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John Denham - More help for traditional working class communities

Communities Secretary John Denham has today extended a major drive to address the concerns of traditional working class communities - naming a further 49 neighbourhoods to be involved the programme and announcing £20m extra funding for next year.

Connecting Communities is designed to support those traditional working class areas of the country that have been worst hit by the economic recession and ensure that residents there are getting a bigger say on local issues and are plugged into the benefits of government investment. More than 161 areas across every region of England are now taking part in the £12m drive.

The communities being targeted are those where some people may feel that they work hard, play by the rules but that somehow they are not repaid and are not being listened to. Each area faces different issues but the challenges can be broadly characterised as involving high levels of unemployment; low levels of educational achievement; high levels of social housing, high levels of anti-social behaviour and crime, and low levels of community cohesion.

They are now drawing up individual plans addressing specific local challenges with practical actions to give people a bigger say in local issues and addressing local concerns. This includes training for community champions so they have the skills to represent local people as well as training for councillors that may lack the experience and skills to take on difficult issues.

John Denham has made clear that the Government is committed to tackling inequality wherever it exists, that they are on people's side and will tackle disadvantage even handedly and wherever it exists. No favours. No privileges. No special interest groups. Just fairness. It is this commitment that is at the heart of the Government's Connecting Communities programme.

Today he pledged that those communities hit hardest by the recession will get the targeted action and support they need to access jobs, tackle anti social behaviour and link them with Government investment. Areas hardest hit are already the target for programmes like the Working Neighbourhoods fund - a £1.5bn programme over three years to lift long term jobless back into work - and the Futures Jobs Fund which aims to create 170,000 additional jobs, primarily aimed at 18-24 year olds.

On a visit to Barnsley John Denham today saw first hand how this practical action is tackling concerns about a lack of jobs and the action being taken to get people back into work. Nearly 650 jobs will be available to people in the area through the Future Jobs Fund. Funding from the Connecting Communities programme is being used to ensure that young people like from estates in Athersley and New Lodge are linked to these opportunities and getting the training and advice they need to make well placed to benefit from the upturn.

Barnsley council has also developed 'How your town works' workshops for local residents and front-line staff from local agencies which has meant they have gained a better understanding about how they can access local services, understand how they can influence decisions and make services work for them. This has given them the skills, knowledge and confidence to influence decisions being made about their area - which has resulted in more people getting actively involved in their neighbourhood.

John Denham said:

"We are committed to tackling inequality and disadvantage wherever it exists. Connecting Communities will address local concerns and problems which are often felt in our more traditional working class neighbourhoods. More than 161 communities are now getting targeted help. This support will enable local people to influence, shape and change policies on issues which really matter in their community. It will help to make sure that those people who are feeling the pressure the most are getting a bigger say and a fair deal.

"The over-riding principle of Connecting Communities is fairness - giving people a fair say, have a fair share of Government investment, and receive a fair deal from Government policy. It is all about making sure that people know that the Government is on their side, wherever they live. No favours, No privileges. No special interest groups. Just fairness."

Leader of the Council, Cllr Steve Houghton said:

"The focus of Connecting Communities in Barnsley will be on the neighbourhoods which are suffering particularly sharply from the recession and where residents feel that no one speaks for them or is responding to their needs. The development of a number of interventions including Neighbourhood Agreements and How Your Neighbourhood Works courses with the full involvement of local Elected Members will provide a framework for conversations on such concerns and a partnership response, alongside campaigns to celebrate local pride and the identity of Barnsley."

In other parts of country action includes:

• In Speke, in Liverpool there has been concerns among residents about anti-social behaviour. A high profile police campaign has begun to crackdown on criminal and anti-social behaviour on the estate which has been well received by local residents and is leading to a fall in number of abs incidents. The estate was also targeted in a recruitment campaign which has led to 13 people from the estate finding work - through the Future Jobs Fund - at South Liverpool Housing when originally no-one from the estate had applied
• In Page Moss in Knowsley there were concerns about a lack of jobs and that those jobs were not going to local people as well as a feeling the local community have little control in decisions and issue affecting them. Five community champions have been recruited from the neighbourhood through the Future Jobs Fund - who will now speak up for the community and help them tackle local concerns. This was thanks to the help of a council worker who went round the estate - knocking on doors - to generate interest in the posts and supporting applicants through the recruitment process including taking one person to their interview. Local councillors have also signed up to the programme and will be involved with leadership training
• In Golcar in Kirklees - the community felt it had been ignored in recent years with no real leadership or a voice. In particular there were no facilities for young people and as a result the area suffered from anti-social behaviour. Local services have recently met with residents to identify local concerns and how these can be overcome. An action plan is now being drawn up with a small working group from the community overseeing it and taking it forward.

Connecting Communities builds on the work Government is doing to build a fairer and stronger Britain. This includes extra support for communities to tackle anti-social behaviour with up to ten thousand front-line staff and community champions receiving training and support.

Notes to editors

1) Communities Secretary John Denham announced the Connecting Communities project last October - and named the first areas to be involved. More information is available at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1357214.

2) In December he announced a further 84 areas of the country to be included. More information is available at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/1412643.

3) The list of areas announced today are:

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