Key Themes
Although the partnerships are there to oversee the strategy of the programme in each individual area, the Welsh Assembly Government has given guidance in the main subjects that should be considered by the partnerships. These are based on the subject areas covered in 2000’s Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. The six Key Themes are:
- Jobs and Business
- Education and Training
- Environment
- Health and Well being
- Active Community
- Crime and Community Safety
The 2000 Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation has undergone revisions in both 2005 and 2008 and the six Key Themes highlighted above, (also known as the Communities First Vision Framework) have been augmented by the addition of Child Poverty as a vision framework theme in its own right. The active community theme is now known as an overarching or cross cutting theme that impacts across one or more of the above themes.
The Communities First programme continues to be delivered across Wales within its targeted and identified communities, the programme remains under review by the Welsh Assembly Government and a decision on its future post 2012 is yet to be made. No decision will take place on the future of the programme until after the Welsh Assembly elections of May 2011.
Whilst Communities First is a bottom up approach to community regeneration, it is recognised across the programme that for projects and activities to be successful, communities need to engage with local service providers in order to work together to address the problems associated with poverty and disadvantage within communities. Many successful projects have been and continue to be developed within the programme however the multi dimensional nature of poverty and disadvantage makes addressing compound problems even more difficult particularly when working in isolation. Examples of activities developed by Communities First since the programme began are: -
- Support and encouragement to Credit Unions to increase their membership
- Construction industry training scheme targeted at school pupils at risk of exclusion
- Developing Young people’s clubs and youth fora
- Developing Food Cooperatives
- Providing training to increase people’s skills and job readiness
- Projects aimed at improving the local environment
Read more about this topic: Communities First
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