There was significant coverage in the media on our announcements last week to name the areas benefitting through the expanded Pride in Place programme, transform high streets, fund play spaces in deprived communities, and reform the way public bodies work together in different parts of the country by pooling their funding.
On Friday (20 March) we named the 40 communities that will receive £20 million over the next decade, joining the 244 areas that are already taking part through the £5.8bn Pride in Place programme.
This received regional coverage from BBC Suffolk, BBC Berkshire, Manchester Evening News and Maidenhead Advertiser, Bournemouth One, Bournemouth Echo, Kent Online, Slough Observer, Barkin and Dagenham Post, Enfield Dispatch, Newham Recorder, Express & Star, Stoke-on-Trent Live, Coventry Telegraph, Derbyshire Live, Eastern Daily Press, Ipswich.co.uk, Ipswich Star, Luton Today, Thurrock Nub News, Newcastle Chronicle, Place North East, About Manchester, The Business Desk and Place North West.
There was significant regional broadcast coverage throughout the day, with almost 100 pieces on Friday (98) and further coverage into the weekend. It was covered on BBC Stoke, Heart Suffolk, BBC Three Counties, Heart West Midlands, BBC Devon, BBC Lancashire, Capital FM Leicestershire, Heart Peterborough, BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire, BBC Suffolk, BBC Gloucester, BBC Essex, BBC Radio Solent Dorset, BBC Radio Surrey, Heart Berkshire, Heart Norwich, Capital Birmingham, BBC Berkshire, BBC Northampton, BBC Derby, BBC Bristol, Greatest Hits Ipswich & Suffolk, BBC Manchester, BBC Look East, BBC Spotlight, ITV Anglia East, BTV Anglia West, BBC South West, ITV Westcountry and BBC Midlands Today.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “Across the country, people step outside their front door and feel like there is nothing for them: no sense of belonging, no investment in their area, no feeling that anyone is listening.
“Pride in Place backs these people and puts the tools and the money directly in their hands to change that, because strong communities aren’t built for people, they’re built by them.
“These new neighbourhoods are joining a movement that is bringing people closer together, and this government is backing them to do it.”
On Sunday (22 March), we announced a £319 million investment to support struggling high streets, give children in deprived areas a safe place to play, showcase what areas receiving funding through phase one of the Pride in Place programme would spend that money on.
This funding contains a £301 million commitment to revive struggling high streets and a further £18 million to ensure that children in 66 of the most deprived communities have quality play spaces. As part of our announcement, we also confirmed funding would be pooled between various bodies – schools, NHS, councils – in Liverpool, the North East, the Black Country, Doncaster and West Yorkshire, so they can work together more effectively for residents.
The Secretary of State took part of the Sunday morning media round and was interviewed by Sky News, LBC, ITN, BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, Times Radio, and GB News.
There was positive reporting of the announcement by the Sunday Mirror, the Sunday Express, ITVX, LBC and Manchester Evening News as well as Press Association. And there was further TV coverage by GB News and BBC North East and Cumbria as well as radio coverage by Times Radio, LBC News, BBC Radio Solent, BBC Newcastle, Magic London, Heart Bedford and Heart Northampton.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: “People have watched their communities decline for too long, with little say over how they’re run. This government is determined to change that — giving communities the tools, the funding and the power they need to rebuild.
“From new playgrounds to reimagined high streets, we’re putting power back in people’s hands. People across the country will see and feel the difference this investment makes, restoring pride in local areas.”