UP! - North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
UP! - North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
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