27-Mar-2006 Morning Advertiser - Rural Pubs Win Cash
Longden: described the grants initiative as an "exciting development"
Rural pubs across six counties in the East Midlands are being offered cash grants to develop new services to help their local communities.
East Midlands Development Agency has earmarked £140,000 for the project, which will enable licensees to offer extended facilities such as village stores, post offices or internet facilities.
Brochures are being mailed to 1,500 pubs in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Rutland advising hosts how to claim the money.
The East Midlands is the second region of the United Kingdom to benefit from grant funding, following a similar project by Cumbria County Council last month.
Both initiatives have been set up in conjunction with Pub Is The Hub, the trade-backed group, backed by Prince Charles and dedicated to helping the plight of pubs in isolated, rural areas.
The East Midlands scheme will be eligible to pubs located in communities with a population of up to 5,000 people.
Individual grants will be capped at £10,000 each, with a the pub, parish council or local group expected to chip in an extra 25%.
For Leicestershire the news comes as a double bonus in the wake of a £30,000 grant award from the county's Rural Partnership "Living Locals" scheme announced in February.
Pub Is The Hub co-ordinator John Longden called the East Midlands scheme an "exciting development" and added: "Work will begin immediately evaluating applications.
"The cash will only be available for 12 months with the funding running out in March 2007 so licensees have a relatively short time to submit their applications," he said.
PITH Rural Pubs Win Cash MA 20060327.pdf