• British Gas have just opened a fund offering £100,000 grants for net-zero projects in the Midlands, which could help organisations in Corby & East Northamptonshire to develop their ideas to tackle climate change, bring down energy bills, and deliver a real impact to communities in our area. They’re looking to fund projects that support innovative and sustainable solutions that reduce emissions, improve understanding of environmental impacts, and promote sustainable energy uses. Applications from charities, non-profits, and registered community groups are welcome, ahead of the deadline of the 19th April. You can find out more, here.
• This March, National Grid Electricity Distribution is launching the latest round of its Community Matters Fund – making available £250,000 to support projects that inspire more young people into careers in technology, science and engineering. Registered charities and non-profit companies in the Midlands could get up to £5,000 each to engage children in STEM activities, and unregistered community organisations can apply for grants of up to £2,000. Eligible projects for the latest round of funding should bring STEM to life in an engaging way, improve skills and confidence in STEM, and break down access barriers to getting involved with STEM. The deadline for applying for funding is the 27th March, and grants for successful applicants will be awarded in April. You can find out more, here.
• I was really pleased to hear from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport that cultural venues across England are being invited to apply for grants worth up to £5 million from a significant funding pot of £15.2 million, to help continue to level-up access to the arts and culture across England and drive economic growth by creating local job opportunities, training opportunities and encouraging tourism, reflecting the power of the arts and culture to changes lives! Twenty projects have received a combined total of £76.8 million from the Cultural Development Fund since 2019 and those grants are making a real difference across England. If you’re part of a cultural venue in Corby & East Northamptonshire, don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity! You can find out more, here.
• As part of the Government’s plan to deliver a brighter economic future for Britain, we’re reaffirming our commitment to small businesses by setting up a new Small Business Council and the 'Help to Grow Plan'. The former, chaired by the Minister for Small Business, will bring together industry leaders from across the SME community. It will provide a powerful voice for small businesses within Government, and will oversee access to finance, skills and support, as well as removing barriers and red tape. Alongside this, the new 'Help to Grow' hub will provide expert advice on how to set up and grow a business, and brings together all the Government support on offer in one place. These announcements come alongside a broad background of support for SMEs, including our £4.3 billion Business Rates package, which will help high streets across England in the next five years, as well as the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loan Scheme, providing over £1 billion in loans. I’m really proud of all the work we’re doing as a Government to tackle the issues affecting SMEs on a daily basis, and I’m confident these measures will have a really positive impact for small businesses in Corby & East Northamptonshire and beyond. I'd certainly encourage businesses and entrepreneurs locally to explore these opportunities!
• The impact of fraud can be devastating and can have lasting effects on victims and their families. Fraud is the single largest crime, accounting for almost 40% of all offences in England and Wales. That’s why the 'Fraud Strategy' has been launched, involving partners across Government, law enforcement and the private sector to tackle this issue. Since publishing the strategy, a National Fraud Squad has been created – with 400 investigators already in post – to better tackle the most callous fraudsters targeting the UK public and businesses. We continue to fight telecommunications enabled fraud, including by supporting Ofcom’s work to take action against criminals impersonating or ‘spoofing’ the phone numbers of trusted, legitimate organisations like banks, delivery companies, or even the NHS. We are also taking legislative action to ban ‘SIM farms'. As a result of our action to date, fraud has fallen 13% compared to 2022. However, we need to go further to protect people’s hard-earned cash. The recent launch of the ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ campaign – another 'Fraud Strategy' commitment – is the next step, which will transform the fight against fraudsters by streamlining and amplifying anti-fraud messaging. This is very welcome news, and you can find out more about this important work and best protect yourself from fraudsters by taking a look at the information, here.
• Good news! The British Business Bank have recently launched their £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II to help smaller businesses thrive across the Midlands. The fund aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting new and growing businesses through investment strategies suited to meet the needs of different firms, with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments up to £5 million to help businesses start-up, scale up, or stay ahead. The inaugural version of the fund has helped 739 smaller businesses since 2017 – this is an opportunity well worth exploring and to find out more, see, here.
• Following on from my previous post, Parliament’s Education and Engagement Service will be hosting their next residential Teacher Ambassador Programme from 1st-3rd July 2024. This unique three-day course gives teachers the opportunity to experience the workings of Parliament firsthand, before returning to their classrooms to help students better understand and engage with Parliament. Throughout the programme, teachers will get to meet the Speaker, Lord Speaker, and Members of both houses, as well as take part in workshops, Q&A sessions, and tour the Palace of Westminster. Last year, 100% of attendees ranked the programme as excellent and confirmed that it had made them more confident in teaching their students about Parliament, so this is not one to be missed! Transport, accommodation, and most meals are covered, and the deadline for applications is Sunday 24th March 2024. You can find out more about how to apply, here.
• English Tourism Week 2024 is happening now, and if you ever needed an excuse to get out and experience the sights that England has to offer, this is definitely it! We are so fortunate to have such a diverse tourism sector in England, and this year’s theme of ‘Supporting tourism, the heart of our communities’ is hugely important, including right here in Corby & East Northamptonshire, where we are so lucky to have numerous fantastic historical, unique, and brilliant places and businesses to visit, including Kirby Hall, where I was pleased to visit just a few weeks ago. #EnglishTourismWeek24
• National Highways have been in touch to let me know that essential maintenance works are due to be carried out on the A14 from Junctions 12 to 13 starting on the 22nd April for completion at the end of July this year. There will be lane closures in place for a week this month to allow for surveying to be carried out. Full carriageway closures, one direction at a time, will be in place from 8pm-6am, Monday to Friday, to allow works to be carried out, with fully marked diversion routes in place during these closures, so as to minimise disruption to local communities, road users and businesses. I have also been informed that a public liaison officer from National Highways will be on hand to answer any questions.
• Following their record-breaking year in 2023, with over £76 million invested in grassroots sports facilities across England, the Football Foundation are gearing up for an even bigger 2024. As part of this, they’re announcing even more funding opportunities to enhance grassroots sports clubs, both here in Corby & East Northamptonshire and across the country. Whether you’re looking for a grass pitch that can be used all year round, floodlights to illuminate the pitch in winter, or a welcoming community space, they’ve got local grassroots sports clubs covered. You can find out more about the funding available, here. And get applying!
• Tesco have been in touch to let me know about their £8 million 'Stronger Starts' scheme, which aims to help local schools and community groups to provide healthy food and activities. Funding has already been awarded to over 7,000 projects across the UK, with more than £5 million specifically allocated for children and young people. Nominations for future funding rounds are open and I would encourage schools and groups across Corby & East Northamptonshire to apply for grants, here. Don’t miss out!
• The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently announced a review into the car finance market, which follows the 2021 ban on discretionary commission, which tackled increases in car loan charges, and whilst many have complained about potentially being overcharged before the ban, most claims have been rejected by providers. The FCA is assessing this issue to ensure that if customers have lost out because of previous poor conduct, they receive proper compensation. Find out more, here.
• National Grid have been in touch regarding their apprenticeship scheme, and are encouraging young people in Corby & East Northamptonshire to send in applications. With a range of important challenges facing our energy sector currently, from the need to cut carbon emissions to bringing down bills and improving energy security, there’s never been a more critical time to get involved – making a real difference in tackling these issues head-on. This is an excellent apprenticeship scheme to be part of – indeed, the National Grid were the first UK apprenticeship provider to be ranked excellent by Ofsted for three years running – and so it is not to be missed! You can find out more, here.
• I’m really pleased that grassroots community projects in Corby & East Northamptonshire can apply for up to £20,000 of funding through National Lottery 'Awards for All'. I’m excited to see the great ideas come forward that will have a lasting positive impact on our communities! More information, here.
If you have anything you would like to be featured next week, please email all the details to pursglovet@parliament.uk.
Also, if you have taken any photos of constituency landscapes or landmarks, which could be featured in my ‘Community Notices’ headers, please send them in and I will try to use as many of them as possible (and credit them accordingly!), as a celebration of the fantastic place we live and work in. I know we have many budding photographers in our community and it would be great to showcase their work!