UK Government community renewal projects go live in Portsmouth

Published by

Stephen Emerson

Credit: University of Portsmouth

Three ground-breaking economic, technological and environmental development projects, worth £1.6M to the local economy, have commenced in Portsmouth.

The projects, funded from the UK Government Community Renewal Fund, include a decarbonisation skills support scheme, Enabling Extended Reality Enterprise (eXRe) project and a Portsmouth Start and Grow entrepreneurial scheme.

Leader of Portsmouth City Council, Councillor Gerald Vernon Jackson, said: "This is fantastic news for the city. We are delighted that these ground-breaking projects are now underway. Each project supports our aim to make Portsmouth a great place to invest, learn, live, work and visit and are a catalyst to attract future funding opportunities to boost skills and business."

The City of Portsmouth College (formally Highbury College) was awarded £324,500 for its Decarbonisation skills support scheme aimed at the construction industry.

Graham Morley, Interim Chief Executive Officer of City of Portsmouth College (Portsmouth College and Highbury College) said: “There is a critical need to adopt cleaner technologies to support the national and global decarbonisation targets. As a result of our successful bid, we will be upskilling and retraining individuals in Portsmouth and the wider area to ensure our community is well-equipped to thrive in the ‘clean growth’ landscape.

“Our training will focus on, insulation, solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps and electric vehicles.”

The University of Portsmouth was awarded £616,427 for its Enabling XR Enterprise (eXRe) project to create skills, boost communities and benefit the visitor and cultural economy.

Pippa Bostock, Business Director Centre for Creative and Immersive XR, University of Portsmouth, said, " UK Community Renewal Funding will enable us to work with over 100 businesses. Opening our facilities and expertise to the city will provide a huge boost to businesses and organisations and help raise aspirations and inspire future generations to engage with technology.”

YTKO has been awarded £619,496 for its Portsmouth Start and Grow, a business start-up service.

Lee Hughes, Deputy CEO YTKO said " Our support will be tailored to help entrepreneurs and businesses navigate the barriers and challenges they face and ensure they gain the skills and knowledge they need to boost their productivity and growth potential.”

Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset. Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users. He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.