Residents shape how council should support community

Victoria Wilson, pictured, says the council will strengthen its support for charity and community groups, among others.

Months of conversations with residents and groups will guide how Staffordshire County Council supports communities.

Individually and collectively, hundreds of people helped shape the council’s Communities Strategy.

It influences how the authority will work with others to improve people’s quality of life, help residents find support when they need it, improve already strong links with voluntary, community and social enterprise groups across the county, and look how the council can engage with residents.

Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Communities and Culture, said:

The people and communities of Staffordshire have always been the bedrock of this county, upon which all else is built.

Since 2015 we have consciously been working to support community groups, charities and volunteers as they go about their vital work.

This strategy, based on conversations with those involved, listens to what is needed and looks to develop further our relationships and strengthen the impact being made in our communities.”

The four-year plan, agreed by the Council’s cabinet, will lead to specific actions to deliver 11 different objectives, including working with others to:

• help people feel safer and more included within their communities;
• involve residents in tackling climate change and making Staffordshire more sustainable;
• work with and support voluntary and community groups, as well as the social enterprise sector;
• support people to be digitally informed and connected;
• enable residents to find information, opportunities and ways to connect so they can be involved.

Community involvement will be reviewed during the programme to ensure community views are up-to-date.

A series of information events will be held across the county in the autumn where people can talk to council officers and find out more about both the communities strategy and the new cultural strategy, which seeks to maximise the impact and influence of Staffordshire’s culture, arts, sports and heritage.

Victoria Wilson added:

People in Staffordshire are independent, willing to help themselves and one another.

We want to help where we need to, but also put people in touch with each other so they can work together for the common good.”