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Principles met

  • Co-production

    We will develop systems that enable citizens to be equal partners in designing and commissioning public services and in determining the use of public resources.

  • Enterprise and social economy

    We will promote community-based approaches to economic development that focus on supporting the creation of jobs, social enterprises and other businesses and providing an environment for co-operative and mutual enterprises to thrive.

  • Innovation

    We will embrace innovation in how we work with local communities to drive positive change.

  • Maximising social value

    We will support the development of a framework and criteria for social value, giving substance to the concept and supporting Councils with the tools to ensure better local social and economic outcomes.

When Medway Council received its allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), it chose to hand power to communities through an open, community‑led grant model. Medway faces challenges seen across many local authority areas, including pockets of deprivation and uneven access to cultural/economic opportunity. To strengthen civic pride alongside physical regeneration, Medway took the view that Place‑based interventions cannot be delivered solely through capital investment or council‑designed programmes. Instead, interventions required residents and local organisations to have influence over the activities that shape where they live, work, learn and visit.

The Approach
Since 2022, Medway has invested £2.4 million through the UKSPF across nearly 150 projects, supporting eligible groups across the area. Rather than designing projects from the top‑down, the council opened an application process to any legally constituted entity across Medway.

The council’s UKSPF programme offered three funding streams:

  1. Pride in Place Fund – supporting cultural / community projects (building capacity of local groups, infrastructure and encouraging people to explore the local area).
  2. Feasibility Fund – providing seed funding for longer‑term project development.
  3. Summer Events Fund – encouraging large‑scale community events to foster pride and attract visitors to Medway.

In Year 3 (2024 to 2025), £1,179,438 was funded into 55 projects. The council held a launch event and delivered direct support sessions to organisations that sought them. This was important for smaller organisations and those without prior experience of applying for public funding. A help booklet was developed, providing guidance for each application question, and was designed as a lasting resource for organisations to use in future applications.

Luton Lights – Ideas Test

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