News on HS2 in Northants

The Byfield Good Neighbour Scheme in Northamptonshire is a voluntary community village support network. CEF funding for the scheme, which helps neighbours help other neighbours, will reduce isolation and increase community cohesion within this rural community .

The project will support residents with everyday tasks that may have become too difficult to carry out alone, such as shopping, walking the dog, attending doctors’ appointments and household tasks. A dedicated phone line is in operation to coordinate this assistance. To increase social participation and confidence, residents will be able to attend activities within the village by being paired with volunteers, while the scheme will also host regular events to increase multi-generational interaction.

The project will also fund Covid-19 support efforts, including shopping for those who are shielding or self-isolating, delivering groceries and prescriptions for the village. While current events have been suspended due to the pandemic, volunteers have increased their work to combat social isolation through window buddies and a website dedicated to inspiring 'remote together' activities for residents to get involved in.

Community and Business Funds

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 community and business funds are administered and managed by independent community charity, Groundwork UK. 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 .