Decision

To award £393,000 of UK Shared Prosperity Funds to the Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough for refurbishing the theatre building including improvements to plant equipment and insulation securing the ongoing viability of the theatre.

Reasons for the decision

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Rural England Prosperity are awarded by the Government to North Yorkshire Council for the purposes of community and economic development. The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK.

Grants are awarded through a competitive process of application and appraisal according to criteria set out by the Council’s Constitution. The decision to approve a grant is made by an independent panel through a transparent audited process.

This funding is used to make improvements to Stephen Joseph Theatre to enable the continued operation of the theatre which brings significant numbers of visitors to North Yorkshire, works closely with disadvantaged groups along the coast and is an important cultural organisation in Scarborough supporting civic pride and generating national and international recognition of the town.

Alternative options considered

Grant giving has been selected as the method for distributing funds from the UKSPF for projects which support the aspirations of the fund in Building Pride in our Places. This approach is considered to be the most efficient in providing funding directly to local organisations and communities. This is a competitive grant fund and other projects are also able to apply for and receive funding. As such the decision is made by an independent appraisal panel according to agreed criteria which determine if a grant should be awarded or not.