West Lindsey among deprived areas locked out of Levelling Up fund, Salvation Army warns

West Lindsey is among the deprived areas of the East Midlands that will not benefit from the Government’s Levelling Up fund – a charity is claiming.
West Lindsey, including Gainsborough, is among deprived areas that will not benefit from the Government’s Levelling Up fundWest Lindsey, including Gainsborough, is among deprived areas that will not benefit from the Government’s Levelling Up fund
West Lindsey, including Gainsborough, is among deprived areas that will not benefit from the Government’s Levelling Up fund

The Salvation Army has identified the district, along with eight other locations, will not gain from the £4.8 billion cash, according to a report released on Wednesday, August 25.

Corby, Bolsover, Amber Valley, North East Derbyshire, Ashfield, South Holland, South Derbyshire and Melton were also identified as being lower priority for Levelling Up funding by the Government.

However, The Salvation Army researchidentifies these areas as needing the highest level of Government support to reverse a spiral of economic decline.

The report, Understanding People, Understanding Places is the biggest social mapping exercise in The Salvation Army’s recent history. It analyses how and where to invest funding to help communities tackle poverty.

The findings show that while coastal and rural areas feature some of the highest levels of deprivation, these are also the areas most likely to miss out on Levelling Up investment.

The church and charity is warning that unless the Government rethinks the Levelling Up Agenda, entire communities will be left behind, spiralling into further poverty and damaging thousands of lives.  

Rebecca Keating, the Salvation Army’s director of employment services, said: “The £4.8 billion earmarked for Levelling Up is a bold move by the Government and an opportunity to lift thousands out of unemployment but we are worried that this investment is missing many key areas in serious decline.

“Every day we work with people who are being pushed even further from employment as local businesses close, or they are trapped in a cycle of low-paid seasonal work and zero hours contracts.

"While there are similarities in the Government’s analysis of need and our report, there are too many areas of severe deprivation that have been overlooked.”

The Salvation Army is currently offering young people in the East Midlands the chance to gain employment with the church and charity as part of the Government’s Kickstart scheme.