ALMOST £500,000 will be spent on projects ranging from boost apprenticeships to litter and dog fouling enforcement across parts of Barnsley.
The North East Area Council is spending £486,976 on 12 projects.
Topping the list is a scheme to boost apprenticeships and improve youngsters’ employability skills, which will see £233,000 pumped in to drive up employment.
The Youth Development Fund will receive £70,000, while village groups in each ward alliance can access a share of £40,000 designated to be divided up between the four areas.
Almost £70,000 has been earmarked towards enforcement-related activities, which guarantees further patrols from officers of Kingdom, the firm employed by the area council to reduce instances of littering, illegal parking and dog fouling.
A private housing management officer, who acts as a go-between for tenants and landlords, will cost £37,000, while a new stop-smoking specialist has been allocated £30,000.
Village Life, the area council’s community magazine, will cost £5,000 and a final £5,000 has been promised for biodiversity projects at nature hotspots in villages including Grimethorpe and Royston.
Each aspect of the expenditure will be reviewed, and assessed as to whether they are helping the area council reach this year’s targets, at quarterly meetings.
A report said: “All the North East Area Council commissions continue to meet the outputs and outcomes required, and are all well-received in the local communities. The contract meetings ensure the commissions provide the monitoring information required and that any problems can be resolved efficiently.
“Opportunities for volunteering are included in all, with numbers continuing to increase at events across the wards.
“The Youth Development Fund in particular continues to support the young people in the area. This initiative encourages young people to be able to be more aware and enables them to make decisions, benefit their own health and their lifestyles.”
Boosting health and residents’ lifestyles is a key priority for the area council, after a report on smoking revealed it is the borough’s worst-affected area.
Sarah Sverdloff, the officer in charge of reducing smoking, has now started work and will be hosting drop-in events at summer galas and health fairs.
