SHREWSBURY AND ATCHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL

Achievements in Community Regeneration service April 2002 to October 2003

Community safety and development.

Notable achievements

1. Highest on the list of noticeable achievements is being short-listed for Beacon status for Community Cohesion for our work with young people. We are proud to be the only Council in the West Midlands and one of only two District Councils in the Country on the shortlist.
   
2. Nomination by the Government Office of the West Midlands as an example of good practise for the Community Safety Partnership.

3. Supporting young people in Meole Brace to develop their BMX track, which won the National Philip Lawrence Award for young people making a difference in their community.

4. Working as part of the Perkins Task Group to minimise the impact of the redundancies at Perkins and through this group helping to secure £170,000 government grant for outreach Citizens advice work and development of a North Shrewsbury Friendly Neighbour Scheme.

5. Launch in partnership with Connexions of the Single Regeneration Budget supported Raising Aspirations Partnership in North Shrewsbury which has seen the training of over 30 young people and adults in mentoring skills and ongoing mentoring of 52 young people at risk of exclusion from school, criminal behaviour or failing to reach their potential.

6. Extensive community consultation informing the designs for the recreational redevelopment of Shorncliffe drive and the children’s play area Quarry Park.

7. Community action days in Harlescott, Ditherington, Gains Park, and Castlefields engaging with difficult to reach communities and kick-starting community led action.

8. Continued support of over 80 Council and community led community initiatives, which received Council funding. Administration of the Community initiatives programme.

9. Operation Urban 2 in Meole Brace and Harlescott, which has led to around a 14% reduction in recorded crime in each area.

10. Operation CUBIT removing 80 untaxed and abandoned vehicles from the streets.

11. Drug awareness days for young people and 5 under 18s drug-awareness dance events. Two drug-awareness-training courses for parents and a drug awareness DJ skills course for young people.

12. In partnership with the Police and Severnside Housing serving 15 acceptable behaviour contracts on young people causing trouble in Meole Brace, Harlescott and Castlefields.

13. Launch through the Community Safety Partnership of Pubwatch, to improve safety within the nighttime economy.

14. Linking Shopwatch and Pubwatch to the town centre CCTV system.

15. Development of a Borough wide mediation service

16. Development of a outreach recreational scheme (Reccy Ranger) in association with the County Council and the voluntary sector)

17. Extensive community consultation towards developing an allotment strategy and funding secured to develop a sustainable allotment.

18. Drug awareness drama workshops in partnership with Shrewsbury College of Art and Technology (SCAT) and Double H productions in youth clubs around north Shrewsbury.

19. Weekly drop in centre at Shrewsbury College of Art and Technology raising drug awareness direct to students.

20. Mobile health promotion days through the NACRO net navigator bus which offered free internet access and promoted the use of choicesdap.com (the local drugs awareness website. The bus has been in most parts of Shrewsbury and in general offers a mobile drug awareness facility to young people.

21. Working in partnership with outside leisure agencies supporting dance parties/diversionary activity for young people.

    Arts

22. Positively marketed the public art competition in the west end bringing in over 100 entries from international and local artists.

23. Development of 15 arts based regeneration projects

24. Development towards a new arts festival in summer 2004 incorporate visual and performing arts, called the Shrewsbury Summer Season