Tens of thousands of residents and businesses across North Yorkshire have benefited from millions of pounds of investment to support the economy, improve job opportunities and bring benefits to communities.

An event has been held to celebrate the impact of the Shared Prosperity Fund in North Yorkshire.

Representatives from a selection of the 791 Shared Prosperity Fund funded projects in the county spoke about the positive effect that the funding has made for them.

North Yorkshire was allocated £16.9 million from the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, in addition to £5.4 million through the Rural England Prosperity Fund.

The fund brought in a further £16 million from other funding sources bringing the total money spent on projects launched through the Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund across the county to £39 million.

We distributed the funding through a wide programme of grant and support schemes aimed at businesses and community groups.

Our leader, Cllr Carl Les, who is the chair of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Local Partnership Group in the county, said: “This event has been a fantastic opportunity to hear from some of those who have been directly supported by this funding.

“More than 50,000 people have been reached by the Shared Prosperity Fund-funded projects and today has shown the lasting impact it will have on the county.

“I am very proud to see that about 2,000 jobs have been created or safeguarded as a result of this work and more than 1,000 business were supported directly by us, including an export and investment programme which has added in excess of £170 million to our county’s economy.”

Representative of the business community have praised the flexibility of the fund in North Yorkshire in addressing issues specific to communities.

The development manager at the York and North Yorkshire Federation of Small Businesses, Carolyn Frank, said: “Shared Prosperity Fund has allowed us as a region to think differently and create demand led programmes of support to businesses, communities and places.

“The flexibility of both Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund to address rural specific issues and to offer bespoke interventions has meant that the programme has made lasting and measurable change. This was no tick box exercise of support or funding, but a mechanism to solve real issues in our region, create genuine change and generate new thinking in how funds are managed and spent. It paves the way for future devolved funding to be spent with impact, and with co-design from residents and businesses.

“Small businesses who have benefitted from the funds have made some huge leaps forward in their enterprises, from capital grants to expert training, increasing their resilience, their confidence and their trading performance, safeguarding our local economy and boosting North Yorkshire overall.

“Federation of Small Businesses will continue to represent the small business community in shaping the next year, and we look forward to more celebrations to come from Shared Prosperity Fund, but today we thank North Yorkshire Council and all the delivery partners for their great effort over the last three years.”

One community organisation supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is Better Connect, a non-profit organisation which is based in Knaresborough.

Its Rise2Thrive programme has provided employment support for people with a range of complex barriers preventing them from entering jobs or progressing within the workplace.

The chief executive officer of Better Connect, Natasha Babar-Evans, said: "We at Better Connect are delighted to have been a part of the North Yorkshire UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme.

“Better Connect has led several successful partnership programmes under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund over the past two years and the impact on individuals, communities and businesses across the region has been incredible.

“Multiply has provided an opportunity to deliver a wide range of flexible provision to improve people’s numeracy skills and the community anchor support programme has enabled key community-based organisations to access free support, training, and advice to enhance their organisational development.

“The UK Shared Prosperity Fund funding has been crucial for businesses from across the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector in North Yorkshire and without it there would have been a huge gap in services following the end of European funding.

“It has enabled the continuation of essential support at a time when the need for that support has become more important than ever.”

Among the other initiatives to benefit is a flagship festival that celebrates North Yorkshire’s cultural excellence and drives local tourism is among those to benefit from a multi-million pound support scheme.

Ryedale Festival has set out to make North Yorkshire one of the best regions in Europe to enjoy classical music since its launch in 1981.

The annual summer celebration now welcomes thousands of performers and fans with more than 60 events held in historic venues across the county in 2024, including expanding into new locations such as Selby and Scarborough.

The festival received a £90,000 Government grant through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, administered by North Yorkshire Council, to grow its summer event that attracts fans from across the world as well as deliver a new spring festival promoting local creativity.

Held over two weekends and finishing on March 29, the first-ever spring festival showcased some of North Yorkshire’s most talented amateur choirs and musicians, as well as a well-known UK orchestra.

The festival generates an annual economic benefit of £1.5 million for the region, supports 20 tourism-related jobs, and helps retain an additional £1.275 million within the local economy.

Ryedale Festival’s artistic director, Christopher Glynn, said: “Thanks to the passion and dedication of countless individuals who believe in live music and its place in everyday life, the festival has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

“We’re incredibly grateful to North Yorkshire Council and delighted to see their new cultural strategy acknowledge the vital role the arts play in shaping communities, driving economic growth and strengthening local identity.”

In the Autumn Budget, the Government announced a one-year extension of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund up until March next year. This will be delivered by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority which has been allocated £8.7 million in funding.