Support for rural businesses

Published Tuesday 28 May, 2024
Last updated on Thursday 30 May, 2024

Swale Borough Council has reopened a grant to support small rural businesses and communities.

The Rural Swale Small Business Grant offers up to £7,000 to projects that help develop the local visitor economy or implement carbon reduction measures and can cover 50% of the costs.

The first round of funding enabled rural businesses to improve accessibility with huckleberry woods providing facilities for less able guests, and Tiller and Wheel installing an access ramp.

Red Lion Inn in Milstead received funding for solar panels, and Brogdale CIC is creating a new garden and play area.

The project is focused on improving these rural areas within Swale:

• Bobbing, Iwade & Lower Halstow
• Borden & Grove Park
• Boughton and Courtenay
• East Downs
• Hartlip, Newington & Upchurch
• Sheppey Central
• Sheppey East
• Teynham and Lynsted
• West Downs

However, projects outside of these areas can be considered if they show that they will support local rural businesses.

Cllr Monique Bonney, chair of the economy and property committee, said:

“Swale has an amazing mix of both rural and more urban communities bosting bustling high streets and beautiful rural towns and villages.

“We are targeting our rural areas with this grant because our local rural businesses and communities are just as important to us as our high street stores.

“We want to make sure these smaller businesses have our support to be the best they can be, including helping them reduce costs with energy efficiency measures or providing new facilities to drive visitors to our beautiful countryside.

“If you meet the criteria please apply to this grant, the funding has already made a large impact on our rural communities and we want to continue this amazing momentum.”

For more information on the scheme and how to apply visit the Swale Borough Council’s grant page.

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All funded projects: