What Could £20 Million Mean For Both Whitehouse And Stoke Park & Chantry?

When people hear that Whitehouse and Stoke Park & Chantry could each receive up to £20 million through the Pride in Place programme, the first question is often:

“What will the money be spent on?”

The honest answer is that nobody knows yet.

And that’s exactly the point.

Unlike many funding programmes, Pride in Place is designed to give local people a genuine say in how investment is used over the next decade. The programme isn’t about imposing a pre-written list of projects on local communities. Instead, it starts with a simple question:

What matters most to local people?

For some residents, that might mean creating more opportunities for young people. For others, it could mean improving community spaces, supporting local organisations, enhancing green spaces or investing in projects that help people feel more connected to where they live. The priorities for Whitehouse may be different from those in Stoke Park & Chantry.

That’s why local involvement matters.

Over the coming months, residents will have opportunities to help shape a long-term vision for their neighbourhood through Pride in Place. The newly formed Neighbourhood Boards will play an important role in that process, helping ensure local voices are heard and that future investment reflects the priorities of the communities themselves.

At this stage, Pride in Place is less about specific projects and more about a conversation. A conversation about what works. What could be improved. And what local people would like their neighbourhood to look like.

The most important decisions haven’t been made yet. That’s because they’re intended to be made with the community, not simply for it.

As Pride in Place develops, Ipswich.Love will continue to follow the programme, highlight opportunities to get involved and share updates from both Whitehouse and Stoke Park & Chantry.

One thing is already clear: The future of these neighbourhoods won’t be shaped by funding alone.

It will be shaped by the people who choose to take part.

Here’s how you take part. Closing date for applications for Chairman of the Board is Monday 15th June. Closing date for Board Members is 9th July:

Who wrote this about Ipswich?

Miranda Acres

Miranda has been a Freelance Marketing and Design Consultant for more years than she cares to remember, supporting local start-ups, SMEs and charities. A passionate founder of Ipswich.love. Huge supporter of Ipswich's bid for City of Culture 2029. Born, bred and choosing Ipswich.