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FORUM UPDATE
26 February 2008- No known issues.
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“Managing a Changing Environment” The work of the Community
Partnership
It is often asked “Who are the Billingshurst Community Partnership
and how do they relate to the Parish Council” along with “What
is the “Action Plan” they refer to? This article sets out to
answer both questions.
Community partnerships were formed under central government
guidance in 2003 and the Billingshurst Community Partnership
was formally established in that year. Central Government makes
available to the Community Partnerships funds that would otherwise
not be accessible by local authorities. There are now over 5000
community partnerships working in England handling some £4
Billion of grant finance. The work to create the first Billingshurst
Community Action plan commenced in 2002 when the Parish Council,
in conjunction with a number of community groups, commenced
a Healthcheck process under the guidance of the Countryside
Agency. This process resulted in 7 key projects, all of which
have now been addressed and either completed or, in the case
of the Swimming Pool, due for completion mid to late 2008.
The Billingshurst Community Partnership is a group of volunteers
dedicated to delivering projects to enhance the well-being of
the town and its surroundings. Our members are representative
of the various local organisations and we undertake many of
our projects in conjunction with those organisations and the
local authorities. Because of the size and value of some of
the projects we are a Company Limited by Guarantee managed by
a board of directors.
The partnership team consists of 15 members who are elected
at an AGM and who have been nominated by the participating organisations
or who are volunteering to stand as an individual. Hence any
parishioner is eligible to stand for election as long as he
or she agrees to the objectives and aims of the partnership.
This election process is adjudicated by an independent person
who is a senior member of Airs (Action in Rural Sussex).
The Partnership works with the Parish Council governed by a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that sets out the responsibility
of each party. The Partnership will bring to the council any
new initiative for their agreement and the council can refuse
funding or refrain from supporting that particular project or
initiative. The council also have the right to request the cessation
of any project. The Partnership reports to council on a regular
basis at their monthly meeting and can also be asked to report
in detail to the appropriate committee depending on the subject
(Property or Finance and General Purposes). This relationship
is seen as “working at arms length but able to create constructive
comments”. The partnership’s ability to access funds that would
not otherwise be available to the Parish Council helps the community
to undertake projects that would otherwise cause a burden on
precept. So far over £300,000 has been raised to finance
those projects that have been undertaken and the Partnership
continues to work closely with the Parish Council to ensure
that the projects are both viable and sustainable.
We continue to work with those projects that we took direct
responsibility for in the First Action Plan (2002) which are
“Care of the Young, Elderly and those who are Disadvantaged
and the “Youth Club” and “Luncheon Club” for the older generation.
We also have a representative who works with the Disadvantaged
in the community and beyond. We have continuing representation
with the two “Community Transport” schemes. For Sports and Recreation,
we continue to work with the Billingshurst Sports and Recreation
Association and the Parish Council and for the Burnt Row Woodland
and the Fishing Lake projects by continuing to give direct support.
We have representation on many of the community working groups
such as BAIT and the Swimming pool project.
Finance for our projects comes from various sources but in
the main from direct grants to the Partnership that we can then
use to fund joint projects for the community. Horsham District
council and Billingshurst Parish Council are able to access
106 funds (Monies that are gained from the Developers and held
by the District Council), as is the Partnership, but we are
also able to raise finance from, amongst others, Landfill Tax
Credits – the Heritage Fund – the Arts Council – Viridor Community
Fund – the Lottery – The Sports Council and many other independent
grant providers including the South East Economic Development
Agency and Action in Rural Sussex. Much of this funding is not
available to an authority.
The Parish Council supports us in our applications and will
often agree to sponsor us by injecting a percentage of funding
where that application requires an upfront financial donation.
It will also give a direct cash donation to a project where
the Partnership is unable to raise sufficient funds to cover
the entire requirement or where, in the lifetime of the project,
unforeseen issues arise. The partnership has developed, and
continues to develop, its modus operandi with the Parish Council
in order to address, consult and maximise opportunities for
gaining funding for the projects identified and agreed as beneficial
to the community.
The following key issues which have been identified from questionnaires
and public consultation for the next phase of 2008 to 2012 and
that we are able to address are: Youth, the Environment, Local
Economy, a new Centre for Children (C4C) and Arts and Culture
Youth. We promote organised youth and community activity through
our work with the Monday Youth Drop in Club called TAG, held
at the Village Hall, and the Youth Band Nights “Billi Rox”.
We are making every effort to engage the youth of our community
by getting them involved in community work (Youth Enterprise
Scheme “YES”). This scheme will be overseen by the partnership
but will encourage participation from other groups and parents.
We will continue to seek funding and focus on making our youth
schemes sustainable both financially and logistically and to
seek out volunteers to work with us on these youth projects.
Environment (Including Sports and Recreation). We continue
to work with the Parish Council regarding the “Station Road
Garden Project” and to support the environmental initiatives
such as the maintenance of grass verges and parkland in order
to make Billingshurst more attractive, especially to visitors.
We take an active role in the maintenance of Burnt Row Wood
and its surrounding area and encourage more awareness and respect
for local wildlife
Local economy. Working with the business community and local
traders, we are formalizing a strong coherent voice through
the establishment of a robust Chamber of Commerce and are working
with a group of consultants in order to undertake a research
project to identify the relationship between available services
in Billingshurst and its surrounding area. The objective is
to make Billingshurst a sustainable hub for the surrounding
district.
Centre for Children. Having some time ago identified the need
for a child care centre, and raised some £120,000 toward
it, we are now working with WSCC and SEEDA on the final stages
of the development of a £700,000 Centre for Children to
be located on the Station Road site of the old soccer pitch.
This centre will also ensure that the childcare spaces provided
by WAKOOS, and whose existence has been under threat for want
of new premises, will continue.
Arts & Culture. We are actively encouraging the Arts in
all its forms and in particular to bring performing art and
cultural events to Billingshurst by building a calendar of activities
throughout the year. These events can be traditional or classical
theatre; innovative and ‘risky’ productions; exhibitions and
experimental performances, often subsidised or even under written
by funding from the Arts council and Horsham District Council.
Parish Plan – Action Plan In our consultations, and those of
the Parish Council, certain Key Projects, actions and areas
of concern have been identified and many are the direct responsibility
of the Parish, District and County Councils. It is in this area
that the work of the Partnership and that of the Parish Council
diverges. Such concerns as the maintenance of Open Spaces, the
reduction and calming of Traffic and Recycling are the responsibility
of the authorities. However we will continue to work with the
Parish Council in helping to address these concerns and assist,
where we can, in raising finance and supplying volunteers to
work with the council and the other higher authorities. But
in more general terms those projects as listed above are those
that as a community partnership we can finance and address.
Hence the Community Partnership Action Plan addresses those
projects where we as a group can actively fund and promote them.
“Together we can make it happen”.
The Managing Team
Billingshurst Community Partnership
New Fishing Lake in use
People are reminded that the fishing lake is not suitable for swimming in.
Moving the picnic benches on
to the fishing platforms, and then using them for diving, spoils the use of
these for others and causes damage to the platforms, as they are not designed
for this purpose. It is also highly dangerous as the water depth at the side of
the lake is in some cases no more than 500 mm and the exit from the lake is a
muddy bank. Also the environment of the
lake is settling down now and the fish are breeding - swimming is disturbing
this and keeps stirring up the mud bottom to the lake. So please cooperate with
us to keep this lake as a fishing lake and for the enjoyment of picnics and
fishing - lastly if you do use the area please take your rubbish away with you.
Throwing the benches into the lake is also not funny and causes more work - in
the end this is paid for by your local taxes so we suggest ALL parents might
like to get the message across to ALL the young people to help keep the lake as
it has been designed.
Recent pictures of the day fishing organised by the Billingshurst
Angling Club to encourage youngsters to use the facility

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