Billingshurst
Community Partnership
“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
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