Swansea Council has now approved dozens of projects across the city that applied for support as part of the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund’s open call for bids.
Projects that have been given the green light include:
- Skills for Swansea, where Gower College Swansea will lead a partnership of specialist local training providers to deliver retraining and upskilling support to adults aged 19 and over in line with the local economy’s skills needs.
- Swansea Green Futures, where Pobl Group will deliver a green infrastructure programme that will improve opportunities for wellbeing, green skills, biodiversity and local food provision while reducing the city’s carbon footprint, surface water and flood risk.
- A project led by the Elysium Gallery that will renovate the former JT Morgan building in the city centre, transforming it into multi-purpose arts centre. Over 60 creative incubator spaces will be included to cater for the local creative industry as part of a scheme that will also include a gallery, a café, an education centre, function rooms and a bio solar roof.
- A Natural Products BioHub project led by Swansea University that aims to establish Swansea as a hub for natural products research and product development.
- Led by the Tabernacle Morriston congregation, reconfiguration works at the chapel will convert it into an accessible-to-all community hub that would enable four separate events to take place at the same time. This would help increase revenue potential while safeguarding the Grade 1 listed building for future generations.
Under the Shared Prosperity Fund’s ‘Multiply’ theme, Gower College Swansea has successfully applied for funding to run a project called Multiply Swansea. To be delivered in partnership with locally-based skills providers, the project will offer numeracy skills support to adults aged 19 and over who don’t have a level two or higher qualification in Maths.
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “A lot of work was done to identify the key themes of the Shared Prosperity Fund open call in Swansea to ensure as many benefits as possible for local people and local communities.
“Close to 30 projects have now been approved that will meet these goals by improving people’s skills and employability prospects, while boosting our communities with new facilities and more opportunities for local residents.
“This funding and the projects it will help deliver are part of the cost of living help being provided by the council.”
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “Higher and further education providers, the private sector, community groups and third-sector organisations are among those who will receive the funding to deliver these projects as we look to make best use of the funding that’s been made available by the UK Government.
“The schemes forming part of the open call will build on the anchor projects also being funded by the Shared Prosperity Fund that include business support and boosting rural areas with funding for rural community development, climate change themed activities and support for rural businesses.”
The Shared Prosperity Fund is one of the UK Government funds replacing European funds that are no longer available after Brexit. It’s also part of the UK Government’s levelling-up agenda.
Other Swansea projects to be funded as part of the open call for bids, which has now been closed for applications, include a Clydach lock scheme led by the Swansea Canal Society. The canal lock will be reinstated and a new mooring basin will enable a community trip boat and a canoe training centre.
A Goleudy Hub project at the Maritime Quarter, led by Goleudy Housing and Support Ltd, is also being funded. Open to all, the hub will host a diverse range of services to meet the needs of local people. The hub will include a community café, a training kitchen, health and well-being initiatives, art and a shared workspace.
