Cannock Chase District has been allocated £3,021,807 from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to fund local projects for 3 years from 2022/2023 onwards. In addition, Staffordshire County Council will receive £4.188,798 from the UK Government’s Multiply programme to support adults to improve their numeracy skills.
The Council and its partners developed a robust Investment Plan which was submitted to UK Government in August 2022. In December 2022, UK Government confirmed its funding of the plan. The Council has a Governance Board that oversees the implementation of the Investment Plan and a Partnership Group which meets to consider progress.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund replaces the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIFs) such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) which supported a range of job creation, innovation and skills programmes.
Investment priorities
The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride in place and increase life chances. The fund will improve the place people live in, and support individuals and business.
The investment focus on three priorities:
1. Communities and place
Helping to improve community spaces and relationships that creates the conditions for economic growth at local level. These investments aim to strengthen communities, support local pride in place, and activities that enhance physical, cultural and local amenities, like community infrastructure and local spaces and community-led initiatives.
Building resilient, safe and healthy neighbourhoods, investment in quality places through targeted improvements to the built environment and innovative approaches to crime prevention.
Beat the Cold
Delivered by Beat the Cold providing a scheme that aims to help Cannock Chase households to reduce fuel poverty being experienced in the District and assist clients, where possible, to reduce their energy usage and save money. Being delivered from 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2025.
Where permitted by the client, each call will also discuss, and address the core issues of:
• Income maximisation
• Reduction of outgoings on fuel
• Behavioural change
• Funding, and improvements to the thermal comfort of the home
• Any other concern raised regarding energy, or energy supplier, including energy debt.
• Signpost and refer to partner agencies to maximize the outcomes for the individual supported.
Contact Us – Beat the Cold (beatcold.org.uk)
Poverty Benefits Advisor
Citizens Advice are working with Cannock Chase District Council to deliver a welfare rights service. This service aims to provide one to one support and advice to a Cannock Chase resident to understand their benefit entitlements, provide time and support to make eligible claims alongside supporting with appeal tribunals where needed. This is a targeted approach to ensure that the service reaches those individuals and households who are most vulnerable.
The service is looking to target those who are most vulnerable, which includes residents that aren’t in work, as well as those who are in low paid work. The service will support those residents who suffer with health conditions, younger people aged 18 and over, or in some cases aged 16-17, and pensioners.
People may be unaware of the additional support available through Universal Credit or other benefits. Recent research has shown that across the country many people are not accessing their full entitlements. This makes people more vulnerable to cost-of-living challenges.
For more information please contact Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West via mail-to@citizensadvicessw.org.uk or
Cannock Office, 28 Beecroft Road WS11 1BG
Rugeley Office, 7 Brook Square, WS15 2DU
Thriving Communities
Thriving Communities and Centres Project funding is being allocated to Town and Parish Councils across the District. The total allocation for the Thriving Communities and Spaces project funding is £380k over 3 years which will be split equally between the 7 areas of Hednesford, Rugeley, Cannock, Norton Canes, Heath Hayes, Chadsmoor and Bridgtown. All the funding must be spent by 31 March 2025.
The aim of the fund is to build community and business capacity. This builds on the success of the Welcome Back fund in the District but is tailored to meet the communities’ current and future needs. The outcome being to support and grow local civic pride. The Towns and Parish Councils are utilising these funds to deliver neighbourhood projects, improve or create green or blue space, support events for local residents which it is hoped in turn will increase footfall, reduce retail vacancy rates, increase users of facilities and amenities.
2. Supporting local business
Supporting local business investment priority will enable places to fund interventions that support local businesses to thrive, innovate and grow.
Creating jobs and boosting communities, investments that build on existing industries and institutions, support for starting and growing businesses.
Promoting networking and collaboration, bringing together businesses and partners to share knowledge, expertise and resources, and stimulate innovation and growth
Increasing private sector investment in growth-enhancing activities, targeted support for SMEs for new-to-firm innovation, productivity-enhancing, energy efficient and low carbon technologies and techniques, and start or grow.
Link to video created at one of our business support events: https://youtu.be/Z0b6ArlaQWs
Link to video created at the Business Support event October 2024 https://youtu.be/ML_e1fBOOeo
West Midlands SME Grant Programme - This grant programme is for:
- start-up SMEs based in the West Midlands Region (grants of £2,500 to £7,500 are available for Birmingham, Cannock Chase and Solihull based businesses only)
- existing SMEs based in the West Midlands Region (grants of £5,000 to £100,000 are available for Birmingham, Cannock Chase, Solihull, and Shropshire based businesses)
We expect most applications to apply for an average grant of between £10,000 to £20,000, and only in exceptional circumstances will grants of up to £100,000 be awarded. This is to make sure that the limited WMGP budget is given to as many businesses as possible.
Go Digital Accelerator delivered by Staffordshire University
A 16-week fully-funded programme to boost productivity, high-value jobs and innovation for businesses based in the Cannock Chase District. The programme is tailored to the business's needs and offers specialised R&D assistance to help develop new products and services or adopt digital and / or advanced technologies.
For more information visit the Go Digital Accelerator webpage.
Net Zero Pathfinder - delivered by Staffordshire University
A 12-week fully funded programme designed for businesses looking to implement a Net Zero plan aligned with Net Zero commitments in the Cannock Chase District.
For more information visit the Net Zero Pathfinder webpage.
Enterprise Advice & Business Support delivered by Staffordshire County Council
Staffordshire County Council is working in partnership with Cannock Chase Council to deliver a package of support for businesses withing the Cannock Chase District until March 2025. The project's objectives is to deliver a programme of support which is a simple 'one-stop-shop' for Start-ups and existing businesses alike. The programme consists of three elements:
Get Started & Grow
- Helps businesses up to the age of 5 years on the basics they need to get started
- They can access one strand of support completely free of charge
- A brand new website can be built
- New logo's and brand guidelines
- Social media strategy
- Or 1-2-1 bespoke support with a HR Advisor, Lawyer or Accountant
Email: getstarted@staffordshire.gov.uk to apply
Working for Yourself
- A programme created to work closely with job centres, libraries, local community groups and organisations
- A dedicated Enterprise coach to support people at the very beginning stage of starting a business
- May not even have the idea yet or think it's possible, coaches work 1-2-1 to create confidence and support
- Drop-in sessions will be held to increase awareness
- Social media marketing
Email: info@enterprisesupport.org to apply
Step Up Loans
- Interest free loans
- Average loan of £3,360 per business
- No match funding or guarantee required
- Businesses must have been trading for 2-5 years and based in Cannock Chase
- Loans can not be used for revenue, only capital funding
Apply via: startuploans@staffordshire.gov.uk
A dedicated business advisor is available for Cannock Chase businesses, to find out more about the business advisor initiative in Cannock Chase or any of the above initiatives contact the Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Business Helpline on 0300 111 8002.
3. People and skills
From 2024-2025 the aim is to invest in initiatives that will reduce the barriers some people face to employment and support them to move towards employment and education. Places can also target funding into skills for local areas to support employment and local growth. UKSPF will be the main source of funding to support employment provision for economically inactive people and for employees who need to improve and upskill. Local areas can tailor the investments to suit local needs and facilitate the join-up of mainstream provision and local services, through the use of keyworker support and community interventions, including engagement with integrated care systems.
Cannock Construction Excellence Initiative
Phase 1 - Delivered by South Staffordshire Collage at its Cannock Campus. Whilst this project is in 3 phases. UKSPF has contributed towards a Community asset which will deliver 3 programmes-
1. Building Community Capacity
2. Supporting Local Business
3. Providing people and skill courses
Build community capacity - Boosting core skills and support adults to progress in work, by targeting adults with no or low-level qualifications and skills in maths, and upskill the working population, yielding personal and societal economic impact, and by encouraging innovative approaches to reducing adult learning barriers. Reducing levels of inactivity.
Phase 2 - Delivered by South Staffordshire College at its Cannock Campus - this programme is focussed in supporting businesses in the Construction sector. It promotes local networking and collaboration, through local interventions that enable businesses and partners within and across the construction sector to share knowledge, expertise, and resources, and stimulate innovation and growth.
Phase 3 - Delivered by South Staffordshire College at its Cannock Campus - alongside collaborating with a range of local partners, such as HS2, Jobcentre Plus network and Cannock Chase District Council, South Staffordshire College use specific local market intelligence data, for example EMSI and RCU analysis, to ensure we meet the needs of both current and future employment needs while also considering the provision already available locally. Using differing budgets, such as Adult Education Budget, to ensure employers and learners receive the best available training using the best funding available for individuals.
Youth Aspirations
Young Enterprise were awarded this contract - they will be working with high school students across the district:-
• links between local employers and young people in their communities, building aspirations and creating career pathways which young people may never have considered previously.
• reach young people who are close to becoming economically active as skills development for young people is crucial when we are facing the reality of an ageing working population.
• provide in class programme/s for young people to:
- manage money at a practical level, The programme/s will align with curricular but will be informative, practical, and engaging to prepare young people for the changing world.
- understand the skills which employers value and prepare them for the world of employment, giving them a clearer understanding of the routes to jobs and careers they will find engaging and rewarding.
- learn from local employers and employees about the skills and qualities that are required to be successful in the workplace.
The programme must enable the young people to gain practical insight into the business start-up and development process. It should also align with the SEN (Special Educational Needs) School and / or High School’s education process. The contractor will work closely with Cannock Chase SEN Schools and High Schools. The contractor will be expected to collaborate with the education sector, third sector, local authority, and businesses.
Participant’s eligibility criteria:
Young person must:
• attend, a participating Cannock Chase District SEN School or a High School,
• be referred by a participating Cannock Chase District SEN School or a High School
• between the ages of 12 to 18
Runs until 31 March 2025
General Skills and Life Skills Project (Cannock Chase Discovery)
Jobs 22 secured this contract - the programme will be personalised and dealt with on a case-by-case basis (through one-to-one interventions and group workshops), but some supportive measures could revolve around:
• Functional Skills English courses
• Functional Skills Maths courses
• ESOL provision
• Soft skills provision including communication, motivation, problem solving, teamwork, and conflict resolution.
• Life Skills courses such as cooking, travel training, creative arts, foreign languages, being energy efficient, mental health awareness, fitness, gardening, confidence building, baking, volunteering within the community, and work experience.
• Understanding “green growth skills” (these are skills that align to net zero ambitions with low carbon growth, assist local low carbon requirements in the local supply chain and what is required to help the District enable the UK to meet its net zero priorities.
• Practical digital skills which compliment those being delivered by the South Staffordshire College’s Digital Skills Academy and is the next step from the Staffordshire Multiply programme.
The programme offers a range of interventions across four broad categories: work, skills, health, and life. It is being delivered by Jobs 22 on behalf of Cannock Chase Council and funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The programme will run from 1 May 2024 until 31 March 2025.
Cannock Chase Discovery will help residents who are unemployed or employed and who meet one of several criteria, including being from a low-income household, low skill levels, digital exclusion, and poor health.
For more information and to register interest, call 0333 242 1230, email discoveryukspf@jobs-22.co.uk.
Link to video / case study: https://youtu.be/JpaA3xQqfww
More information
You can find out more about the UKSPF on the government website:
website: UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) - GOV.UK (external link)
For further information contact:- econdev@cannockchasedc.gov.uk
