An introduction to Area Boards by the Community Engagement Manager to explore the role and function of your local Area Board.
Officer:Tom Bray, Community Engagement Manager
Minutes:
Tom Bray, Community Engagement Manager delivered a presentation on Area Boards. Some of the points covered included:
The role of the Community Engagement Manager:
· Helping deliver the vision to strengthen local communities and help them to do more for themselves
Area Boards, and what they do:
· Host events and meetings where the local community can participate
· Invest in local community projects
· Agree local priorities and take action to address them
· Influence and take decisions on local service delivery
· Support and deliver activities for young people
· Communicate information every week
· Encourage participation and volunteering in community activities
· Acts as a consultee on council policy and changes
Southern Wiltshire Area Board budget for 2017/18:
Total funding allocated - £82,683 - 2017/18
Split into:
• £38,013 for community grants (capital)
• £21,881 for community transport (capital)
• £15,089 for youth projects (revenue)
• £7,700 for health and wellbeing and older people’s champion (revenue)
What the grants are for:
• Community and transport grants
• prioritise and approve minor highway works
• Improve pavements and paths
• Fund new works, not routine maintenance
• Health and wellbeing
• Support for older people and those who are vulnerable
• Support healthier communities
• Older people’s champion
• Coordinate support for the elderly and vulnerable
• An advocate and advisor to the board on behalf of older people
• Local youth networks
• Involving young people
• Increasing positive activities available
Every two years public data is produced by partners and services, this provides a strategic assessment (JSA). Local people come together at an event held by the Area Board, to review and agree what matters in their area. From this the Board is able to identify actions to be taken forward.
World War 1 – Community Tree Planting project
Tom explained that the Council was proposing to deliver a legacy to mark the centenary of the end of the first world war, which ended on 11 November 1918.
Local communities are invited to plant 10,000 trees across the county, with each tree representing a soldier who lost their life.
Some suggested options for planting included:
· An area/areas in your local community
· A memorial wood in Wiltshire
· A combination of a wood and local planting
The Woodland Trust was supporting this project, working alongside Wiltshire Council. The aim is to plant the trees in November 2018. These projects would need planning and aim to bring the community together.
The Board would be working with community groups locally, including school groups. Parishes were asked to start thinking about how they would like this initiative to flourish in the community area, and how they would like to be involved.
Questions:
· Could the presentation be circulated by email? – Answer: Yes Tom would do that.
· What was the difference between revenue and capital funding? Answer: Revenue pays staff and consumables; capital was for bricks and mortar projects.
· Cllr Devine noted that he would like to see the grants more focused on our community area for 2017/18. Answer: The Chairman noted that although the funding budget was significantly down on last year, the Board would concentrate on making sure every pound was spent effectively.
The Chairman added that the Area Board only has the services of one man, and that it was the Board’s role to be the facilitator. Tom had many contacts, which enabled the Area Board to signpost people and put people together, providing toolkits to help groups to take on these tasks themselves.
· Cllr Devine asked whether any central funding was available for a campus for the area? Answer: The Board had previously invited Winterslow and Downton to forward their proposals.
· At no point had anyone come to Winterslow parish council to ask us to present a plan for a community hub/campus. The person you spoke to was Clive, he is from the village Hall, and not the parish council. We were told there was no more money available. Answer: The Chairman added that he and Tom had met with Laurie Bell and Cllr Thomson, who had been sufficiently committed to the idea of these projects, and visited Downton, Alderbury and Winterslow. If you submitted a short proposal it would be considered.
The 2017/18 capital projects budget had been finalised and no new money was available in the current financial year. Cllr Thomson was currently looking at projects for 2018/19, and the Chairman was due to meet him in June, to discuss the Alderbury proposals and try to get an amount of money confirmed for 2018/19.
· At the end of last financial year there was an amount of CATG budget remaining, which was due to go towards the Ford traffic calming scheme, how much was that? Answer: £5,700.