Our 2007 - 2009 Development Plan is being drafted

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This is an ambitious programme which has the potential for improving the way in which local people’s needs and aspirations can be met, supports in a sustainable and integrated way support to those with local skills seeking to improve their skills and job prospects, increases the level of community activity and inter-linkages thereby strengthening community cohesion and further building the capacity of local organisations.

Key Elements of Development Plan 2004-2006

November 2004

OUR VISION FOR THE LAMBETH RIVERSIDE AREA

The Lambeth Riverside area of Kennington and Vauxhall has seen a very low level of regeneration resources despite having a high concentration of residents with low incomes, high needs, low skill levels, and with little public voice. Scattered among these residents are others with high levels of wealth and power. It is also a lively and very diverse community full of talent and aspiration. Much of the major regeneration in the area has been along the riverfront in the form of major office and apartment developments, with little benefit to the residents in the hinterland.

The Riverside Community Development Trust (the Trust) will work to attract investment to regenerate the area with the involvement of and for the benefit of local people, especially those on the estates. In so doing it will contribute to creating a safer, socially cohesive local community, a community which is at ease with its diversity, which is skilled and which can face the future with confidence.

Mission Statement

The Trust will achieve its vision by:

  • Creating a stronger voluntary and community sector infrastructure by building the capacity of voluntary and community organisations in the Riverside area. It will help them to secure sustainable funding, to provide effective services to the community and to represent the views and aspirations of their members and service users.
  • Facilitating/instigating the formation and development of projects which help to close the digital/technological divide in the area and which help break down the barriers to employment affecting local people
  • Contributing to the economic development of the area, by supporting small businesses and supporting initiatives which ensure that the area becomes more integrated into the Central London economy.
  • Developing an asset base and working as a community enterprise, generating funds which can be invested in community projects.
  • Promoting community cohesion within the area. In liaison with statutory organisations and service providers, the Trust will seek a role in administering funds which build local capacity and in integrating the provision of services on a neighbourhood basis.
  • The Trust will concentrate its efforts in the area bounded by Lambeth Road, Kennington Road, Kennington Lane and the River Thames, but will also operate throughout the Bishop’s, Prince’s, Oval and Vassall wards within the London Borough of Lambeth.
  • It will work in partnership with similar and like-minded organisations to achieve its aims within this wider area.


Priorities

In the next 18 months the Trust’s priorities for activities and projects will include:

  • Developing 20 Newburn St as a community resource
  •  Developing a more comprehensive ICT training range at Riverside IT
  •  Supporting other local initiatives to increase the range of training on offer
  •  Developing an employment advice, counselling, support and mentoring service
  •  Co-ordinating a Festival for the area for 2005
  •  Helping to bring the Kennington Cross Toilets into use as a community arts and heritage events venue
  •  Supporting the conversion of Archbishop’s Park Park Keeper’s House into a community café with training element
  •  Exploring a project using local history and heritage to enthuse children and young people
  •  Developing closer working relationships with a range of other local groups
  •  Establishing a Community Chest to help fund local groups
  •  Working to bring Beaufoy Institute into relevant community use, and for the maximum community use from the redevelopment of the Lilian Baylis School site
  •  Exploring with Kennington Oval and Vauxhall Forum producing a community newspaper

This is an ambitious programme which has the potential for improving the way in which local people’s needs and aspirations can be met, supports in a sustainable and integrated way support to those with local skills seeking to improve their skills and job prospects, increases the level of community activity and inter-linkages thereby strengthening community cohesion and further building the capacity of local organisations.

Objectives 2004-6

  • STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1: Developing 20 Newburn St into a community resource
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2: Supporting skills training, job seeking and job creation
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3: Developing Riverside IT Project
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 4: Supporting the continuation of a Festival in the Riverside Area (Vauxhall Festival)
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 5: Establishing a Community Chest
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 6: Developing an Asset Base and operating as a social enterprise, generating income which can be invested in community projects
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 7: Bringing unused assets into use for community organisations and community and social enterprises
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 8: Supporting the use of local history and heritage as a community asset
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 9: Increasing local knowledge about the Trust and its work and developing closer relations with other local organisations
  •  STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 10: Understanding the socio-economic dynamics of the area

The appended Tables sets out details of how the Trust intends to implement its strategic objectives and targets for 2004-2006.

Activities & Projects

  • The activities and projects the Trust envisages undertaking and developing are a mix of setting up its own projects and undertaking activities and projects in partnership with other groups.
  • Developing 20 Newburn into a community resource. In addition to the office rental and deskspace income stream a community resource area will be created enabling other organisations to provide a range of advice and information, counselling, group work and training sessions, as well as a meeting place for and use of office resources by local groups. The three local Councillors already run their weekly advice service at the premises.
  •  Job advice, counselling, support and mentoring service. Bearing in mind the problems with the way in which the job brokerage service was provided during the period of SRB funding through contracting out, the Trust envisages establishing this service as a Trust project employing two workers: an advice and support worker, and an outreach worker to encourage people to make use of the service and to make the necessary linkages with other relevant providers to offer support through training and work experience.
  • Training. The Trust will continue to work with other organisations to argue that the Beaufoy Institute be brought back into use for vocational training, and for the Archbishop’s Park park keeper’s lodge to be a community café with training element.
  • IT Access. The Trust will continue in partnership with Estate Skills Partnership to develop the range of service provided at Riverside IT.
  • Festival. The Trust will co-ordinate a Festival for 2005 encouraging all local organisations to take part and reach the wider population.
  • Community Chest. Building on its previous experience the Trust aims to establish a Community Chest to provide funds to smaller groups in the area.
  • Beaufoy Institute. The Trust will continue to work with others to bring the Beaufoy Institute back into use.
  • Kennington Cross Toilets. The Trust is working with the Friends of Kennington Cross to finalise their business plan to convert the Grade II listed toilets into a community arts and heritage events venue.
  • Archbishop’s Park Keeper’s House. The Trust is supporting the Friends of the Park to convert the park keeper’s house into a community café with training element.
  • Lambeth Walk (Ethelred Estate) shopping parade. The Trust wishes to explore how additional investment can be made to improve this parade for the benefit of local people.
  • The Lilian Baylis School site. The Trust has offered the Council assistance to run a community consultation.
  • Brunswick House. The Trust wishes to explore the future of the building.
  • Local History and Heritage. The Trust will support the use of local history and heritage as a community asset in partnership with other organisations. It is exploring the idea of a project to utilise the rich heritage as a means of enthusing children and young people and help improve their aspirations, especially among those from BME and white groups who are struggling at school.
  •  Developing Closer Relations with other local organisations. In addition to those mentioned above, the Trust is in the process of developing closer working relations with other organisations, including Kennington Oval and Vauxhall Forum, All Nations Church, Lighthouse Education, and the Skills Centre group. The co-ordination role on the 2005 Festival will broaden its linkages. It will increase its liaison with Lady Margaret Hall Settlement.
  • Working with KOV. Agreement has been reached in principle for a closer working relationship with Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall Forum, which is the vehicle to enable local residents to feed their views into the Lambeth Council North Lambeth Area Committee. Ideas under discussion include:
    • RCDT providing KOV with administrative and organisational support.
    • 20 Newburn St being the official contact address for KOV
    • RCDT providing KOV with an area on its website.
    • Production of a joint community newsletter.
  • Understanding the socio-economic dynamics of the area. The Trust will review the Census and other sources of information to keep up-to-date with the socio-economic changes in the area, and explore the special needs of different social groups.