FURD
FURD is developing closer patterns of neighbourhood working, in particular with the Sharrow Partnership - the name of the exciting, new neighbourhood management process operating in Sharrow.
The Partnership's goal is to join up the needs and voices of the local community with local service providers, like the Police, health services and education to improve service delivery within Sharrow, so that local service provision is shaped by the local community voice. The key point is that local people are at the heart of this process enabling service provision to be shaped at a neighbourhood level.
The Sharrow Partnership has received funding from central government for the next 3 years, to show how neighbourhood management can make a real difference and are determined to make sure that the difference lasts!
Nationwide, the process of neighbourhood management has improved important local issues such as community safety, the environment and services for young people. The local challenge is to create a way of working that works for Sharrow and brings about similar improvement.
Sharrow Partnership’s community engagement team hit the streets last Autumn to find out opinions on living in Sharrow and the results showed that local people celebrated the multicultural diversity and vibrancy of the area. It also showed that there was room for improvement with issues of crime, environment and the appearance of Sharrow standing out as areas of concern.
The community engagement team are an integral part of this process by feeding in local people’s thoughts on a variety of issues through discussion groups, questionnaires and one to one dialogues on the street. This information is vital in how the Sharrow Partnership Board, made up of organisations like the council, councillors, service providers and local people will address which issues and how.
What do you think of the Sharrow area? Have you any ideas on environmental improvements, thoughts on reducing crime, youth provision? Come along to a walkabout of Mount Pleasant Park and hear about the latest developments or one of the discussion groups led by the community engagement team about community issues and have your say! If you have any comments come and visit the website at www.sharrowpartnership.org.uk