Members of the Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Regeneration Partnership group are celebrating this week after securing a huge grant from the Big Lottery fund for almost £127,000.
The money will be used to help the social regeneration of the towns through the appointment of a Community Development Worker.
The grant runs for a period of three years and in that time the worker will be tasked with achieving many of the projects in the Community Strategic Plan.
These include reviewing existing local voluntary community resources and working with their management committees to improve resource levels and use of facilities.
The aim is to avoid closure of further community resources, as has been threatened in the area recently.
A further aim will be to deliver a ‘needs assessment’ of isolated, disadvantaged and hard to reach groups since parts of the two towns are recognised areas of deprivation.
The workers will also work with young people and the organisations that represent them to incorporate their needs into the work of the company and in future developments in the towns.
Enhancing the effectiveness of local voluntary groups and improving membership, awareness and activities of those groups to promote strength, vitality and sustainability of the community and social network in the area.
Recruitment of volunteers to continue the activities of the worker after the three year post finishes. This helps meet the over-arching aim that regeneration should be ‘for the community, by the community’.
Ken Hindle, vice chairman of Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Regeneration Partnership, said: “We are delighted to receive a grant from the Big Lottery Fund.”
“We have an enthusiastic body of people ready to welcome the worker and look forward to the positive difference that this appointment will make to the quality of life in our towns.”
“The worker will be based in the Burnham and Highbridge Community Centre and will appreciate suggestions on how best help can be provided.”
The Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge Regeneration Partnership was set up in 2005 to take forward the proposals laid out in 2003’s Community Strategic Plan for Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge, which came about through the South West Regional Development Agency’s community based Market & Coastal Towns Initiative.
The Company has achieved three major recent successes by involvement in the construction of the River Brue walkway linking the two towns, the new lighting in Manor Gardens, and the granting of outline planning permission for the proposed Cultural Quarter in Princess Street.
