News on HS2 in Northants

Sulgrave Parochial Church Council has become the latest community group to benefit from the HS2 Community and Environment Fund (CEF), with a successful bid for a £75,000 grant to improve facilities at the Church Hall of St James the Less.

The project will involve refurbishing and upgrading the church hall which is over 100 years old. The hall is a focal part of the community, providing a social hub used by a wide range of residents. New disabled toilets will also be built as part of the initiative, improving accessibility and making the community facility available to be used by all.

The HS2 Community and Business funds were launched in 2017 and have to date supported 15 projects in Northamptonshire which have shared over £700,000. Projects have ranged from community facilities upgrades and improving play facilities, to schemes to support community cohesion and tackle loneliness.

Community and Business Funds

With construction of HS2 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. 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 .