Agenda item

·         Funding Summary Report

·         Action Plan

·         Action Groups

Funding Summary Report

Caroline Green, Chesham and Villages Community Board Co-ordinator updated members on Funding Summary who noted that despite a late start, due to the elections in May, £16,580 had already been allocated, leaving a balance of £268,008.

Caroline Green stated that, potentially, £60,00 had been set aside for the four Vehicle Activated Signs (VAS) sites which were awaiting feasibility studies to take place. Following that allocation, there was still a decent pot of funding remaining with some applications in the pipeline, including the Chesham app.

Councillor MacBean explained that the Chesham app had been developed by a local resident and was in a good state and had been populated by many local volunteer groups and businesses. The resident who had designed the app had offered to gift it to the town council to make it a public community project. He had also offered to remain as a consultant to give support while it was launched. The app was already live and had lots of information in it.

Jean Slater of the Chesham Society explained they were not aware of the app until recently and agreed that it was a good facility for Chesham and suggested that Chesham should have its own dedicated website for visitors, promoting the AONB, the fact that Chesham was on the London Underground tube line and promote the satellite villages around Chesham. It was agreed that Councillor MacBean and Jean Slater should meet with the app.’s author and Michael Rowan to discuss this further.

Caroline Green reported that the Health and Wellbeing Action Group had not yet been set up, the reason being that Public Health profile had yet to return their profile. However, that had now been received and the public health profile will inform decisions on what the priorities for Chesham and the villages were. Therefore, the Health and Wellbeing Action Group could now be set up.

Caroline Green suggested that it would make sense for Councillor MacBean to Chair the Health and Wellbeing group. Councillor Birchley, Chairman of Chesham and Villages Community Board agreed. Councillor MacBean reported that she along with Caroline Green, had met with Dan Flecknoe, the Public Health Lead for the Chesham area.

Councillor Baum was invited to report on the Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair application which the Board had supported. It was noted that Cllr Baum had met with officers from the Buckinghamshire Council’s Comms team where it was agreed a public engagement exercise with employers who had expressed an interest. The fair itself was to be held on Saturday 5 March 2022 where companies such as Waitrose, Audi and Silverstone would attend. Businesses with vacancies would be invited to take a stand at the Fair for no cost and the Fair would be marketed at young people living in Buckinghamshire.

The Fair would also, crucially, be for the 24 to 49 age group who were currently suffering due being laid off work as a result of the pandemic.

Action Plan

Board members noted the Action Plan report.