What's next for levelling up?
As part of its ongoing commitment to help level up communities across the county we are investing almost £1.5 million more into projects and activities that will support Gloucestershire communities.
Levelling Up Together celebration event
A celebration event for partners involved in Levelling Up projects was held on 28 February 2024 at The Heritage in Gloucester. Partners were warmly welcomed by Diana Billingham, head of voluntary and community partnerships at Gloucestershire County Council, and Cllr Mark Hawthorne MBE, leader of the council and cabinet member for public health and communities.
A selection of organisations who received a grant gave presentations to update partners on how they had used their funding, some of the challenges faced, and what their next steps were.
Project updates
Find out more about how the projects granted funding in the first round of investment have done in the six month interim evaluation:
Levelling Up Together: an interim evaluation
Second investment phase
This second phase of investment has seen £949,954 going towards addressing general levelling up issues, such as:
📱 Digital inclusion: The gap in society between people who have full access to digital technologies and those who do not is called the ‘digital divide’. Digital solutions are an essential part of our future and we aim to address barriers and ensure that some of our most vulnerable residents are not left behind, with a lasting legacy of digital inclusion.
💷 Cost of living: Supporting people who have been impacted by the rising costs of fuel, food housing costs and other essentials.
💻 Online harms: Identifying ways to support young people to understand and recognise issues concerning internet safety, as well as the threat of radicalisation, abusive behaviour and self-harm, and find safe and supportive solutions.
🔗 Access to services and community transport: Some communities and groups face particular disadvantages in transport and mobility, including older adults, those with disabilities, young people and those in rural communities. The county council aims to provide accessible and sustainable transport solutions as part of its ambition to ‘level up’ communities.
The second investment phase of Levelling Up Together (Levelling Up Together 2), has now ended. To find out more about the Levelling Up 2 projects, please download our LUT2 summary report.
Build Back Better Councillor Scheme
The remaining £530,000 has been allocated to the Build Back Better Councillor Scheme, giving each county councillor an extra £10,000 to spend in their division. The first phase of this funding is helping to make a real impact in communities.
View the cabinet decision paper.