Examples of successful LEADER projects funded in the South Pennines

This page gives details of the projects already given funding under the South Pennines LEADER programme. The projects are divided into the three areas of priorities laid out in the “What sort of projects are we looking for” page of this site. For examples of the Small Grants already approved, please follow the linkages to the Small Grants pages of this site
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Conservation and Upgrading of the Rural Heritage
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Rochdale Canal Festival: To promote and increase access to a distinctive heritage and landscape asset running through the heart of the South Pennines. The festival will highlight links into the Pennine environment, the market towns along the canal into the communities of Calderdale, Rochdale, Oldham and Manchester demonstrating the wider opportunities and connections it makes. The festival will increase partnership working and community involvement along the length of the canal.

Canal Connections : Raising the profile of the Rochdale Canal and increase leisure usage by improving signage and initiating education work promoting and its linkages with both the local community and the wider South Pennines.

Pennine Portraits: “A marriage of music and art to capture and celebrate the distinctive cultural heritage of the South Pennines”. Working with a composer and a photographer to produce a new work for brass band that brings together music and image to capture and portray the distinctive cultural heritage of the area. The work to be premiered at the Holmfirth Art & Music Festival.

Heritage Discovery : To promote, expand and sustain the economic, social cultural and environmental vibrancy of the South Pennines through engaging places of worship in a closer dialogue and collaboration with the communities in which they are rooted and through attracting larger number of visitors. The project will work with a number of churches to research, document and link history and tourism opportunities through a number of trails and visitor packs.

Age to Age: A 4 year oral history project incorporating 5 diverse themes within a longitudinal context of change in Calderdale. The project aims to bring heritage alive through hearing local voices by making people aware of the impact that recording local oral histories can make towards understanding of the heritage and culture of Calderdale’s rural communities. The project aims to explore innovative outputs that have the ability to reach out to new audiences and be more accessible both physically and intellectually.

Between the Bridges : To promote access to the South Pennines between Smithy Bridge and Sowerby Bridge by train with linkages to the footpath network.

Pennine Inheritance : To assist in the development of a project which seeks to promote, interpret and celebrate the unique landscape, history and cultural heritage of the South Pennines through the establishment of a series of “hubs” (or visitor centres), each linked to a network of “spokes” (or interpretive trails) which can be explored on foot or by public transport.

Pennine Yorkshire Sense of Place : Project with West Yorkshire Tourism Partnership to encourage tourism providers to develop and raise awarenes of the South Pennines.

South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival : To promote the South Pennines as one of the Uks best locations for outdoor activities (walking,cycling/mountain biking and horse riding), attracting visitors from across the area, nearby conurbations and further afield in the UK

South Pennines Walk & Ride Web Site: Creation of a recreational product for graded walks and ride across the South Pennines.

Community Engagement programme : To develop a comprehensive community engagement programme for the HLF watersheds strategy which will also assist in the delivery of LEADER.

Watersheds Landscape : Landscape Partnerships HLF project

Tim Bobbin Festival : To celebrate storytelling and the Lancashire dialect with a view to making the area a regional centre for storytelling and dialect.

Moor Memories : To conserve and commemorate the tradition and heritage of the Peak District and South Pennine moorlands through the collection of recorded oral history interviews.

Connect 2 Plus : Refurbishment of the canal towpath between Littlleborough and Warland Upper lock with signage and interpretation

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Village Renewal and Development
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The Incredible Edible Food Hub : To create a self sufficient local food town. The food hub will be situated on dis-used land at Todmorden High School comprising a unique, sustainable, land based aquaponic system (an integrated food production system producing fish, vegetable, fruit and salad crops) based in four large greenhouses together with allotments/growing space for community groups to use, the establishment of a community orchard and setting up of beehives.

Two Valleys Radio : To develop a creative arts programme with participants from the local communities in the Colne and Holme valley initially through the medium of community radio, aiming to develop a sense of pride in place. A recognisable web site will be established that highlights and celebrates the festivals, cultural events and people that are making a difference in the area.

Pennine Landscapes : Working with school children and 15 volunteers aged 70-90 to celebrate the shared heritage and locality of the Holme Valley through various artists media.

Dove Stone’s Natural Economics : Improvements to the Dove Stone’s gateway site to include renovation of toilet facilities, installation of car park barrier, production of interpretation material, installation of natural play area and development of programme of adult learning activities

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Basic Services for the Economy and Rural Population
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Midgley Matters : Building Community. To provide a permanent new home for the community room in Midgley using an old cooperative building to ensure the continuation of a range of events, social and support activities for the village residents. Midgley Community Forum encourages community cohesion through social events and aims to provide support for disadvantaged groups and otherwise isolated individuals in the village. Midgley has no other community facility.

Power From the Landscape: To support communities in the development of micro hydro electric schemes in the South Pennines. The project includes site assessments as to viability and potential technical elements, liaising with other agencies, guidance through financing the schemes and signposting to other relevant help and support.

Community Building Energy Support : Project to involve energy/water audits, action planning and hands on support to access funding for capital projects for community buildings. Further Energy Management training to be offered to selected building managers who could then offer support/advice to other community buildings on resource efficiency measures.

Why Local Food Matters : Project with Young Farmers Association to develop local food initiatives and promotion through all farming events

Todmorden Hour Car : Providing a low cost alternative to personal car ownership through a car share scheme in Todmorden for residents and visitors.

Good Times Outdoors in the South Pennines : To assist the organsiers of current and future recreational mass participation events in the South Pennines area through purchase and shared use of a digital tagging system

Steeton Railway Station : Construction of new access to Steeton-with-Silsden Railway Station