LEADER+
What's LEADER+?
LEADER+ is a grant programme funded by the European Union and Defra that supports sustainable economic and community development in rural areas. The North Pennines LEADER+ programme has distributed nearly £2.5 million to 172 projects over the last three years, attracting nearly £6 million of match funding.The North Pennines LEADER area covers the Pennine hills and their fringes in northern England including Teesdale, Weardale, Allendale, Alston Moor, the Tyne Valley and the Pennine fringes of the Eden valley.
The LEADER+ grant programme reaches the people and places other funding programmes don’t reach by promoting a distinctive, ‘bottom-up’ approach that enables local people to make decisions about local issues within a strategic framework that has been locally agreed. The LAG is at the heart of this ‘bottom up’ approach.
Some Amazing Projects Funded by LEADER+
Langdon Beck YHA which received grant funding to help it become the Youth Hostel Association’s first truly green hostel with the installation of solar powered hot water systems and a 2.5 kilowatt wind turbine. The project has led to the Green Beacon hostel programme throughout the UK.
Low Luckens Organic Resource Centre received start-up funding and now develops and manages a wide range of projects that promote sustainability across food, farming, countryside conservation, waste, energy and water use through training and education.
The SNAP project brings together young musicians from the North Pennines, Halsingland in Sweden and Brittany in France to experience and share their musical heritage. Young people rediscover the value of their own local traditions and find new inspiration in the music of other places.
Tynedale Wheels to Work project helps local unemployed people living in rural areas to get to work or training through the loan of a car or scooter.
Teesdale and Weardale Search & Rescue Team received a grant to help fund Project Iceland to help take members of its youth team to Iceland to forge new links between the two countries and offer more opportunities for local youngsters;
Kirkoswald After School Club will provide opportunities for children to cook, taste and prepare healthy recipes as well as growing their own organic food. The children will keep a diary and produce a newsletter detailing their experiences.
What types of Projects does LEADER+ Fund?
The overall theme of ‘Quality of Life’ for North Pennines communities is addressed through seven 'strands'.
| Development Strand | Possible Types of Projects |
| Empowering People - Empowering Communities | Community capacity building initiatives; support networks; village appraisals |
| Rural Entrepreneurs | Small business support, start ups; job creation; co-operatives; diversification |
| New Skills - New Prospects | Distance learning; skills development; learning networks |
| Services in rural areas | Community shops; self help initiatives; promotion of local services to visitors |
| Living and Working Landscape | Protection of the environment; cultural networks; local heritage; eco-tourism |
| Art and Culture | Sustaining and promoting local traditions, community based cultural projects; art tours |
| Healthy Lives - Healthy Living | Community based health promotion; healthy living centres; healthy lifestyle projects |
The North Pennines LEADER+ Local Action Group has identified the following 3 target groups for special attention:
- Women in the North Pennines
- Young People
- Underemployed and Unemployed
Each project is expected to achieve a number of outputs that help measure performance and success.
The North Pennines LEADER+ programme has now fully committed its £3.2m budget. The Local Action Group met twice in October to commit the final £230,000 of funds. Projects included support for an Historic Environment Officer post within the AONB staff unit and support towards the construction of an environmental pond by the local community in Allendale, Northumberland.
The LEADER+ programme has grant aided over 210 projects across parts of Cumbria, Durham and Northumberland since June 2002. The LEADER+ programme cannot approve any new projects after 31 December 2006 and will now focus on ensuring all spend is fully utilised by projects and outputs are achieved by 30 September 2008.
For further assistance in accessing the information on any of the LEADER+ web pages please contact Catherine Pearson on tel: 0191 3834634 or email:European Team.
