Community projects in Boston borough to be awarded over £500,000 in funding grants

The money will fund various plans including a £236K regeneration project in Kirton’s High Street, a life-sized Spitfire plane replica at a local WWII museum, and an education programme for Eastern European children.

The grants come from the third round of funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural Prosperity Fund.

The news was announced by the The South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, which includes Boston Borough Council, East Lindsey and South Holland.

Projects in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland will all benefit from a total of 1.25m in grant awards, which are part of a Government programme designed to “build pride in place, provide high-quality skills training and increase life chances across the sub-region”.

The Boston area projects set to receive funding are as follows:

• Boston Woods Trust Project (£60,000) – Supporting the development of a new nature reserve at Dion’s Wood, near Pilgrim Hospital, through an investment in new car parking surfaces, footpaths, information boards and biodiversity.

• Boston Christmas Lights (£50,000) - Funding for the purchase and installation of a new set of energy efficient Christmas lights for Boston town centre, to be match-funded by a contribution from Boston Borough Council’s own funds. It is hoped the display will draw residents and shoppers to Boston Town Centre - with the increased footfall benefitting local businesses.

• High Street Regeneration in Kirton (£236,298) – A major scheme investing in Kirton, Boston’s historic buildings and architecture. This aims to revitalise the local area’s appearance and improve price in place.

• Matthew Flinders: Bring Him Home (£35,000) – To promote and progress returning the remains of Matthew Flinders to Donington – the place of his birth – for appropriate celebration and reburial. This will be supported by a programme of events promoting links between South and East Lincolnshire and Australia, with a focus on trade and the visitor economy.

• Boston 400 (£50,000) – A series of events in the lead-up to the 400th anniversary of the founding of Boston Massachusetts in 2030. This involves the creation of business networks and infrastructure (to support increased private sector investment), as well as tourism events and initiatives prior to 2025.

• We’ll Meet Again WWII Museum Spitfire (£35,500) - A project to purchase a life-sized spitfire replica for the museum, in Freiston Shore, supported by a substantial programme of events that celebrate the area’s unique contribution to the defense of the country in the Second World War.

• Cultural Community Bridge (£45,000) – A series of extensive arts and education programmes for adults and young children in the Eastern European community in Boston, to include ‘English for Speakers of Other Languages’ (ESOL) and traditional theatre and events.

Commenting on the funding grants, the leader of Boston Borough Council, Coun Anne Dorrian, said: “This funding grant is a great opportunity for local organisations and communities to take another vital step in developing our aspirations for the Boston area.“The grant will be well received by not only the projects but the businesses, residents and visitors it benefits.

"I am excited to see the successful projects develop and grow as we continue with our ambitions to regenerate the town."

In addition to the above, the following two projects for the partnership area will also be of benefit to Boston borough residents:

• NBV Start Up, Scale Up – A project which will provide business support interventions for people exploring self-employment, new start businesses and established small businesses with growth potential. There will also be a grants programme to support new start businesses with essential start up items such as IT equipment and tools.

• Community Catalyst Care Worker Pipeline – A project to support individuals in rural communities to ‘become their own boss’ and start small businesses as self-employed care workers serving the local community.

A spokesperson for the Councils Partnership said: “The Lincolnshire Community Foundation (LCF)’s Levelling UP Community Grants Programme will distribute £1,291,500 across Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland to go towards supporting rural communities and parish councils.

“This announcement follows two previous rounds of funding which were distributed to projects including the Long Sutton Youth Shed, Holbeach Medieval Festival and The Old Bolingbroke Gas House.”

"Additionally, parishes will receive nearly £1.3million, the first share of which is being distributed in this round of funding to parish councils, village halls and small community groups which have already shown a high demand for grants.”