North Warwickshire LEADER

North Warwickshire has been successful in its bid for funding of £1m!!    Whether you have a project idea or are looking for funding - keep an eye on this site for more information and details of how to get involved.

Since 1991, the LEADER Community Initiative has evolved a distinctive approach to rural development.  The driving force behind LEADER was that mainstream approaches could not provide a comprehensive solution to the challenges of rural development.

The LEADER method comprises of the following:

Area-based approach - The rural project area should share a common history and tradition, and experience a common feeling of identity.

Bottom-up approach - The involvement of local players should be sought including the population at large, economic and social interest groups, and representative public and private institutions.  It should also seek to encourage participatory decision-making at the local level.

Local Partnership - The Local Action Group (LAG) should be a combination of public and private partners whose role it is to devise a common strategy and actions for the development of the rural area.

Integrated and Sustainable Development Strategies - Local Development Strategies - draw from the regional priorities agreed in the West Midlands Rural Implementation Plan and in addressing local needs compliment the existing activities of local groups and partners.

Innovation - Innovation is a key feature of the LEADER approach, and projects should seek to incorporate innovative ways of overcoming identified issues.

Inter-territorial and transnational cooperation between rural areas - Cooperation between other project areas in this country and other countries within the European Union should be sought in pooling resources.

Networking - Sharing information about rural development between territories is encouraged, to increase knowledge and draw from lessons learnt. 

LEADER is being managed by DEFRA and is part of the Rural Development Programme for England.

The LEADER programme will run until December 2013.