Somerset Levels & Moors LEADER+ is a European Union-funded community initiative supporting the involvement of local people in developing and testing new types of sustainable rural development. To this end grant aid and support is offered to help local action intended to have a long-term benefit for our communities, landscape and products.

Our activities are co-ordinated by the Somerset Levels & Moors LEADER+ Local Action Group - a community, private, public and voluntary sector partnership of 31 bodies with a working interest in the Somerset Levels and Moors.

The Local Action Group operates to a strategy set out in its Business Plan. The current Business Plan covers the period 2002-2004; a new plan will be prepared during the coming months to cover 2005-2008.

The Local Action Group operates at three levels

• Full Local Action Group partnership - meets quarterly to discuss strategic issues
• Programme Management Group - meets bi-monthly to appraise grant applications and monitor project progress
• Working Groups - meet to co-ordinate / steer and debate activity under our two programme themes (Adding Value to Local Products and Making Best Use of Natural and Cultural Resources.)

Notes of meetings from each of the groups are available here.

The Local Action Group oversees three types of LEADER+ activity

• Administration of the programme
• Action 1 projects (i.e. taking place within the Somerset Levels & Moors)
• Action 2 projects (i.e. between ourselves and other LEADER+ groups across Europe)

15% of our budget is reserved for administration, 77% for Action 1 projects and 8% Action 2 project activity.

For information on the projects we are supporting please click here.