Chair announced for Sheppey East investment
Published
Wednesday 27 May, 2026
Updated
Wednesday 27 May, 2026
Local resident Garry Ratcliffe has been appointed to lead a £20 million investment into Sheppey East as chair of the new Pride in Place neighbourhood board.
The appointment comes after a competitive search for candidates to chair the new board and was agreed by Swale Borough Council and Kevin McKenna MP.
The Government’s Pride in Place Programme is investing the money to improve the local area and tackle long-standing issues over the next ten years.
Garry is a local resident who understands the bigger picture of the area's challenges and opportunities.
His previous roles have prepared him to bring a wide range of people together and attract the investment needed to make a positive impact.
Co-founder of the Island-based charity Curly’s Farm and School, Garry brings strong local connections and leadership experience.
With 30 years of experience in education—spanning roles as a teacher, headteacher, and most recently as the CEO of a multi-academy trust.
His extensive governance experience includes successfully chairing the board of We Are Beams, a disabled children’s charity in North Kent, for five years.
Garry Ratcliffe, the chair of the Sheppey East neighbourhood board, said:
“It is an honour and a privilege to have been chosen to lead this incredible project, helping to shape the investment of this much-needed funding into an area I deeply care about.
“The next step is to form the board who, alongside the MP, Kevin McKenna, and myself will develop an action plan for the next ten years, identifying what locals truly want to see improved and how we can get the most value out of this money.
“If you feel like you can help contribute, and are passionate about the Island, please apply to join the neighbourhood board. The more support and local knowledge I can draw from in my role the better.”
Kevin McKenna, MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey, said:
“Pride in Place is £20 million of funding over the next ten years to really improve the experience, the lives, the opportunities of people that live on the eastern side of Sheppey.
“Garry demonstrated a clear vision for how he will bring people together and I believe he will be a real stalwart, ambassador, and a great leader for this project.
“He is now tasked with bringing together different people who are passionate about the East of Sheppey, who can make a strong contribution to making this long-term investment a success.”
Cllr Tim Gibson, leader of the council, said:
“I am confident that we have found the perfect person to champion this ambitious, community-led programme.
“Garry has the skills and background needed to work with the entire community to identify the root issues people face and, working with the board, form a comprehensive plan on how to address these problems.
“This funding is being spread over ten years to make sure it will leave a long-lasting positive impact on the area, truly improving our residents' lives.”
His first task is to recruit a neighbourhood board. This board will write a ten-year vision and four-year action plan detailing how to invest the funding into local priorities.
They are looking for members with the skills, drive, and dedication to work directly with the community to understand and shape the improvements residents want.
Local people can meet the new chair and find out how to get involved at upcoming events:
- Sheppey Councillors and Residents Forum, 11 June, 7pm Leysdown Village Hall
- Island Forum, 16 June, 6.30pm, Leysdown Village Hall
These sessions build on earlier events where residents discussed local challenges and shared ideas for the future.
The £20 million fund will support projects that local people want to see from March 2027 onwards.
The community will decide how to spend it, with potential projects improving transport, safety, education, jobs, health, high streets, or local heritage. It is designed to fund fresh ideas and provides extra money on top of existing public service funding for a historically overlooked area.
Alongside this ten-year project, Swale Borough Council has also secured £1.5 million in capital funding for immediate improvements across the Borough.
The council is using this money to upgrade Sittingbourne High Street, including the recent toilet refurbishment, build a new changing village for Faversham Pools, and make further improvements to Beachfields in Sheerness, as well as other local improvement schemes.
Find out more about the project and how to join the neighbourhood board at www.swale.gov.uk/pip, you can apply before 21 June 2026.
