Shared Prosperity Fund

Cheshire West and Chester Council were allocated £12.6m from the Government's Shared Prosperity Fund for activity between April 2022 and March 2025. The programme aimed to:

• build better live chances
• improve people's pride in the places they live
• empower communities to build a stronger social fabric for themselves
• support local businesses
• support people to develop skills, access employment and also included Multiply, the Government's adult numeracy programme

An Investment Plan, developed with Stakeholders, set out an agreed approach to priorities for use of this funding in the area.

Community and Place

We held two fully open application calls for Community and Place projects which sought to

• building better life chances through investment in the community sector’s capacity, social infrastructure or support volunteering and social action or:
• aimed to improve pride of place through investment in Arts and Culture or natural and built heritage

In total, nearly 60 projects secured funding – from larger projects restoring or upgrading community buildings or improving access to nature, as well as grassroots projects supported by voluntary sector organisations. 

People and Skills

In year three of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), People and Skills initiative focused on several key projects aimed at enhancing the local workforce and supporting vulnerable groups. These projects included providing targeted support for economically inactive adults and young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET). The initiative also extended existing programs such as skills bootcamps, employment support offers, and collaborations with local delivery partners, which included further and higher education institutions.

Overall, 17 projects were commissioned in 2024-25. They ranged from smaller, place based specific projects, to larger, borough wide programs.