Issue - meetings

The Commissioning and Contracts Officer provided Members with a verbal report covering the draft Annual Report of the Bolsover Partnership.  It was noted that the final copy was currently in production by the communications team and would be circulated on completion.

The report covered the period April 2021-March 2022 and all activity completed by the Partnership supported the delivery of the Sustainable Community Strategy objectives.

Key areas of delivery noted were:

• Community Champions – this resulted in four Link Workers operating in each of the market towns. 

A key part of their function was delivery of core messages during the Covid pandemic and also to be the ‘face’ of the Council.  The scheme resulted in improved relationships with Frasers Group – a major local employer.  Following completion of the scheme, which was briefly extended, the partnership team had altered their operations to create a focussed delivery centred on the four market town areas with a lead officer for each.

Four digital displays had also been installed, one in each town centre, to enable key messages and information to reach across the District.  It was hoped this would go some way to bridge the digital divide where residents either cannot access or don’t have the skills to access the internet.

• Bolsover District Skills Audit – this was a District-wide survey completed with external support from Sheffield Hallam University.

The objective was to complete a District-wide Skills Survey to find out about how the social and economic challenges of the area impacted on the training and education needs of residents.  It explored the extent to which skills and qualifications were being utilised, as well as attitudes towards and any barriers to participation in employment, training and learning. 

One of the core aims was to assess any changes following a smaller scale survey undertaken in 1995.  The results were not directly comparable with a previous skills survey, which was limited to the Shirebrook area, covered a smaller sample size, and was completed at a time of high unemployment due to pit closures. 

Nevertheless, the results showed that there were significantly more people employed and a lot of interest in training opportunities.  It was noted that whilst there were limited numbers benefitting from apprenticeships, this reflected the national picture as the number of opportunities available was lower than the demand for places and this needed addressing at both national and local level.

• Community Rail Partnership – this was a new initiative created to work across all the communities benefiting from the Robin Hood Line. 

Work had taken place in relation to securing station improvements; prevention of ASB within the station area, multi-sports sessions as diversionary activity; rail safety education programme; and Creswell Heritage Trail.  It was hoped the Heritage Trail concept could be developed within the other communities where a station was situated.

• Public Health Locality Funding – the Partnership received an annual allocation to commission local activity. 

A notable project was the Raising Aspirations initiative.  Whilst this started out at District level, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 38