expertise in food and drink processing, sensors data and IoT, pharmaceutical, energy, vertical farming, manufacturing and transport sectors to better understand the needs of the farming community and seek out smart, profitable, and sustainable solutions for businesses working in land-based industries. Let us help you look at your business in a different way and take a deep dive into the world of agriculture together.
▼ Drill Hall Chepstow
Drill Hall Chepstow
As Chepstow’s only arts centre, our mission is to transform the Drill Hall into a vibrant hub for community and arts activities, enriching the lives of residents and visitors alike.
We’re committed to boosting its long-term sustainability by promoting greater use and generating income through a diverse range of events.
Currently, the Drill Hall hosts a variety of films, concerts, and live arts events, and is available for community and private hire.
We are ready to expand our arts and community programs, introduce educational opportunities, and offer health and well-being classes.
The Drill Hall | Chepstow Community and Arts Centre (drillhallchepstow.co.uk)
▼ Inclusive Community Spaces
Inclusive Community Spaces
This project will enhance an existing and important community asset in Abergavenny. The works will make the property more accessible, enabling the Melville Theatre for the Arts to thrive. The works are being supported by an independent accessibility specialist, who’s input is helping to improve access to a range of services and community groups who operate from this asset.
▼ Chepstow All Ability Outdoor Activity Space
Chepstow All Ability Outdoor Activity Space
New outdoor gym including state-of-the-art equipment from Indigo Fitness, such as a functional fitness frame, a 12-meter-long turf sled track, functional wall-fixed rigs, and free weights.
The bespoke outdoor gym will be perfect for members to exercise independently or as a group. Exercising in a group setting has been shown to have numerous benefits, including enhanced training experiences, peer support, accountability, and a sense of community.
▼ Don’t mess with Monmouthshire
Don’t mess with Monmouthshire
Don’t Mess with Monmouthshire (Chepstow) aims to find proactive solutions to the issues identified through detailed consultation with residents and businesses to provide sustainable, attractive solutions to waste management, ultimately to improve the live and workability of the town centre and improve its attractiveness for tourism.
▼ Tackling Poverty & Inequality
Tackling Poverty & Inequality
We believe Every Child Matters, Every Adult Matters, Every Community Matters. Therefore we are aiming to have a county where the effects of inequality and poverty have been reduced. Our key priorities are to prevent people from falling into poverty, to provide targeted support for people already in poverty and to prevent the impact and effects of inequality.
▼ Rainbow Trust
Rainbow Trust
Match funding for a project delivered by the Chepstow Rainbow Trust. To include improving the visual appearance of the, and interior works including upgraded toilet and kitchen facilities. Aim to improve accessibility, perception and reduce energy costs.
▼ Abergavenny Market Hall
Abergavenny Market Hall
Invest in the Abergavenny Market Hall building to make it more accessible and sustainable to operate, and to bring the functions of the building together that are more energy efficient and accessible effective services.
▼ Church St Swan Court Regenerate
Church St Swan Court Regenerate
Enhance the streetscape and visitor experience with cost-effective features: install arches at Church Street’s entrances, improve lighting, use vinyl wraps on vacant shop windows, add better street furniture and planters, and prepare an advertising and events program to increase footfall.
▼ Pop up Monmouth
▼ Net Zero Change
MCC SPF contacts
These projects are [funded/part-funded] by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
