Taking the Lead
Advantage West Midlands is responsible for the delivery of Axes 1 and 3 of the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013 in the region. The social and community measures of this £52.7m programme are being delivered via a LEADER approach. LEADER is a French acronym, standing for 'Links between actions of rural development', and is a method of delivering rural development in local rural communities.
Following a competitive process, eight sub regional rural partnerships, known as Local Action Groups (LAGs) have been selected to deliver social and community benefits using a total of £10.22m of RDPE funding via the LEADER approach.
RegenWM are working with Advantage West Midlands to provide a learning and development programme to support these LAGs.
'Taking the Lead' can and will make a real difference to the daily lives of rural communities.
RegenWM's programme consists of conferences, training courses, virtual networking, and the sharing of information and good practice, in order that the eight LAGs have the necessary skills to create successful outcomes when funding starts in the autumn of 2008.
Explore the 'Taking the Lead' web pages to find out more about RegenWM's learning and development programme. For members of the delivery partnerships, you will find news items, details of upcoming events and an update on virtual networking opportunities below.
For more details on Taking the Lead contact Ruth Felce at RegenWM on 0121 202 3260.
Virtual network
The new LEADER webpages are now live. Members of the LEADER Network will be able to sign in to use the forum, view the latest updates, download the Operating Manual and find out about upcoming events. For more information and to register to use this site please contact Ruth Felce at RegenWM.
The LEADER approach
LEADER stands for 'Links between actions of rural development' and is a method of delivering rural development in local rural communities.
Experience has shown that LEADER can make a real difference to the daily lives of people in rural areas. It can play an important role in encouraging innovative responses to old and new rural problems, and becomes a sort of ‘laboratory' for building local capabilities and for testing out new ways of meeting the needs of rural communities.
Why rural areas
Although the general picture of the rural West Midlands is one of high quality environment and low unemployment, this hides some more complex issues and difficulties. There are pockets of deprivation throughout the region, particularly in the western remote rural areas where there is a higher than average dependence on low value-added "traditional" sectors - such as agriculture and related land-based activities. Agriculture itself has had to cope with considerable structural change in recent times and this is set to continue.
Policy context
LEADER was introduced as a 'Community initiative' financed under the EU Structural Funds. There have been three generations of LEADER: LEADER I (1991-93), LEADER II (1994-99) and LEADER+ (2000-06).
Since 2007, the LEADER approach has been mainstreamed within 'The Rural Development Programme for England' (RDPE). Within the West Midlands Advantage West Midlands (AWM) is the managing authority.
The RDPE is a new funding scheme for land based businesses (farmers, growers, foresters, and primary processors), rural tourism organisations and other small rural businesses. It will run from 2008 to 2013 and is jointly funded by the EU and the Government.
In October 2007, AWM invited Expressions of Interest from partners to deliver the social and community measures of the RDPE via the LEADER approach.
In January 2008, eight partnerships were invited to prepare a Local Development demonstrating the impact that the Taking the Lead initiative could make.
