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UKSPF 2023/4 Quarter 2 Update:
In July 2023 the Department for Levelling up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) confirmed that the End of Year Report submitted in May 2023 for the year 2022/23 was approved, this also confirmed our approach to the underspend from Year 1 is accepted. We have also returned the Memorandum of Understanding and received our allocation of funding for Year 2. We will be submitting our 6-monthly report to DLUHC for activities so far this year in November.
Rural Fund: The authority has been allocated £134,932 for this financial year, the first round for submissions was opened in April and closed in June. The submissions were reviewed by a panel in July. A total of four bids were successful with all funds allocated. The Panel have also committed a further £49,438 of 2024/25 funding to support two of the bids received this year. A further £409,358 will be available in the final year of the Rural Fund.
Year 2 projects and an update:
|
Intervention |
Project |
Detail |
2023/24 budget |
Amount spent: |
£ Committed |
Q2 Update: |
|
E6: Local arts, cultural, heritage & creative activities |
Project A - Building Pride in Place through promotion of the Town Centre and Events. |
Creative communities fund for local organisations and groups to support events |
£35,830 |
£21,000 |
£0 |
19 applications were received with 11 bids awarded funding in Round three. Round four is now open and closes November 30th 2023. |
|
Literature Festival |
£15,000 |
£0 |
£9,606 |
The event was held in October. A company has been commissioned to support the delivery of the event. |
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|
Iggy Sculpture Trail |
£60,000 |
£26,410 |
£49,400 |
Locations for the sculptures have been agreed. The trail will be supported by a digital trail app which is being populated with information, this is expected to launch in the new year. |
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|
£2,751 |
£3083 |
£0 |
Purchases of a set of temporary exhibition walls and 2 microphones have been completed. An underspend in Year 1 has been carried over for purchases this year. |
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|
Arts Carnival |
£20,000 |
£29,000 |
£606 |
The Arts Carnival, which was rearranged due to adverse weather, took place on Saturday 9th September. The next Carnival will take place in 2025. |
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|
Partner for Elmer 2 |
£40,000 |
£0 |
£40,000 |
Contract is in the process of being signed. |
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|
Project C- A Community Arts Hub & Maker Space |
Feasibility Study |
£5,000 |
£0 |
£4,911 |
The final amended feasibility report was received in August with an MBC working group set up to action the results of the report. |
|
|
E8: Campaigns to encourage visits and exploring of local area |
Project A - Building Pride in Place through promotion of the Town Centre and Events. |
Advertising budget to promote events across all channels |
£15,000 |
£4,576 |
£560 |
The majority has been allocated to promote events in Q3 such as the illuminations trail and activities in the build up to Christmas. |
|
Borough Insight Events and Town centre focussed |
£30,000 |
£0 |
£0 |
This will be spent on the Autumn 2023 edition of the magazine which was due to be delivered to residents from October 2023. |
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|
Promotional video for business and events in TC |
£5,000 |
£5000 |
£0 |
This will be used later in the year to capture footage of events. |
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|
E9: Impactful Volunteering and/or Social action Projects |
Project B- A Safe and Attractive Town Centre achieved through Greening and Lighting |
An externally commissioned green Volunteering Project to Improve Town Centre Green Spaces, Increase Volunteering and Improve Wellbeing. |
£60,000 |
£0 |
£0 |
Five sites have been worked with 25 volunteers involved with 59 volunteering events. The sites are Maidstone Community Support Centre, Trinity House, Brenchley Gardens, Fairmeadow and planters in the Town Centre. |
|
Management Overheads |
£9,897 |
£4,949 |
£4949 |
|
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|
Total: |
£298,478 |
£94,018 |
£110,032 |
. |
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|
£204,050 |
|
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