A new village hall, expanding broadband coverage and installing solar panels are among projects boosted by funding to strengthen and improve rural areas in the Folkestone & Hythe district.
During the last 12 months £362,868 has been distributed to 22 schemes addressing challenges in rural communities and furthering green objectives.
Projects benefitting from a share of the money have included:
- Installation of an eco-friendly waste food oil system for a Hythe brewing company
- Creating a cycle shelter at Elham Village Hall to encourage people to cycle to meetings and events
- Funding for the first two phases of a 3G football pitch at The Marsh Academy in New Romney
- Construction of a workshop to help a natural-based skincare products business in Stowting
- Building a new village hall in St Mary in the Marsh
- Expansion of the 5G wireless broadband network on Romney Marsh.
Other organisations including village halls, a community hub and sports facilities have chosen to reduce energy bills and help the environment by using funding to install solar panels and storage battery systems.
The money is from the government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund and was distributed to local authorities across the country to support capital projects put forward by businesses and community organisations.
Cllr Rich Holgate, Cabinet Member for the District Economy, said: “It has been really heartening to see how many organisations have been so enthusiastic to take up this opportunity to bring forward exciting and green-focussed projects.
“The rural community has perhaps felt forgotten in the past but this funding has gone some way to address that, enabling schemes to go ahead which otherwise may never have seen the light of day.”
The fund has now closed.