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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Riverside Community Centre, Malmesbury, SN16 9JS

Contact: Becky Holloway (Democratic Services Officer)  01225 713935

Items
Note No. Item

7.00pm

4.

An Introduction to Malmesbury Area Board

The Community Engagement Manager will deliver a session on the role and functions of Area Boards.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Ollie Phipps, Community Engagement Manager (CEM), introduced the roles and function of the Area Board which included: identifying local priorities; investing in local projects; influencing service delivery; supporting youth activities; and encouraging volunteering and public participation.

 

The CEM explained that the Area Board had several working groups to enable them to carry out their role effectively, and that funding was available for groups and organisations through four community grant schemes: Community Area Grants; Youth Grants; the Health and Wellbeing Fund; and the Community Area Transport Fund. The CEM reported on the local priority areas identified in January 2017, the headline figures for Area Board investment for the previous four years, and the budget for the financial year 2017/18.

 

The CEM reported that his role included the facilitation and organisation of community events and projects, supporting the work of the Area Board, and communicating with members of the Malmesbury Community Area though an online blog site, Community Matters, and a weekly newsletter which attendees at the meeting were encouraged to subscribe to. Upcoming events included the Big Pledge activity challenge, a programme of commemorative tree planting for the centenary of the end of WWI, and a community litter pick.

 

In the discussion and questions that following the presentation, a request was made for more notice for community events in order to meet parish magazine publication deadlines, that the Community Area Transport fund was for highway improvements but that Community Transport schemes could be considered through other channels.

7.20pm

5.

Appointment of the Chairman

To confirm the appointment of the Chairman for the municipal year 2017/2018

Minutes:

Nominations were sought for Chairman

 

Cllr Toby Sturgis, seconded by Cllr Chuck Berry, moved that Cllr John Thomson be elected as Chairman of Malmesbury Area Board for the municipal year 2017/2018

 

There being no other nominations, it was

 

Resolved:

 

To elect John Thomson as the Chairman of Malmesbury Area Board for the municipal year 2017/2018

6.

Appointment of Vice-Chairman

To confirm the appointment of the Vice-Chairman for the municipal year 2017-2018

Minutes:

Cllr Gavin Grant, seconded by Cllr Chuck Berry, moved that Cllr Toby Sturgis be elected as Vice-chairman of Malmesbury Area Board for the municipal year 2017/2018

 

There being no other nominations, it was

 

Resolved:

 

To elect Cllr Toby Sturgis as the Vice-Chairman of Malmesbury Area Board for the municipal year 2017/2018.

 

Note: In order to include all members of the Area Board, it was agreed to re-run the elections for chairman and vice-chair held on 16 May 2017, as detailed above.

7.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from John Mathews of Sherston Parish Council, and Richard Williams, Locality Youth Facilitator.

 

8.

Minutes

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 1 March 2017.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of Malmesbury Area Board on 1 March 2017 were presented and it was

 

Resolved:

 

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of Malmesbury Area Board held on 1 March 2017.

 

9.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of disclosable interests or dispensations granted by the Standards Committee.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest

10.

Chairman's Announcements

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed Cllr Gavin Grant to his first meeting of the Area Board, and members were invited to introduce themselves.

 

The Chairman made the following announcement:

 

Wiltshire Bobby Van

An online safety initiative had been launched and residents aged over 60 or over 18 and disabled could apply for a home visit from a volunteer to receive advice on how they could protect themselves against cybercrime and to discuss online safety issues.

7.35pm

11.

Local Youth Network Update and Applications for Youth Funding

To receive an update on the Local Youth Network (LYN) and for the Area Board to consider the following two appltications to the youth fund:

 

·         Oaksey Youth Club - £2650.00

·         Community Mentoring and Support Service - £4900.00

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Members were asked to consider two applications to the youth grant scheme.

 

An application from Oaksey Youth Club had been recommended for approval at the meeting of the Area Board on 1 March and members reiterate their support for the project as a local facility for young people.

 

On consideration of a grant from the Community Mentoring and Support Service, members discussed the value that the project offered and its accessibility by young people in the parishes. The applicant took questions and explained that the project delivered a weekly drop-in for young people at the town hall with a combination of fun activities and information and advice sessions around issues such as mental and sexual health and drugs prevention. The sessions took place directly after school and finished in time for young people to take public transport home if needed.

 

It was

 

Resolved:

 

To award £2650.00 to Oaksey Youth Club towards running costs

 

To award £4900.00 to the Community Mentoring and Support Service

 

7.45pm

12.

Partner Updates

To receive updates from the following partners:

 

a.    Wiltshire Police

b.    Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service

c.    Healthwatch Wiltshire

d.    Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

e.    Riverside Community Centre

f.     Health & Wellbeing Champion

g.    Town and Parish Councils

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The chairman drew the meeting’s attention to the written updates in the agenda pack and invited partners to speak to their reports as detailed below:

 

Riverside Community Centre

 

Kim Power reported that all the work to the centre has been completed and that there were lots of regular sessions making use of the space, including a seniors session run by the centre itself. Work was now underway to encourage participation from the villages, and linked with this was an art project due to launch in North Wiltshire which would rent out village halls around the area as spaces in which to create community artwork.

 

Health & Wellbeing Champion

 

Ellen Blacker, the health and wellbeing champion, introduced her role which was to empower clients to make their own decisions, keep their independence and live well. She explained that she took a holistic approach with this and didn’t focus on any one particular thing. In the last year she had had contact with 340 clients, requiring support ranging from a phone call to a few home visits. Around 80% of clients were self-referred and 35% were aged over 80.

 

The champion reported that issues faced by clients included access to transport, social isolation, and health and safety in the home. Her recent work had included supporting clients to access personal grants, setting up a monthly Sunday lunch club which was proving very popular, holding a fortnightly drop-in at Malmesbury library, and supporting a Saturday Friends group at the Riverside Centre. Malmesbury Community Area had also signed up to have a Dementia Alliance which promoted inclusion of people with dementia and awareness of the issues they faced.

 

In the discussion that followed, the following issues were raised and discussed: that changes had been made to the befriending service offered by AgeUK for the socially isolated and that parishes could consider offering something similar; that office space had been offered to AgeUK in the council’s Devizes and Salisbury hubs and that this would be rolled out to other sites if it proved successful; that the riverside community centre committee could offer community groups support with organisational elements like safeguarding, first aid etc.; that successful Link schemes were in operation in the area; and that parish councils should revisit their emergency plans to ensure they covered all appropriate elements including up-to-date information on how to support vulnerable households.

 

Town and Parish Councils

 

Wayne Jones, the new Mayor of Malmesbury was introduced and welcomed to the meeting.

 

It was reported that the referendum held on Ashton Keynes’ neighbourhood plan had been successful and it was hoped that this would soon be adopted by Wiltshire Council.

13.

Appointments to Outside Bodies and Working Groups

To appoint representatives from the Area Board to sit on the following Outside Bodies.

·         Malmesbury Community Trust

·         Malmesbury Local Youth Network (LYN)

 

To appoint members of the following Area Board working groups.

·         Malmesbury Community Area Transport Group (CATG)

·         Malmesbury LYN Management Group

 

To appoint a Health and Wellbeing Champion

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

Membership of Area Board working groups, and Area Board representation on outside bodies, was discussed and it was

 

Resolved:

 

To appoint Area Board representatives to the Outside Bodies detailed in Appendix A of the report.

 

To reconstitute and approve membership of the Area Board working groups as detailed in Appendix B of the report.

 

To appoint Ellen Blacker as Health and Wellbeing Champion.

 

8.00pm

14.

Transitions project

Sheila Wade, Wilts and Berks Canal Trust, will speak about the trust’s Transitions Project.

Minutes:

Sheila Wade, Director of PR, communications and IT, at Wilts and Berks Canal Trust, gave a presentation on the trust’s Transitions project. She gave an overview of the trust’s work in restoring the canal and working with volunteers. The Transition project was focused on making better use of volunteers and offering new kinds of volunteering opportunities to support vulnerable or harder-to-reach groups to engage, and to ensure the canal could produce benefits for the local community now as well as in the future. A new headquarters had been set up in a disused pub in Dauntsey and this had provided a safe working and training environment for more vulnerable volunteers. A variety of groups had already been involved including residents of a care home for people with dementia, armed forces veterans, young adults with learning difficulties, and people who might find it challenging to access work experience placements. The model used for the Transition project was around skill sharing and having achievements validated and certificated, in order to enable people to transition from where they were into a better place on an individual basis. The project was being used as a template for community engagement in other waterways organisations.

 

The Chairman thanked Ms Wade for her presentation.

 

8.10pm

15.

Working Links projects

Kat Woodman, from Working Links, will talk about her organisation’s project to help people back into employment.

Minutes:

Kat Woodman, Engagement Consultant at Working Links, gave a presentation on the organisation’s new “Links to Work” project. The project was targeted at anyone aged 16 and over who was unemployed or inactive regardless of whether they were in receipt of unemployment benefits. The project offered up to 26 weeks of support for individuals; taking a holistic approach with a focus not only on skill-building but also around supporting personal and social health. Working Links was based in Swindon with hubs operating throughout Wiltshire, and funding was in place for the project until January 2020.

 

The Chairman thanked Ms Woodman for her presentation and it was suggested that promotional material was also circulated to parish newsletters to aid with recruitment of new learners.

 

8.20pm

16.

Adult education programme

Tina Hiscocks, from Learn Direct, will deliver a presentation on a new learning and support programme for adults aged 50 and over.

Minutes:

Tina Hiscocks, Partnership Consultant at Learn Direct, delivered a presentation on a new learning and support programme for adults aged 50 and over. The project was focused on helping people back into employment or education through the provision of individualised support packages  of careers advise and job coaches, tailored learning plans, and a programme of employability skills like IT, maths, English and specific vocational skills. Learning was accredited through City and Guilds level 1 qualifications which took between 2 and 8 weeks to complete. Upon securing sustained employment, programme members could access ongoing support for their first three months in order to help resolve any issues faced early on. The programme operated throughout the county and had funding for three years.

 

The Chairman thanked Ms Hiscocks for her presentation. Members felt that this was a great initiative and that the combination of the project with the Working Links project presented previously, offered valuable opportunities to people in the area.

 

8.30pm

17.

Area Board Funding

Councillors will be asked to consider the following applications to the Community Area Grants Fund:

 

·         £5000.00 - Oaksey Playground - Oaksey Playground committee

·         £1695.33 - New school library - the Friends of Sherston School

·         £5000.00 - Non-turf Practice Facility – Malmesbury Cricket Club

·         £667.60 - Community Art Project – Sherston Arts Festival

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Area Board considered four applications to the Community Area Grants Fund. The applicants were in attendance to speak to their applications and take questions.

 

In presenting the application from Oaksey Playground Committee, the applicant explained that the grant would contribute to a wider project to rejuvenate the playground with new equipment and replace old and worn out equipment. Members were keen for the project to take place and expressed a hope to visit Oaksey as a venue for a future Area Board meeting.

 

On consideration of the application from the Friends of Sherston School, members were informed that the school did not currently have a designated library and that the grant would be spent on buying books and on soft furnishings to make the new space more welcoming. Members were pleased to note the library would be made available before and after school for parents and siblings of students to use.

 

The third application for consideration was from Malmesbury Cricket Club and the applicant explained that the grant would help the club bring the non-turf practice facility back into use and enable them to accommodate the fast-expanding summer kids clubs, as well as starting new sessions for young people, the elderly, and a new girls-only session. Members discussion the application and felt that it would be a good facility not only for players, but for spectators from the local community.

 

The final application, from Sherston Arts Festival, was presented and members were informed that the youth element of the biennial festival was popular but had previously been minimal in its remit and that the grant would support this to expand and reach more young people, with a more long-lasting outcome in terms of the art works produced. Members were supportive of the project and felt that this would enhance previous work and the other elements of the Arts Festival.

 

It was

 

Resolved:

 

To award £5000.00 to Oaksey Playground Committee for new playground equipment.

 

To award £1695.33 to the Friends of Sherston School to equip their new school library.

 

To award £5000.00 to Malmesbury Cricket Club for a non-turf practice facility.

 

To award £667.60 to Sherston Arts Festival for a community art project.

 

8.45pm

18.

Update from Community Engagement Manager

Ollie Phipps, Community Engagement Manager, will provide an overview on upcoming projects in Malmesbury Community Area.

Minutes:

Ollie Phipps, Community Engagement Manager, provided information on two upcoming projects in Malmesbury Community Area.

 

WWI commemorative tree planting

 

The CEM reported on a county-wide initiative to plant 10,000 trees in Wiltshire to mark the centenary of the end of WWI. The Area Board was asked to discuss its preference for planting a central woodland in the county, or for each of the 18 community areas to receive a proportion of the total number to plant in locally.

 

In the discussion that followed, the following points were raised: that it would be good to explore both options further; that there would likely be an appetite locally for purchasing extra trees; that the project would be funded by the Woodland Trust with a local contribution; that links could be made with the MOD and Salisbury Plain; that individual trees in parishes could be named for fallen soldiers.

 

The CEM agreed to feedback the Area Board’s suggestions to the project group and provide an update at a future meeting.

 

The Big Pledge – London Calling

 

Meeting attendees were encouraged to sign up to the Big Pledge in June and July 2017. The pledge could be undertaken on an individual or team level and a short video with details about the different challenges was available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD5uN-EpOp4

19.

Urgent items

Any other items of business which the Chairman agrees to consider as a matter of urgency.

Minutes:

There were no urgent items.

9.00pm

20.

Evaluation and Close

The next meeting of the Malmesbury Area Board will be held at 7pm on Wednesday 12 July 2017 at Sherston Village Hall.

Minutes:

The Chairman thanked everyone for their attendance and reminded members that the next meeting of the Malmesbury Area Board would be held at 7pm on Wednesday 12 July 2017 at Sherston Village Hall.