CUMBERLAND’S Community Panels – designed to put people at the heart of decision making – will start to meet next week.
The eight panels are made up of local ward councillors. They will decide on the priorities for their areas, and use neighbourhood investment funds to support projects matching those priorities.
Each Community Panel area also has a Network Panel of partners, residents, businesses and third sector organisations. These will help shape the panels’ investment plans.
Councillor Lisa Brown, Deputy Leader of Cumberland Council, said: “Community Panels can be an instrument of incredible change in our communities.
“It’s a way of really listening to residents - finding out what will make a lasting difference to their lives, and funding those changes.
“We have an absolute commitment to localism - to change being led by communities and enabled by the council. This is a real investment in our residents and their ability to lead and engage.”
Each panel has an amount of funding based on data around health, which is closely aligned to levels of deprivation. The panels will develop an action plan tailor-made for their community and its particular issues.
Cumberland Council Leader, Cllr Mark Fryer, added: “This is an exciting time – an opportunity for communities to really steer their futures. Community Panels put health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do. We will work towards devolving more powers and funding to these groups in the future.
“This is a fundamental change to the way councils work at a hyper local level. I am looking forward to seeing the great opportunities and projects that will, I’m sure, be created by the Community Panels.”
Cumberland’s eight Community Panels are open to the public. The dates for the first meetings are as follows:
- Workington Together – 1 June, 6pm, Northside Community Centre, Workington
- Petteril – 5 June, 5pm, Harraby Community Centre, Carlisle
- Whitehaven and Coastal – 8 June, 6pm, The Senhouse Centre, Whitehaven
- Fells and Solway – 12 June, 6pm, Wigton Market Hall
- Lakes to Sea – 15 June, 6pm, Braithwaite Institute
- Carlisle West – 21 June, 6pm, Morton Community Centre
- South Cumberland – 10 July, 6pm, venue to be confirmed.
- Border, Fellside and North Carlisle - 29 June, 6pm, Carlisle Civic Centre
You can see the areas covered by each panel, the membership, and future meeting dates, here https://www.cumberland.gov.uk/your-council/community-panels
Click here for the Cumberland Community Panels logo: https://dmscdn.vuelio.co.uk/publicitem/aa84c9e6-6401-4c7f-b9a1-2b7796a162cf