Community Cohesion
Business Plan Update (May 2008)
Following the adoption of the Business Plan the Board of Trustees and staff of BTCT have engaged with partners and residents to establish a good working protocol for the delivery of services to the residents in the area.
The focus of the work has been to reduce the Organisation’s dependence on grant funding, whilst increasing opportunities in Education and training, enabling residents to have a dialogue to improve health and social need, and to promote Community Cohesion.
BTCT has worked well to establish contact with various groups statutory and voluntary to begin this process.
As mentioned previously in the Trustees Report there are regular meetings held between BTD Ltd, residents, tenants of the Centre and residents with BTCT to maximise the use of the building and to draw in steady income. The rents and charges for use of the Centre is reviewed regularly and this income is set at full cost recovery. Besides small community groups using the building regularly GFM, Black Elders, Gay Glos and Family Services have offices in the Centre. At weekends and in the evenings the Centre is used by the Bangladesh School, and Black Church groups who meet there. The Polish Advice Service, CAB and Pension and Welfare Benefits Service also use the Centre on a regular basis. A local school support group has also started to provide additional education support for 8 and 9 year old local children.
Hartpury College has become a partner in helping with the delivery of Adult Education courses as well as Gloucestershire Colleges and the Adult Education Service of the County Council. Arabic classes are provided through the Denmark Road Language School. The University of Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucester City Council regularly use the Centre for consultation and conversations with local residents and groups. Health Events have been held with the support of Gloucestershire PCT and BTCT have been active in supporting the health initiatives started by Community Counts, including Health Promotion and a Diabetes Service for local residents. Meetings have been held with the Gloucestershire Partnership Trust and Ambulance Trust. During the flood crisis BTCT were actively involved with the Gloucestershire Constabulary and regular meetings are held with the Police and Community Consultative Panel and the Neighbourhood Police Panel.
Residents have actively become involved as Street Reps and as part of the Safer Community Team. The list of work continuing is not exclusive and in the wider community the Organisation has good relationships with the Friendship Café, The Polish Advice Service, Gloucester Association of Portuguese Speakers, The Bangladesh Women’s Group, Christian residents, Muslim residents and the emerging communities from Gloucester Asylum and Refugee Advice Service. Work has started to involve elderly residents in the area and underachieving residents who have moved into the area as tenants to local Landlords such as Gloucester Housing Association and Knightstone.
The emphasis and theme of the work of BTCT is monitored to the Organisation’s Business Plan by the Trustees and minutes are kept as a record of the decisions made. Income and Expenditure is closely monitored and gradually the Organisation has moved away from the reliance on project funding and the Big Lottery grant to working more closely with Partner Organisations and groups for them to make sustainable and consistent contributions to the work of the Organisation and the costs incurred. The Organisation is looking to amend its Constitution to meet the requirements of the Charity Commission and Company Act 2006 and to be more flexible to include emerging groups who may need special arrangements.
The past year has been a busy one for both Trustees and Staff and the Organisation has taken steps to be in a good position to meet the challenge of the future.
M M Patel
(Chair - May 2008)
The Trust Centre, Conduit Street, Tredworth, Gloucester GL1 4XH
Tel: 01452-544933