Rural Development Programme

The Rural Development Programme (RDP) is a national programme designed to bring about economic and social change in the countryside. It provides help to rural businesses and communities which need to adapt and develop.

On the Isle of Wight the RDP seeks to help Islanders regenerate the countryside outside of the comparatively large towns of Ryde and Newport.

The key aims of the RDP are to:

• Improve the rural economy and reduce levels of unemployment
• Improve the quality of life for the rural population
• Focus help on those groups in need, especially older and younger people
• Improve the environment of the rural area

Over the last fifteen years more than £15 million in rural grants has been issued and more than 1,000 jobs created on the Island.

The Isle of Wight Rural Development Programme, which funded by SEEDA, is administered through the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership. The programme started in 1994 and is due to finish in March 31st 2004.

The RDP has funded – either in total or in part – a high number of projects:

• Abattoir and Retail Feasibility Plan
• All Island Foyer
• Americas Cup Jubilee Education Project
• Angel Community Radio
• Arts Away
• Arts in Healthcare
• Bembridge Community Centre Upgrade
• BMX and Skateboard Facility, Cowes
• Brading into the Millennium
• Brading Partners
• Brading Roman Villa
• Brighstone School Environmental Project
• Business Mentoring Manager
• Cadet Boats and Safety Cover
• Corf Campsite – Improvement to Facilities
• Cowes Sports Football Club Development
• Cross Street Enhancement
• Delegated Projects Fund
• Developing Northwood Playgroup
• Domestic Violence Co-ordinator
• Ferry Road
• Green Island Awards
• Island 2000
• Isle of Wight Branding Marketing Initiative
• Isle of Wight Indoor Cricket Academy
• Medina Marching Band
• North Medina Community Development Trust
• Outreach Support for Older Persons
• Playworks
• Rolling Stock Restoration Project
• Rural Deposit Guarantee Scheme
• Rural Outreach Positive Engagement Team
• Sandown Bay Young Women’s Project
• Shalfleet Community Project
• Small Business Network
• Somerton Business Park
• Soundbeam
• Stroud Toddlers Playground
• Sustainable Tourism Workshops and Conference
• Ventnor Gateway Access
• West Wight Information Centre
• West Wight Nursery Training Centre
• Wight Wheels
• Youth, Community and Crime Prevention

Brading Roman Villa

The Roman Villa in Brading is an example of a courtyard villa which is the largest of villa designs and was therefore the preserve of only the wealthiest landowners. The main building is to the west side of the courtyard giving access to a series of once-opulently decorated rooms.

The aim of this project was to provide a new cover building for the historic monument, together with an education room and storage areas – including space for a shop, café and entrance hall.

RDP funding was sought in order to enable the mosaics to be viewed by the local community and tourists, including disabled access. The existing cover had become so bad that it was beyond repair and the new covering is vital to the sustainability of Brading Roman Villa as a tourist attraction.

The Heritage Lottery fund is providing 75% of the funding for the project, subject to the Oglander Roman Trust being able to raise the remaining 25%.

Organisation:	Oglander Roman Trust
Project Website:	www.bradingromanvilla.org.uk
Project Leader:	N/A
Project Status:	Archived
Tel:	01983 406223
E-mail:	info@bradingromanvilla.org.uk
Project Start Date:	January 2003
Funding Complete:	March 2003
Funding Total:	£150,000

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Brighstone School Environment Project

When the village tea rooms were demolished and replaced by new accommodation Brighstone lost a focal point for the community. Local people are enabled to not only take part in the project and support the younger element of the village, but also to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

The main aim of this project was to develop and improve the school grounds and environment for the community of Brighstone School by creating:

• A multi-sensory garden
• Interesting bays adjacent to the playground for educational and recreational purposes
• Raised gardens and decked seating
• A wild environment area

The school will be promoted as a community resource that reduces social exclusion of young and old. It also encourages healthy lifestyles and gives an appreciation of environmental issues.

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Business Mentoring Manager

The IW Lottery Loan Fund, the Prince’s Trust and the Ryde Small Business Initiative Project all give money to Island start-ups and expanding businesses. Applications are made to investment panels whose members make awards for all three funds. This prevents people from applying to more than one fund for financial assistance.

Likewise the Business Mentoring Manager and the part-time administrator work across all three funds, making a more cost effective and efficient system. Together they supervise new start-ups, offering advice where asked, making sure that they have the best possible chance of success.

Organisation:	IW Lottery
Project Website:	www.isleofwightlottery.com
Project Leader:	Jane Aslett
Project Status:	Archived
Tel:	01983 529888
E-mail:	jane@isleofwightlottery.com
Project Start Date:	July 2001
Funding Complete:	March 2004
Funding Total:	£78,720

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Cadet Boats and Safety Cover

The application was made by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club to provide funding for the purchase of two ribs to act as safety cover whilst cadet training is taking place on the water and for two two-man Topaz dinghies to allow more cadets to take part at the same time.

Previously numbers had been limited due to the fact that insufficient safety cover could be offered at any one time. Boats have had to be borrowed from other sailing clubs and even from members.

Cadet training will be more structured and more regular – allowing for the increased participation in the sport of sailing for the young, including the disabled.

Organisation:	Royal Victoria Yacht Club
Project Website:	www.rvyc.co.uk
Project Leader:	Ian Murray
Project Status:	Archived
Tel:	01983 882325
E-mail:	rvyc@lineone.net
Project Start Date:	June 2002
Funding Complete:	May 2002
Funding Total:	£7,500

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Corf Campsite – Improvement to Facilities

The Scout Campsite at Corf has, for many years, provided the boys and girls of Scouts and Guides from the Island and further afield with a rural environment in which to enjoy camping, water sports, orienteering and a multitude of other outdoor activities.

In the run up to 2000 some of the facilities at Corf came to the point where they needed either improvement or replacement. Some of the wooden buildings that had been in use had become unserviceable and the toilet and shower facilities were in need of upgrading and extending to provide better access for disabled people at the Campsite.

An application for funding from the Rural Development Programme was successfully made to allow for the necessary alteration. The three wooden building were knocked down and replaced by one, larger one which allowed a wider range of indoor activities to be offered. The toilet and shower blocks were upgraded to allow better disabled access and also provision was made to allow separate toilet and shower facilities for men and boys.

These enhanced facilities have improved the overall standard of Corf Scout Campsite thereby allowing and encouraging more children, including physically handicapped children, to use it more frequently.

The improvements have benefited the local rural area as the enhanced amenities are bringing more visits by parents and families to the Campsite. The increase in visiting Scout Groups from the mainland brings with it additional trade to the Island and the area surrounding Corf in particular.

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Cowes Sports Football Club Development

The Football club felt that the facilities had become outdated, unsafe and weren’t appealing for young people to join the club. In order to alleviate this element of social exclusion a development project was outlined.

The main aims of this project were to:

• Provide modern changing facilities suitable for all participants, regardless of age, gender or physical ability
• Provide modern, safe facilities for spectators
• Provide improved on-site training facilities so that players at all levels can train at the ground and feel part of the club
• Provide a seamless link between youth and adult football
• Develop a structured coaching programme, suitable for the widest range of potential users, regardless of age, gender or physical ability
• To provide the club with a sustainable income
• Build a new clubhouse including clubroom, kitchen, committee room and spectator toilets

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Cross Street Enhancements

Cross Street was identified for improvement on January 200 as a result of the Enhancement of the Public Realm study. The level of conflict between pedestrian and vehicle needs had made the area unsafe and unattractive.

This project was devised to provide a cohesive and attractive streetscape to Cross Street, making sure that it met the requirements of existing users whilst providing increased use by the public as a route into Cowes by giving pedestrians priority.

The specific aims were to:

• Raise the quality of a principle visitor approach to the town by improving links from a major car park
• Provide a visually attractive and useful outdoor space with the provision for outdoor eating and drinking areas
• Remove the conflict between visitor parking and delivery traffic
• To accommodate the multi-use nature of the area to allow adjoining businesses to continue commercial operations

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Delegated Fund

The Delegated Projects fund provides grants of up to £1,000 as match-funding for voluntary and community groups and not-for-profit organisations.

Projects considered for the fund include those which improve social or community facilities. Improve the quality of life for Islanders or improve the environment. Projects which try to improve employment opportunities or to improve the economic health of the community in other ways are also considered.

The project is administered through the Rural Community Council, based in Newport.

Organisation:	Rural Community Council
Project Website:	www.iwrcc.org.uk
Project Leader:	Roger Craven
Project Status:	Archived
Tel:	01983 524058
E-mail:	roger.craven@iwrcc.org.uk
Project Start Date:	April 1998
Funding Complete:	March 2004
Funding Total:	£25,000 per year

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Developing Northwood Playgroup

The existing building was not large enough to meet the demand for places, could not be expanded and had reached the end of its useful life. This project was put together to provide a new, quality, and sustainable playgroup facility in the grounds of Northwood Primary School.

The new building is designed to allow for the provision of:

• Response to community need for playgroup places
• A broader range of play, care and educational activities
• Working together with the Primary school to benefit the children and give continuity
• Develop a computer suite to encourage children’s IT skills as well as providing somewhere for parents to come and learn in a non-threatening environment
• Working to combat social exclusion and possible isolation of parents and children

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Domestic Violence Co-ordinator

Funding was sought in order for this project to employ a co-ordinator who will:

• Bring a greater level of co-ordination to the efforts of agencies on the Island in addressing the problems caused by domestic violence
• Provide greater protection for women and children by encouraging offenders to take responsibility for their violent and controlling behaviour
• Provide a group-work and one-to-one response for the ‘survivors’ of domestic violence
• Provide co-ordination for the activities of the Domestic Violence Forum
• Widen awareness and expertise for local people in dealing with domestic violence and provide employment opportunities within the field

More Examples

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