To receive an update from Cllr Price on the RBWM Community Asset Project.

Councillor Price introduced the item and said she would provide a brief introduction as the individuals who were involved in the project could not attend the meeting. Councillor Price asked if they would be invited to the next meeting, and the Chairman informed the Members thar this would be considered.

Some good had come out of the COVID-19, as several people stepped forward to support the community in the pandemic. The project was led by officers to identify what communities would look like in the future and how they would be supported. The project looked to bring together all existing community support groups to meet the needs of residents. Whilst the project was across the whole Borough, the project would be trialled in Windsor. The Borough commissioned Community Learning and Skills Service (CLASS) based in Slough to start the project, which started by interviewing Windsor councillors. This included asking questions on what Councillors thought the need of the community was, what community groups exist and if there were any other organisations that should be spoken to. The next stage would be to consult residents and ask what the support mechanisms should be and then a funded model that could be rolled out. She said most Councillors had been approached to interview for the project.

The Chairman said he had not received an invite.

The Vice Chairman said she attended a meeting where she received an update on the project. She said the project came out of COVID-19 and from the Health and Adult Social Service Department in the Royal Borough. The project attempted to identify the needs of the community and trial the project in Clewer and Dedworth. The project board would be made up of charities, GPs and service providers, social workers and housing officers to help coordinate the projects as the needs arose.

The project was a learning curve and would be tested for 8-9 months. The next step for the project was for a meeting between Radian, the youth engagement service and Slough’s learning supports group to find out more about the project. She felt the number of volunteers that came forward as a result of COVID-19 was phenomenal and this opened to opportunity to help residents and deliver tailored to need.

Councillor Davey said he had an interview and had provided suggestions. He felt this was a good project, but Radian should consider supporting residents in social housing in the first instance. Councillor Davey said the project needed greater business focus, as volunteers historically had a strong business background and then came into volunteering.

He suggested CLASS to liaise with Paul Roach who could bring other people forward as part of the process. He feared that once the furlough scheme was terminated, there would be many people who would need financial help and it would be difficult to expect those who have lost their jobs to volunteer. Whilst GPs and police were salaried individuals who worked in the community were not volunteers, so it was necessary to involve volunteers.