Roseworth Big Local – Minutes of Board meeting, Tuesday 31st March 2015, 6pm at
St Chads Church
In attendance: Karen Harley (Chair/Resident), Martin Landers (Big Local Development Officer), Anthony Evis
(Resident), Simon Honeywell (Eastern Ravens Trust), Jim Beall (Ward Councillor, Community Partnership
representative), Diane Thornton (Resident), Collette Spicer (Resident), Ann Spicer (Resident), Joanne Reed
(Resident), Sue Naylor (Tees Valley Rural Community Council (TVRCC), Doff Pollard (TVRCC), Simon
Underwood (Big Local rep), Debbie Casling (Resident), Denise Instone (Resident).
Apologies: Sue Smith (Vice Chair/Resident) Dianne Wilson (Redhill Children’s Centre), Jodie Cuthbert
(Resident, Young Person), Kian Lake (Resident - Young Person), Callum Donnelly (Resident – Young Person),
Denise Mason (Resident),
Five new residents attended the meeting so for their benefit SU provided a brief summary explanation
covering the history behind the Big Local. ML then invited everyone to briefly introduce themselves and say
a little bit about what motivated them to get involved.
Collette Spicer (CS), was keen to get involved in something positive that improved the area for everyone but
also wanted to see more activities for young people.
Denise Instone (DI) loved dogs and believes that the Big Local could capitalise on people’s love of dogs to
address loneliness and isolation, which especially impact on older people.
Ann Spicer (AS) was interested in how community space could be better used to provide safe play
opportunities for children, and felt there was a need to provide more opportunities and space to play
football.
Joanne Reed (JR) felt that there should be more activities for teenagers.
Debbie Casling (DC) has lived on Roseworth for 30 years and was keen to get involved just because she loves
and values the area.
Diane Thornton (DT) attended the Dogs Trust event and got talking to the Big Local Development Officer and
was motivated by a need for more things for children to do.
Anthony Evis (AE) attended a Big Local Christmas event and felt it was something he would like to be a part
of.
KH opened the formal part of the meeting at 6:30pm, welcomed everyone, particularly the new members.
It was suggested that at this point the agenda should be moved around to enable Doff Pollard and Sue
Naylor from TVRCC to talk about an innovative Transport initiative they have developed in several areas
across the Tees Valley and how they might be able to support the Roseworth Big Local. Their talk was very
well received and the group felt that TVRCC would be an ideal partner to support the Roseworth Big Local
Board (RBLB) to find solutions to Community Transport concerns that exist in Roseworth.
Communications: ML provided a communications update: Anna Jackson from Catalyst has produced a Big
Local section on Catalyst’s Website, this should hopefully go live on April 1st.
A number of events and activities have taken place all of which have contributed to raising wider awareness
of the Big Local but Facebook is proving to be the most effective medium for communicating with local
residents. One particular FB post reached five and half thousand people and the number of page likes has
more than quadrupled since the last meeting, rising from 47 to 207.
Community Chest – SU introduced a discussion about how other Big Local Areas have developed
mechanisms for releasing small amounts of money quickly in order to support a fledgling group or local
initiative. JB urged a cautionary approach suggesting that where money can be obtained from other sources
it should be, rather than spending the £1m. It was agreed that SU would support the development of some
type of application process that would support the board in making informed decisions that would allow
groups to quickly access small amounts of money, in situations where other avenues for funding support
proved impractical.
A proposal was then tabled by KH requesting that £200 be released on a one off basis, to fund the activities
of the Friday Friends Group. Board member present agreed to this proposal.
A Base for the Big Local: ML updated the board that locating in Kiora Hall was moving forward but slowly
and that he hoped leases will be signed in April.
Quick Wins: SH provided an update on the work he had been doing with the quick wins money. He provided
a handout, which will be made available if requested.
At this stage in the meeting it was agreed to suspend the formal agenda and move to as a general discussion
focussed on how, as a board, the group could move from a discussion group towards being more action
focussed and develop the expertise to make informed decisions about how £1m could be best spent to make
a lasting difference to local people.
The following suggestions were discussed and agreed:
1) All future meeting agendas would be much shorter and meetings much more action focussed. Agenda
items would be primarily the four strategic priorities identified in the big local plan. So next month’s
agenda would look like this:
a) Open meeting, introductions & Apologies
b) Matters Arising
c) Children’s & Young Peoples Activities
i) Xxxx TBC
ii) Xxxx TBC
d) Community Spaces & Infrastructure
i) Xxxx
ii) Xxxx
iii) xxxxx
e) Activities & Services - Bringing People together
i) xxxx
f) Maintaining and Managing a resident led Big Local Programme
i) Xxxxx
ii) xxxxx
It was also agreed that resident led Themed Groups would be formed to carry out specific pieces of work inbetween full board meetings, with a view to making specific recommendations to the full board. Themed
group meetings will be facilitated by the Big Local Development Officer, Martin.
Two themed groups were immediately formed, A Children’s & Young Peoples Activities group, with
membership consisting of: Collette Spicer, Diane Thornton, Joanne Reed, Simon Honeywell.
And a Transport Group, consisting of Anthony Evis & Denise Mason.
ML then suggested that some work needed doing to agree the size and make-up of the Big Local Board, and
formally constituting was in his view an essential step. SU & ML agreed to discuss this outside of the meeting
with a view to making some recommendations at the next meeting.
The Chair then completed the formal parts of the meeting.
Apologies were accepted
Matters arising: The trip to Whitley Bay Big Local proved interesting and worthwhile; those that attend
enjoyed seeing first-hand how another Big Local have approached improving their local community.
Minutes: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved as a true record.
Commissioning Policy: Item to be discussed at a future meeting
Progress on strategic themes: ML provided a very quick summary of progress on actions that fall under each
of the four strategic themes in the Big Local Plan.
1) Community Spaces and Infrastructure: MUGA & Parks development – Planning Committee meet April
8th
2) Services & Activities – Bringing People Together: Several Easter Events planned - see Facebook
3) Children & Young People: SH still using up remainder of quick wins money
4) Maintaining and managing a resident led Big Local: Made positive progress tonight setting up themed
groups, great to see new passionate people wanting to get involved – A need to formally constitute
group but this will be discussed at the nest meeting
There were no items of any other business
The next meeting will be on April 28th 6pm, Redhill Children’s Centre
Meeting closed at 8:00pm