Blaby District businesses are being invited to attend the popular free breakfast meeting next month to share ideas for boosting the local economy.
The Business Breakfast event takes place on Friday 15 July at Santander's Corporate Centre on Carlton Park, Narborough. A free breakfast is on offer for the bright and early start time of 7:30am.
Advice and discussions on helping to shape local plans to drive economic growth will once again form a focal point of the morning.
Business Breakfasts have proved to be a successful networking event for local district businesses, and has strengthened Blaby District Council's working relationships with local companies.
With places limited businesses are being encouraged to book early by the Economic Development team via economicdevelopment@blaby.gov.uk, or call 0116 272 7765.
Grants of between £2,500 - £25,000 are available for charities, community organisations and groups, who aim to enhance the sustainability of their community buildings through establishing, enhancing or expanding local community services and/or providing essential amenities across a rural community. Up to 100% of the total project costs can be awarded to projects who intend to deliver a project that has a positive impact on the local economy.
The grants are part of the North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth LEADER Programme.
The call for projects opens on 25th April 2016 and an Outline Application must be received to the LEADER inbox leaderproject@northwarks.gov.uk before the deadline of 10th June 2016.
Prior to the call opening in April, potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their project ideas with the LEADER team to discuss eligibility. A sample of the Outline Application is available on the website https://www.northwarks.gov.uk/erh/downloads to view for information purposes only.
Costs could include:
- Construction or improvements to buildings
- The purchase of new equipment and machinery (not consumables)
- Costs for architect, engineer, consultation fees, but these can not exceed more than 15% of the total project costs
Costs which are not eligible include:
- Computers, software or printers
- Salaries
- Access to broadband
- Planning permission costs
- Finance charges, or insurance
Please note, projects which are approved at the outline stage will be invited to complete a Full Application. The earliest a project will be able to start project work is mid September 2016. You must not commence any project related activity before you have signed a funding agreement.
To discuss a project, or to find out more, please contact the North Warwickshire and Hinckley and Bosworth LEADER Team on 01827 719 271 or e-mail leaderproject@northwarks.gov.uk.
Voluntary Action LeicesterShire is leading a Building Better Opportunities; Rural Social Inclusion bid with its partners, Leicestershire County Council and the Rural Community Council.
Building Better Opportunities is jointly funded by The Big Lottery and European Social Fund. £2.425m is available over 3 years to support disadvantaged people in rural Leicestershire move closer to or into employment and to help those furthest away from the labour market to become more job-ready.
If you think your organisation might be interested in being part of this consortium or for more information, please see the link below.
- http://www.valonline.org.uk/delivery-partner-rural
The deadline for submission of Expressions of Interest to be part of this consortium is 5pm 12th April 2016.
This May, Donnington le Heath Manor House will be reopening as a fully furnished family home from the early 17th century and we are looking for volunteers to join our team as either House Interpreters or Gardening volunteers.
More information about the roles can be found at http://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/jobs-and-volunteering/volunteering/volunteer-with-leicestershire-county-council.
In April we will be holding introduction sessions for the public at the Manor House for both of these volunteering opportunities. This is a chance to meet the Heritage experts and find out more about the house, its grounds and the roles.
The House interpreter volunteer registration will be on Wednesday 6th April at 10am- 12 noon.
The Heritage Garden Volunteer Registration will be on Sunday 24th of April 2-4pm
See the attached poster for information on how to register and for more information.
The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have published a Call For Evidence. It seeks evidence on how the planning system can better support rural life and invites ideas about how the planning system could further support sustainable rural life and businesses.
The call for evidence provides the opportunity for those with an interest in rural areas, especially farmers and other businesses operating in rural areas, to tell government how the planning system is working in rural areas and how it could be improved.
For more information, please see the government website - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/rural-planning-review-call-for-evidence
The Woodland Creation Capital Grant is now open for applications.
It offers farmers and other land managers up to £6,800 per hectare to plant and protect young trees plus £200 per ha (for ten years) maintenance support for eligible schemes.
Applications should be submitted to Natural England by 31 March 2016 (although applicants must request a map from Natural England by 24 March 2016).
For more information, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-woodland-creation-grant-manual-2016
Leicestershire businesses that would like to increase productivity and boost their bottom line, by looking after the health and wellbeing of their employees, can benefit from a fully funded programme worth over £4000.
Over the past three years the programme, which is delivered by The Fit For Work Team and funded by Leicestershire County Council, has helped more than 60 local businesses enhance their business reputation, retain their most talented staff, and save up to £40,000.
If you would like to find out more about the programme, please contact Andrew Harris Andrew.harris@fitforworkteam.org or call 07816681281
East Leicestershire LEADER is now open for business. Until midday on Monday 29th Feb, small and micro businesses and some community groups can apply for funding from the East Leicestershire LEADER programme.
In this call, the programme is looking to fund projects which create jobs and help to grow the economy in one of the following 3 Local Priority areas:
Local Priority 1: Well connected and innovative land-based businesses supported to improve their productivity and exploit diversification opportunities.
Local Priority 2: A growing food and drink sector producing and promoting high quality local foods.
Local Priority 5: Active and inclusive communities that are able to help provide local services.
Grants of between £2,500 and £35,000 are available to fund up to 40% of the eligible costs of a project. This is a competitive process and not all eligible projects will receive funding.
For further information, please see the East Leicestershire LEADER web pages or call 0116 305 9010.
January 26th 2016
09:30-16:30
University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus
"to Boldly Grow" - A FREE one day workshop to explore the state-of-the-art in satellite and geospatial technology for the farming industry.
The workshop will be of interest to anyone involved in farming or with interests in rural matters such as: land owners; policy matters; crop development companies; food and drink companies; environmental organisations & equipment makers.
For more details and to book a place visit the events page at www.grace.ac.uk
Small and Micro-businesses can still apply for funding from the North Warwickshire and Hinckley and Bosworth LEADER Scheme.
The programme is open to farmers, growers, foresters, community groups and local micro and small businesses in rural parts of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough. Projects must be delivered within the LEADER geography and support the local rural economy by creating new jobs or increasing the number of visitors to the area.
The North Warwickshire and Hinckley and Bosworth LEADER Programme is now open for applications under three priorities:
- Micro and small enterprise, including farm diversification
- Farming Productivity
- Forestry Productivity
The deadline for Outline Applications is 4th January 2016. Interested persons are required to contact the North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth LEADER Programme Team to discuss their project ideas before completing an application form.
For more information and contact details, please see the North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth LEADER website - https://www.northwarks.gov.uk/erh/site/index.php
