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Page 1 – Commemorating the First World War, and Supporting Dorset’s Armed Forces Communities Agenda I tem: Cabinet 10 Date of Meeting 19 March 2014 Cabinet Member(s) Spencer Flower, Leader of the County Council Peter Finney, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Local Member(s) All, particularly Deborah Croney, County Councillor for Hambledon (covering Blandford Camp), Peter Wharf, County Councillor for Egdon Heath (covering Bovington Camp) and David Walsh, County Councillor for Gillingham and Armed Forces Member Champion. Lead Director(s) Catherine Driscoll, Director for Adult and Community Services Commemorating the First World War, and Supporting Dorset’s Subject of Report Armed Forces Communities Executive Summary 2014 marks 100 years since the start of the First World War. This report provides an overview of the County Council’s proposed approach to the Commemoration of World War One. It also provides an update on Dorset’s Military-Civilian Integration Project. In line with the Forward Together principles, officers propose to play an enabling role towards the Commemoration. This will include encouraging and facilitating organisations with the knowledge, skills and motivation to come together to form a Dorset Commemoration Steering Group, to coordinate Commemorative activity across Dorset if there is sufficient support to do so. Officers will also provide information about Commemorative activity on dorsetforyou, and help lever in external funding to support a Steering Group, subject to support from partners. Discussions to establish the level of support for a potential pan- Page 2 – Commemorating the First World War, and Supporting Dorset’s Armed Forces Communities Dorset Steering Group, and to identify a suitable ‘host’ or parent body for it, are taking place now. It is possible that a parent or lead body will be found from within the voluntary sector, the Armed Forces or from the Military-Civilian Integration Sponsor Group. The Cabinet is asked to endorse this approach to the Commemoration of World War One, and to note progress on Dorset’s Military-Civilian Integration Project. Impact Assessment: Equalities Impact Assessment: This does not contain a new policy or strategy so an EqIA is not required. Please refer to the protocol for writing reports. Use of Evidence: This report draws on discussions with the County Council services listed in Appendix 1, and with relevant external agencies, including representatives of the Garrisons in Blandford and Bovington, and 43 Wessex Brigade. (Note: Evidence within the body text to support the recommendations and, where relevant, include a description of how the outcomes of public consultations have influenced the recommendations.) Budget: There are no direct budget implications. The proposed web pages can be created and maintained from within existing resources. Risk Assessment: Having considered the risks associated with this decision using the County Council’s approved risk management methodology, the level of risk has been identified as: Current Risk: LOW Residual Risk LOW Other Implications: There are no known adverse implications. Eleven local voluntary and community groups have received funding under the MoD Community Covenant Grant Scheme. (Note: Please consider if any of the following issues apply: Sustainability; Property and Assets; Voluntary Organisations; Community Safety; Corporate Parenting; or Safeguarding Children and Adults.) Recommendation That the Cabinet: • Endorses the proposed approach for the commemoration of World War One Page 3 – Commemorating the First World War, and Supporting Dorset’s Armed Forces Communities • Identifies any other activity they want officers to undertake in respect of the Commemoration • Notes progress on Dorset’s Military-Civilian Integration Project Reason for Recommendation To help build strong and healthy communities for all. Appendices Appendix 1: Summary of the County Council’s interfaces with the Armed Forces and Commemorative activities Appendix 2: Dorset’s Armed Forces Community Covenant Background Papers The National Armed Forces Covenant (May 2011) Cabinet report, 3 October 2012, Item 11) Officer Contact Name: Paul Leivers, Head of Community Services Tel: 01305 224455 Email: [email protected] Name: Becky Forrester, Policy Officer Tel: 01305 224821 Email: [email protected] 1. Commemorating the First World War 1.1 The commemoration of the Great War 2014-19 will be a huge event nationally, regionally and locally. At a national level, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is leading plans for the commemoration, working alongside the Imperial War Museums, Heritage Lottery Fund, Commonwealth War Graves Commission and others. 1.2 Locally, events are being planned by different services within the County Council (including the Library Service and the Joint Archives Service), and by a wide range of external organisations including Parish and Town Councils, branches of the Royal British Legion, museums, schools and others. These include exhibitions, Armed Forces days, flag-raising ceremonies, and the unveiling of new memorials. A week long ‘Veteran’s Festival’ will be held from 21 June in Weymouth and Portland. 1.3 The Lord Lieutenant, the Chairman and the Dorset Cultural Partnership are also aware of, and involved in, commemorative activities. The Lord Lieutenant has been asked to attend commemorative events, including the opening of the exhibition at The Tank Museum, and a Service in Salisbury Cathedral. The Chairman is holding a service in Sherborne Abbey on the afternoon of 27 July. A summary of the County Council’s current interfaces with the Armed Forces and Commemorative events is shown at Appendix 1. Page 4 – Commemorating the First World War, and Supporting Dorset’s Armed Forces Communities 1.4 Although there is a great deal of activity being planned locally, and this is being coordinated between interested organisations on a project or initiative basis, there is no delivery mechanism to coordinate it. Officers have created new pages on dorsetforyou.com – which are comprised of an events calendar, details of the war in Dorset and sources of further information – but there is no dedicated resource to do more than basic updating of this information. This is currently done in partnership by an officer in the County Council’s Chief Executive’s Office, and the Communications Officer at Purbeck District Council. 1.5 A number of counties, including Somerset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire and Wiltshire, have developed multi-agency strategies, overseen by delivery groups, to coordinate events over the five year period. Some are using the Commemoration as the basis of a specific tourist offer. 1.6 The Dorset Cultural Partnership has considered a proposal to host a Dorset Great War Centenary Group, to help coordinate activity locally. However, further consideration needs to be given to the best arrangements for supporting community based activities through further discussion with the voluntary sector umbrella organisations and the Military-Civilian Integration Group. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has made funding available for activities that support commemorative activity and following further discussions, it may be appropriate for the County Council to assist with staff time in drafting a bid to enable a Centenary Group to form, if there is sufficient support from partners. 1.7 The County Council’s corporate Communications Team have agreed to support services that are involved in Commemorative activities and events as part of their normal service delivery. The Dorset Communicators Group, which brings together communications specialists from organisations across Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole, has considered the Commemoration and agreed that the Purbeck District Council representative on the group will work with the County Council’s Chief Executive’s Office to coordinate basic content on Dorset for You. 1.8 If partners support the creation of a Centenary Group, and an HLF bid is prepared, funding for extra support for communication may be sought. The funding could support a wide range of activities, from high level and strategic (which may include a lasting tourist ‘offer’) to more pragmatic activities, including the future maintenance of War Graves and personal histories of local people who lost their lives in the conflict. 1.9 Members of the Cabinet are asked to discuss and endorse this proposed approach to the Commemoration of World War One. 2. Dorset’s Military-Civilian Integration Project 2.1 The County Council has a major interface with the Armed Forces, locally and regionally, through Dorset’s Military-Civilian Integration (MCI) group. This group is made up of representatives from the Bovington and Blandford Garrisons, the Chief Executives of the County Council, North Dorset District Council, and Purbeck District Council, and representatives from 43 Wessex Brigade and key Forces charities. David Walsh, Member Champion for the Armed Forces, is also a member of the group. It is supported from within the Chief Executive’s Office. 2.2 The group is governed by the Dorset Armed Forces Covenant (attached at Appendix 2). In May 2011, the coalition government published the ‘Armed Forces Covenant’, an agreement between the Armed Forces, the nation and the government. One of the main aims of the Covenant is to improve the support available for serving personnel, their families and veterans. 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