District receives

THE funding, which came from the Government and the EU, will be shared between South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse District Councils.
SODC has said that it will use the money to help revitalise rural communities through training and supporting projects up to 2013.
In a statement, the council said: “The funding will provide support to a wide range of projects and training for farmers, growers, foresters, food businesses and rural communities. Initial expressions of interest have so far included ideas for a food festival, conservation themed holiday breaks, and rural skills training.”

An action group, with key members from the farming and forestry sector, will co-ordinate the project. South Oxfordshire District Council will support the group and will recruit a project manager to run the programme. Once the project manager is in place, applicants can make expressions of interest before presenting a full application to the group.

Each project can receive a grant of up to