Agenda item

To ask the Board to adopt the Area Board Forward Workplan and associated funding proposals for 2021/22.

Officer: Karen Linaker, Community Engagement Manger

Karen Linaker ran through the Area Board (AB) Forward Work Plan and Associated Funding proposals which were set out in the agenda.

In March 2021, the last AB agreed to recommend a new Work Plan. The purpose of that was to steer work and funding in line with a set of local priorities.

The Board engaged with PC’s and held dedicate meetings to consult with Partners and Schools.

The suggested top 6 priorities were listed as:

1.     Our Community Matters – encourage better use of the online noticeboard

2.     Rural Youth Outreach projects

3.     Village Youth Group support

4.     Make a Friend be a Friend delivery

5.     Health & Wellbeing Directory

6.     Healthy Schools Project

The Chairman noted that there was an amount of overlap of priorities detailed in the Plan which could be grouped together and that the JSNA had also indicated there were higher than average levels of Dementia in the community area, so that would need to be looked at carefully.

Questions and Comments:

·       The action plan and the targets seem open ended – do we have enough data, and could we move to something more tangible?

Answer: We would need to establish what the base line was, so we would need to do a piece of work to understand what that was as I am not comfortable we have the baseline.

Chairman – some of the work does not set itself to target goals, so  setting objectives was an integral part of the early stages of many of these workstreams.

·       Cllr R Clewer – I would be happy to work with the6 priorities, but am nervous in how we make communications work, we would need to try and make some headway but also must be prepared to cut our losses if not achievable.

·       When it came to finding Lead members to work on the priority areas, everyone has different skill sets. It would also be sensible to draw on our parish councils to tap in to their help.

Merv Quick stated that as the Wiltshire Neighbourhood Watch Committee member for the area, he would volunteer for the community safety role.

The Chairman thanked Merv and noted the support he had provided in creating the Community Safety Directory.

Anyone with an interest in volunteering to be a Lead on any of the priority areas to contact him or Karen.

The Chairman moved the motion to support the recommendations as set out in the agenda. This was seconded by Cllr Rogers.

Decision

The Southern Wiltshire Area Board agreed to:

·       Approve and adopt the Work Plan

·       Follow a rolling prioritisation process. 

·       Hosts up to 4 community engagement events in 2021/22, covering themes such as Young People, Eco-Friendly Villages, Health & Wellbeing, Parish & Community Group Networking.

·       Appoint councillors and community volunteers to work in conjunction with the CEM to provide leadership and capacity for each of the Work Plan’s priorities:

1)    Strengthening arrangements for village and area board communications and improving their impact

2)    Facilitate eco-friendly villages and projects

3)    Continual focus on maintaining a strong sense of community safety

4)    Loneliness and isolation of older people

5)    Rural Isolation of families and young people

6)    Youth Engagement

7)    Physical Health & Wellbeing

8)    Mental Health & Wellbeing

9)    Support people living with Dementia

·       Note the action list relating to Work Plan priority: Strengthening arrangements for village and area board communications and improving their impact.

·       Prioritise its resources, including funding, upon those issues identified in the Work Plan.

·       Requests the Community Engagement Manager to work with key partners, agencies and community groups to encourage them to consider where they are best placed to take actions around the priorities identified.

·       That regular updates are submitted to the Area Board on progress made in relation to its own Work Plan.