Archived decisions
Hampshire County Council
Executive Member - Recreation and Heritage Item 6
6 July 2006
Eastleigh Community Development Project 2006/07 to 2008/09
Report of the Director of Recreation and Heritage
Contact: Margaret Plumridge 846173 e-mail [email protected]
1. Introduction
1.1 This report considers an invitation issued to the county council to participate in a community development project in Eastleigh over the next three years. A local partnership has been formed between Eastleigh Borough Council and Eastleigh Community Service to manage a project across Eastleigh Borough which will provide support to community associations. Both partners have expressed a wish for the county council's Community Support Service to join them in this exciting project.
2. Background
2.1 A review of the activity of the community associations in Eastleigh has been carried out by Eastleigh Community Service. This review was completed in April 2006 and a report written and distributed.
2.2 The community associations who were contacted as part of this review were:
Bishopstoke
Bursledon
Chandlers Ford
Drummond
Hilldene
Hiltingbury
Horton Heath
Townhill Farm
Pilands Wood
North Millers Dale
2.3 With the exception of Hiltingbury and North Millers Dale all of these organisations have their own buildings to manage. Horton Heath was the only association to express a wish not to participate in the project.
2.4 The full report is available either from the Community Support team or from Eastleigh Community Service.
2.5 The review concluded that most of the community associations in Eastleigh needed some regular professional support if they were to achieve their primary objective of providing social, recreational and educational activities for the communities in Eastleigh.
2.6 The review highlighted a number of issues that were of concern to the organisations interviewed. These were:
a) The managing bodies of these organisations ranged from 3 - 15 people and some of these groups felt they needed guidance about their roles and responsibilities as trustees especially in relation to their primary charitable function of providing activity and the secondary one of managing the community building. For many organisations managing the building and its day to day affairs has become it's first priority.
b) Communications both between the organisations and professional bodies such as the local authority and the organisation and the communities for whom they are making provision is generally quite poor. Many of them are not clear about the need to remain informed about social policy or have the time or know how to research the needs of their communities in order to provide for them. A number of organisations have requested help with marketing and business planning.
c) The financial position of many organisations is not sustainable.
2.7 The above problems are compounded because most of these organisations cannot afford any professional staff support of their own.
3. The proposed project
3.1 It has been concluded that there is a need to follow up the results of this review and to provide some professional support to these organisations. Following receipt of the report and the invitation to join the partnership, discussions have been held between Eastleigh Borough Council, Hampshire County Council's Community Support Team and Eastleigh Community Service with a view to developing a partnership that could manage a three year community development project which would provide this support.
3.2 As well as providing support and solutions to issues raised by the community associations it has also been agreed that the project outcomes should include:
· Developing some benchmark indicators against which community associations can be assessed for efficiency and effectiveness in achieving their own aims.
At the present time no benchmarks have been set by ourselves for any community associations in Hampshire. This also ties in with the previous work of the Community Support Team in conjunction with Community Matters during the development of the national quality assessment scheme, "Visible".
· The development of a local support framework and network for the organisations in Eastleigh Borough in order to provide local on-going support and improve communications overall.
· The provision of support specifically to two organisations in Eastleigh that are currently in receipt of revenue funding from Hampshire County Council, namely:
a. Bishopstoke Community Association
b. Pilands Wood Community Association.
4. Financial implications
4.1 This project would be funded by the two local authorities with Eastleigh Community Service providing and managing the staffing resources to deliver it. Eastleigh Borough Council has agreed to provide approximately £15,000 per annum towards this project. A further £19,000 per annum is required in order for the project to be put in place. It is proposed therefore that £57,000 at current prices be allocated to the Eastleigh project during the period 2006/07 to 2008/09 from the Community Support Service's development fund.
5. Legal Implications
5.1 The council has wide powers under Section 19 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 to provide recreational facilities and to contribute by way of a grant or loan towards the expenses incurred by voluntary bodies in providing such facilities.
5.2 Risk, including public liability, will be carried by Eastleigh Community Service as they will be employing and managing the project worker.
6. Impact assessment
6.1 The organisations that will be supported by this project are by their nature defined as accessible to all members of the community. This is embodied within their charitable objects, therefore no groups or organisations should be excluded from any benefit arising from this activity. One of the actions of this project will be to encourage the trustees to consider the number, age range and social mix of their trustee bodies.
7. Links to the Corporate Aims
7.1 By providing support to these organisations the Recreation and Heritage Department helps to achieve Aim 4 of Hampshire County Council's Corporate Strategy - `Building safe and strong communities'.
8. Consultation
8.1 All seven county councillors representing Eastleigh have been consulted and
Councillors Broadhurst, House and Davidovitz have responded with support
for the project.
.
Recommendation
That £19,000 be granted to the Eastleigh Development Project in each of the three years 2006/07, 2007/08 and 2008/09 subject to budget availability and satisfactory progress on the project as judged by the Director of Recreation and Heritage.
Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents
The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.
NB the list excludes:
Published works
Documents, which disclose exempt or confidential information as, defined in the act.
Title Location
Eastleigh Community Association Survey Community Support Office
Mottisfont Court