UK Shared and Rural England Prosperity Funds
UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2025-2026 and Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025-2026 (funds now closed)
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) were central government programmes designed to reduce inequalities between communities and boost local growth. Winchester City Council's funds weren designed to align with both the national agenda and the council's local objectives of:
- Tackling the Climate Emergency and Creating a Greener District
- Vibrant Local Economy
- Living Well
Since 2022, Winchester district has been awarded almost £2.3 million to spend on local investment through both the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund. At the close of the four-year funding period, we have successfully invested in over 80 projects across 25 villages and market towns.
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Rural England Prosperity Fund
The Rural England Prosperity Fund offered capital grants to support small businesses and community infrastructure projects in rural communities, helping to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy. A total of £968,489 was allocated to the Winchester district over four years, with the majority falling in 24/25.
2023/24
£186,274
2024/25
£558,822
2025/26 £223,393
Total
£968,489
Winchester City Council assessed over 60 applications received through three competitive funding rounds and made awards of up to £50,000 to 25 projects as well as part-funding another 4 with the UKSPF.
The following projects received awards:
Organisation/business
Project description
Round 1
River Coffee Roasters Ltd
Coffee Roastery Production Expansion: purchase of larger roaster
Oakridge Smallholding Limited
Farm Diversification into Holiday Letting: solar-powered shepherd’s hut
Itchen Abbas and Avington Village Hall
Ground Source Heating
Wickham Community Association
Improved hall equipment: modular staging and AV
Winchester District Scout Council
Barn project: groundworks
Round 2
Easton Village Hall & Recreation Ground
Solar panelling for village hall
Denmead Community Centre (CIO)
Solar panelling for community centre
Colden Common Parish Council
Solar panelling for Pavilion
Bishop's Waltham Minibus Group
Replacement minibus for community transport
Organisation/business
Project description
Round 3
Wonderseekers (Winchester Science Centre)
Perimeter fence for forthcoming Habitat playpark
OHCO Ltd
Purchase of electric tuk-tuk for mobile coffee catering
Melanie Legge Ceramicist and Sculptor
Top loading kiln and associated power supply
Shedfield House Dairy Business Centre
Construction of eleventh business unit.
Wickham Estate
Safer entrance, resurfacing and lighting of access track through vineyard, energy efficient windows for onsite accommodation
Winchester Golf Academy
168 x solar panels (74kW) + 50kW hot water inverter
Richard Lewis Communications Ltd
Installation of solar panelling and battery storage on the training facility at residential language school.
RAC Corbett, Holden Farm, Cheriton
Three mobile wooden shelters, two EV charging points and e-bike charging points for campers and café visitors
Victoria Hall, Sutton Scotney
30 Solar PV panels on east facing roof of Victoria Hall
Woodhams Farm Day Nursery Ltd
Balcony extension providing access to fresh air for youngest children as well as an additional fire exit
Upham New Millennium Village Hall
Solar panelling
6th Winchester (Abbotts Barton & Hyde) Scout Group
Mains water and electricity connection to Hillier Way Scout site
GKCE Limited
Kitchen, bedroom and bathroom refurbishment
Alex Graham Sole Trader
Solar panelling for airfield and associated accommodation
Young and Younger Inns Ltd
Kitchen, bedroom and bathroom refurbishment
Will Davies, stonemason
purchase of dust extractor for operating premises
REPF applications jointly funded by REPF and UKSPF:
Marwell Wildlife
Refurbishment of existing buildings to create new exhibits for white clawed crayfish and sand lizards.
Morton Pattison Ltd
Tractor with a cut/collect mower attachment for wildflower meadow creation
Durley Parish Council
20 spaces and EV charging points in car park
Northbrook Arms Ltd
4 EV chargers for visitors and local community
The projects above all match at least one of the following themes supported by the Rural England Prosperity Fund which are:
E3
Creation of and improvements to local green spaces
E4
Enhancing existing cultural, historic and heritage institutions
E6
Local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities
E9
Impactful volunteering and/or social action projects
E11
Capacity building and infrastructure support local groups
E17
Development and promotion of visitor economy
E26
Growing the local social economy
SME
Capital grants for small-scale investment in micro and small enterprises in rural areas
The breakdown of funding per theme was as follows:
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UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Winchester City Council received £1 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support projects from 2022 to March 2025.
The money has been used to help pay for projects that support the fund’s three priorities:
- Community and Place
- Supporting Local Business
- People and Skills.
Funding has gone towards projects that focus on the council's priorities, including:
- Inspiring pride in place
- Helping the district to become greener faster
- Supporting a vibrant local economy
Initiatives that promote health, well-being and opportunity for disadvantaged communities have also been a key focus of the funding.
Following consultation with a range of partners and stakeholders, we determined to fund 27 projects and activities and all of these are in progress with some already completed:
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The projects above all match at least one of the following themes supported by the UKSPF which are:
E1
Improvements to town centres & High Streets
E3
Creation of and improvements to local green spaces
E6
Local arts, cultural, heritage & creative activities
E7
Support for active travel enhancements
E8
Campaigns to encourage visits and exploring of local area
E9
Impactful volunteering and/or social action projects
E10
Local sports facilities, tournaments, teams & leagues
E11
Capacity building & infrastructure support local groups
E13
Community measures to reduce the cost of living
E14
Relevant feasibility studies
E16
Open markets & town centre retail & service sector
E17
Development & promotion of visitor economy
E19
Investment in research and development at the local level
E23
Strengthening local entrepreneurial ecosystems
E29
Supporting decarbonisation whilst growing the local economy
E34
Courses including basic, life & career skills
E35
Enrichment & volunteering activities
E36
Increase levels of digital inclusion, essential digital skills
E38
Local areas to fund local skills needs
E39
Green skills courses
The breakdown of funding per theme was as follows:
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The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit the UKSPF Prospectus.
As part of the community engagement for Hat Fair, a newly-commissioned composition was performed by an intergenerational choir:
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