5 February 2010

 

HIGHEST ACCOLADE FOR NORTH DORSET

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP

 

The North Dorset Community Partnership is the best in the country. This was confirmed last night, Thursday 4 February, at the National Community Partnership Awards when North Dorset received the top award of Best Community Partnership in the UK.

 

The award is the highest accolade in the country for community partnerships. The fact that it is open to all kinds of partnerships, from John O’Groats to Lands End, and from inner cities to remote rural locations makes the North Dorset achievement even greater.

 

A small team of community volunteers, councillors and council officers attended the awards ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London where they picked up the trophy ahead of 51 other entries from across the country.

 

Mark Hebditch, chairman of the Community Partnership Executive for North Dorset (CPEND) said: “We are so proud to receive this award on behalf of the many volunteers and community workers across North Dorset who work so hard for the benefit of their communities. So this award is confirmation of the very high calibre of contribution made by so many extraordinarily dedicated people.”

 

Although the Community Partnership is based on the district’s market towns, it operates across the whole of North Dorset and is deeply involved in rural, urban and area projects. Blandford hosts the DT11 Forum, Gillingham has the Three Rivers Partnership, Shaftesbury has the Shaftesbury Taskforce and Sturminster Newton houses SturQuest in the Exchange.

 

All four partnerships have achieved terrific successes for their local communities in recent years. The highest profile projects are the Exchange in Sturminster Newton and the Riversmeet Centre in Gillingham, which is growing, phoenix-like, from the ashes of the old leisure centre. However, the huge number of smaller projects also make such a difference to local people. In total there have been 128 projects organised by the partnerships.

 

Although the partnerships are self organising they are inextricably linked to North Dorset District Council, Town and Parish Councils in North Dorset, the Dorset Strategic Partnership (DSP) and Dorset Community Action (DCA) which employs a small community team in the partnerships.

  

Cllr Peter Webb, Leader of North Dorset District Council, said: “Wow! Winning a national award for the best Community Partnership, ahead of all the thousands across the UK, feels very special indeed. This really vindicates our belief in constructive community-centred dialogue between our Council, the local Town and Parish Councils, and our four Community Partnerships linked under CPEND.  The substantial credit for the delivery of the many dozens of successful local projects implemented in recent years should go to the Community Partnerships themselves and their volunteers."

 

Practical outcomes from the partnership now form a remarkably long and diverse list, from major regeneration projects to smaller ones such as a fishing platform for wheelchair users, from big community events to regular activities.  Over the last five years the partnerships have been instrumental in attracting and delivering about £15M worth of projects in the area.  Some of the successful projects are:

 

·        The Exchange, a £2.6M redevelopment in the centre of Sturminster Newton with a large community facility, health centre, supermarket and community offices

·        The Riversmeet Community Centre in Gillingham

·        Unity.Com magazine delivered free to over 3,000 homes

·        Tourist information centres in both Blandford and Shaftesbury

·        Over 80 projects delivered to improve the access to open space, all community generated and community run through Liveability funding

·        15 play areas developed by the community and looked after by the community, parish and town councils

·        48 Parish Plans produced and 4 community action plans

·        CPEND and the AONB Partnership awarded £2.85M Local Action for Rural Communities funding for community led and managed projects deriving economic benefit from the environment to improve the quality of life. 

·        North Dorset selected, alongside Newcastle, as one of two national pilots to undertake a ‘green map’ – a Climate and Action Community Map, funded by the Green Alliance.

  

 

For more information contact: Hilary Ritchie, Regeneration Manager at North Dorset District Council on 01258 484005 or the Communications Manager on 01258 484100.