Northwich and Rural North Area Partnership Board Launch their Community Engagement Plan and Tookit

Included were voluntary groups and Elected Members as they are an integral part of the APB Membership and have an active role in engagement activity.

The plan maps and promotes engagement activity across all partners within the area in order to avoid duplication, reducing the number of meetings, rationalising structures along with allowing for joint consultation and communication whereby all partners have;

• Identified why and what they want to inform, consult and engage on
  
• Identified where and when they want to engage
  
• Identified how they want to engage which will be a more flexible approach by using the toolkit
  
• Shown how engagement activity links to the each organisations business plan, APB plan and work activity
  
• Included an assessment of what activity is already taking place
  
• Included Town and Parish Councils in the engagement activity as they are already close to the heart of communities
  
• Created engagement activity to allow balancing between local priorities and strategic or national statistical priorities.
  

In developing the Community Engagement Plan toolkit and process, which highlights dozens of different engagement techniques, it was designed to be flexible and in such a way that it can be used by community groups, Parish or Town Councils and service providers alike.

Chris Rowbottom, Director for Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Chair for the Area Partnership Board, "this approach is proving really beneficial in bringing agencies and community together. We have seen improved joint working and attendance to events and activities is increasing"

Follow this link to view the engagement plan;

For more information please contact Fiona Dunning; 01606 288842 or Fiona.dunning@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk