Historic first year for Mayor of the East Midlands, with hundreds of thousands in new funding for the region.

Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward is celebrating a successful year of bringing more investment into the region to help deliver better jobs, better skills, build new homes, improve transport, support a greener East Midlands, and champion our visitor economy.  

This week, (Wednesday 7 May) marks one year since Claire Ward was elected and signed the official declaration to become the regions first Mayor.  

In just 12 months, having a Mayor has already made a big difference, including her securing over £120 million in extra funding, money the region wouldn’t have received without the Mayor of the East Midlands.  

Over the past year, her leadership has brought meaningful, noticeable improvements that are already making a difference in people’s lives across the East Midlands. From supporting young people to improving public transport, the mayor’s campaigns have been focused on ensuring that growth and opportunity are accessible to all. 

Some of the major achievements in Mayor Claire Ward’s first year, include  

• Securing £140 million from the government to help regenerate local communities, with Carlton, Chesterfield, Clifton, Kirkby in Ashfield, Mansfield, Newark, and Worksop all getting £20 million each over the next decade. 

• More than £200 million is going into improving bus services, road safety, and daily commutes — including £88 million in extra money secured thanks to the Mayor’s efforts. 

• £38million a year has been secured for the East Midlands Investment Fund, with £9.5m allocated so far this year to six projects, including the part demolition of the Broad Marsh shopping centre in Nottingham and the transformation of the Derby City Urban Quarter. 

• Over 1,400 new homes will be built on previously developed brownfield land across the East Midlands, helping meet housing needs while protecting green spaces. 

• In High Peak, over 30,000 free bus journeys have already been taken in the first three months of the Mayor’s new ‘High Peak Pass’, helping young people get to college and training. 

• The region will also benefit from £13 million a year through the new Connect to Work programme, helping thousands of people with long-term health conditions get back into employment. 

• The brand new £3 million Mayoral Community Fund is designed to support some of the region’s most disadvantaged areas and support them to strengthen local communities and help them grow. 

Mayor Claire is also putting the East Midlands back on the map with the £160 million East Midlands Investment Zone, which will grow jobs in clean energy, high-tech industries, and advanced manufacturing. With the skills and training in place to make sure local residents are first in line for these future opportunities, and this will be supported by the work of the Inclusive Growth Commission who will prioritise investment and deliver prosperity across the region. 

Young people have also been a top priority, with a new £5 million Youth Guarantee Trailblazer scheme to support young people aged 18 to 21 to get the job or course they really want. The Mayor has also made it her mission to bring young people into how we make decisions as a region, giving them a seat at the table with the first-ever East Midlands Youth Committee. 

Reflecting on the last year Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: 

“It has been a busy but successful year for me and my team at the East Midlands Combined County Authority, setting up the first ever Combined County Authority for the region and taking office. The East Midlands has always been a place of ambition and resilience, full of potential — hardworking people, strong communities, and world-class industries. But for too long, we’ve missed out on the investment and attention we deserve. That’s starting to change, because the region now has a Mayor that is focussed on improving the region. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together in just one year, – bringing in funding, new opportunities and real improvements.

Devolution has given us the power to invest in ourselves, from £140 million to regenerate our towns, to new homes, better transport, and more opportunities for young people. We’re already seeing the real difference a regional Mayor can make, bringing in funding and improvements that communities have long needed.

This is just the start, I’m even more excited about what lies ahead, as we work together to make the East Midlands the best place to live, work and learn.”

With foundations now in place, the next year will bring even more progress, from building more homes and improving transport, to the Inclusive Growth Commission working together to bring fresh perspectives to deliver economic growth, to creating new opportunities for young people and raising the East Midlands’ profile across the UK and beyond.