UK Shared and Rural England Prosperity Funds

The Rural England Prosperity Fund offers capital grants to support small businesses and community infrastructure projects in rural communities, to help to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy. A total of £745,000 was allocated to the Winchester District over two years, with the majority falling in 24/25.

2023/24	£186,274
2024/25	£558,822
Total	£745,09

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:

 

 

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:

 

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:

 

As part of the community engagement for Hat Fair, a newly-commissioned composition was performed by an intergenerational choir:

 

 

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.

 

Bighton: River Coffee Roasters - new larger roaster part-funded by REPF

The purchase of a larger roaster has enabled this small business based in Bighton to increase production and employ an additional staff member

Will Harrigan, Founder and CEO, said: "The project has allowed us to increase our production capacity. With this production capacity increase we have been able identify further sectors for growth. An example of this is a successful application and award for a listing on the TUCO supplier framework featuring in 5 lots. This framework gives us access to over 700 universities with the
potential to supply hot beverage products. Without the project and increase of capacity we would not be able to achieve this.
The project has supported an extra full time employment role at River Coffee Roasters, with the new employee learning how to operate the new equipment. The project has also
supported a part time role, taking our total employee count to 6 employees."

 

Bishops Waltham: BW Minibus Group - new minibus for community transport, part-funded by the REPF

   

Robert Shields, Chairman, said: "The funding has contributed towards a new minibus to replace a 10-year old bus that has become increasingly unreliable and very costly to maintain. The minibus has many scheduled trips linked to lunch clubs, dial-a-ride services and shopping trips, nearly all for the elderly and less able, so its constant availability is very important to the local community. The new minibus gives an assurance that this valuable service is maintained."

 

Cheriton: Holden Farm - mobile shelters and EV charging points for visitors to the outdoor cafe, funded by the REPF

   

Rebecca Corbett, Owner, said: "We are delighted with the field shelters that the Prosperity Grant enabled us to add to our café at Holden Farm.  The facilities ... are clad in wood; and it is all in keeping with our natural farm surroundings."

 

Chilcomb: Wonderseekers (Winchester Science Centre) - fencing and planting for a new Habitat Playpark nature exhibit, funded by the REPF

   

Photographs show before and after the new fence and native climbing plants were installed, separating Habitat Playpark from the public footpath

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 2 of the project and we're hoping that Habitat Playpark will be ready for children to enjoy next summer."

 

Denmead Community Centre - solar roof panelling funded by the  REPF

In the first two months following installation, Denmead Community Centre was 80% energy self-sufficient and avoided emitting an estimated 3.5 tonnes of CO2

Bob Porter, Trustee, said: "REPF Funding through Winchester City Council enabled us to install a PV array at the Denmead Community Centre which will not only have environmental benefits but also reduce our costs enabling us to maintain and enhance opportunities and activities for all the residents of Denmead and the surrounding area." 

 

Easton: Village Hall - solar panelling, inverter and battery funded by the REPF

In the first six months following their installation, the 45 solar panels generated 72% of the electricity used by the Hall. 53% of the electricity generated was exported to the Grid - equating to income for the Hall of £814 

Dr John Smith, on behalf of the Village Hall, said: "Fitting the solar panels to the roof of Easton Village Hall, funded by the REPF via Winchester City Council, has been a transformational local project which we hope will inspire others locally to consider similar suatainable projects"

 

East Stratton: The Northbrook Arms PH - EV chargers for clients and local community funded by the UKSPF and REPF