Harlow is ready and able to get involved in Big Society
With its strong community foundations and thriving voluntary
sector Harlow is ready to help local people get involved in Big
Society. That was the message from Harlow to Nick Hurd MP, the
Minister for Civic Society, who visited the town on Thursday 29
July 2010.
During his four hour visit Mr. Hurd met with
Rainbow Services, the Maybury Centre, Harlow Voluntary Sector
Forum, the Multi-Faith Forum, Youth Council, Harlow Council and
Robert Halfon MP to see some of the community work taking place in
the town and the plans for the future.
He also went to the Café Youth, an example of
young people, the private and public sector working together, met
Harlow Council’s Big Society Team and launched a new website for
the community on the Big Society – www.harlow.gov.uk/bigsociety
Pictured are: Councillor Joel Charles, Councillor Eddie Johnson,
Robert Halfon MP and Nick Hurd MP
Picture shows Nick Hurd meeting Harlow's Big
Society
Harlow’s aspirations for the future include
creating a brokerage to support the development of social
enterprises and co-operatives and assist the voluntary sector in
Harlow to bid to run services in the town.
Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, said:
“I’m really impressed with the people I’ve met today and the
community activity I’ve seen. There are some great examples in
Harlow of Big Society in action – local people being empowered to
give their time and energy to make positive changes in their
community. Harlow Council’s new Big Society team and web page are
excellent resources for the community and I hope it will encourage
the people of Harlow to get involved in local Big Society
projects."
Councillor Eddie Johnson, Deputy Leader of
Harlow Council, said: “When Harlow was created the foundations for
a strong community were provided and this strong community still
exists today. Now we have the opportunity to use this and deliver
the Big Society programme.
Councillor Joel Charles, Executive Committee
Member and Chairman of Harlow Council’s Community & Citizenship
Policy Working Group, said: “We are well placed to deliver the Big
Society programme. We have a well established voluntary sector
ready and willing to do more for the community. We are rolling out
neighbourhood forums across the town, which will give people more
say and power over the things that matter to them. We have a number
of active residents’ associations working in the town. We also have
a strong Youth Council and a range of youth services making Harlow
an ideal place to pilot elements of the proposed national citizens’
service. We enjoyed meeting the Minister and putting forward our
case for a Big Society pilot in Harlow.”
The Big Society is the Government's plan
to give citizens, communities and local government the
power and information they need to work together to solve the
problems they face locally and to help build the Britain they
want.
Harlow Council’s Big Society Team:
A team of four staff from within existing
Council resources has been established to work closely with the
voluntary sector and with neighbourhood communities to support the
Big Society agenda in Harlow. The team already establishes and
supports residents’ associations, undertakes multi-agency work to
find community solutions to anti-social behaviour and carries out
intergenerational work to improve understanding and respect between
young people and older people. Their role will be expanded to work
with community groups and Neighbourhood Forums.