During 2012/13, the Winslow and

District Local Area Forum pro-

vided funding to a number of

projects to address the priorities

of the local area. Some of these

are set out in the following pages.

The projects were undertaken

using the LAF’s Local Priorities

budget from Buckinghamshire

County Council.

The Winslow and District

Local Area Priorities

2012—2013 Review

The Winslow and District Local Area Forum includes the parishes of: Creslow, Dunton, Granborough, Great

Horwood, Hardwick, Hoggeston, Little Horwood, Mursley, Newton Longville, North Marston, Oving, Pitchcott, Swanbourne, Whitchurch and Winslow.

What is a Local Area Forum? To help planning and service delivery at a local level, Buckinghamshire has been divided into 19 local areas. The role of the Forum is to agree priorities and dele-gate resources effectively within the local area. The Local Area Forum has identified priorities for the area and what steps can be taken, by the Local Area Forum or others, to address these priorities. The current actionable priorities against which the Local Area Forum’s budget can be allocated are: • Reducing speeding • Facilities and activities for young people • General community facilities and

activities

The Winslow and District Local Area Forum (LAF) has a devolved budget from the County Council of £38,375 to support projects which address these priorities. In 2012/13 £20,000 was also rolled for-wards from the previous year, making £58,374.75 available to support its action plan. Projects funded in 2012/13 included:

• Youth Leader Programme • Credit Union • Oving Parish Community Building • MVAS Schemes All projects funded can be found on the final page of this review.

How does the Local Area

Forum develop it’s priorities?

The original priorities for the Winslow and District LAF were identified in a workshop held in 2010. In 2011 after over a year of LAF considera-tion of those priorities, and actions taken against them it was decided that it was time to revisit those priorities, establish, which, if any, should no longer be considered as such or should be considered to be completed.

These priorities were refreshed during an-other workshop in June 2012 .

Local Area Forums

Members of the Local Area Forum

The Winslow and District Local Area Forum includes county councillors, district council-lors and appointed representatives from each of the parishes. Local Area Forums can also invite other organisations to become members. Meetings are open to the public to attend.

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Project Reports

Youth Leader Programme

AVYFC received £2600 funding from BCC through the Local Area Forum to develop a youth forum for young people in the Winslow and District area.

The goal of the Winslow Youth Forum is to engage young people aged 13 - 19 across the parishes. It will provide information and views of young people to the Local Area Forum and will also act as a consultation facility for the Youth Cabi-net, Parish councils, Neighbourhood Action Groups, AVDC and Bucks CC.

15 young people participated in the activities,

which included two training sessions, two fo-

rum meetings and also an outing to ice skating

in Hemel Hempstead.

The young people achieved a number of goals including:

• A power-point presentation was created and delivered to the year 10 group at Buckingham school. The presentation advertised the youth forum and gave young people a chance to link in and get involved.

• They completed two training activities in February learning how to research

the needs in the local area.

• A photography and video workshop was also run to help the young people

record interviews with community members and also take photos in their lo-

cal community.

• Identifying a number of questions that they could ask community leaders and

young people for the future research report.

• Waddesdon school was approached and have agreed to distribute research

questionnaires to all young people in the Winslow catchment.

In the future the youth forum will be sustainable with a number of young people from the various parishes, inspired and excited about giving a voice for young people in the area. The youth forum will continue in 2013 with the support of the AVYFC Youth Café. The Winslow Youth Café manager will be organising future meetings and involving the young people in some needs analysis research in the Winslow area.

Other schools in the area will be

approached when the needs analysis

research takes place in 2013/2014.

LAF Priority:

• Facilities and activities for young people

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Project Reports

MK Credit Union

Local, ethical, affordable savings and loans

Credit Unions are locally based “not-for profit” financial cooperatives. They offer savings and loans to members at affordable rates and all members’ savings are fully protected by the Government Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

MK Credit Union is based in Milton Keyes, but has extended its coverage into the MK18 postcode area. This expansion is part of a coordinated effort to ensure that all residents of Buckinghamshire have a local Credit Union that they can join. With funding of £2,000 from Winslow LAF there has been a concentrated focus on reaching the community in MK18.

As part of the initiative manager of the Swan Community Hub, Stephen Townsend, has addressed local organisations in order to gain the support of people who have contacts throughout the area. Stephen has been successful in recruiting a steering group who will look out for opportunities to reach those who could benefit most. They will also be respon-sible for ensuring that Diane Butler, the newly appointed Development Officer, , is effective in raising the profile and increasing membership of MKCU in MK18.

Literature and display material has been acquired and will be available as needed. Meantime local volunteers are being trained to assist people who want to join MK Credit Union.

In a move to make credit union accounts more accessible to the rural community new members will be issued with a card so that they can make deposits at PayPoint outlets. Credit Union accounts can be opened on line and soon members will be able to check their balances this way.

A formal launch took place on Friday 10th May in St

Laurence Rooms, Winslow. The Speaker of the

House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow, attended

and addressed the meeting, describing his support for

this expansion.

LAF Priority:

• General community facilities and activities

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Project Reports

Oving Parish Community Building

Oving Parish Council wanted to encourage and facilitate a ‘Big Society’ culture in the village but no appropriate venue was available. They therefore decided that it would be a good idea to build a fit for purpose community building that would be open to all and enable integration of all Oving residents. The new centre will cre-ate a vibrant and active community, im-prove social cohesion and foster a caring society, reducing social isolation.

As a rural parish with very little local em-ployment, Oving was in danger of becoming purely a ‘dormitory’ village withoug a focal point for social interaction for everyone.

The parish council sought funding from various organisation including Winslow LAF who contributed £9,875 to enable the foundations to be begun.

Village children helped to clear the snow to allow the first turf to be cut. A start

has been made on the foundations and the frame has been delivered to the site.

LAF Priority:

• General community facilities and activities

Mobile Vehicle Activated Signs

Following a workshop attended by a number of LAF members, it was agreed that Mobile Vehicle Acti-vated Signs (VAS) on roads in the villages would be a significant tool to discourage speeding. A meeting took place between Swarco, a leading provider of Mobile VAS units (MVAS) and interested parishes to consider the options. The meeting concluded that those parishes who wished to have an MVAS system would be able to do so, supported by the LAF delegated budget. The parishes are funding all installation and maintenance costs, plus the balance of the capital costs not funded by Bucks County

Council. (The LAF awarded £1,712 to each parish).

Newton Longville are purchasing a second unit and paying the full cost. The full cost of Pitchcott’s unit is being met by the LAF, given the particular concern regard-

ing speeding through Pitchcott and the Parish Meeting’s very limited funding.

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For more information on the Winslow and District Local Area Forum, the

local priorities budget, or if you want to get involved, please contact:

Paul Hodson, Localities and Communities Manager,

Tel: 01296 383479 or email: phodson@buckscc.gov.uk

All projects funded

Projects Total Project Cost LAF Contribution

Youth Leader Programme Winslow Great Horwood and Singleborough Little Horwood Whitchurch and Oving

£10,000 £2,600 £2,775 £1,850

£925 £1,850

MK Credit Union £19,500 £2,000

Oving Parish Community building £220,500 £9,875

TOTAL £250,000 £21,875

Transportation projects Location Scheme Cost Granborough, Newton Longville, Great Hor-wood, Whitchurch, Mursley, Little Horwood, Oving, North Marston, Pitchcott

MVAS Schemes including training sessions.

£12,090.80

Great Horwood Footway £8,600

Little Horwood Bus Shelter £5,500

Newton Longville Salt Bins £900

TOTAL £29,090.80

North Marston Sports field Signage £2,000

Oving Parish Community Building