Eastbourne residents looking to ‘save their historical pub or a valued local amenity’ urged to apply for funding

MP Caroline Ansell has made the plea regarding the government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The £150 million fund is offering several rounds and windows for groups to apply to save a community asset in danger of closure as part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda.

Match funding levels have been lowered and the funding cap has been increased to £2 million in the latest round, the MP said.

Individual organisations can submit applications and money is awarded to bids that meet the criteria of making a genuine and meaningful difference.

Mrs Ansell said: “I am pleased the fund has been given a bit of a revamp and I would urge groups or individuals in our town worried about the future of a local amenity to look closely at it.

“In the first instance please contact me so I can come and visit and look to support any application.

“It is a great opportunity for local groups to take over much-loved and respected small community assets and then run them as businesses for the benefit of the community."

The fund is competitive and will be running until March 2025 with four bidding windows per financial year.

Round three, window two is currently open and will close on October 11.

The round will see the funding cap increase from £1 million to £2 million for all asset types, as well as reducing the match funding requirement from 50 per cent to 20 percent.