What is a Community Partnership?
A Community Partnership is a group of likeminded people who live or work in Darlington’s priority wards.
The main aim of a Community Partnership is to improve the quality of life for the residents of the area it represents.
Members meet regularly, consider all aspects of community life and seek ways, in partnership with others, to identify what needs to be improved.
They then consider how this can be done and work towards getting it done.
There are 11 Community Partnerships set up in Darlington
They are:
What type of things do the Community Partnerships do?
The 11 Darlington Community Partnerships are at different stages in their development but are already making a difference in developing projects that address the needs of the community they represent.
- The positive Parenting Project at Dodmire Infant and Nursery School involves weekly sessions held on topics that benefit the individual needs of parents and their families.
- A fun run and treasure hunt for 5 - 11 year olds was organised by the Lingfield Community Partnership.
- Single Programme Funding was awarded to St Mary’s Jolly Tots, a project that provides affordable childcare for 2-5 year olds.
- The Red Hall Community Partnership employs play workers with a grant from the Children’s Fund.
- Several Community Partnerships have set up Tool Libraries. Tool Libraries hire out gardening and DIY equipment at very low costs to local residents for jobs around the house and garden.
- Northgate Community Partnership hosted an Eid Party. Eid is a religious festival that happens twice a year in the Muslim calendar.
- North Road Partnership to purchase equipment to produce talking newspapers for residents.
- The Wednesday Club from Bank Top received a Single Programme grant to buy equipment for a new Healthy Eating Luncheon Club.
- The Atisha Buddhist Centre received a Single Programme Grant to purchase a loop system to enable members of the community with hearing difficulties to experience meditation.
- Local Agenda 21 Funding enabled community partnerships to provide wild life boxes for parks and gardens.
- A litter picking exercise organised in Cockerton West resulted in the collection of 13 bags of rubbish.
Community Partnerships linking in with Neighbourhood Renewal
The development of the 11 Community Partnerships is integral to the success of the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy for Darlington. The key aim of this Strategy is to:
‘reduce deprivation in the eleven most disadvantaged wards within the Borough and improve the life chances of residents living within these areas’.
Neighbourhood Renewal involves reversing the spiral of decline in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It is about working from the grassroots to deliver economic prosperity and jobs, safer communities, good education, decent housing and better health, as well as fostering a new sense of community among residents.
Neighbourhood Renewal is a central feature of the Government’s political and social agenda for the UK. The Government’s National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2001. Its aim is to ensure
‘that within 20 years, no-one will be disadvantaged by where they live.’
If you would like a more information about the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy for Darlington, please go to the Neighbourhood Renewal page.
Click here to read the Performance Development & Community Partnership Service Plan for 2006-2007 - pdf document.
If you want to get involved in a Community Partnership or would like more information please contact the Community Partnerships Team at:
Darlington Borough Council, 13 Horsemarket, Darlington, DL1 5PW
Tel: 01325 388457
Fax: 01325 388699
Email: communitypartner@darlington.gov.uk
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