The Tees Valley is to receive £46,357,305 from the Conservative Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to help level up the community – from regenerating run down high streets to fighting anti-social behaviour.
The funding also includes money for Multiply - a new UK-wide programme to equip hundreds of thousands of adults with functional numeracy skills to improve their employment prospects.
This could mean free tutoring, digital training and flexible courses to help adults with low-level maths skills get back into work, as well as measures to get more young people into high-skilled jobs.
The investment will help deliver on the Conservative Government’s mission to level up the United Kingdom – regenerating communities, tackling economic decline, and reversing geographical inequalities to ensure that everyone can fulfil their potential.
£2.6 billion of levelling up funding will be awarded to communities across the UK through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (‘UKSPF’), the Government has announced.
The UKSPF allows local communities to invest in local priorities from regenerating high streets, to tackling economic decline, and will help reverse geographical inequalities – with areas in greater need receiving more support, but every place receiving funding. The funding is part of the Government’s mission to level up the UK, by ensuring that where an individual is born does not determine the success and opportunities afforded to them.
Peter Gibson MP has welcomed the news that as part of this investment, £46,357,305 has been awarded to Tees Valley Local Authority’s, more per head that anywhere else in the UK.
This money will be given to locally elected authorities and local leaders who best know what their communities need – helping to slash bureaucracy and support communities in seizing new opportunities.
The spending confirms that the Conservative Government has fulfilled its commitment to match previous EU funding on social and regional development.
Commenting, Peter Gibson MP said “I am incredibly proud of Darlington and know that our best days lie ahead. I am determined to work with the Government to ensure that everyone from our area is able to reach their full potential.
“Those who believed that leaving the EU would leave our region behind can be in no doubt that this allocation of the SPF to Tees Valley is a clear commitment of this government to continue delivering on its commitment to level up in our area. Week in and week out there is positive news for Darlington and the rest of the Tees Valley.
“This investment will help to local residents to fulfil their potential, while reducing regional inequalities that have been left untouched for too long”.
“Every former Local Enterprise Partnership area is getting the same in real terms that it used to get - nowhere is "losing out" compared to what they have had before - the difference is there will be far less bureaucracy and much more local control”
“This investment will help to local residents to fulfil their potential, while reducing regional inequalities that have been left untouched for too long”.