Gloucester County Council have announced that communities in need of support will receive an extra £1.5 million of funding.
This funding comes on top of £2.5 million that was already allocated to the levelling up of some of the most deprived areas of the county, as the council joins others up and down the country in their bid to stop depravity and offer more opportunities for prosperity for those struggling. The news of more investment has also been welcomed by opposition groups in the county, including the Liberal Democrats.
Councillor Jeremy Hilton, Liberal Democrat Group Spokesperson for Finance and Change, Gloucestershire County Council, said:
“Lifting all areas of the country out of deprivation must be a key target for any council administration.
The Conservatives will need to demonstrate a long-term commitment to our poorest communities to ensure that all our residents are supported to achieve their full potential.”
In the Government’s Levelling Up the United Kingdom White Paper, opportunities is mentioned as one of the pressing issues:
“The UK has larger geographical differences than many other developed countries on multiple measures, including productivity, pay, educational attainment and health. Urban areas and coastal towns suffer disproportionately from crime, while places with particularly high levels of deprivation, such as former mining communities, outlying urban estates and seaside towns have the highest of community need and poor opportunities for the people who grow up there.”
There are several community groups that will benefit from the additional funding, including ones that provide children’s activities, which is part of one of the central themes of the government’s Levelling Up plan. Ensuring that not only do the poorest areas of the UK are supported, but children are backed by creating more opportunities and chances to achieve their full potential, when previously they may not.
