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UP! - North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

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LEADER helps revitalise AONB com<br />

TWO years into its five-year timeframe the<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Wessex</strong> <strong>Downs</strong> LEADER Programme is<br />

already providing jobs, much-needed facilities,<br />

and hopes <strong>of</strong> a more vibrant and sustainable<br />

future for communities throughout the AONB.<br />

LEADER has targeted £2 million to be<br />

awarded as local grants between 2009 and<br />

2013, and although £800,000 has already<br />

been spent or committed, the programme<br />

remains open to projects that show<br />

benefits for the AONB and deliver one <strong>of</strong><br />

the key themes:<br />

• Farming, food and forestry<br />

• Business transformation and community<br />

development<br />

• Challenges and opportunities <strong>of</strong> climate<br />

change<br />

• Enjoying the <strong>North</strong> <strong>Wessex</strong> <strong>Downs</strong><br />

So far, LEADER has helped nearly 30 projects<br />

with grants ranging from £5,000 to £50,000.<br />

Projects vary widely from refurbishing village<br />

Foreground, Richard and William discuss<br />

progress on the stables conversions. Pamela<br />

views the new community shop, with Mary<br />

Dennis (right) who will manage it .<br />

halls to start-up forestry businesses, renewable<br />

bio-fuels to recreational areas, meat-boxes to<br />

horse oats, a cattery to a brewery, and even<br />

historic church window restoration.<br />

LEADER grants may provide some <strong>of</strong> the<br />

resources, but it takes driven people to invest<br />

in new businesses and to create active change<br />

and improvement to their communities. Many<br />

<strong>of</strong> the LEADER projects are inter-generational,<br />

taking established family businesses in a new<br />

direction or providing a fresh focus for<br />

community life.<br />

Richard and Pamela Betts and their four<br />

children are aiming to enhance their 21st<br />

century commercial future at Manor Farm in<br />

Hampstead Norreys, as well as create a new<br />

hub for their village.<br />

The Betts family gained a LEADER grant<br />

enabling them to construct a new building on<br />

their farm to house a community shop. The<br />

enterprising shop committee also obtained a<br />

LEADER grant for the fit-out. Above the shop, a<br />

skin health clinic has been established. These<br />

projects complement the conversion <strong>of</strong> former<br />

stables into five self-catering holiday cottages<br />

and all these buildings are heated by a new<br />

wood-fuel boiler.<br />

Richard Betts explains: “LEADER financial<br />

support has provided the springboard for us<br />

to create a new community shop – a village<br />

stores, if you like – which will not only provide

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