Community groups are being encouraged to apply for funding to help unlock the potential of Plymouth’s city centre.
‘High Street Sparks’ is a new bursary scheme that will run for the next three years. It’s part of the £95 million government-funded High Street Heritage Action Zone programme delivered by Historic England, which has been designed to give 60 different high streets across the country a boost.
Post-pandemic Plymouth, like many other towns and cities, is evolving. The ‘High Street Sparks’ scheme will gift small grants of up to £2,500 (and £5,000 in exceptional cases) to community projects that focus on a specially designated conservation area in the city centre.
Adopted in 2019, the conservation area is focused on Royal Parade and the Civic Square and bounded by New George Street to the north; Old Town Street and St Andrews Cross to the east; Notte Street to the south and Raleigh Street, Derry’s Cross and Athenaeum Lane to the west.
‘High Street Sparks’ grants can be used to fund projects or events that utilise underused buildings, empty shops and outside spaces, or other initiatives that will give people a chance to discover, celebrate and appreciate the area’s fascinating heritage. Community groups don’t even need a bank account to apply.
Steve Hughes, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company, said: “We are delighted to support this project which is a great way of involving the people of Plymouth in the future of their city centre.”
The deadline for applications in this first round of funding is midnight on September 30, 2021. Application forms and more information are available from [email protected] and www.theboxplymouth.com (click on ‘Visit’, ‘Outside The Box’ and ‘High Street Sparks’). You can also watch an online presentation about ‘High Street Sparks’ on Vimeo.