COMMUNITY organisations in Silsden and Addingham are benefiting from a £756,000 investment in rural businesses and community assets.

The South Pennine Leader project has brought £330,000 from the European Union to eight businesses and community groups in Bradford district.

This includes £25,178 to Addingham Hub for building improvements to create a new community facility, and £36,330 to the Old Post Office Café Bar in Silsden for building work, flooring and equipment.

The money, boosted by cash from other sources, has created 12 jobs across the eight projects. The grants are part of a £1.5 million European fund that is due to be wound-up next year.

Pennine Prospects, which administers the Leader programme for Bradford Council, also recently secured £193 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The money, part of the Resilient Heritage Programme, will help create ‘organisational change’ across the South Pennines help voluntary groups and social enterprises improve the way they operate

News of the Pennine Prospects activities were outlined in a report this week (February 26) to Bradford Council’s Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.