Winsford and Rural East

Talking West Cheshire

Join a Community First panel and get involved with funding for projects in your area

16 May 2012

Residents across Ellesmere Port are being urged to join their local Community First panel and help decide how a new pot of funding from central government will be spent.

The Neighbourhood Match Fund, designed to enable local people to tackle issues relevant to their area, has seen more than £100,000 over the next four years become available to community groups in the town.

The cash will be used to help local groups improve their neighbourhoods, with organisations matching the funding with either donations or time, and the Mersey Banks and Acorn Community Panels have now been set up to decide where the funds should go.

Leader of the Council, Mike Jones, said: “This project is designed to help communities to help themselves and build community-led solutions to local issues.

“Based on the idea that local people know best, a concept we are already implementing in the town through the Our Place team and our Neighbourhood Groups, we want local people to get involved and share their idea on how the funding could be best spent.

“We now need residents to join the Community First panels, whose aim will be to raise awareness and design and implement viable and successful local projects.”

The Community First funding, totalling £100,000 for the town, has been made available by the Cabinet office for the Little Sutton, Netherpool, Parklands, Grange, Westminster, Rossmore, Stanney Grange and Wolverham and Central neighbourhoods.

Merseybanks Community First Panel covers the old Central and Westminster ward - areas of Central, Westminster, Stanney Grange, Wolverham, part of Netherpool and Rossmore.

Acorn Community First Panel covers the old Grange and Rossmore ward - areas of Parklands, Grange, parts of Little Sutton and part of Netherpool.

Each Community First Panel will raise awareness within their community about the programme and work to create plans for how to match and spend the money.

The panel will then make recommendations to a government board before the funds can be released. Each bid will be reflective of the community’s needs, with a clear viable and financial plan.
 
Local member, Councillor Pat Merrick, said: “It goes without saying that local people know the issues that their communities face every day and will have many ideas about how to improve their area.

“I would encourage any local residents interested in having their say on how cash is spent to improve their area to join their Community First Panel and share their ideas. I am hopeful this money will deliver real benefits to the local community, but it will need people to come forward and have their say in order to be a success.”

For further information on The Merseybanks Community First Panel, or to join, please visit:

For more information on The Acorn Community First Panel, or the join, please visit: