Last week, I welcomed the fantastic news that our application to the Levelling Up Fund was successful. This means £19,192,000 of government investment in community facilities, culture, education, and training to help the most vulnerable people in Bexhill, Sidley and across the Rother District.

There has been criticism of Levelling Up money being delivered to the southeast. There is a perception that the southeast is wealthy; some may think Bexhill is a comfortable town and we don’t need this investment. However, the levels of deprivation in some areas of our town are very real. They are not just statistics; they relate to people’s lives. If you find this hard to believe, talk to our local councillors, schoolteachers, social workers, health workers and those involved in voluntary work. They will tell you of the challenges many of our residents face. Average wages are low compared to the rest of East Sussex, housing costs are high and transport is limited. There is no quick fix so we must look to what we can do to improve aspiration and opportunities.

To tackle inequalities and deprivation, Rother District Council submitted bids to the Levelling Up Fund for the past two years. I have been closely involved in this process as each bid requires the support of the local MP.  I was determined that our bid must demonstrate that it will deliver real Levelling Up for residents of Rother who live in the most deprived wards – central Bexhill and Sidley.  For too long, Rother has been overlooked as an area which requires major government investment which is frustrating for our council, business community and residents.

I sat down with officers and councillors from Rother as well as Stewart Drew and his team at the De La Warr Pavilion to work on our first bid. We felt it was a strong bid which would have a real impact on our communities, and we had a project which was ready to deliver in the demanding timescales set by government. We were incredibly disappointed when we were not successful. Not deterred, I asked the Secretary of State for Levelling Up for a meeting with his officials who assess the bids, to give us feedback and guidance on how to improve our next bid. During this process we were told that we only narrowly missed out on the previous round, so we worked hard to fill the gaps. A lot of work, time and effort went into writing the bid, which Rother officers carefully put together, and then it was in the hands of civil servants and Ministers.

After what seemed like an endless wait, I received a call last Wednesday to let me know that Rother’s bid was successful, and we should expect a Ministerial visit the next day.  I was overjoyed for all those who had worked so hard bid but incredibly disappointed that I could not be in Bexhill to meet the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride, who was coming to congratulate us. I had to remain in Westminster for business in the House of Commons chamber and Whitehall, including meetings with the rail unions. I took the view that the others involved in the bid would make Mel Stride most welcome and members of my team who’d been involved in the bid went down to meet him on my behalf.

Now we begin delivering the bid which includes major investment at the De La Warr Pavilion, the heart of Bexhill and its key tourism attraction, to ensure it is future-proofed and has the facilities and new auditorium it needs to increase creative engagement, deliver high quality skills training, flexible learning spaces, and attract new visitors. We will also be delivering a new state of the art community hub in Sidley. This bid will be creating new jobs, upskilling and supporting career progression in the area’s creative and cultural sectors, particularly for young people.

Finally, talking of opportunities, the Bexhill Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair takes place on Friday 10 March at the De La Warr Pavilion. Another great example of a community-led project involving my office, DLWP, Rother District Council and Bexhill College. We have major national and local businesses exhibiting and will be offering workshops and talks on careers as well as essential job-seeking skills. Look out for more news on the Jobs Fair coming soon in the Bexhill Observer which has always been a great supporter of the event.