Posted on Tuesday 7th February 2023
Victoria Wilson
Staffordshire people can help shape a long-term plan in partnership with the county council to take action and improve their communities.
Building on previous success, the community strategy for Staffordshire will help to empower groups, organisations and individuals working in their areas for the benefit of fellow residents.
It will include support through funding, professional advice and guidance and organised programmes and initiatives. This will cover all aspects of community life, including health, environmental enhancement, education, families, transport and leisure, benefiting people of all ages. Programmes will range from a new communities highways offer, development of community managed libraries and the members community fund.
The strategy will be developed following a comprehensive community consultation this summer, subject to approval by the county council’s cabinet next Wednesday, February 15.
It will build on the many successes achieved over the last 18 months through the county council’s work with community groups, the voluntary sector and other organisations.
These have included:
• The Supporting Families Programme – helping over 1,200 families to overcome multiple challenges
• Nearly 110,000 people benefiting from the Supportive Communities public health programme
• Securing £76,000 for local groups from the Climate Change Action Fund
• Awarding £146,000 in small grants through the members community fund
• Launching the Here to Help campaign to support people with cost-of-living pressures
Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for communities and culture Victoria Wilson said:
Our amazing communities across Staffordshire really are at the heart of what makes this county such a fantastic place to live.
Friends helping friends, neighbours helping neighbours and people stretching out a helping hand to those most in need makes a difference to the quality of so many people’s lives.
We are committed to empowering our communities and in the last year this approach, with the support of our voluntary, community and public sector partners, helped more than 1,200 families improve their lives, supported just under 110,000 people through our community-based public health drives and distributed more than £200,000 worth of grants to help communities recover from the pandemic.
But we know together we can do even more, and in 2023 we aim to do just that by empowering our wonderful communities here in Staffordshire.”