Cotmanhay set to benefit as East Mids Mayor launches £3m scheme to give neighbourhoods an ‘opportunity to thrive'

The Mayor of the East Midlands has announced a £3 million pot to help grassroots community groups across the region thrive. The Community Development Fund was launched by Claire Ward on 4th September and Cotmanhay is one of the 10 priority areas across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire which the fund is open to. 

The scheme, which will run over the next three years, aims to tackle deprivation and improve lives. 

It will be led by those who know their areas best – the community groups on the ground – and deliver on this Labour Government’s pledge to break down barriers of opportunity, not letting where you come from define where you go. 

Mayor Claire Ward said: “The aim of this fund is to ensure that 10 priority areas across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire will have the opportunity to thrive. This is about giving these areas the confidence, tools and support they need to take control of their future. 

“We’re not here to impose solutions from the top down. I want local people to tell me what they need. They already have the strength and creativity; this is about helping them to grow. 

“I look forward to delivering this money and demonstrating the positive change that a Labour Mayor is making in the East Midlands.”

Groups can now register with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) for the funding, with those involved with revitalising community spaces, skills and employment, health and wellbeing, and heritage especially encouraged to apply. 

Erewash MP, Adam Thomspon, said: “For too many years, Cotmanhay has been left behind. But with a Labour Mayor, a Labour MP and a Labour Government working hand in hand, we are turning our backs on that dark past and bringing forward the change we promised. 

“I’m excited that Cotmanhay has been chosen to receive this grant and I particularly appreciate that those who benefit will be based on need – not the flawed and wasteful bidding system used by the Conservatives. 

“I’m very thankful to our Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, for making this commitment possible, and I can’t wait to talk to Cotmanhay families more about how we can invest in their futures.”