Partner Article

Village to get champion help

A village in Northumberland is set to receive the help of a prominent professional to help develop business proposals aimed at rejuvenating the local community.

Allendale has been paired with a Village Champion, an experienced professional who will help turn a business idea into a viable proposal.

The village will be awarded up to £400,000 of Big Lottery Funding if it is among the six best projects, and will be featured on BBC One’s Village SOS, which is to begin in 2011.

The Sustainable Allendale Food and Energy (SAFE) project will be assisted by Nottinghamshire businessman Chris Fitzpatrick. SAFE aims to create a food-producing market garden and renewable energy plant in a location close to the centre of the village.

Mr Fitzpatrick began an adhesives business from his garage, which is now worth £3.5 million and has recently created a sustainable co-operative called ‘Shop in a Box’.

He said: “Allendale have developed an understanding of the needs of their village by conducting a conversation about how their village will develop over the next 30 years. Out of this they have created a visionary concept to be self sufficient in food and fuel as far as is practicable.

“Allendale is a wonderful example of a community moving forward to face a difficult future with confidence and I will be very pleased to be part of that process. I particularly look forward to moving to the village and being part of an active community to deliver very real and sustainable change.”

Big Lottery Fund head of region for the North East James Turner said: “This is a really exciting stage in the Village SOS process. This champion will add a great deal to the village’s business ideas, helping them to strengthen and develop them into robust business proposals.”

Twenty-eight villages were shortlisted for Village SOS and were offered a grant of up to £10,000. Villages will choose a Village Champion before six villages are chosen for the BBC programme in May 2010.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .