Pride In Place
What Is Pride in Place?
In March 2025, the Government announced that the central area of Rotherham had been selected to receive up to £20 million in funding over a 10-year period as part of the Plan for Neighbourhoods. Since September 2025, the initiative is now known as Pride in Place. The first phase of this programme is a £1.5 billion fund which aims to revitalise designated areas in 75 towns across the UK.
The Pride in Place initiative aims to create safer, healthier neighbourhoods where communities can thrive by focussing on three key themes:
- Creating thriving places
- Building stronger communities
- empowering people to thrive
The funding has been secured for Rotherham’s Built-Up Area which includes the town centre and surrounding neighbourhoods, although the benefits are expected to reach communities throughout the borough.
How will it be managed?
As part of the funding requirements, a Neighbourhood Board is being established bringing together people with strong ties to the local area. This ensures local people are at the heart of shaping the town’s future. Rotherham Council is the Accountable Body for the fund and is working in partnership with the Neighbourhood Board to develop Rotherham’s response to Pride in Place Phase 1.
The Phase 1 Neighbourhood Board is still developing and its membership is expected to continue evolving until the programme begins in April 2026. Currently the Board is made up of representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as statutory involvement from South Yorkshire Police, the MP for Rotherham Central and two Ward Councillors.
If you live or work in Rotherham’s central area and would like to get involved, please get in touch by emailing: planforneighbourhoods@rotherham.gov.uk
What have we done so far?
Extensive consultation was undertaken with residents and community groups in 2024 in response to Long Term Plan for Towns and expanded in 2025 in response to the Pride in Place announcement.
We used the Place Standard Tool, a specialist survey platform that helps communities assess the quality of their local area. It is widely used across the UK for place-based consultations.
The feedback gathered from the consultations helped us to understand what is working well and where improvements are required. Thanks to this input, Rotherham’s communities are at the heart of the Pride in Place investment programme, ensuring it reflects local needs and priorities.
What will the Pride in Place investment programme include?
Rotherham’s six key investment priorities for the first four years are set out below. While detailed projects will be developed when the programme begins in April 2026, here is an overview of the types of interventions currently being explored:
- Regeneration, High Streets & Heritage
Residents told us they want investment that creates thriving, safe and welcoming places. Tackling empty properties and improving the built environment in the Town Centre will be key to creating vibrant streets and more inviting public spaces.
Local centres, parks and community facilities are well used and valued, so opportunities to upgrade them and make the most of the spaces available will be explored to ensure they remain fit for the future.
Investment in Rotherham’s young people is a common shared priority, therefore funding for art, cultural, heritage and creative initiatives will aim to provide a long-term commitment to nurturing home grown talent and fostering community pride. With a focus on providing support and inspiration, this will include the bringing public spaces to life through events, art and performance, showcasing what Rotherham has to offer locally, regionally, and nationally.
2. Safety & Security
Rotherham’s residents, businesses and visitors consistently report that they want to feel safer. To support this, interventions to prevent crime in key locations will be explored throughout the Pride in Place programme.
By designing out crime and investing in the management and maintenance of public spaces, we aim to make them safer and more welcoming—boosting confidence and unlocking greater potential in Rotherham’s central area.
3. Education & Opportunity
The consultation highlighted that many people feel they have little influence and control over local decisions, providing an opportunity to strengthen civic participation.
To address this, support for community-based learning and development will be explored to grow skills, empower residents, and create more opportunities for communities to shape their future.
4. Cohesion
Communities told us they want to strengthen local connections and support groups, including youth and community organisations. The programme will create opportunities for communities to access funding for projects that bring people together, celebrate diversity, build a sense of belonging, and foster pride in Rotherham. These initiatives will be community-led, ensuring they reflect local needs and ambitions.
5. Health & Wellbeing
To address health inequalities a significant proportion of the investment programme will be allocated for integrated health and wellbeing services and sports and activities in locations that are easily accessible for residents. By putting the right facilities in the right locations, we can support healthier lifestyles, increase footfall and support communities to thrive.
6. Work, Productivity & Skills
The consultation feedback ranked work and the local economy as one of the lowest scoring themes, indicating a clear priority for improvement and highlighting the strong ambition amongst residents. The programme will focus on developing and expanding existing local business support and networks for smaller business and social enterprises, harnessing local skills and talent to benefit the wider local economy.
Exploring investment that addresses skills gaps will aim to empower people to access opportunities in growing employment sectors and increase their earning potential.
What's Next
In November, we submitted the Pride in Place Phase 1 Regeneration Plan to Government which sets out the 10-year vision as well as outlining the key areas/themes detailed above which we will focus on during the first 4 years of the programme.
The project level details will be developed over the first 6-12 months of the funding period from April 2026. Further details will be provided as the plans evolve.
