Morton Pattison, a landscape services company based in Exton, received support, from both the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund, to help with the purchase of equipment that has reduced the cost of services for clients and improved the soil quality of the meadows that are mown.

   

Paul Pattison, Managing Director, said: "The grant project has enabled us to match fund purchase of a 140hp Kubota tractor and Ryetec flail collector, diversifying the range of services that we can offer and reducing the cost of these services to our clients. Previously we needed to hire in this equipment, with associated relatively high costs. Running our own equipment has resulted in our clients instructing more ‘cut and collect’ grassland management and less ‘cut and drop’, with a resulting positive impact on biodiversity across the sites that we manage. By removing the cuttings it reduces the nutrient content in the soil, creating conditions that favour wildflowers rather than grasses, resulting a more diverse sward and supporting a wider array of associated species.  The tractor has been usedto manage meadows, cut fire breaks on heathlands, prepare ground for overseeding and to handle large trees on landscaping schemes."

 

Will Davies, former head stonemason at Winchester Cathedral, received a grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund, to help with the purchase of a dust extractor for his workshop.

Will is involved in a number of outreach programmes aimed at inspiring young people to become the stonemasons of the future.  With the addition of the dust extractor to his workshop, he is now able to invite groups of schoolchildren to watch him work.

   

He said: "Acquiring the Air Bench Dust Extractor has created a safer working environment for myself and for visitors to my Hampshire workshop. I have recently invited local primary schools to take part in clay modeling workshops, to introduce young people to the craft and career of stone masonry. I aim to open these sessions up to introductory stone work, and for older students reaching working age."

 

The proprietors of Farley Farm have converted one of the hangars on their private airfield into an original and popular place to stay for visitors to the area. 

      

As part of the farm's wider mission to become more sustainable, the hangar was awarded a grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund to support the installation of solar panelling and an EV charging point for guests.

  

Alex Graham, proprietor, said: "The Winchester district Levelling up fund has had a fantastic impact on our tourism business.  As a result of the fund we have had solar panels, with battery storage fitted. We were also granted an EV charging point which is up and running successfully.
The energy generated by the panels and the energy stored in the battery have reduced our grid energy consumption by 50% to date (please note these have been winter and spring months), significantly reducing our carbon impact from the site. The EV charging point has also opened up a new market for us, allowing people with EV’s to visit our remote location and not feel restricted by ‘range’. Feedback has been exceedingly positive and has increased visitor footfall & spend in the region and city centre."

Melanie Legge, a local ceramicist, received a grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund to purchase a potter's wheel and replace her top-loading kiln with a more ergonomic front-loading one.  

   

Melanie said: “In September 2024, I ran a pottery workshop at HMP Winchester.  The 6 participants enjoyed the session and the prison agreed in principle to allow a regular pottery session to take place once I had the new kiln installed as part of their rehabilitation journey.  The first of the regular Monday afternoon sessions took place on 3 March 2025.  Between 3/3/25 – 31/3/25, 32 prisoners have attended the sessions, creating elephants, slab-built boxes with lids, and coil pots.  It is proving extremely popular with the prisoners and there is a waiting list to join the workshops.    This is run on a voluntary basis by myself, with no funding for materials or firing costs by the prison.  I would not have been able to offer this without the Grant funding the kiln. Here is a sample of what the prisoners have created.” 

  

The sand lizard is one of Britain’s rarest reptiles.  For over 30 years, Marwell has been breeding sand lizards behind the scenes for release, to help re-establish wild populations across the south of England and contribute to the knowledge of the species’ biology. Whilst the main breeding facility will remain off-show to visitors, a new habitat was created for lizards that cannot be released, providing an opportunity for visitors to see sand lizards – something that they are not likely to do in the wild -  and showcase the conservation work Marwell is doing to safeguard their future.  

White-clawed crayfish are an important chalk stream species and the new display tank has been designed to allow visitors to see crayfish up close, with views through to the conservation breeding and rearing tanks.  

Michelle Duma, Head of Fundraising, said: “Marwell has a proud history of native species conservation, and Hampshire’s first white-clawed crayfish breeding centre marks an exciting new chapter. This dedicated space strengthens our role in protecting UK wildlife while offering guests a unique opportunity to explore, engage with, and be inspired by our conservation efforts firsthand.” 

Deputy Mayor of Winchester Sudhakar Achwal opened Marwell Wildlife’s new Native Species Zone in March 2025

Wickham Estate, one of the county’s older vineyards, planted 40 years ago, wished to make a number of improvements to its accessibility and sustainability.  With support from both the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund, upgrades were made to the visitor accommodation and access track through the vines.

James Davies, Owner, said: “The project funding has enabled the business significantly, we have improved our accommodation both aesthetically and from an energy efficiency perspective through the fitting of new windows and doors making the options more attractive for guests.

The major part of our funding was used to replace/renew the old road at the Vineyard and this work is complete, which now means we can access the Vineyard from a second entrance. This has meant that both from an agricultural perspective for the maintenance of the Vineyard and the land we can get around the site much easier, which has been helpful when planting 5 new acres of vines, and maintaining the remaining 40 acres. More significantly visitors can now benefit from being able to drive all around the vineyard which gives a much improved and wider first impression, which in turn helps us secure bookings for weddings, events and accommodation.”

  

 

Shedfield House Dairy Business Centre, a cluster of ten business units that has proven popular with local female business owners, had space, in its woodland location, to meet a growing demand for expansion.

With support from both the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural Prosperity Fund, the business centre was able to build an eleventh unit, compliant with all modern building regulations including disability access.

Simon Cooper, Owner, said: “The new 752ft² office unit has allowed a growing B2B consultancy to relocate to the area allowing it to recruit more staff with a showcase facility at which to meet clients and work.”

   

The Northbrook Arms, a two-hundred-year-old pub in East Stratton, Winchester, benefitted from a Rural England Prosperity Fund grant. It was used to part-fund the installation of two new EV charging points, marking a significant step in the pub’s journey towards sustainability.

The new charging points are available to pub guests and members of the local community.

Kate Shanley, the pub's owner said: “Many EV owners in rural settings face challenges charging at home. By offering a local charging option, we aim to support the growing EV community in our area. This is just one of many ways we are striving to make our business more sustainable.

This project would not have been possible without the support of the council’s Rural England Prosperity Fund. Their investment in rural infrastructure has been instrumental in making this a reality.”

Riversdown House is ‘running on sunshine’ following the installation of solar panels to its Chicken Shed building, a converted barn where students from across the world learn English.

More than  40,000 international academics, government employees and executives across a variety of sectors, from 67 countries, have learned English at the centre.

The Warnford school received an award from the Government’s Rural Shared Prosperity Fund to install solar PV on the learning centre’s roof, to reduce energy costs and become more sustainable.

Dan Smith, responsible for Business Development, said: "Riversdown is proud to have recently installed solar panels to the ‘Chicken Shed’, home to our individual classrooms. These were funded by the UK Government through its Rural Prosperity Fund and awarded by Winchester City Council. Since the installation, the Chicken Shed has been 43% self-sufficient on average. With all the good weather we are having this Summer, our learning centre is running on sunshine and in the future, we should be 100% self-sufficient, with the capacity to sell electricity back to the grid.”

“We are very grateful to Winchester City Council for the opportunity to install the panels and for the support given,” said School Director Alison Lewis.

Rushmere Farm is a large carbon-negative, organic cereal farm located in Hambledon, within the South Downs National Park.

Winchester City council allocated Green Business Grant funding to provide solar panels for the rooftops of agricultural buildings. The solar project has allowed them to increase product volume by 75% while becoming carbon neutral and putting electricity back into the grid.

It is estimated the panels will offset a minimum of 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions (tCO2e) over their lifetime.

The farm grows cereals organically and produces an oat-based drink. In addition to farming, the site offers eco-friendly, off-grid stays in cottages, yurts and camping areas.

They also run workshops and events related to sustainability and crafts, educational tours about organic and regenerative farming practices - with a strong emphasis on biodiversity - community engagement and low-impact tourism.

“We are very pleased to have both solar panels and two new refrigeration units installed in the store,” said Micheldever Village Store owner Raj Sangroula.

“The shop gets very hot in the summer, and our old refrigeration unit gave off a lot of heat, and increased temperatures. The new chilled cabinet has changed this and now the solar panels will save electricity too. “ The store is at the centre of Micheldever Village, a convenient space to stock up for locals.

Following a carbon assessment at the store, which recommended measures to increase carbon savings, Raj’s business installed seven solar panels with the help of a grant from Winchester City Council and additional support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Both awards are part of a broader effort by the council to support local businesses and promote sustainability,

 

The purchase of a larger roaster, part funded by a grant from the  Rural England Prosperity Fund, facilitated by Winchester City Council, has enabled River Coffee Roasters' business in Bighton to increase production and grow their team with an additional staff member.

Will Harrigan, Founder and CEO, said: "The project has allowed us to increase our production capacity and identify further sectors for growth. This has given us access to over 700 universities with the potential to supply hot beverage products. Without the funding and increase of capacity, we would not have been able to achieve this.

The funding has supported an extra full time role at River Coffee Roasters, with the new employee learning how to operate the new equipment. It has also supported a part time role, taking our total employee count to six.

Since beginning in 2018, we have grown organically, focusing on creating a positive social and environmental impact while sourcing and roasting high-quality coffees. Our premises and team have grown, and we strive to keep evolving.”

Holden Farm in Cheriton is a working arable farm, situated on the South Downs Way, making it a popular stop for walkers and cyclists.

As well as a dedicated field available for events or rural business retreats, the farm offers an outdoor cafe for visitors in addition to back-to-nature tent camping with modern comforts: hot showers, flushing toilets, washing-up areas, communal fridges/freezers. 

Bad weather had destroyed three tent shelters and a grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund was used to replace them with semi-permanent wooden structures that can be moved around the site to encourage more visitors and lengthen the season.   EV and E-bike charging points were included in the project in order to strengthen the farm’s appeal to sustainable travellers.

Owner Rebecca Corbett said: "We are delighted with the field shelters that the prosperity grant enabled us to add to our café at Holden Farm. The café serves environmentally conscious visitors who leave their car behind and walk along the South Downs Way.”

Wonderseekers at Winchester Science Centre, in Chilcomb, received Rural England Prosperity funding to install fencing and native climbing plants between a children’s play area and a public footpath.

The project was the first step in an immersive, accessible and sustainable Habitat Playpark designed for very young children and those with special educational needs and disability (SEND). To ensure the safety of very young and vulnerable visitors, a critical element of the project was the Playpark’s perimeter fence between the Science Centre and the public footpath. As well as preventing children from wandering off and keeping public footpath users at a safe distance, the fence needed to support the free movement of resident species and be sensitive to the overall biodiversity of the site.  

Kate Wasche, Director of Fundraising, said: "We're delighted to have completed the first stage of creating a new science and nature experience for the youngest members of our community. This paves the way for phase two of the project when the Habitat Playpark will be ready for children to enjoy."

Winchester Science Centre, operated by the charity Wonderseekers, welcomes approximately 185,000 visitors annually. 

OHCO, based in Hursley, received an award from the Rural England Prosperity Fund to expand its business by accessing new markets with a climate-conscious vehicle. 

Paul Taylor, Founder and CEO said "This electric tuk tuk will help us to service the local community with our speciality coffee from ethical farms that is manufactured in the most sustainable way from tree to cup."

A grant from the Rural England Prosperity Fund enabled this local nursery to construct a balcony to provide the very young children, who are cared for on the first floor, with access to fresh air.  The balcony will also enable faster and safer evacuation in the event of a fire.

Mark Robins, Finance Director, said: "Without the REPF funding, this important improvement to our childcare provision would have stayed on our wish list for another year or two”

An award from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund helped Sparsholt College to install three low carbon technology training bays: one for fault finding, the second for installation and maintenance and the third providing a live working environment. All bays are equipped with electric vehicle (EV), photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage training rigs.

Suzanne Grant, Deputy Principal and Deputy CEO said: "This project aligns with our strategic priority to provide for a more sustainable future. It has provided the opportunity to add 3 new green technology offers to our Winchester based offer.  The new capital equipment allows us to make battery storage training, installation of electric vehicle charging points and installation of photovoltaic panels to a new generation of learners.  It further allows us to offer those technologies to local businesses and their employees who may be struggling to recruit or train staff to undertake delivery on these three important technologies which all provide towards the decarbonisation ambitions of the region."

An award from the Rural England Prosperity Fund enabled Oakridge Smallholding to invest in a shepherd's hut as part of its diversification plan and to install a solar PV array.

In the six months following installation of the solar panelling, the system avoided the emission of 6 tonnes of CO2

Patrick Foster, Owner, said: "On the whole it’s a very positive outcome for the farm.  It’s making us think about adding another solar/battery system to secondary supply we have on the farm to be much less grid reliant.  The grant has also enabled us to have a much better-quality hut than we would have been able to afford otherwise."