Halton Together – Executive Meeting

 

4.00 pm  Monday 13th September 2004

Sefton House, Public Hall Street, Runcorn

 

Present

Andy Guile, Mike Fry, Bill Edwards, Nora Rimmer, Mike Shepherd, Norman Lloyd

 

In Attendance

Kath Parkes, Alison Gleave, Matt Atherton, Larraine Robinson, Debbie East

 

Apologies                

Ann Turner Culverhouse, Ian Rigby

 

1.         Communications sub group review

 

Copies of this review were distributed at the meeting and Andy thanked Matt for all his help with putting this together.  There were no questions relating to the document which has been adapted from an LSP template.  This strategy will help towards putting an Action Plan together.  Members will discuss the document in more detail at the next meeting.

 

The next role of the communications sub group should be to look at Halton Together and Halton Voluntary Action coming together.  Comments need to be gathered. The key is to ensure that the same information is being disseminated to alleviate rumours.

 

More regular communications sub group meetings over the next couple of months.

 

Website

 

Pictures of members and profiles are still outstanding.  Members are asked to cooperate with supplying this information.

 

Colours need to be decided.  Additional training for the website group will be delivered and part of this consultancy will include input into the layout.

 

Invites will be sent out this week for the HSP conference on the 5th October.

 

Norman and Bill both agreed to join the communication sub group.  It was suggested that a board member of HVA in the group would be advisable but to date there have been no volunteers.

 

Halton Together Network Meeting

 

This is to be held at Halton Stadium on Monday 18th October.  At the moment they are looking for questions on housing (especially council properties and stock transfer).  This meeting will be chaired by Roger Phillips and also the Chief Executive of HBC would also like to attend.

 

Open ended questions should ideally be used to open up debate. Questions are needed urgently (by 30 September)

 

Andy is still trying to contact a member of Ineos and also an additional housing officer but we have already confirmed Stuart Baxter, Andy Barrett and David Parr.  Kath will contact David Booth.  Nora kindly volunteered to sit on the panel as the voluntary sector representative and it was agreed that a celebrity would not be necessary.

 

This concluded the communication sub group and Lorraine and Bill left.

 

2.         Minutes of previous meeting

 

Nora is to be added to attendees for the last meeting and Kath was to apologies.

 

Self esteem day

 

Alison said that she has been doing a lot of work with the Fire Brigade and they would probably be a useful member.

 

Andy said that they could use the esteem day as a launch day for the festival which is planned for next year.  He also said that if anybody knows of any groups that hold annual events to see if they could link it in with the annual show.

 

Aintree event

 

This was very good.  Kath has submitted a press release today.  The initial response was that people want this to be run more regularly.  Although it was still felt by some members that a Halton event could be hosted, caution must be exercised with regarding to costings.  Maybe a different style of event could run in Halton but it is necessary to examine what members would achieve from the day.

 

Kath will show a training presentation to the next exec meeting to show what training is being run and how we fit into all the networks.

 

Length of office

 

This is to be put on hold until we know what is happening between Halton Voluntary Action and Halton Together.

 

3.         Halton Voluntary Action/Halton Together Amalgamation

 

Government Office are happy with the proposal but the Exec still need to speak to some of their members.  HVA needs to look at the legal implications.

 

Bill has expressed his concerns over the amalgamation but he is confident that the best interests of both parties will be safeguarded. He confirmed that all members need to have confidence which can only be gained with more knowledge.  Andy confirmed that a full network meeting will be arranged.

 

 

 

4.         Away Day

 

After initial difficulties with replies from members, the response has been very good with other 30 people confirmed to attend.  Karen Marcroft and Government Office/Neighbourhood Renewal Advisor will be running some workshops.  Andy said that this is a good way for Karen’s group to see what we as a group do and the difference we make.

 

Kath has asked for the Chair’s from the SSP’s to be invited.

 

5.         North West CEN Networking Event on 7th October 2004

 

This is a GONW event and reps from the five themed groups are required to attend the various workshops.

 

The reps were agreed as:

 

Mike Shepherd            -           Crime

Andy Guile                   -           Worklessness

Bill Edwards                -           Housing and Environment

Norman Lloyd              -           Health (if he’s feeling well enough)

Mike Fry                       -           Education (will let Kath know if he is available)

 

Display material

 

A display is needed although the board used at Aintree can be developed.  Members are asked to offer input to this display in particular around the work of the forums.

 

6.         Any Other Business

 

  • LSP - There has been a few changes.  Tony McDermott has stepped down as Chair and he will be replaced by John Swain.  Andy Guile is the new Vice Chair.
  • Congratulations go to both Andy and John on behalf of the Halton Together Executive.

 

  • Crime and Disorder SSP – there is money to be spent by the end of the year.  The SSP’s need to do a gap analysis on what money has already been spent on.

 

Date of next meeting

 

This will be held on Monday 11th October 2004 at 4.00 pm at HVA.