The Government has launched its flagship Pride in Place Programme, which will provide up to £20 million of flexible funding and support to 284 neighbourhoods over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities.

The Government has put in place robust governance and assurance arrangements to safeguard public funds and ensure appropriate financial oversight across all Pride in Place neighbourhoods, with funding delivered through the relevant local authorities acting as the accountable bodies. Programme assurance follows a three lines of defence model, with the first line provided by local authority Chief Financial Officers, the second by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through proportionate, risk-based checks, and the third by MHCLG’s independent auditors.

Neighbourhood Boards are community-led bodies responsible for shaping local priorities through the Pride in Place Plan, with financial accountability and assurance provided through local authorities acting as the accountable bodies and through MHCLG’s programme-level oversight. This includes the submission of expenditure profiles and forecasts to MHCLG, alongside ongoing monitoring and evaluation in line with published guidance.

MHCLG’s Communities Delivery Unit provides each neighbourhood with a named official to monitor delivery, support governance and escalate concerns where necessary.