The £191,000 funding supported 26 exciting cultural projects across the county during 2025-26. The programme met UKSPF aims of giving more people opportunities to enjoy cultural activities and the health and wellbeing benefits of arts and creativity in their local communities.

A wide range of new and innovative cultural events and activities were funded across heritage, dance, crafts, theatre, visual arts, music, poetry and multi-artform. 25,000+ people enjoyed one or more of the remarkable 956 different events, workshops and activities.

26 local organisations were funded to deliver projects in Leominster, Ledbury, Bromyard, the Golden Valley, Hereford, Kington, Shobdon, Dorstone, Devereux Wootton, Hinton, Llanwarne and other rural communities. 

Projects supported through the programme ranged from The Friends of St Faith’s Dorstone Settlement Timeline project to Ledbury Poetry Festival’s ‘Winter Words’; and from Herefordshire Aero Club’s ‘Music and Fly - a celebration of local sound and flight’ to CUP Ceramics Community CIC’s Youth Clay Club.

Events boosted by funding included Hereford Military Festival, Llanwarne Cultural Festival, and Black Hill Arts Events in October 2025.

Cllr Elissa Swinglehurst, Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Environment, said:

“We wanted to reach into every part of the county, celebrating our creative talent and giving it an even bigger stage.

“To involve so many different organisations, and reach so many people is a great indicator of how together we are building ever stronger partnerships that make a difference to residents. From arts and music to heritage and traditional crafts, the programme supported projects that both showcased Herefordshire creativity and brought communities together."

"Thanks to the UKSPF money secured from the government, we were able to boost local organisations’ work and help them realise their ambitions to do new things! It’s a great testament to the impact of this funding that more than 25,000 people took part, watched, visited and enjoyed these additional activities and the wider benefits that access to culture and creativity brings to people’s lives. This programme represents another step in our ambitions to give people more access to great cultural experiences close to home."

The programme formed part of Herefordshire Council's delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Communities and Place programme, which supported local arts, culture and heritage activity and organisations, helped build further capacity and support their development, and brought communities together to enjoy arts and culture across Herefordshire.

Through Herefordshire Council’s UKSPF programme:

• 26 grants were awarded across the county
• £191,397 was invested in local cultural activity
• 956 programmes and activities were delivered
• 25,405 people took part in arts, heritage and cultural activities

Fletch Theatre worked with Herefordshire-based artists to create a giant kingfisher puppet and masks, running workshops with different community groups right across the county. Blue Flash was then unveiled via ‘flash’ performances in Hereford and the county’s market towns