HS2 Community & Business Funds Annual Review 2017

HS2 COMMUNITY & BUSINESS FUNDS: PHASE ONE ANNUAL REVIEW 2017/18

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY & ENVIRONMENT FUND AND BUSINESS & LOCAL ECONOMY FUND In October 2014 the government announced two funding programmes to help offset the disruption of Phase One of HS2 on local communities and businesses – the Community and Environment Fund (CEF) and the Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF).

A combined total of £40 million has been made available for these two funds over a period of 11 years. The Funds will be released during the construction period and for the first year of operational HS2 (Phase One) services. The Funds will provide support for good quality bids and money will be available throughout this time period.

Both funds will award money from the same funding pot and so the amounts allocated from each fund will depend on the number and quality of applications.

The Funds were launched in February 2017 and applications were accepted from 8th March 2017.

The administration of CEF and BLEF is managed on behalf of HS2 Ltd by the national community charity Groundwork.

Phase 2a

ABOUT GROUNDWORK

HS2 Minister Nusrat Ghani announced on 25th January 2018 that an additional £5 million is to be added to the CEF and BLEF funding pot for those disrupted during construction of the Phase 2a scheme from West Midlands to Crewe. This brings the overall total of CEF and BLEF combined for Phase One and Phase 2a to £45 million.

Groundwork is a charity working locally and nationally to transform lives in the UK’s most disadvantaged communities.

As was the case for the Phase One funding, the additional £5m for Phase 2a will NOT be available for application or administered by the Grant Management Body until after Royal Assent of the Phase 2a Bill, which was deposited on 17th July 2017.

We’re passionate about creating a future where every neighbourhood is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny and no-one is held back by their background or circumstances.

Groundwork was appointed as a result of a competitive tender to act as the independent Grant Management Body, which will see the charity managing the end to end delivery of the £40 million combined Funds for Phase One, leading on the promotion of the Funds, working with bidders to develop applications, receiving and assessing applications, being responsible for overseeing the payment of grants and monitoring the progress of successful grants.

INTRODUCTION

The construction of HS2 is famously one of Europe’s largest infrastructure projects.

As with all major projects, the benefits won’t be realised without disruption to people and businesses along the route.

For more than 35 years Groundwork has been helping to improve our country’s ‘community infrastructure’ – providing support, services and funding to improve the physical, social and economic fabric of local areas.

Our work has taught us important lessons.

The first is that place matters to people and, if recognised and harnessed, this local pride can be a powerful driver for change. The second is that partnership is vital. Many of the challenges communities want to see resolved depend on residents, public bodies and businesses working together on solutions. Lastly, those living in a community tend to know what’s best for their community. That’s why we’re committed to helping local groups access the right tools and support to get things done for themselves.

We’re pleased to be in a position to apply these principles to the way we support communities and

businesses through our HS2 grant funds. HS2 is a long-term project and we want these funds to play a part in generating a lasting legacy in local communities along the route.

Graham Duxbury Chief Executive, Groundwork UK March 2018

I am pleased to share with you the first independent annual report on the work of the HS2 Community & Environment Fund (CEF) and Business & Local Economy Fund (BLEF), produced in collaboration with Groundwork, the independent administrator of the Funds.

CEF and BLEF are about giving something back to communities disrupted by the construction of HS2, over and above the mitigation and compensation already provided. As independent Chair of the Funds, I am therefore pleased to see the significant interest which has been shown in the Funds during the first

12 months from communities along the HS2 Phase One line of route. This includes hundreds of applications in process, over £700,000 in pipeline funding for projects currently being finalised and around £245,000 awarded in the first round of funding announced in January this year.

CEF and BLEF for Phase One is available for the next ten years, and I encourage disrupted communities and business groups to come forward to be considered for funding.

There is the opportunity to gain investment whatever your size or sector from under £10,000 to £1 million. We are seeking quality eligible applications from projects in proximity to the line of route that meet our criteria of ‘need,’ ‘disruption,’ ‘planning,’ and ‘sustainability & legacy.’

I hope you find this first annual report about this tangible and beneficial scheme of interest.

Cathy Elliot Independent Chair of CEF & BLEF March 2018

SINCE MARCH 2017 18

270

322

1,435

11,135

43,000

EVENTS ATTENDED

TELEPHONE AND EMAIL ENQUIRIES

DOWNLOADS OF BLEF GUIDANCE

DOWNLOADS OF CEF GUIDANCE

VISITS TO HS2 GRANTS WEBSITE

PEOPLE REACHED THROUGH DIGITAL ADVERTISING

Key events from year one FEB 2017

Royal Assent granted

MAR 2017

JUN 2017

Programme opens, three community events attended

Five community events attended

JUL 2017

SEPT 2017

Ten community events attended

NOV 2017

Two community events attended

OCT 2017

Three community events attended

Woodland Fund and Road Safety Fund launched, two community events attended

DEC 2017

JAN 2018

First Independent panel meeting and first successful grants announced totalling £245,000

HS2 minister Nusrat Ghani announces additional £5 million for HS2 Phase 2a

MAR 2018

First anniversary of the Funds

RAISING AWARENESS Since opening for applications in March 2017, Groundwork has undertaken a wide range of activities designed to raise awareness of the Funds and generate applications.

We have developed and launched an online portal to support the application process. The website contains guidance notes and frequently asked questions, an eligibility checker and online application form, together with an application process flowchart and, following the announcement of the first grants awarded in January 2018, an interactive map indicating which communities have received grants from the Funds.

We have also developed and maintained several HS2 mailing lists made up of various stakeholders, including: local authorities, voluntary sector organisations, parish councils, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Business Improvement Districts, Chambers of Commerce, and MPs along the line of route.

The Funds have been promoted via paid social media advertising, reaching some 43,000 people on Facebook.

We have also established a local network of trained ‘Enablers’ who help provide local outreach activity and face to face engagement with potential applicants. Since the launch of the funds they have attended 18 local events, ranging from HS2 roadshows, local authority meetings and ‘VCS surgeries’, which are ‘Funds only’ focused sessions with representatives of local voluntary and community organisations attending, who are offered the opportunity to talk in more detail about potential bids if required.

We also run a dedicated telephone helpline, which has successfully responded to 270 calls and email enquiries from the public.

JUNE

Camden Council

JULY

Chiltern Council Warwickshire Council Staffordshire County Council South Bucks District Council

OCTOBER

Buckinghamshire County Council

NOVEMBER Solihull Borough Council (Above) Schedule of local authority meetings attended since March 2017

CONVERTING AWARENESS INTO APPLICATIONS Cumulative applications vs submitted applications: 08.03.17 to 02.02.18

The cumulative applications vs submitted applications graph shows a healthy interest in local CEF Funding, with over 300 applications in progress, suggesting this funding stream is perhaps the most accessible to potential applicants.

192

200

n In-progress n Submitted 150

There are two types of CEF funding: CEF Local focuses on quality of life and environment in individual communities.

100

CEF Strategic focuses on larger projects across several communities which address strategic rather than purely local concerns. Wherever possible, the CEF fund aims to leave a sustainable legacy.

64 50

50

0

35 9 CEF Local Applications < £10,000

31 9

CEF Local Applications £10,001 £75,000

CEF Strategic Expressions of Interest

1

2

CEF Strategic Stage 2 Applications

22 0

BLEF Applications - £10,000 £75,000

4 BLEF Applications of Interest for over £75,000

1

0

BLEF Applications over £75,000 - Stage 2 application

CEF funding is targeted at the voluntary/ community sector, including residents’ associations, constituted community groups, Community Interest Companies (CICs), social enterprises, community businesses and registered charities.

CONVERTING AWARENESS INTO APPLICATIONS The Business and Local Economy Fund (BLEF) adds benefit over and above committed mitigation and statutory compensation to support local economies that are demonstrably disrupted by the construction of HS2.

Applications can be for capital or revenue funding from £10,000 up to a maximum of £1 million.

Through this funding, we are looking to fund interventions that will have a positive impact on local economies, including a number of small schemes that are brought together in a package of interventions.

Funding of less than £75,000 will typically be for short-term kick-starter projects and support between £75,000 and £1 million will typically be for long-term development projects.

BLEF funding is targeted at organisations which have formal objectives that support the development of local business/tourism. Other organisations may be eligible to apply for funding too, for example non-statutory bodies who have a governing document.

The current application rate for BLEF and, to a lesser extent, CEF Strategic, suggests that potential applicants are taking their time to develop the required local strategic partnerships and develop quality bids prior to submission. We would expect this picture to change over the course of the next 12 months as local strategic partnerships agree local priorities and mobilise themselves towards submitting strategic applications.

MEMBERS OF CASTLEHAVEN COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

“THIS WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO LOCAL PEOPLE”

GRANTS AWARDED

“I am delighted that West Euston Partnership is one of the very first organisations to receive community funding from HS2. This will make a big difference to local people in many ways.

Grants awarded so far One of the first recipients of CEF Local is St Peter’s Church, which will use £74,982 to install catering and accessible toilet facilities at the 900 year-old church in the village of Wormleighton.

Steeple Claydon Methodist Church in Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire, will also get £12,000 to make improvements to its premises, creating a community space for concerts, drama and lectures.

The West Euston Partnership will use its £74,804 grant to support ‘HealthTrain’, a community-led local health initiative.

Castlehaven Community Association in Camden will receive £73,591 to support ‘Greengage’, a local community initiative to get more residents engaged in environmental issues.

Thorpe Mandeville Village Hall Trust, and Helmdon Acorns Pre-School in Helmdon, Brackley. A grant worth £4,600 will mean the Thorpe Mandeville Village Hall Trust can carry out a refurbishment and just over £5,400 has meant the Helmdon Acorns Pre-School could install a brand new outdoor play surface for the children.

“HealthTrain will recruit and train volunteers to organise and lead healthy exercise and eating activities for all as part of daily community life. The intention is to be part of creating a healthier community equipped with the skills to maintain and improve the health of its members itself.

However, its ultimate legacy will have been to build and empower a community capable of taking responsibility to tackle its own problems as well as those that arrive on its doorstep. This capacity is transferable and can be applied to other issues such as the local economy, community integration or community safety. Such community development can often take a generation but HS2 is providing the catalyst for the creation of a High Speed Community in Regents Park Ward.”

Diana Young, West Euston Partnership

HEALTHTRAIN

“WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO LAUNCH OUR GREENHAVEN PROJECT”

“WARM AND ATTRACTIVE SPACE FOR WIDER COMMUNITY USE.”

“The Castlehaven Community Association is thrilled to have confirmation of a grant from the HS2 Community & Environment Fund.

“A grant from HS2 will help towards the new heating and lighting systems and the blanking off the unused balcony, thus conserving energy. The original Victorian floor will be treated and sanded, the windows hung with new blinds and curtains. The pews will be replaced with chairs, creating a more versatile space for a wider variety of social activities. The high pulpit will be removed, and the dais extended, giving a larger area for concert performances and lectures.

“We are very excited to launch our Greenhaven project, creating a safe, clean community nature park and outdoor education space. Greengage will offer local residents and schools the opportunity to ‘grow’ all kinds of things – plants, food, projects and activities. It will offer children, older people, volunteers of all ages and local businesses the opportunity to really make a difference and help create a ‘Greenhaven’ in our little corner of the world.”

Eleanor Botwright, Castlehaven Community Association

HELMDON ACORNS PRE-SCHOOL

“Once complete, the Church will not only have a very aesthetic interior for its own activities, but it will be able to offer a comfortable, warm and attractive space for wider Community use. We are grateful to HS2 for helping this to happen.”

Marian Gardner, Steeple Claydon Methodist Church

“HS2 HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO OUR OUTSIDE AREA” “The funding we received from HS2 has made a huge difference to our outside area. Installed in October 2017, the area has been enlarged and a new play surface installed which has given the children lots of opportunities to improve their physical and turn taking skills.

An area for trikes, bikes and scooters and more physical activities have enhanced the learning outcomes for our pre-school children.”

Liz Hart, Helmdon Acorns Pre-School

GREENGAGE

STEEPLE CLAYDON METHODIST CHURCH

FINANCIAL INFORMATION Fig 1 – combined indicative regional allocations

Combined indicative regional allocations for both CEF and BLEF were publicly announced by the Transport Secretary on the 12th October 2016. These allocations are as follows: £7.5 million for the Greater London area.

£10,000,000

£7,500,000

£7,500,000

£15,000,000

n Greater London n Central n West Midlands n Unallocated (route-wide)

Fig 2 – Greater London funding commitment vs regional allocation as of 02 February 18

£157,145 2%

£15 million allocated for the Central area (Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Hertfordshire). £7.5 million for the West Midlands area (Birmingham, Solihull and Coventry). £10 million will remain unallocated to allow flexibility to fund bids for cross-border, route-wide projects, as well as to fund bids from other areas affected by the construction of the Proposed Scheme, but geographically separated from the main route (such as off route construction as contained within the High Speed Rail Bill).

The following charts break down funding ‘commitments’, which is made up of Phase One grants awarded and grants pending as of 2 February 2018 and illustrates the balance of funding currently available in each region.

£7,500,00 98%

n Greater London allocation n Greater London funding commitment to date

FINANCIAL INFORMATION Fig 3 – West Midlands funding commitment vs regional allocation as of 02 February 18

Fig 4 – Central funding commitment vs regional allocation as of 02 February 18.

£81,008 1%

Fig 5 – Unallocated funding commitment vs unallocated regional allocation as of 02 February 18

£753,232 5%

£7,500,000 99%

£0 0%

£15,000,000 95%

£10,000,000 100%

n West Midlands allocation

n Central

n Unallocated

n West Midlands funding commitment to date

n Central Funding commitment to date

n Unallocated funding commitment to date

FULL LIST OF GRANTS Regional pipeline of grants pending to 02 February 18**

Full list of grants approved to 02 February 18*

APPLICANT

FUNDED BY

West Euston Partnership

CEF Local

Castlehaven Community Association

AMOUNT APPROVED

HS2 REGION

FUNDED BY

AMOUNT

£74,804

Central

CEF Strategic

£450,000

CEF Local

£73,591

Central

CEF Local

£206,158

Helmdon Acorns Pre-School

CEF Local

£5,442

Greater London

CEF Local

£8,750

Steeple Claydon Methodist Church

CEF Local

£12,000

West Midlands

CEF Local

£81,008

Wormleighton Parochial Church Council

CEF Local

£74,982

TOTAL

Thorpe Mandeville Village Hall Trust

CEF Local

£4,650

TOTAL

£745,916

£245,469

*Denotes applications which have been approved by the funding panel, have met their grant conditions (if applicable) and have accepted their grant.

**Denotes applications which have been approved for funding but the applicants are still finalising their Terms and Conditions with Groundwork. In addition to the in total funding activity outlined above, we also have over 300 CEF and BLEF applications currently in Groundwork’s online application portal from across the line of route for Phase One. Once these applications have been submitted by applicants we will be able to record and assess them against the Funds’ criteria.

GOVERNANCE OF THE FUNDS Funding decisions for CEF Local are made by an internal review panel for applications under £75,000, which is comprised of Groundwork and representatives from the Department for Transport.

An independent grants panel for CEF Strategic and BLEF applications over £75,000 is made up of four panel members, who were appointed in December 2016 following an open recruitment process over three months involving HS2 and DfT, with 42 initial applications.

“Much has been achieved in the last twelve months with strong foundations laid for the future. I look forward to seeing the impact the funds will have in the years to come.”

Lisa Smart, Independent Panel Member

The four independent members are Lisa Smart, John Roseveare, Talbinder Kaur and Sara Turnbull.

They have experience in the delivery of successful community-led environmental projects, a track record in providing advice and support to small and medium-size businesses and experience of managing local government or third sector grant programmes.

These four individuals have been recruited to sit alongside Cathy Elliott, who has been the Independent Chair of the funds since January 2016. Peter Miller, Head of Environment for HS2 also joins the panel as HS2’s representative.

“I feel privileged to have been part of an exciting journey during which, together with fellow panel members, we have developed funding guidelines, assessed applications and made recommendations for approval. Over the last year, a number of organisations have benefited from CEF and BLEF funding and many more will in the future, as awareness of this funding increases. Groundwork have done a tremendous job in promoting the funds and managing the application process.”

Talbinder Kaur, Independent Panel Member

A Department for Transport audit of the Funds held in December 2017 concluded that there were adequate and proportionate controls and procedures in place to ensure that: Communities and businesses were adequately aware that grants are available.

Grants were awarded to organisations that are eligible and for compatible objectives.

Awards were used for the purposes intended.

Awards were correctly paid to the correct organisation, business or people.

“We made a really good start getting funds to business and community projects along the HS2 route. There are lots of good ideas out there.

And plenty more to come.”

John Roseveare, Independent Panel Member

www.groundwork.org.uk/hs2funds 0121 237 5880 HS2funds@groundwork.org.uk Groundwork UK is the operating name of the Federation of Groundwork Trusts, a company limited by guarantee.

Company Registration Number: 1900511. Charity Registration No: 291558