A team of Community Development Workers supports a network of 11 Community Partnerships in the 11 priority wards.  These are; Central, Cockerton West, Bank Top, Eastbourne, Lascelles, Park East, Northgate, Haughton East, North Road, Lingfield and Cockerton East.  The Community Partnerships are led by residents.  The aim of the Community Partnerships is to encourage residents to take a lead in regenerating their local neighbourhoods by identifying issues, developing projects to address these issues, securing external funding and to deliver projects.  Local Action Plans have been developed by each of the Partnership to outline what projects they will develop and deliver over the next five years.  These action plans link into the Darlington Local Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy, which the Section developed and is now being implemented.
 
There are strong links with the Community Partnerships and the Local Strategic Partnership (Darlington Partnership), including 3 community partnership representatives sitting on the Board of the Darlington Partnership and also further representation on the four thematic sub groups.
 

What we aim to do:

• Ensure effective and meaningful community participation in service development, including hard to reach groups, encouraging community empowerment and capacity building.
  
  

Achievements in 2005/06 include the following:

• The Performance Development and Community Partnerships Section received Charter Mark status in September 2005.  This award is the UK Government's national standard for excellence in customer service, therefore showing that we put the customer at the centre of everything we do.  The assessor made many positive comments about the work undertaken by the section, and highlighted the Westside Project as an area of good practice.
• A total of £473,000 has been secured for the refurbishment and expansion of the Red Hall Community Centre.  The contract went out to tender in December 2005 and the contractors arrived on site in February 2006.
• All 11 of the Community Partnerships are at different stages of their development, but are all making a difference by developing projects that address the needs of the community they represent.  Examples of successful projects achieved in the last year are the new play area at Lascelles, the Northgate Green Streets project and the Music Fun Day at the Forum.   In total, over £350,000 has been brought into Community Partnership areas.  This is major achievement and has enabled volunteers to tackle many local issues identified in their local Community Partnership Action Plans.

What we will deliver in 2006/07

• Deliver the second year of the Neighbourhood renewal strategy by March 2007.
• Enhance the capacity and raise awareness of Community Partnerships by holding 2 community partnership forum events by March 2007.
• Encouraging Community Partnerships to do an annual training audit and then seek external funding to meet the cost of delivering training, to be done by February 2007.
• Continue to develop the Community Partnership Steering Group.
• Involve the steering group in monitoring the service plan actions relating to community partnerships.
• Strengthen project development and management practices.
• Implement the actions that came out of the Community partnership Questionnaire 2005.
• Deliver on the Fair Share Community Development Worker project.
• Diversify membership of community partnerships and encourage new individuals to become involved in Community Partnerships and in particular young people, local businesses and BME groups.
• Work with consultants to develop an Equal Opportunities Policy to be adopted by all Community Partnerships.
• Undertake a review of the Community Partnerships.
• Work with Community Partnership Steering Group to establish customer service standards for the section.
• Provide information on the cost of the service to the public.
• Assess if the services are value for money.

Want more information?

Contact Sue Davison, Principal Community Development Worker, Performance Development and Community Partnerships Section, Darlington Borough Council, 13 Horsemarket, Darlington, DL1 5PW, or telephone 01325 388527.

Email: communitypartner@darlington.gov.uk

Feedback Form: If you have any questions, comments, or complaints you would like us to deal with please let us know.  If you provide your contact details someone from our section will contact you.