Communities First
Communities First is a major, flagship Welsh Assembly Government programme aimed at cutting poverty and helping to improve the lives of people who live in the poorest areas.
It is new and different in a number of ways:
- it is a long term programme and will run for at least ten years;
- local people themselves decide what is needed and are helped to make it happen.
- get local people involved in improving their areas and their own prospects;
- bring in funding and support from a range of sources to make things happen;
- make sure improvements last;
- encourage flexibility, risk-taking and new ways of dealing with problems;
- involve everyone working together to identify and do something about their community's problems.
Communities First is the Welsh Assembly Government's flagship programme to improve "the living conditions and prospects for people" in the most disadvantaged communities across Wales. The programme was launched in 2001 and was conceived as a long-term strategy to address the deep-rooted social and economic problems of those communities.
The Communities First programme is targeted at the most disadvantaged communities only. The Communities First areas comprise the 100 most deprived electoral divisions in Wales, Every county and county borough in Wales has at least one Communities First area (and many have several). Approximately 18% of the population of Wales live in the 142 Communities First areas. Neath Port Talbot County has ten areas with a Communities First Partnership and a Domestic Violence Partnership of interest.
The aims of the Communities First Programme is ambitious, the fundamental premise is that the programme will enable and empower people living in a Communities First area to decide what is needed for their area's regeneration and then help them realise their ambitions. "The success of the programme is entirely dependent on the active involvement of local people", for this to work we require support, encouragement and help of the public, voluntary and private sectors. The ethos of Communities First is one of partnership working between local people and the authorities, agencies, organisations, which deliver essential services and support for the community.
The Aims of Communities First
In practical terms, the Programme aims to achieve the following in the Communities First areas:
- To build confidence and raise the self-esteem of people living in the community;
- To increase the incomes of local people (including reducing costs of food, heat, credit etc.);
- To improve health and well-being;
- To encourage and improve education and skills training for work;
- To create jobs;
- To make communities safe, secure and crime free;
- To ensure public services are delivered in ways which are more responsive and more locally accountable;
- To improve housing and the quality of the environment;
- To encourage active citizenship.
The key building block in the structure of Communities First is a local partnership. The ability of a community to come together and work in a stable, inclusive, and forward-looking partnership is an essential first step to achieving the objectives of Communities First. Whatever the input into an area from other organisations and agencies, without effective community participation, no Communities First area is likely to achieve a significant transformation in its fortunes.
If you are interested in taking an active role in the regeneration of the Neath East area please contact the communities First Team for information on how you can contribute on 01639 683259.
Return to homepage Communities First Themes here
