Opportunity for a voluntary/community sector organisations to assist with grassroots community engagement in their ward.

Background 

The new prospectus for the Plan for Neighbourhoods (previously called the Town Fund) has now been published and Royal Sutton Coldfield has been awarded £20m over 10 years, with the Town Council being the accountable body.

The Plan for Neighbourhoods (PfN) has 3 objectives: –

• Thriving places i.e. : Vibrant neighbourhoods, busy high streets, a good range of local amenities and high-quality physical infrastructure.

• Stronger communities, i.e. : bringing people together, providing places to meet, creating a sense of belonging, and pride.

• Taking back control i.e. : Where people feel empowered and in control of their lives. Where children have the best start in life and adults can live the life they want to. Where there is access to the skills required for emerging job markets or supporting entrepreneurs through their first steps into self-employment.

To deliver these objectives, the government has set out the need for each eligible local authority to establish new Neighbourhood Boards. Each Board, in partnership with the local authority, is required to develop a vision and Regeneration Plan for the next 10 years, together with a more detailed Investment Plan for the first 4 years of the programme.

To conduct robust grassroots engagement, to develop a Regeneration Plan and Investment Plan, specialist contractors are being engaged using PfN Capacity Building Funding.
In addition, to assist with this wider engagement, funding of up to £3,000.00 is available to one voluntary/ community sector organisation per ward, to collaborate with the specialist contractor on the engagement, to help achieve the maximum reach into their own communities.

Application Process

If you wish to be considered for participation in this engagement process for your ward, please see the eligibility criteria on the link below:- https://suttoncoldfieldtowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/About-the-Community-Grants-Scheme-v3-BO-edited.pdf

Then complete and return the following assessment criteria questions outlined below by 13^th June to: pfncommunity@suttoncoldfieldtowncouncil.gov.uk

Assessment

Question 1 (40%)

Who are the discrete communities that are least engaged in your ward and explain how you will reach them?

Maximum 2 sides of A4

Question 2 (30%)

What track record do you have engaging with local communities or delivering on local projects?

Maximum 2 sides of A4

Question 3 (15%)

 How will you collaborate with the specialist contractor to maximise the reach into your communities?

Maximum 1 side of A4

Question 4 (15%)

How will you measure your success on the outcome of the community engagement?

Maximum 1 side of A4