Agenda item

To receive a presentation setting out progress with the Supporting Communities Strategy and Action Plan and planned work (a copy of the up to date Strategy and Action Plan is attached). The presentation will also include an update on the Community Grub Hub at Windsor Way in Aldershot.

The Committee welcomed Andrew Colver, Head of Democracy and Community, Emma Lamb, Community and Partnerships Manager and Tony McGovern, Community and Partnerships Officer, who were in attendance to give a presentation setting out the planned work and progress of the Supporting Communities Strategy and Action Plan. An update was also provided on the newly opened Community Grub Hub based in Aldershot. The Portfolio Holder for Democracy, Strategy and Partnerships was also in attendance.

The Committee noted the objective of the Strategy, which had been “to tackle the effects of poverty and deprivation and to have a positive impact on people’s daily lives”. It was reported that there had been a complex history relating to deprivation in some areas across the borough and the situation had been made more difficult by the coronavirus pandemic. Through partnership working with local organisations such as the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Rushmoor Voluntary Services (RVS), Citizens’ Advice (CA) and Hampshire County Council (HCC), amongst others, four priority areas had been identified, these were:

·         Physical and mental health

·         Young people

·         Economic hardship

·         Connecting communities

The way the Council had supported the work with the strategy was explained and the Committee was advised on spend to date, in particular on economic hardship and physical and mental health initiatives, in part due to the impacts of the pandemic. It was also noted that approximately £146,000 of external funding had been secured, partly due to specific funding relating to the pandemic.

The Committee noted areas of work in each of the four themes:

·         Physical and Mental Health – activities included, mindfulness walks, “Talk Mental” a men’s mental health project, health inequalities and mental health support in schools

·         Young People – raising aspirations through mock interviews/support to year 11 students, Kickstart placements, employment support via the North Hampshire Youth Hub, engagement with work on climate change and the potential creation of a Youth Panel

·         Economic Hardship - the focus in this area had been the Grub Hub. Established as a Community Interest Company, the Grub Hub, Windsor Way, Aldershot had opened on 7th December, 2021. In the two days since opening its doors, 20 households had been supported, three volunteers had signed up, financial donations had been received and three requests for support, two for help with fuel bills and one for a fridge, had been dealt with. In addition, other projects to address economic hardship included the COVID Support Helpline, the Virtual Job Club and the community larder at Park Church.

·         Connecting Communities – to tackle the issues around residents who were digitally excluded, this included initiatives such as the Keep Well and Stay Connected digital platform which offered advice, activities and video calling through the television, the Afghanistan resettlement programme and the wellness walks and heritage trails.

It was noted that partnership working had been essential to the projects that had been and would continue to be delivered as part of the Strategy. The relationships fostered with the NHS, local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Rushmoor Voluntary Services (RVS), Citizens’ Advice and the Primary Care Networks (PCNs) amongst others, had allowed for collaborative working on mutual priorities, data sharing and access to funding streams, which in turn had assisted in the delivery of joint projects to tackle issues within the community.

The Committee was advised of the challenges the team faced, these included engaging with young people, the pandemic and funding streams. However, moving forward it was advised that the Strategy would undergo a review to ensure it was fit for purpose and continued to address the priority issues within the Borough. Other areas of focus included tackling health inequalities, joint messaging, securing external funding and shared learning.

The Committee discussed the presentation and raised issues around engagement with young people and how this would be addressed, it was felt that an understanding of what young people wanted was needed to allow for successful engagement. A discussion was also held on funding, in particular the need for local authorities to fill the gaps left by the reduction in funding from county councils. It was noted that relationships with Hampshire County Council at officer level had strengthened during the pandemic and stronger levels of support for projects ran by the Council were evident. These relationships would continue to be nurtured moving forward.

The Committee ENDORSED the work of the Supporting Communities Strategy and Action Plan and suggested that a recommendation be made to the Cabinet to ensure that the Supporting Communities project funding for 2022/23 would not be impacted.

AGREED: