The UK government will establish a new Islands Forum to empower island communities to communicate directly with government, inform future policy, and work together, the Levelling Up White Paper will confirm later this week.
The proposed forum will allow government to hear and learn from island communities across the UK. These communities face common challenges in areas such as connectivity, infrastructure, and depopulation.
Share experiences and learn from success
Through the Forum, attendees will be able to share experiences and learn from success to overcome these challenges, as we unite and level up every corner of the United Kingdom.
Gove: Island communities face shared challenges
Secretary of State Michael Gove said,
“Talent is equally spread across the United Kingdom, but opportunity is not. Our island communities face shared challenges and I want us to work together to overcome them, as we work to unite and level up the whole UK.
“A number of island communities have already benefited from the Levelling Up Fund and Community Renewal Funds. Creating a new Islands Forum takes our commitment one step further and provides a new opportunity for island communities to work together to help their communities prosper.”
Seely: National forum for UK islands my suggestion
Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, said,
“I am very grateful to Michael Gove for agreeing, accepting and adopting my suggestion on a national forum for UK islands. This will enable the Island, working with other islands, to have a collective voice at the heart of Government.
“Those goals must be around education, training and skills, high-quality jobs, improvement to towns, transport as well as the protection of the landscape and seascape for some of the most precious parts of the United Kingdom.
“I want to thank and pay tribute to the work by David Pugh on this as well.
“Thus far, from the Levelling Up plans, we know that the Island will be an Education Investment Area, which will help to recruit more good teachers – and retain them – and drive up standards, helping every child on the Island to have the promise of a better future. Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi will say more in the coming weeks.
“We have already got the £5.8 million Levelling Up bid money to help East Cowes after my intervention to make sure that the Island was included in Round One as a priority.”
How cash injections are helping
Several projects in island communities have already benefited from cash injections through the levelling-up fund.
The Isle of Wight has been awarded £5.8m ‘Levelling Up’ funds to be used in East Cowes.
£173,400 has been committed to Argyll and Bute Council for investment into the West Coast UAV Innovation Logistics and training hub, which helps explore using drones to transport medical supplies to islands.
Meanwhile Anglesey has seen a boost of £2.7million through the UK Community Renewal fund provided to six schemes including schemes to develop youth enterprise and provide high quality Health and Social Care education.
When establishing the Forum the government intends to work with island communities to find the best ways in which we can engage with them.
Article edit
6.20pm 2nd Feb 2022 – Comment from Bob Seely added
News shared by Hannah on behalf of Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities. Ed
Image: Chris Montgomery under CC BY 2.0
