East Leake panto in the spotlight thanks to UKSPF

A local drama group have celebrated that the spotlight can continue to shine on their productions thanks to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) funded by the UK Government, now available for other Rushcliffe community groups.

East Leake Amateur Players (ELAPs) are among the community projects to benefit from Rushcliffe’s last round of grant funding as part of the Communities and Place theme, with improvements to lighting and staging at East Leake Village Hall.

The timely upgrades of the equipment came in time for this year’s panto Robin Hood: Making Merry, written and directed by Gill Bowness, which took place between 6-9 December.

The grant has also allowed for training for the group’s performers and volunteers in event operations, first aid and theatre skills from December to February. The group hopes to boost its membership as a result of the project’s activities and impact.

Debbie Flinders from the group added: “The new lighting will make a real difference to the impact of our staging, we’re excited to see it in action during this year’s pantomime and delighted that, with support from so many local volunteers, as well as from RBC’s UKSPF grant, ELAPs is going from strength to strength.”

Groups, businesses, voluntary or public sector organisations across the Borough can secure up to £40k for their project from UKSPF or the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) with this round of funding open for applications until 19 January 2024.

Projects can cover a broad range of initiatives and examples include:

Improving local green spaces, active travel and energy-saving options
• Supporting local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities
• Boosting local sports facilities, teams and leagues
• Impactful volunteering and community engagement
• Supporting businesses to grow
• Supporting businesses to decarbonise
• Diversification of farm businesses