A new report is sharing how ambitious plans to level up Essex are improving and enhancing life opportunities for Essex residents.
Published today (Wednesday 6 March), the Levelling Up year two impact report highlights some of the latest projects in Essex. These are helping residents and communities have an equal chance to improve their lives and reach new heights.
Over the last two years, dozens of new projects are underway throughout Essex, with almost 68,000 people affected by levelling up funding so far. The programme is on target to reach as many as 140,000 residents by 2025.
Work so far has seen:
- increased literacy levels – with our Everyone's Literacy Area stock seeing over 50,000 borrows since 2022
- increase in free childcare – more than 172,000 spaces available to children through the Essex ActiVate holiday activity and food programme
- more support for businesses - free workplace health and wellbeing support for over 580 organisations and training of 1,000 plus mental health first aiders
- launch of new community supermarkets – seven operational and a commitment to bring one to every district in Essex by summer 2024
- new support for skills - provision of free training through Adult Community Learning centres, such as the Nightingale care bursary and mobile interactive ‘hands on’ science kits
- investment in mental wellbeing - £180,000 invested in the Harlow Futures programme, supporting children and young people in the town
- distributing digital devices – around 6,000 devices given to residents, schools, refugees and community groups, along with digital inclusion support
Councillor Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader of Essex County Council and Cabinet Member for Levelling Up, Communities and Business Engagement, said:
Over the last year we have continued to follow the energy found at the heart of our local communities, build trust with our local partners and organisations and work hard to create even more community champions and business mentors, to the direct benefit of thousands of our residents.
I, and all my fellow Cabinet Members, are passionate about driving forward levelling up across each of our areas of responsibility, as set out in our Everyone’s Essex plan, to ensure we make it work for every resident who lives and works here.
Two years ago, we launched our Levelling Up programme and this year I am delighted to see us ‘reaching new heights’.
I am incredibly proud of all that we have achieved but we know that there is still much more to do. I look forward to continuing this work, with the introduction of many more new initiatives targeted at key places and people still to come.
Find out more about Levelling Up in Essex.
