Agenda item

Councillor Andrew Curtin, Cabinet Member for Culture, Towns and Communities, introduced the report

Cabinet was reminded that at the beginning of this term, ten Strategic Administration Projects had been established to help deliver services more effectively and in new ways.  The Projects were each to be driven by a Member of the Cabinet, working with a select team of officers, representing a diverse variety of disciplines within the Council.

The projects were:

In the last year of this Administration, it was intended that each Project would be reporting back to Cabinet for it to note the achievements attained and the progress made.

The Community Action project had now been completed, although many of the initiatives it put in place would continue to be delivered as it now formed the mainstream work for a number of council services. 

The project:

• Strengthened relationships with the voluntary sector by developing, in partnership, volunteering projects such as Cold Weather Befrienders, that utilised the specialisms of local organisations and community groups to help reach isolated older people
• Saw over £250,000 awarded to local grassroots groups through the Community Chest small grants programme
• Capitalised on the Olympics and Paralympics legacy by galvanising the huge interest the Games brought about in volunteering, and put in place the Community Clean-Ups programme, part of the ‘Cleaner Havering’ Campaign
• Put in place the Active Living over 50s programme, designed to help older people stay healthy, social and safe for longer
• Improved the Council’s offer for young people, through the new ‘Assets Framework’
• Looked at ways of removing barriers to engagement, by making volunteering, particularly in cultural activities, as inclusive as possible.

The Community Action Project left a legacy of positive outcomes and a new way of working with the community to help Havering continue to be the great place it was in which to live - even in difficult economic times.

Reasons for the decision:

This report was being brought to Cabinet to provide Members with an overview of the Council Effectiveness Member project.

Other options considered:

N/A

Cabinet:

Noted the outcomes delivered by the Community Action project.