What's Happening in the Village

NEIGHBOURHOOD WORKING IN ULNES WALTON

NOVEMBER 2008 UPDATE

Since my last report, we have been involved in Ward Walks around all 20 Electoral Wards in the Borough, covering the Eccleston and Mawdesley Ward on 11 September and Lostock Ward on 22 September.

We also organised an initial round of Neighbourhood Working drop-in sessions – we are looking to come out to Ulnes Walton in the New Year.

One of our first tasks has been to draft a profile of each Neighbourhood Area, and to consult residents and organisations about local priorities. It is extremely important that we capture the views and concerns of each individual Village within the Parishes, and hope that you will be able to help us with this, by attending the drop in sessions, but also by sending in your views by phone, email or letter.

By the end of 2008, we will have set up 7 Neighbourhood Teams made up of people who have the ability to make a difference within the distinct areas that they will serve. Each Neighbourhood Team will develop an action plan based on local views. The action plans will be signed off by the Executive Cabinet at Chorley Council in February 2009 and will come into effect from April.

We are also linking with Parish Councils to find the most effective ways of working together – sharing best practice and good ideas!

What we need most of all is positive action, from all partner organisations involved in your area.

If you are interested in getting involved in neighbourhood working in Ulnes Walton please let us know.

You can help by:

 § Sending us information about any groups, clubs or organisations running in your area, to include in the profile.

 § Suggesting venues, and the best days and times, to come out to your neighbourhood to run a Neighbourhood Working Drop In session for local residents.

 § Telling us about any concerns you have about specific areas within your neighbourhood, or about anything you would really like to see happen there.

 Liz Morey  

Neighbourhoods

Co-ordinator

Tel: 01257 515812  liz.morey@chorley.gov.uk

August 2006

In late 2006, Chorley Council’s Environment & Community Overview and Scrutiny Panel led an inquiry into Neighbourhood Working - Council Members, staff, Parish Councils, voluntary, community and faith sector organisations, members of the public and partner organisations took part in a number of Scrutiny Inquiry hearings and a public drop-in event during Spring 2007, where they were able to contribute their views on future neighbourhood working in Chorley.

In February 2008, Chorley Council’s Executive Cabinet approved a set of proposals based on the inquiry’s findings. Over the last 6 months, Chorley Council has:

Appointed a new Director of Neighbourhoods, a Neighbourhoods Co-ordinator, an additional Community Development Officer and two additional neighbourhood Officers, and allocated funds to support neighbourhood working.

Rather than targeting a small number of specific “neighbourhoods”, we are including all parts of the Borough in our commitment to finding new and more effective ways to address local issues, in partnership. We have identified 7 Neighbourhood Areas that reflect the rural/urban mix that characterises Chorley.

Ulnes Walton sits within the Western Parishes Neighbourhood, along with Bretherton, Eccleston, Croston and Mawdesley. 

We realise that it is important to remember that all 7 Neighbourhood Areas are actually each other’s “neighbours”, and expect to work across several Neighbourhoods at times, if that is the best way forward.

Our first tasks, between now and November, are to draft a profile of each Neighbourhood Area, and to consult residents and organisations about local priorities – double checking that we are on the right tracks.

By early in 2009, we plan to set up 7 Neighbourhood Teams that will each reflect the distinct areas that they will serve, and to develop an action plan covering priorities in each Neighbourhood based, on findings in that area. The action plans will come into effect from April 2009.

While neighbourhood working is bound to be about problem solving, we also encourage local communities to see it as an opportunity to try and achieve some of your dreams for your area! This could be to develop existing community facilities as central “hubs” (sorry about the jargon!) within the neighbourhood, or to use or form partnerships to bid for external funding for new facilities.

Neighbourhood working is going to be about managing change, relationships between services, agencies, and local communities, focusing and tailoring service delivery to local priorities and making one team or partnership responsible for the process.

 But – it is going to depend on genuine participation from local residents and organisations, and commitment from local service providers, to working in partnership, at local level. The Council, County Council, Police, Primary Care Trust and other organisations are keen to work together in your neighbourhood.

 What we want to see most of all is positive action.

 If you are interested in getting involved in neighbourhood working in Ulnes Walton, please let us know!

 Liz Morey  

Neighbourhoods

Co-ordinator

Tel: 01257 515812  liz.morey@chorley.gov.uk