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Communities First

• Introduction to Communities First
• The Partnership
• Capacity Building
• The Community Action Plan
• Communities First Areas
• Communities First Trust Fund

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Introduction to Communities First

Communities First is a long-term programme by the Welsh Assembly Government. The aim of the programme is to improve opportunities and quality of life in the most disadvantaged communities in Wales as identified by the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation. 

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How does it work?

• A Communities First Partnership is formed representing different groups in the community
• The Partnership employs a Co-ordinator
• The Partnership and Co-ordinator consult with the community about all the issues, problems and opportunities in the area
• They then develop a Community Action Plan of work to improve the community
• The Plan is used to apply for funding and join up local services

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The Partnership

The Partnership is the group of people who will take on the main responsibility of the running of the Communities First programme in their area. A Partnership needs to be made up of the following:

• One third community members
• One third statutory agencies, such as the Council, health authority and the police
• One-third representatives from voluntary organisations and business.
• The number of community representatives must be at least equal to any other group.

All partners on a partnership will be required to sign a Partnership Agreement confirming how they will work together to make the Communities First programme work.

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Capacity Building

Capacity building is a fundamental part of the Communities First programme. Capacity building is the process of developing or using skills/gaining experience. The Partnership will need to produce a Capacity Building Plan that will include measures to increase the ability of partners to deliver the programme, such as:

• Training
• Publicity and promotional events
• Consultation
• Employment of a Community Regeneration Team
• Office space, running costs and facilities

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The Community Action Plan

The Community Action Plan sets out what a community wants and how that will be achieved

The Community Action Plan must have:

• A long term vision of what local people want the community to be like in 10 years
• A short term action plan of work for the next 3 years
• Targets to be achieved in 3, 5 and 10 years.

The Plan should cover the key themes of:

• Jobs and Business
  – Economic Activity
• Education and Training
• Health and Well Being
• Environment
• Community Safety
• Active Community
• Any other priorities identified by the community

The Plan will be submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government, who will provide some funding towards the Communities First projects. However, the Plan should also:

• Attract funding from other sources (Lottery, European Funding etc.)
• "Join-up" local services
• Make services more responsive to the needs of local people

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Communities First Areas

For information on the Communities First areas in Neath Port Talbot click here.

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Communities First Trust Fund

The Communities First Trust Fund provides funding for voluntary and community groups in Communities First areas for a variety of projects and needs. Many people Communities First areas in Neath Port Talbot have benefited from projects funded by trust fund money. Further information about the Trust Fund is available here.

Communities First support Network website has further information on the Trust Fund.

Downloads

• Communities First Fact Sheets

• Communities First Partnerships (Adobe PDF - 821KB)
• What is Capacity Building? (Adobe PDF - 162KB)
• Communities First Partnerships (Adobe PDF - 157KB)
• Communities First Action Plans (Adobe PDF - 141KB)
• Communities First Trust Fund (Adobe PDF - 168KB)

(Note: to download the files, click on the links above. For further details on how to view PDF documents, refer to our Help pages)