Mark has voiced his support for the Big Lottery Fund's Village SOS scheme. The scheme makes grants of between £10,000 and £50,000 to rural communities who want to set up new social enterprises. Applications are welcomed from communities with populations of fewer than 3,000 people. No community is too small.
Mark said, "Rural communities face difficult and unique challenges. Living in a rural idyll provides a good quality of life but at a cost: sparser services, greater transport challenges and the risk of isolation. This results in greater cost of living to rural dwellers. That is why I am keen to support the Village SOS scheme. I will be writing to all parish chairmen to make sure they are aware of this and make sure they make the most of this opportunity for their communities."
Village SOS has already supported many shops, cafes, pubs, transport schemes, community broadband and energy projects, set up by locals who worked together to breathe new life into where they live. The programme is supported by leaders in the rural enterprise sector - Plunkett Foundation, Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), Co-operatives UK and Locality. Applications must reach Village SOS by 2pm on 12 September.
For more information about community enterprises and to check your area's eligibility, visit www.villagesos.org.uk.