WATERSIDE NEIGHBOURHOOD PARTNERSHIP 22-23
Performance and Achievements
The Community Development Working Group is made up of community representatives from each of the Waterside Neighbourhood Renewal sub-areas, the North West Regional College, Skills NW, Excite Project Co-ordinator and the Talking To Our Babies Co-ordinator. The working group oversees the work of Skills NW, the Excite Project, Strengthening Futures and Talking To Our Babies.
This year the Community Development Working overseen the delivery of the Strengthening Futures Programme, Christmas Access to Food Programme, Social Supermarket Pop-up Support Project, Baby Bank, Consensual Grant Making Process and the Peace Plus programme planning.
During the year Skills NW returned to face to face training with an increase in the number of people looking to re-train and gain support to return to work. The project continues to make a significant impact in the Waterside supporting many residents who were made unemployed due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Also during the year Talking To Our Babies continued to deliver a range of programmes online and face to face. 60 parents completed training which included Makaton Level 1, Child Protection Training, First Aid and Speech and Language. 372 parents and 433 children participated in a range of activities including Baby Sensory, Coochie Coo, and Mini Professors with 250 parents receiving supports.
The Excite Project also continued online delivery classes to actively engage with, in particular, their younger users through the use of creative technologies via a variety of media platforms that developed skills, knowledge and confidence in young people outside or in addition to the school system. During the year 10 local groups and 5 schools were supported, 70 young people participated in IT programmes, 140 young people participated in summer scheme based programmes and 15 young people received training.
The Waterside Health Forum is made up of community representatives from each of the Waterside Neighbourhood Renewal sub-areas, WHSCT, Pink Ladies, NHIP and Older People North West. The group has engaged at a neighbourhood level to identify health priorities and to develop a health action plan and deliver a range of health programmes both area-wide and at neighbourhood level.
500 local people participated in a range of programmes including Zumba, March the Month Step Challenge, Maternal Mental Health event, Motivation May Physical Activity
PHA provided us with funding £5000 which we used to deliver programmes that focused on mental wellbeing and building resilience as we emerged from COVID-19 restrictions.
Minding Mum maternal mental health project continued during the year. 250 pregnant mums and mums with babies up to one year participated in range of programmes supporting positive mental health.
It should be noted that Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership Board, members of which are also represented on the relevant Subgroups, have all signed up to and abide by a Neighbourhood Renewal Code of Practice and Guiding Principles.
As detailed above this area suffers from serious levels of deprivation and underinvestment and as a consequence requires major investment and support to make positive changes to the Waterside Area.