To consider the report of the Executive Member for Communities and Safety which gives an update on the Trafford Community Collective.

The Executive Member for Communities and Safety presented presented an Update report on the Trafford Community Collective.

Trafford Community Collective (TCC), a registered charity since March 2021, was established to support, promote, and connect the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Trafford. The Collective is a membership organisation for VCFSE organisations with the aim of organisations working together to increase opportunities for the sector to develop its role as a strategic partner and support the development of community-based, holistic, person centred, services at a neighbourhood level. This report provides an update on the activity and outcomes of the Collective in 2022/23.

The report shows the Collective’s development from 2019 to the present day and it now works across Trafford’s community hubs and has a growing membership in the voluntary sector groups and is becoming a key strategic voice of the sector. In March 2023 Trafford Council and NHS Trafford committed £130,000 to continue its work until 2025.

Trafford Community Collective (the “Collective”) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation that represents the VCSFE sector in Trafford. The organisation became a registered charity in March 2021 following two years of consultation and engagement with VCFSE organisations, Trafford Council, Trafford CCG (as known in 2021), and other key statutory partners.

The Collective recognised the increased opportunities for the VCFSE sector to develop its role as a strategic partner in Trafford. As a strategic partner, the Collective aims to:

·       Support the development of community-based services at a neighbourhood level.

·       Effectively communicate, engage, and involve individuals, families, and communities at a local level.

·       Effectively communicate, engage, and involve communities of interest at a local level and across Trafford.

·       Provide a focus on the wider determinants of health and new ways of working designed to reduce health inequalities.

Throughout the period of development, Thrive Trafford, the Local Infrastructure Organisation for Trafford provided significant support to establish the Collective. In April 2022 Thrive and the Collective submitted a successful partnership application for the infrastructure contract for the period 2022 – 2025.

This briefing provides an update on the activity and outcomes of the Collective in 2022/23 and outlines the plans for the future. The Executive Member for Communities and Safety drew attention to the Background and Context to the report as set out on pages 322- 328 of the report and more specially set out on pages 329-340 to the report.

The Leader thanked the Executive Member for the report and added his thanks to George Devlin for his work with the Community Collective and Voluntary and Community Sector. He also thanked everyone at the Community Collective for all the work they have done.

Councillor Slater acknowledged the work that the Community Collective has done and welcomed the report.

Councillor Williams welcomed the funding that has been put in place for an additional School Streets officer and welcomes that VCFSE sector is showing an interest in supporting our school streets.

The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration welcomed the report which is very informative at a time of such limited resources and growing need. She drew attention to the working partnership with primary care and in Sale Moor we were one of the successful areas to operate test and learn a really worth while cause.

Councillor Lepori echoed everyones comments in welcoming the report. His only concern moving forward was about focusing in on those areas of deprivation and where people are struggling and in moving forward doesn’t want to see a lag where people have suffered financially over the past few years and are still struggling even though they may not look as if they are.

The Executive Member for Cummunities and Safety took the view that Councillor Lepori’s point was a concern and would taylor the services around that awareness.

Councillor Welton advised that he had attended a meeting with Councillor Lepori towards the end of last year and he was very impressed by the number of people there and the connections made between the various organisations.

The Leader advised that we are seeking to find any funding streams available to extend the project.

RESOLVE: That the Executive

1.     notes the content of the report; and

2.    approves the proposal that a further progress report on the delivery of the VCFSE Strategy is presented in 2024 at the Executive.

The Leader on behalf of the Executive thanked George Devlin for all his time with the Community Collective and wish him well for the future.