The Local Action Group

Most grants are usually administered by regional or national organisations, but  under Leader grant schemes, the funds are put into the hands of local action groups (LAGs) for them to disburse to projects that can help address local problems and opportunities.

LAG members are drawn from private businesses (including people involved in forestry, farming and other land-based rural businesses), the public sector and voluntary/community organisations. This ensures that the West Kent Leader funding is being used to fund local responses to identified local needs.

The LAG set the original strategy for the West Kent Leader, known as the Local Development Strategy (LDS), and is responsible for steering the implementation of this Strategy over the period of the programme from 2008 to 2013.

The Executive LAG (ELAG) is a subgroup of the wider LAG and is the decision making body which ensures that the West Kent Leader is being delivered according to the Local Development Strategy (LDS) and annually prepared Business Plan and appraises the full grant applications for approval. This group meets every 6-8 weeks.