Rochdale Salvation Army call for town to receive its fair share of ‘Levelling Up’ cash

Rochdale’s Salvation Army group has called for the town to receive its fair share of ‘Levelling Up’ funding.

The national church and charity, which runs a centre on Newgate in Rochdale welcomed the Government’s plans to increase opportunities, raise wages and provide decent housing across the UK which was outlined in a White Paper released on Wednesday.

The long-awaited plans aiming to narrow the north-south divide were finally unveiled yesterday.

The White Paper sets out a series of wide-ranging national “missions” – from improving public transport to ensuring access to 5G broadband – to be enshrined in law.

There are also plans for more areas to have metro mayors, similar to the role played by Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester.

Major David Taylor, divisional leader of The Salvation Army in the North West said: “The people who come to our food banks, debt and employment advice services in Rochdale want to work but are often held back by things beyond their control.

“Poorly paid seasonal work, lack of access to affordable childcare or just no opportunity to retrain when a large local employer shuts, can trap people and entire areas in deprivation.

“The Levelling Up Fund is a chance to invest in the people of Rochdale that don’t want a handout but a hand up.”

The Salvation Army is calling for a rethink of how local need is calculated to ensure investment in communities where people are desperate for training and stable job opportunities.

They also say that Rochdale has yet to see any of the government’s £4.8 billion The Levelling Up Fund which was announced in 2020.

However the town has received other investment including £23.6m from the government’s Towns Fund and £17.1m from the Future High Streets Fund.

“We are not criticising where funding has been allocated so far,” added Major Taylor.

“However, with almost half the funding already spent, we are asking the Government to focus what money is left on those areas with the highest level of deprivation.

“The commitment to Level Up is a bold Government policy, but an equal playing field means reaching out to those desperate for help to make a better life for themselves and their children.

"Without funding, these communities will fall even deeper into social deprivation.”

The Salvation Army is calling for the government to:

• Reconsider how funding is allocated from the Levelling Up Fund, to ensure investment is made in the most deprived communities.

• Develop a new plan of investment to fund childcare so that parents can access work and training opportunities.

• Invest in skills and employment support to help individuals out of low-skill, low-wage employment.

• Engage with communities to identify what investment will best ‘Level Up’ their areas.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said: “Not everyone shares equally in the UK’s success. For decades, too many communities have been overlooked and undervalued. As some areas have flourished, others have been left in a cycle of decline. The UK has been like a jet firing on only one engine.

“Levelling Up and this White Paper is about ending this historic injustice and calling time on the postcode lottery.

“This will not be an easy task, and it won’t happen overnight, but our 12 new national levelling up missions will drive real change in towns and cities across the UK, so that where you live will no longer determine how far you can go.”