To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies were received from Councillors Bathurst and Majeed and also Councillor Stretton in her capacity as Principal Member for Culture and Communities.

To receive any Declarations of Interest

None.

To confirm the Part I Minutes of the previous meeting.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 7 December 2015 be approved.

To receive the above update.

Andrew Green, Community Partnership Co-ordinator updated the Panel with the current position in relation to winning and runner up ideas that were not delivered in 2014/15. The key points made included:

Ø  Lessons had been learned from the first round of the scheme.

Ø  One idea that did not get brought forward was the winning idea of substitute grandmothers – that was because it cut across various Children’s Services areas.

Ø  However, a pilot of the scheme had just been launched on Broom Farm Estate in Windsor for service families who did not have extended family nearby. The team had received good feedback on the pilot already.

Ø  The Youth Ambassadors had chose a ‘Boris’ style bike scheme as their winning idea but, the idea was not viable. The Community Partnerships Team, Youth Services along with Councillor Natasha Airey visited the school that came up with the winning idea and agreed to hold a cycle event and invite the school. The team wanted to run the event during the school holidays but a date had not been agreed.

Ø  There was one other junior idea that could not be delivered was that of having vending machines at sporting venues that dispensed balls. When the balls were finished with, they would be put back and money refunded. However, there was no capacity to develop the scheme within the Borough. Cllr Stretton felt is was possible to use a vending machine.

Ø  All winners had received their prizes so they had not missed out even if their idea could not be delivered.

Ø  The emphasis on the competition was now on idea development and implementation.

Councillor Airey stated the scheme had been refined over the years and it was encouraging the new ideas keep being submitted. Lots of meetings had taken place to develop ideas. the Community & Business Partnerships Manager confirmed that all ideas submitted did get followed up. Cllr grey commented that with the ball dispensing machine idea, the balls cost quite a bit and there was a risk that people would not return the balls. The Community Partnerships Co-ordinator stated a lot of money would have to be put into the machine to get a decent ball. It was a great idea but he was not sure it was viable; he had not overcome the problem as yet.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Members:

1.    Accept that the concept of a ball dispensing machine that would return users money when the ball is returned is not deliverable and consider the purchase of a simple vending machine that will dispense balls. Officers to report back with full details of the project and ongoing associated costs.

2.    Agree proposals for deliver of the Leihoma (Substitute Grandmother) project as an intergenerational project based at Broom Farm that will bring together older residents and army families who do not have local grandparents.

3.    Agree that youth Services should organise a cycle related event to which pupils from the winning school would be invited.

To receive the above presentation

This item was withdrawn with the intention that it be considered at a future Panel once the Head of Schools and Education Services has had the opportunity to review options with schools.

To receive the above presentation.

David Scott, Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance & Policy (Monitoring Officer) gave a presentation on where the Borough was with transparency and getting information published. The key points of the presentation included:

Ø  The Royal Borough exceeded the minimum data that local authorities should be publishing, the frequency it should be published and how it should be published.

Ø  The website refresh 2015 had seen:

o   The number of pages on the website had been reduced by two thirds, making it easier for residents to search the content.

o   Statutory and manifesto related pages were transferred in full.

o   Service departments transferred additional pages in accordance with agreed criteria.

o   New pages to comply with the following agreed broad framework were included–

§  Encourage accountability

§  Improve public sector quality

§  Strengthen local democracy

§  Contribute to local economic development

o   Improved the way information is presented to residents

o   Greater accessibility and readability of data

o   Content is now refreshed on a more frequent basis.

Ø  Freedom of Information requests came from a wide variety of sources. The single largest volume of requests came from the media.

Ø  The result of the changes was that it was now easier to find information on the website.

Ø  Departments were still looking at how to further improve the information available.

Ø  The style of the website was much improved.

Ø  Future action included:

o   Ensuring data and information as presented in a way that residents and end-users could use and apply.

o   Further analysis of queries received via the website and Freedom of Information requests to proactively identify trends.

o   A renewed push to release data on services for residents

o   Continue to work to achieve a three star overall rating

o   Checking to see if there are any frequently asked questions and then seeing if that information can be published to cut down on the number of requests.

o   Looking to direct members of the public to the Borough’s website in the first instance for information.

David Scott confirmed that if people were not computer literate, they could go to a local library where staff were on hand to help them. They could also get help with the computers in the reception areas of the Town Hall and York House reception areas. And if people still did not want to use a computer, they could always submit their requests in writing.

Andrew Scott, Civic Team Manager confirmed that the Royal Borough was one of the top 18 Local Authorities in the country in transparency.

v  Action – David Scott, Head of GPPP to circulate exemption criteria for the purposes of Freedom of Information requests.

To receive the above presentation.

Andrew Scott, Civic Team Manager gave a brief presentation updating Members on the Neighbourhood Budgets. The main points raised included:

Ø  Neighbourhood PB Introduced June 2011

Ø  Budget  - £43,000 in 2015/16

Ø  Applications from community groups to fund local projects

Ø  Added to the list if they meet criteria

Ø  Voted for by the public

Ø  6 voting rounds a year

Ø  Result of the public vote considered by the CPBSC

Ø  Update to Big Society Panel following lower level of voting in December 2015

Ø  October 2012 - Extensive publicity to raise profile and awareness of the scheme.

Ø  Voting Activity has fluctuated

Ø  Reasons for fluctuations:

o   Number of projects participating

o   Types of projects – size and scope

o    Publicity – ATRB vs other using social media and local press to increase participation and voting.

Ø  Other Options for publicity could include:

o   Posters in libraries/public buildings

o   Press Releases

The Chairman stated the scheme was very successful and she was very pleased to see that residents did read Around the Royal Borough.

To receive the above verbal update from Councillor E Wilson.

Councillor Edward Wilson gave Members a brief background on the Dedworth Good business Scheme. He stated that the pilot was launched with small leaflets that explained that residents could write in or phone the Community Partnerships team with nominations for local businesses in the community that had gone above and beyond their role of just providing a service. The businesses had to meet certain criteria that showed how a local business was being a good neighbour.

The main points raised regarding the scheme included:

Ø  2,500 leaflets were distributed in Clewer North and Clewer South.

Ø  76 responses were received.

Ø  50 of those responses were for one local business.

Ø  There were a wide variety of nominees.

Ø  All were nominated for different reasons.

Ø  The winner came from Clewer South.

Ø  The winner was names as Dedworth Convenience Store.

Ø  The Mayor presented the award on 11 December 2015.

Ø  All local businesses were notified of the winner and why they won.

Ø  Other businesses asked what they needed to do to win the award for the following year.

Ø  Comments from residents showed there were people out there going the extra mile for their communities.

Ø  Residents had started looking at local businesses as local neighbours.

Ø  Shops and businesses had started to ask what more they could do for their communities.

The Chairman stated the competition was absolutely great and requested the Community Partnerships team manager send something out to all Ward Members informing them of Cllr E. Wilson’s comments and how successful the competition was. Cllr Wilson stated the leaflets were distributed and he spoke to people to raise awareness of the competition. He added there was no financial prize, winners received a glass plaque and had posters displayed in their window showing Dedworth Convenience Store as the winner.

v  Action – The Community & Business Partnerships manager to email all Ward Councillors and see if they wanted to do something similar in their own Wards. The Chairman requested a report on the progress of extending the scheme be brought back to Panel in March 2016.

To receive the above report.

Harjit Hunjan, Community & Business Partnerships Manager introduced the Forward Plan to Members and explained it would include all items and potential actions to be carried out and completed for future Big Society panel meetings.

The Chairman stated she wanted each service area to produce ideas for the Forward Plan to be discussed at future meetings. This would help the Panel plan ahead. She added that she wanted to know who the new officer was that would be dealing with the Delivering Differently project. The Community & Business Partnerships Manager confirmed a report on the Delivering Differently project would be available for the next Panel meeting.

The Chairman stated that she wanted officers from both Adults and Childrens Services to attend the next Big Society Panel and that she wanted input from them regarding the Forward Plan. Kevin Mist, Head of Communities & Economic Development confirmed that Members could also contribute to the Forward Plan. Andrew Green, Community Partnerships Co-ordinator confirmed a paper would be brought to the next meeting with more detail over how ideas were to be implemented.

v  Action – The Strategic Director of Operations to bring a report on the Delivering Differently project to the next Big Society Panel meeting in March.

v  Action – The Strategic Director Corporate & Community Services and the Head of Governance, Partnerships, Performance & Policy (Monitoring Officer) to circulate the Council’s Organisational Structure Chart to Members.

v  Action – for the community Partnerships Team to produce a report and bring ideas for the Forward Plan back to the Big Society Panel in May 2016.

To receive the above verbal discussion.

Ideas for new Big Society Projects included:

Ø  Community Friendly Town/Business/Organisation –

o   Promotes Windsor 7 Maidenhead as ‘Community Friendly Towns’. Recognises businesses and organisations that contributed to this through a ‘badge/charter mark’. Develop a network of organisations promoting community spirit and tackle social isolation. This would also give some structure to CSR work.

o   Hairdressers could offer free haircuts to over 60s.

o   Weatherspoons and Starbucks already offered coffee mornings.

Ø  Social Action Days

o   Offer one-off volunteering opportunities linked to social action days such as transforming a local park or organising a community clear up.

o   This would work for people who want to volunteer but who are not able to commit on a permanent basis.

o   Westminster Council were doing something similar – https://www.westminster.gov.uk/volunteering

Ø  Give and Gain Day

o   Encourage local companies to take partin Business in the community’s Give and Gain Day:

§  http://www.bitc.org.uk/programmes/give-gain-day a global day of employee volunteering – 20 May 2016.

Ø  Intergenerational Project

o   with schools and older people such as adopt-a-grandparent lunches – could link with The Windsor Boys School and The Windsor Girls School to work with a care home one afternoon per week.

Ø  Adopt a Community

o   A business would make available experts, help fundraise, sit on as a trustee, provide mentoring, volunteer, encourage local volunteering champions.

Ø  Crowdfunding

o   The idea is based on existing online funding platforms but within the royal Borough by connecting local good causes with people (social investors), who may wish to be involved in supporting them either through donations of money and or resources such as volunteering or expertise.

To receive the above update.

The Panel noted the milestone project report and identified a small number of specific actions as follows:

Ø  Action – A full report on Devolution of Parishes to be brought to the next Big Society Panel in March.

Ø  Action: Cllr Bathurst to Meet with Andrew Scott to discuss transparency in further detail.

Ø  Action – a further column to be added to the Big Society Progress report showing what had moved on since the previous meeting.

Ø  Action – Adopt-A-Street and Transparency to be discussed at alternate Panel meetings.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That:

      i.        Members noted and commented on the progress of the projects.