Creative Grants Awarded to Local Residents
Individuals, local groups and businesses have been awarded a share of £28,300 to support creative activities and encourage residents to feel connected to Reading.
Working with national charity Creative Lives, the Council provided funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and grants were awarded for £300 up to £2,000.
In total 61 applications were received and assessed against the set criteria and 32 were selected to receive the funding. The grants are part of Reading Borough Council’s commitment to provide opportunities for everyone to get involved in creative activities where they live and celebrate Reading’s diverse arts and culture.
Adele Barnett-Ward, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, said:
“Creative activities play a crucial role in fostering community connections and individual well-being. This seed funding for Creative Activities is a fantastic opportunity for local groups and businesses to bring people together through imaginative projects.”
The benefits to people this money will bring is just fantastic and I’m really looking forward to hearing back and seeing the difference this funding makes.”
Notes to editors
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is part of the Levelling Up agenda providing local authorities funding for communities, places, businesses, people and skills. £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025, with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the Fund via a funding formula rather than a competition. It will help places across the country deliver enhanced outcomes and recognises that even the most affluent parts of the UK contain pockets of deprivation and need support.
Further information about Creative Lives and Reading Seed Fund awards www.creative-lives.org/