To receive updates from Lead Councillors for the local Area Board priorities:
· Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Our Community – Cllr Gordon King
· Wellbeing for Young People and Positive Activities – Cllr Carole King
· Local Environmental Action – Cllr Matthew Dean
· Combatting Child Poverty – Cllr Suzanne Wickham
Minutes:
The Area Board received updates from Lead Councillors in relation to the following local Area Board Priorities:
Improving the Health and Wellbeing of Our Community (Cllr Gordon King)
· The Health and Wellbeing Group met at the White Horse Practice with officers of the ICB on 5th November to consider and complete the Neighbourhood Collaborative readiness review. After which, Graeme Morrison, Strategic Engagement Partnerships Manager collated all responses given at that meeting.
· Graeme continued to received input until 15th November, when the final review was presented to the ICB for comment. A few suggestions were mentioned before the review was completed.
· The next steps would be to meet with all voluntary groups in the new year, where a project would be chosen based on the data and the consensus view and begin the process of establishing a steering group.
· Claire Scudamore was currently contacting members of the voluntary sector to invite them to this gathering. All Area Board councillors were automatically invited.
Wellbeing for
Young People and Positive Activities (Cllr Carole
King)
· Reference was drawn to a recent article produced by the Police and Crime Commissioner, which outlined successful funding applications which had been made to the Community Action Fund; many of which being for youth groups. The article could be found via the following link: More community projects supported through PCC’s Community Action Fund
Local Environmental Action (Graeme Morrison, Strategic Engagement
Partnerships Manager on behalf of Cllr Matthew Dean)
· As mentioned previously, the Area Board were working with Westbury Town Council to arrange a “Westbury Environment Day” in June 2025, which would bring together local environmental groups with a town fete feel.
· Last week there was a meeting of the Area Board Environment Lead Councillors, during which the pollinator project was reference and off of the back of this an Area Board had initiated a plan to have a project similar to the one in Westbury.
· During the meeting, one of the Wiltshire Council Environment teams discussed air quality and that though the Council had a statutory duty to measure nitrous dioxide, there was an increasing concern for PM2.5 (particulate matter), with the Council soon to be investing in 100 devices to measure PM2.5. With there being 18 community areas in Wiltshire, it was likely Westbury would receive some of these and would potentially be able to purchase more using Area Board funding if they wished to do so.
· Councillor Gordon King raised a point about the Wiltshire Council Carbon Literacy training, which upon completion required attendees to make a pledge on what they would do to improve the environment. It was suggested that the Area Board Members could collectively discuss how they could fulfil their pledges.
Combatting Child Poverty (Cllr Suzanne Wickham)
· It was reported at the previous Area Board meeting that work was being conducted with Funky Foods, who had run cookery sessions, to find a school venue for future sessions which would enable parents to not have to pick up and drop off at multiple locations.
· Carl Houghton, Spurgeons Community Family Navigator outlined that in his role he had recently met with Funky Foods who had promised three sessions before September 2025 and potentially a further five sessions after September 2025. The idea was to find a relevant space to host these sessions in order to fill gaps in communities. Any suggestions for venues would need to be provided by next week.
· Carl Houghton, Spurgeons Community Family Navigator also outlined that St Johns Ambulance were going to be provide free first aid sessions at that these would be taking place across the twenty-one libraries in Wiltshire, including Westbury.