Between February and August 2022 we worked with the West Somerset Opportunity Area to synthesis existing and new data relating the progress made against objectives in West Somerset in the first four years of Opportunity Area funding. The report sheds light on the unique experience of implementing national policy in a rural, geographically isolated locality. Factors such as transport, the limited local economy and limited accessibility to post-16 settings were challenges for the West Somerset Opportunity Area team to overcome. In this context, there were positive outcomes for young people as well as schools and other services that emerged over the initial four year funding period.
