UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Parks Fund

Funding boost for UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme in Northeast Hastings

Hastings Borough Council has been allocated £473,873 additional government funding to support the ongoing UK Shared Prosperity Fund Programme. The 12-month funding programme will continue with a focus on communities and place and skills in Broomgrove and expand into Northeast Hastings with a particular focus on Downs Farm.

The extension of the funding to deliver this programme from April 2025 was announced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in the Autumn Budget in 2024 and was approved at the council’s Cabinet on 3 March this year.

Update May 2025: Broomgrove Community Centre celebrates re-launch with an open day for the local community

On Saturday 17 May, the Broomgrove Community Centre celebrated re-opening after an extensive refurbishment by welcoming members of the community to an open day.

The centre was re-opened with a ribbon cutting by Mo Gardiner, Chair of Oasis Community Project East Hastings followed by speeches by Steve Manwaring, Director of Hastings Voluntary Action and Jackie Gaunt, Oasis trustee and Centre Manager. This was followed by a display by Hastings Coastal Twirlers, who practice in the centre. 

Residents enjoyed activities led by Active Hastings, In2Play, Wriggles and Giggles and Groundwork South’s ‘The World According to Ore’ project. Archives of the Broomgrove estate were on display which were loaned by Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, and residents were encouraged to share their ideas for the future of the area. Many organisations and regular centre users also had displays and offered advice.

The event marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the centre, which is under new management and showcased exciting plans to deliver a programme of activities and services, including Stay and Play sessions for families and under 5s, after school clubs, cultural and wellness events for all ages and the return of the popular Broomgrove Social Supermarket.

You can find more details on the activities at the Broomgrove Community Centre by visiting the Oasis Facebook page.

Update April 2025: Downs Farm Community Fun Day

On Thursday 10 April, Safer Hastings Partnership, together with Active Hastings, Hastings Borough Council and Southern Housing invited Downs Farm residents to a Community Fun Day.
The fun day provided a chance for local people to not only enjoy entertainment and food together, but also share how they feel some of the funding the council has received from the government’s ongoing UK Shared Prosperity Fund could benefit the area.

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, Deputy Leader of Hastings Borough Council and lead for community wellbeing and housing, said: “It’s important that everyone gets chance to have their say on funding for their area. So, it was great to see the success of this community event, with more than 100 families attending, all sharing their interesting ideas about how their area could be improved.”

More details on the funding will be published here soon. 

Funding programme 2022 - 2025

In 2022 Hastings Borough Council was allocated £1,000,000 to spend over three years (2022 – 2025). The funding is being spent in Broomgrove, which was identified as one of the town’s most deprived areas. Some of the projects have now been completed and others are well underway. Below is a list of projects and schemes that are benefiting from the funding.

The investment covers three areas: communities and place; support for local businesses and people and skills.

Cllr Glenn Haffenden, Deputy Leader and lead for Housing & Community Wellbeing, Hastings Borough Council, said, "I'm really pleased about all of these projects, they are already and will continue to offer great opportunities for residents in Broomgrove, helping to boost their health and wellbeing as well as offering vital support for start-up businesses in the area”.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

For more information, visit the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Government prospectus page.

There are currently building works taking place at Broomgrove Community Centre and there will be disruption to some sessions. Please check with the organiser or on the Oasis Facebook page for any updates.

1. Greener Broomgrove

Southern Housing are leading a community capacity building project with some match funding from the Parks Fund, to improve wellbeing and encouraging pride in place by improving the communal green spaces in Broomgrove. Events include bulb planting sessions, creating biodiversity/wilding areas and planting up to fifty trees. Community champions and volunteers are being engaged to set up a gardening group with a dedicated growing space in Quantock Gardens. 

Contact:  jayne.jeffrey@southernhousing.org.uk

Call or text: 0770 282 1179

2. Active Hastings

Active Hastings have lots of different sessions running in Broomgrove, in and around the Community Centre and Quantock Gardens. Sessions change regularly but include Pilates, Zumba, Age Friendly Sessions, Junior Muay Thai, Men's Fitness: Strength and Conditioning Street Sports.  Details can be found on the Active Hastings webpage and Active Hastings Facebook page.

3. Soundcastle - Musical Beacons

Image above shows information about the Under 5s Stay and Play sessions every Thursday at Broomgrove Community Centre from 11am to 12pm with free tea and coffee and free snacks for the children available.

Musical Beacons takes place every other Thursday in Broomgrove. You might see the team on their musical walkabout as they play their instruments and residents can listen and even join in. The walkabout is followed at 11am by a free music session for under 5's and their carers, to find out more about the Active Hastings sessions, visit the Musical Beacons webpage or the Soundcastle Team Facebook page. 

4. Broomgrove Community Centre

Funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is enabling the building to be improved and extended so that more activities can be delivered and make it a community hub. A Community Development Worker has been employed for a year to assist the Centre Manager to develop it as a local hub through the creation of a programme of activities and community outreach. Oasis have a Facebook page for more details.

5. In2Play - Adventure Playground

Enhancements and improvements are being made to the Adventure Playground with some match funding from the Parks Fund, to ensure that it remains open for children in Broomgrove. Work done already includes replacement tarmac to the play area, with man made puddles and play equipment has been replaced. Future work includes improving the mini park with seating, planting and creating a wellbeing space and pond. Young volunteers have helped to bring the vision alive and get involved with the improvements. Visit the In2Play website or the In2Play Facebook page for more details.

6.  RISE (Reboot. Ideas. Skills. Enterprise) 

RISE (Reboot. Ideas. Skills. Enterprise.) A business support and skills programme led by Let's Do Business Group in collaboration with Southern Housing and Education Futures Trust with each organisation delivering a different part of the project.

Let’s Do Business are offering a range of support to entrepreneurs, start-ups as well as existing businesses. Southern Housing and Education Futures Trust are offering various courses to help break down barriers to employment. For more information visit the Let's Do Business Group website, or the Let's Do Business Facebook page or the Southern Housing Facebook page.

7. Social Supermarket - Hastings Voluntary Action, Big Local North East Hastings and Oasis

Image above shows information about the Social Supermarket in Broomgrove, which opened on 18 June 2024.  This takes place every Tuesday from 10am -12noon, 10 items for £3.00. Free tea and coffee available.

A social supermarket enabling local residents to buy low-cost food is being set up by Oasis Community Project in conjunction with the Big Local North East Hastings and Hastings Voluntary Action.

8. Hastings Storytelling Festival - Broomgrove Moths (completed project)

Following a successful event in 2022 the Hastings Storytelling Festival commissioned Zeroh to deliver the Broomgrove Moths - a series of workshops with local children which culminated in an evening where a large screen showed the children's moths brought to life.

Each child also had access to a QR code to recreate their moth after the event. The large pylon was lit up and a storyteller took local families on a journey around the area. The community centre opened to the public and around 150 local residents people participated in the event. For more details visit the Hastings Story Festival website.