Community Development and Neighbourhood Action

TO BE REVIEWED and UPDATED
Time was when Bridge ward had 2 staff performing these roles but austerity has got a grip.
Reduced some time ago to one member of staff.
More recently one member of staff covering 2 wards – and termed a Residents Development Officer.
And now with sickness and the new financial regime, emergency part-time cover.
There has also been tenants groups supports officers supplied by housing services – again much less visible. 
The major innovation (in 2004) of neighbourhood wardens (or community support officers) is also down in numbers. 

Community Development enabled local groups to be created and in turn projects developed, such as Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens. 
Most notably Meadows Partnership Trust – now Bridges Community Trust. 
The lack of community development has been part of why our existing community groups are getting weaker. 

Trying to keep up with the work that RDOs are meant to cover, or to be fed in, has led to 10 pages of notes for the last 2 weeks alone. Serving 2 progress meetings and drawing upon a Meadows Ward Walks (publicised and accompanied by officers) and 4 or 5 Meadows Wanders (unaccompanied). A fair deal of the notes has been published on this web-site. However, care is taken on what is published, it’s taking longer to commit to the internet cos it’s taking longer to get issues verified (or even found to be wrong).

Eunice and I are changing our ways of working a tad; and may do more direct inputting of “FirmStep” jobs.