Conor McGinn backs bid for St Helens regeneration funding
Local MP Conor McGinn has pledged to work with the Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) and back its bid to secure хЃ40 million in funding ‰лв helping communities in St Helens.
The Trust supports former coalfield communities and invests in jobs and skills, and St Helens will stand to gain if the funding bid is successful.
Four in ten people in St Helens live in the top 20 per cent of most deprived neighbourhoods in the country ‰лв making it a priority areas for regeneration funding.
On top of this, 23 per cent of people in St Helens have a limiting long-term illness, compared to the national average of 18 per cent.
Under plans set out by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, the new funding will assist 10,000 young people into work and help a further 200,000 people access sports and fitness projects.
Throughout the country, an estimated 5.5 million people live in former coalfield communities ‰лв one in ten across England.
Commenting, Mr McGinn said:
“Communities in St Helens face higher levels of deprivation and rates of long term illness than the national average.
“As a former coalfield community, it’s important that St Helens benefits from central government regeneration funding, which is why I am proud to back the important work of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and support their bid for хЃ40 million of funding.
“Jobs, skills and training are all vital for our communities and it is important the Government invests in our young people through regeneration funding ‰лв here in St Helens and across other former coalfield communities.”
Coalfields Regeneration Trust Chairman Peter McNestry added:
“People may think that хЃ40 million is a lot of money to ask for, but when you consider the scale of the challenges that still remain, it requires this level of ambition if we are to make the significant and lasting impacts needed.
“We know that we can deliver a social return on investment of хЃ10 for every хЃ1 spent. There is no other organisation in the country that could achieve this in our communities.”