The Working Neighbourhoods Fund
This was a government fund that ran from 2008-2010. During its course it provided £1.4 billion to 65 local authorities and was targeted through deprivation, at authorities that met at least one of the following criteria:
- 20% or more of LSOAs in most deprived national decile on IMD 2007
- 20% or more of LSOAs in the most deprived national decile of Employment IMD Domain 2007
- Authority ranked in top 50 districts on an equally weighted measure of key benefit claim rate and employment rate.
The fund gave authorities control of resources to tackle worklessness and low levels of skills and enterprise in their deprived neighbourhoods, for example through funding projects and development grants and working with local partners. Often funding within authorities was then spatially targeted, again using the IMD to identify areas of greatest need.
For more detailed information read this scoping study by the Cambridge Dept of Land Economy.