News on HS2 in Staffs

The Longdon Club & Institute , a Social Enterprise based at the Memorial Hall in Longdon, Rugeley, is a thriving local amenity which has secured a CEF (Community and Environment Fund) grant to provide essential renovations and improvements to the building.

The Memorial Hall, built in 1919 to commemorate those who fell in the First World War and to serve the local community, hosts regular sports, music and bingo nights for local residents. It will receive £75,000 from our CEF fund to carry out a number of enhancements, including improved accessibility for disabled residents and wheelchair users, a new kitchen, tables and chairs and renovation of the building’s exterior. It will also provide a new energy efficient central heating system, new double-glazed windows, roof insulation and electrical rewiring.

The project is a continuation of other upgrades, funded separately, which have seen the improvement of toilet facilities and is part of a programme of work to keep the building in good order to ensure it can continue to serve the community for many more years to come.

To date, over £7.6 million has been awarded from the funds across 126 projects near the HS2 route. In Staffordshire, seven other projects have already benefitted, sharing £337,699 between them. The projects range from upgrades to community facilities including village halls and tennis courts, to a contribution to the development of a new café at the Wolesley Centre, part of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s local estate.

Community and Business Funds

As construction of HS2 gets underway, applications for the funds are still being welcomed. Our Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) for Phase One are worth £40 million. They give local communities and businesses disrupted by the construction of HS2 the opportunity to receive funding of up to £1 million for projects to improve their local area or support their local economy.

The Funds for Phase One, independently administered by community charity Groundwork UK, support urban and rural, community, environmental and business projects. Community and business groups in Staffordshire will also be eligible to apply for a share of the £5million funding announced for Phase 2a of the HS2 route, between the West Midlands and Crewe, when the funding is available.

For more information on Groundwork and the funds, including how to apply, visit https://hs2funds.org.uk/ . You can also watch our short videos which explain how to best demonstrate that your project meets the criteria for the Community, Environment or Business Funds.

If you have any questions about the Community and Business Funds, HS2 or our works, please contact our HS2 Helpdesk team on 08081 434 434 or email hs2enquiries@hs2.org.uk .