Skegness Neighbourhood Board has made the first Pride in Place investment in the town, providing funding for a project that reflects a key community priority.
Consultation and engagement carried out by the Board in 2024 and 2025 found that local people want cleaner, tidier, smarter streets to provide a welcoming and attractive town for all.
In recognition of this feedback, the Board has made its first investment to support the appointment of two Pride in Skegness community operatives.
The operatives – Paul Lucas and Tony Gregory – are working to provide a dedicated support to Skegness, alongside East Lindsey District Council’s Neighbourhoods team and are already making an impact with visible improvements to public spaces.
Their work includes maintaining green spaces, clearing litter, cleaning public areas and improving the appearance of the foreshore.
Their appointment is a major milestone in the delivery of the Pride in Place programme in Skegness. It comes after the regeneration plan for the town – based on community priorities that were informed by feedback from local people – was strongly endorsed by the government earlier this year.
Paul McCooey, Chair of the Skegness Neighbourhood Board, said: “The public engagement undertaken by the Board last year highlighted that the cleanliness and appearance of the town centre is extremely important for local people and so we’ve prioritised funding into the Pride in Skegness service.
“It’s fantastic to see the community operatives out and about, helping to create a cleaner, greener, and more welcoming town for residents and visitors.
“This is the first Pride in Place investment initiative in Skegness, and it directly meets a need that was identified in the community engagement.
“We look forward to announcing further projects receiving funding in due course. It is an exciting time for the town as Pride in Place begins to make positive change for local people.”
£80K has been committed to the project, and the Board will soon be announcing further funding awards to projects selected through its open call last year.
The Pride in Place initiative is also being complemented by East Lindsey District Council’s East Lindsey Investment Fund (ELIF), which is supporting additional planting, landscaping and lighting through the Pride in East Lindsey grant scheme.
Cllr Martin Foster, Portfolio Holder for Operational Services at East Lindsey District Council said: “Our partnership with Skegness Neighbourhood Board is a great example of collaborative working at its best.
“It’s an exciting time for Skegness, and we hope people enjoy the improvements being made. Much of this work goes unnoticed, but it plays a key role in how the town looks and feels.
“We are very grateful to the Skegness Neighbourhood Board for supporting this priority and funding the two operatives dedicated to Skegness.”
Funded by UK Government, the Pride in Place Programme has been created to support thriving places, build stronger communities and help local areas take greater ownership of their future. Through the programme, Skegness will receive up to £20 million in government funding over ten years. It is overseen by the Skegness Neighbourhood Board, led by an independent Chair, and brings together local people alongside representatives from the police, East Lindsey District Council and other partners.
Community engagement is central to the success of the programme, with opportunities for local people to get involved in the months and years ahead.
To find out more about the Pride in Place Programme, follow the programme on Facebook and LinkedIn or visit https://www.togetherforskegness.co.uk.
People can report community clean up needs in Skegness to the team via: pride@e-lindsey.gov.uk