PROJECT
FIVE
HINTERLAND
SUSTAINABILITY
The research reflects the pride and wish to use local
services, the local shop, and village hall where available.
It also reflects the difficulties faced in maintaining
'community' assets. Through this project Billingshurst
Community Partnership would hope to work with these
communities in helping fund existing needs and to
work through problems faced such as the availability
of qualified Youth Workers to run local Youth Clubs.
Research
Aims & Recommendations impacting on the project:
-
Encourage
full use of recreational social, cultural/entertainment,
sport and learning opportunities available in Billingshurst
and the surrounding villages.
-
Improve
use of community transport across the area as a
means of accessing local services.
-
Ensure
older people are aware of, and have access to, opportunities
in their own and neighbouring villages.
-
Improve
the sustainability of provision for young people,
building on the good base which exists in Billingshurst
and other village youth clubs and sharing access
to opportunities across the area.
-
Build
on the roles that the Weald School and village primary
schools play in providing a venue for services and
activities to support the whole population.
Actions:
These actions are based on the recommendation points
in Appendix 2 of the
'Sustainable
Service Provision Report' as follows:
1 Recreational, social, cultural/entertainment and
sports opportunities.
1.1 Build, and keep up to date, a listing of opportunities
in Billingshurst and the villages, with contact numbers
and links to other information sources (e.g. Partnership
for Older People telephone access information service),
using this survey information as a starting point.
1.2 The above could be part of a wider information system
maintained for Horsham District.
1.3 Share the information with catchment residents through
village websites, local press, village halls, churches,
parish magazines, notice boards, schools, surgeries
and at the new swimming pool complex.
1.4 Link this to information about transport - community
transport and Billilinks.
2 Lifelong Learning opportunities.
2.1 Work with adult education providers to ensure that
up to date information about all local opportunities
is available, with contact numbers for venues etc.
2.2 Regularly share above information with catchment
residents through village websites, local press, village
halls, churches, parish magazines, notice boards, schools,
surgeries, Centre for Children and Families, etc.
2.3 Link this information about transport services –
community transport and Billilinks.
3 Community Spaces
3.1 Seek opportunities to improve village halls and
community spaces so that they can continue to offer
a range of activities to their communities.
3.2 Take, and make the most of, opportunities offered
by the Extended Schools Initiative to improve the role
that schools play as providers of activities for young
people and their families and as community space for
the wider population.
3.3 Ensure community venues in Billingshurst work together
to plan and co-ordinate provision.
Those organisations addressing the above action points:
Estimated Cost of Project:
£23,000
(Note: This does not include any costs associated with
Halls or Sports facilities in the hinterland Such costs
could only be arrived at after extensive consultation
with our neighbouring communities)
