UK Shared Prosperity Fund projects

We've been making positive progress since April 2022 with the delivery of a variety of UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity Fund projects to benefit local small and micro businesses, our residents and their communities. See projects that have recieved the funding. 

To enable the continuation of the Meals on Wheels hot food service to vulnerable, elderly and diabetic residents, we have extended the kitchen at The Hive Community Centre in Park Barn by adapting the staff room and expanding the kitchen area to accommodate new ovens (there will be five in total) plus installation of a ramp at the back of the kitchen for easy access. This has allowed meals to be prepared at The Hive from October 2024.

The UKSPF has provided the increased electrical capacity needed for the additional ovens. Extensive excavation works took place to allow the installation of electricity cabling in the road and across the driveway to The Hive. This additional capacity will also allow more electric community transport vehicles to be charged to ensure services continue for those in need, such as Dial A Ride, social trips and transport to the activity hub at The Hive.

• we are using UKSPF grant to improve a well-used community green space in north Guildford. The Stoughton Recreation Ground is used by residents and visitors to watch and take part in football matches, to enjoy the play area with their children or walk their dogs. It is a key open space in this residential area and to be able to improve it and future-proof it via the UKSPF grant for everyone's enjoyment is a fantastic opportunity. Work includes footpath widening for easy level access to the football club and youth and community centre, Multi-use Games Area and new seating.
• we have supported a project in Sutherland Memorial Park in Burpham. These popular tennis courts required a new booking system to enable them to function efficiently, thereby offering residents a much-improved and much easier process to access the courts. The new on-line booking system means that, when players hire a court, the hire code will link to the court gates to unlock and lock them, to accurate flood light control and to options for self-opening and self-locking of the changing rooms. It is hoped this will end the need for staff to lock the changing rooms at night and manually operate the flood lights, thereby saving on energy costs and general running costs, plus an efficient on-line booking system will allow more residents to play tennis per day.
• we are using UKSPF grant for a small amount of additional equipment for Dan's Meadow in South Ash - "The Briars" playground project. This is a much needed large new playground with a Safari Adventure play area for all ages and abilities.

• St. Catherine's Chapel in Guildford is a scheduled monument and Grade 1 Listed.  Now a partial ruin, it was built around 1317 on a hilltop overlooking the River Wey just outside the town. The ruin is an important landmark on a hilltop visible from Guildford Castle and is a popular local walk destination and film location. We've undertaken sympathetic stone conservation and stabilisation work using French Limestone at this important site.
• Guildford House is a circa 1660 Grade 1 Listed building in the High Street which is used as a gallery on the upper floors and tourist information office and shop on the ground floor. The UKSPF grant enabled the Council to carry out careful external restoration work to the carved wooden panels on the front of this important historic building. Work started in October 2024 with scaffolding removed in early 2025.

Phase 1 of the e-bike scheme launched in Guildford on 18 September 2024 with 50 e-bikes. The e-bike scheme is a town-wide bike share initiative being delivered as a partnership between Surrey County Council, Guildford Borough Council and the University of Surrey.

The project aims to offer an e-bike hire service for the general public from docking stations placed across the town to encourage sustainable travel and the use of the town's evolving Sustainable Movement Corridor (SMC) routes. The project consists of 300 e-bikes and over 50 parking bays.

We've been promoting the town to visitors and tourists to continue to build on a feeling of community and to encourage shoppers to the High Street and beyond. Fully funded by the UKSPF, the Council has held the following events in the town centre: Guildford Heritage Open Days, Guildford Green Day, Cleaner Air Day and Festive Family Fun Day, together with supporting the Pride in Surrey event and an art exhibition at Guildford House.

The Playranger service, funded by the UKSPF, is for 5-12 year old children in 6 areas of the Borough who do not have easy access to after school activities. The sessions are free child-led play sessions after school and in the holidays which not only promote positive physical and mental health development, but also resilience and the chance to have fun and learn new skills. Activities are outdoors, including football, rounders, wood craft, den building etc.  

The Surrey Youth Games has been running for 25 years in partnership with Active Surrey, the District and Borough's, Surrey County Council, sports coaches, volunteers, local businesses and sponsors. The focus of this project is to encourage beginners in sport to participate, learn to be more active and develop confidence in their ability to exercise, interact with teammates and try something new - there are at least eight types of sport on offer at the Games. With UKPSF grant, we were able to host the games at the Surrey Sports Park enabling local children, and those from across Surrey to take part.

Created by Guildford Borough Council in partnership with Spacehive, Crowdfund Guildford offers a platform for local groups to attract funding from the community and businesses to fund creative projects for the community. The UKSPF then steps in to match-fund the cost of the project. Applications are assessed by a panel including the Leader of the Council and evaluated against the Council's strategic priorities and the UKSPF priorities.

Projects have included Shalford, Chilworth and Peasmarsh garden club store; The Old School, Tongham, solar optimiser to allow the site to become carbon neutral; and Guildford Institute Wellbeing Centre phase 2 of work to convert the ground floor of the building into a community and wellbeing centre. 

We've been working with Visit Surrey to deliver tourism services for the Council by promoting the area to visitors to encourage both day trips and overnight stays, together with promotion of the town to potential businesses. Visit Surrey hosts the Visit Guildford website pages within the Visit Surrey site which promotes Guildford as an attractive place to visit for shopping, eating out, sport activities, leisure and historic heritage sites.

With UKSPF grant, the Incuhive Group has been working with local small businesses and start-ups offering free business guidance, mentoring, training and advice on how to establish and grow their businesses in the area.

This rural grant is being administered by Surrey County Council's Greener Futures team on behalf of Guildford Borough Council, Tandridge District Council and Waverley Borough Council between April 2023 and March 2025. Once the applicant has been through rigorous processes to check that the proposed project fits the REPF criteria, the business plan goes to a panel of local farmers, business people and Council officers.

If the applicant is successful, the project is completed and then the grant is paid up to around 50% of the cost of the project. Rural businesses benefitting from the REPF grant have included a cider farm, a mobile coffee shop, a soft furnishing business, a catering business, a pilates studio, a bike hire company, a residential home and a gym.