Issue - meetings

To consider one expression of interest to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme, as follows:

Wiltshire Voices - Councillors will be asked to approve a Wiltshire Voices initiative aiming to encourage a broader participation in civic life by groups that are seldom heard.  This initiative is looking for endorsement in principle with the specific ‘hard to reach’ group to be agreed through consultation at a future meeting. This is a county-wide bid going to all 18 area boards.

The Wiltshire Councillors considered one bid to the Performance Reward Grant Scheme, as follows:

An application had been received by all area boards from Councillor Chris Williams, entitled Wiltshire Voices. This project was a two year initiative which would challenge our Area Boards to develop new and innovative approaches to community engagement and empowerment, particularly focused on engaging with hard to reach and traditionally excluded groups.

The Marlborough area board members discussed whether to endorse the principle of the bid, with the specific ‘hard to reach’ group to be agreed through consultation.

Points made included:

• Parish councils should be involved when looking at identifying hard to reach/excluded groups in the local area.

• Did the area board really need to be involved in this initiative?.

• It would be a mistake not to try and engage with hard to reach/excluded groups in the local area.

• That his initiative could link into the local health forum.

The Chairman advised that the Marlborough Area Board could work with MaVCAP and local charity groups in order to identify the hard to reach/excluded group to support through the initiative.

Decision

• The Marlborough Area Board agrees to support the principle of the Wiltshire Voices bid.