Community assets including pubs, iconic music venues and sports clubs have been saved from closure following a multi-million package from the third round of the Community Ownership Fund.

Community Ownership Fund

Since Round 1 of the Community Ownership Fund, all bids which have passed the criteria for successful applications have been funded. An approach that has enabled the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to fund the maximum number of projects. It is envisaged that future funding will target underrepresented areas to help even out any regional imbalances.

The total spending to date of £103 million has been invested in 333 projects.

The next round of the Community Ownership Fund, Round 4, is the final round. There will be two bidding windows in Round 4 to allocate the remaining funding. The next bidding window, Round 4 Window 1, opened on 25 March 2024 and closes on 10 April 2024.

A lifeline to sports facilities

In the current round of funding 19 sports facilities have been given a lifeline, as £6.7 million is being invested in keeping football clubs and swimming pools afloat so that local people can continue keeping fit and healthy.

In Crewe, the Mirion Street Centre is reopening following £300,000 from the fund. The building burnt down in 2014, and the money will enable a local boxing club to redevelop the building so they can move into it. The boxing club operates from a run-down warehouse so new opportunities can be created when the centre reopens.

Screening new films

Two cinemas will also now be kept open, including the Edinburgh Filmhouse which opened in 1979 but became run down and closed in 2022. This venue is receiving £1.5 million so that it can open its doors again, screening films in a newly refurbished venue.

Keep pulling pints

Then, almost £3 million is being invested in nine pubs so that they can keep pulling pints, including the Shrewsbury Arms in Kingstone, which has needed vital investment to keep it running. Now, with £178,000 from the Fund, the roof can be replaced and the pub can once again become the centre of community life.

Live music on the doorstep

Four music venues are to receive a total of £1.9 million between them so that live music will remain on their community’s doorstep.

This includes £250,000 for Le Pub in Newport, which has sat proudly at the centre of the city’s music scene for 28 years. The venue hosts over 300 events a year but has been at risk of being sold, and this funding will ensure that it is protected for future generations to enjoy.

Grow the economy

According to Jacob Young, Minister for Levelling Up, this funding will enable more community spaces to be created and stay open for people to enjoy, helping to bolster local economies as well as contributing to the government’s wider mission of growing the UK’s economy.