£2.2m European funding for farming in the Yorkshire Dales
RURAL enterprises in the Yorkshire Dales are set to benefit from £2.2 million funding.
The investment comes from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and is managed by Defra.
The Yorkshire Dales Local Action Group (LAG) for LEADER consulted with people working and living in the rural areas of Richmondshire, Craven, Harrogate and Hambleton to identify opportunities to boost economic growth, and create new jobs.
Rima Berry, LEADER co-ordinator explained: “This is a unique opportunity for the rural businesses and communities in our area to benefit from investment in initiatives that other types of main stream “top-down” funding fails to reach.
“This opportunity has only been possible through the amazing commitment and enthusiasm of local people and all our partner organisations.
“Together we have identified the barriers we face as a rural area and successfully applied for LEADER status so that we might fund the innovative and collaborative solutions to them.”
The LAG will work with York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership and Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership to make best use of the funding for rural development and to provide support for rural businesses.
The programme will open for applications towards the end of June 2015, but in the meantime Rima would like to hear from people with farming and rural enterprise projects that could utilise funding to promote economic growth and generate new jobs across the region.
