The Area Board received the
following updates from Lead Councillors on the local Area Board
Priorities:
Combatting Social Isolation and
Loneliness(encompassing the previous priority
from 2021/22 ofDigital
Inclusion)(Cllr Gordon King)
- Cllr Gordon King outlined that a
Digital Inclusion project had started a few years ago with the help
of Strategic Engagement Partnerships Officer, Graeme
Morrison.
- The project has the aim of looking to
tackle isolation and loneliness by getting people better engaged
with their local communities by being able to contact their
families, have video calls as well as online shopping and
appointments.
- The project has provided refurbished
laptops and iPads from the Wiltshire Digital Drive, as well as
digital training packages provided by Ability
Net.
- There is an aim for the project to
help between 8 and 10 people a year and is now in its third
tranche.
Wellbeing for Young People and
Positive Activities(CllrCarole
King)
- It was stated that in the past there
had been a strategic group consisting of multiple organisations for
young people, however this had ceased. Cllr Carole King stated that
there was a priority to restart this group with the hope that the
first meeting would be before Christmas. It was suggested that this
meeting be hosted at Leigh Park Community
Centre.
- The Youth Club, which meets regularly
at the Hub has been going very strong and Cllr Carole King had
visited them 4 times this year, including a summer BBQ for
fundraising. Other examples of their work included the mural in
Grassacres Park and a very successful Halloween
event.
- 4Youth have become very established in
the town through their work and events and have become trusted by
the children.
Local Environmental
Action(Cllr Suzanne Wickham)
- Cllr Wickham stated that work is being
done to improve the foot and cycle paths from the villages to
Westbury Station, following conversations with residents who wanted
to be able to cycle this journey but could not as the paths were
not as good as they should be.
- Cllr Wickham had met with Westbury
Town Council with a view to improving signposting within the
town.
- A meeting is set to take place on
Wednesday 25 January 2023, with a start time of 7pm at The Laverton
with Mr Nigel Linge MBE, who has experience with clearing up
footpaths. Town and Parish representatives are expected to be in
attendance.
- Regarding the Pollinator Corridor, all
Parish Councils from Edington to Dilton Marsh have got involved and
the project is well underway, with areas identified and set aside
to be wildflower meadows.
- Work has been done with the Wiltshire
Wildlife Trust, who have produced a comprehensive report which
details to volunteers how land should be prepared, seeded, and then
later cared for.
Child
Poverty(Cllr Matt Dean)
- Westbury Foodbank has applied for
£2,500 of funding from the central government household
support grant.
- In January, Wiltshire College is set
to run some courses at the Community Centre in Oldfield Park. The
courses are set to include finances, basic English and Mathematics,
employability, customer services and employability skills. Anyone
would be welcome to attend them.
- In the last year Matravers School have
launched a breakfast club and are hoping to extend this offer to
include all members of the school, with the Area Board hoping to be
able to provide support should they need grant
funding.
- The Area Board has also approached
Westbury Junior School to discuss the potential of setting up a
breakfast club.
- A lot of work has been conducted
around the Cost of Living crisis, with Graeme Morrison (Strategic
Engagement Partnerships Manager) set to brief the Area Board later
within the agenda.
- The Area Board has been working with
Westbury Town Council to enable some young people as part of the
FUEL programme to take part in the Westbury Soapbox Derby
Race.
- The Area Board has continued to
support 4Youth and Westbury Youth Club with grant funding, which
can be seen in previous minutes.