Local people have been awarded £4 million of funding for the Cambridgeshire and Norfolk Fens by the East of England Development Agency. The funding, from the Rural Development Programme for England, will be spent over the next seven years on local projects designed to foster a thriving farming and rural business economy in the Fens, that benefits local communities and the environment.
The successful bid was developed by Cambridgeshire ACRE and the Greater Cambridge Partnership on behalf of the Fens Adventurers Partnership Local Action Group. The partnership brings together the community development and economic development expertise of the two lead organisations with local knowledge and expertise from the public and private sectors.
The funding will be allocated to the Fens Adventurers Local Action Group to invest in bottom-up, locally-led projects. Projects will support farming businesses, micro and community enterprises, and develop the tourism potential of this special rural landscape. Some examples of projects that could be supported include:
· Investing in the branding of high-quality local food products e.g. Fenland beef from cattle grazed on the Ouse Washes nature reserve.
· Investing in new micro enterprises and farm diversification projects e.g. eco-lodges for tourists.
· Training and support for communities wanting to set up a community shop or pub.
· Linking up the expanding wetland habitat sites at Wicken Fen, the Great Fen and the Ouse Washes with footpaths, cycle routes and visitor services.
Nigel Brown, OBE, Chairman of the GCP comments “this is terrific news for the Fens part of Greater Cambridge. It is important that rural businesses and communities benefit from the opportunities related to economic growth in the area so that they can reap the rewards and ensure greater prosperity for all.”
John Yates, Chair of Cambridgeshire ACRE said “This is excellent news for all concerned and I am especially pleased that this funding will contribute to the economic, social and environmental well-being of the Fens’ communities in which we all live and work.”
Martin Garratt, GCP Director and Chair of the Local Action Group said “we are delighted to have secured £4 million for this important programme to help boost the economy of the Fens area. We will work with a range of partners to deliver projects on the ground to make a real difference to the economy and quality of life in the Fens.”
The Fens Adventurers Partnership brings together an array of local people and organisations representing economic, social and environmental interests in the Fens. Cambridgeshire County Council is a key member and will act as the accountable body for the funding. Other partners include district councils, farming organisations, environmental organisations, farmers, business people and voluntary organisations. The Partnership’s name is inspired by the original “Adventurers”, 17th century entrepreneurs who invested in the drainage of the Fens by the Dutch engineer Vermuyden, creating today’s fertile farmland.
The area covered by the bid corresponds with the black “peaty” fens stretching from the Lincolnshire border in the north, to the edge of Cambridge in the south. It includes the northern half of Cambridgeshire and extends into west Norfolk, but excludes the city of Ely and the large market town of Wisbech. With a population of almost 165,000 the area covers part of five local authority districts: Fenland; Huntingdonshire; Kings Lynn and West Norfolk; East Cambridgeshire; and South Cambridgeshire.