APPENDIX A Local Area Forum Local Priorities 2014 Wendover Local Area Forum (LAF) invited its Youth Forum to run its local priorities process which involved consulting with residents to see if the LAF should revise its local priorities. Residents in the local area parishes (, Buckland, Drayton Beauchamp, Halton, , Wendover and ) were surveyed and invited to rank their priorities and provide comment on the reasons behind these rankings. The local priorities budget will be allocated to the top actionable local priorities, subject to agreement by the Wendover Parish Council provided a stand at Wendover LAF, so over the next two years work Market. Here the young people are joined by local MP, can be undertaken to take forward David Lidington. projects and schemes to address these priorities. Another aspiration of this project Doing this project has helped me to understand was to enable the Youth Forum to play the needs in the community. I met people that lived in my area that I didn’t know. The things a wider role in the LAF and also to take that we have worked on in the forum have made a lead in the local democratic process. a difference and we can see things starting to Wendover Local Area Forum is happen. Because of the Youth Forum, I got to represent also the first to devolve a budget to its young people across the area and share my Youth Forum to work on the priority: thoughts and ideas with BCC Youth Service, Activities and facilities for young which affects things for the future. The research work we did was quite hard, but we worked people aged 11+, which remains the top well as a team.

actionable priority behind the top Alison Surgey, age 17 priority: HS2.

The Parish Council is keen to find ways of engaging with local young people meaningfully and has struggled doing this in the past. Having the young people on the project come to speak to the Parish Council at one of its monthly meetings was however a positive experience for all concerned. The Councillors appreciated their very mature and professional attitude and we hope that the young people gained some insight into what local democracy is all about. The project was also a good example of collaborative working, with all those organisations involved pulling resources and ideas together to meet a common goal.

Local residents completed the local priorities survey at Charlotte Watts, Clerk to Wendover Parish Council Wendover market

n June 2013, the members of Wendover organisations and also local councillors. LAF agreed to invite its Youth Forum to The survey started in late 2013. The young I undertake a survey of local residents people’s work was supported by local youth to assess the relevance of the current local club leaders in Wendover, Weston Turville, priorities and also to obtain feedback on the Aston Clinton and RAF Halton and AVYFC specific issues and concerns of local people. ( Vale Youth for Christ) who The members of the Youth Forum were facilitate the work of the Youth Forum. asked to speak to older people, young families, The young people spoke to other young young people, businesses, local groups and people about local issues, emailed councillors

The young people spent a day inputting the information, so the rankings could be obtained and information on specific issues and concerns collated.

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The young people inputting the survey results

It benefitted us by giving us a voice and opportunity to express it. The research project involved a long day of hard work, and also went along to Wendover Parish but it was very rewarding and I got to coordinate a team. I would recommend Council to discuss the local priorities survey the youth forum to anyone who is and the work being undertaken. After the interested in working in the community.

meeting, the parish clerk arranged for a Mike Austin, age 18, Halton market stall to be provided free-of-charge and the Youth Forum members spent one

Saturday morning talking to residents and getting their views on local issues and concerns. The survey forms were also put in I am proud as Chairman of Wendover Local Area a number of locations, so residents had more Forum that it was the first LAF in - opportunity to respond, and the link to the shire to work with a Youth Forum. We would online survey was sent to local groups in the encourage other LAFs to do the same, especially as it was also the first to devolve a budget for various parishes and also Wendover News. young people to tackle their own local priority: In total, 333 residents of all ages in the local Activities and facilities for young people. area took the opportunity to respond and give I am proud that the community leadership role of their views on the top priorities. the young people has been further demonstrated in taking forward this most important of There were more opportunities for projects—consulting with local people to assess publicity in Wendover, particularly with the and evidence the needs of the local area and to additional support provided by the Parish come forward with priority areas for the LAF to address over the next few years. Council. The youth people and youth group

leaders undertook a huge amount of work Bill Chapple OBE, County Councillor and Wendover LAF Chairman with 165 votes coming from residents

3 I am the new youth worker at Wendover youth We believe it is important to involve young people centre and St Mary's Church. Shortly after I and the wider community in decision-making. arrived I was introduced to the Youth Forum and This project has demonstrated both the positive the work they were undertaking. The project was role young people can play in local democracy and a great vehicle for building relationships in how local councils working in partnership can Wendover. The young people took part in the support young people. produce market and presented at the parish council meeting and in a variety of other activities. Carole Paternoster and Steve Bowles, Taking part in this project has enabled them Wendover LAF Vice Chairmen

and District Councillors to recognise the social responsibility they have to their community and how they can effect change in a positive way. It has built on their communication, confidence and interpersonal

skills. This has been a positive project for the

young people and wider community.

Becky Murgatroyd, Senior Youth Leader

Wendover Youth Centre/St Mary's Church

who defined themselves as coming from Wendover. However, the Youth Forum understood that it was important to target the other parishes and extensive work was undertaken to encourage residents in the smaller parishes to respond. Weston Turville fielded 77 completed surveys and 58 Aston Clinton residents provided their responses. The remaining responses came from Halton, Stoke Mandeville, Buckland, Drayton Beauchamp (in order of number of responses). The young people found that the majority of the priorities in 2012 were still top local issues and concerns. Again, HS2 was the top priority for the area, although this will be a strategic priority and one the LAF will monitor or lobby on behalf of rather than an actionable priority which would involve the LAF instigating work to effect an outcome. One priority that had been a top issue in 2010, but not in 2012, was back on the agenda: Parking, while others were seen as lesser issues including Anti-social behaviour. The voting forms not only ranked the priorities but provided more detail on each

4 The area priorities It has been wonderful to see young people The top actionable priorities, for which engage in the community through the Youth proposals could be put forward and potential Forum. They have worked extremely hard on the local research project, learnt new skills and projects implemented for funding by the LAF made new relationships in the process. The are: project has become a success through efforts of 1. Activities and facilities for young people the young people and also the support of the local youth leaders and Parish Councils. The work aged 11+ of the Youth Forum demonstrates the 2. Parking issues difference young people can make when 3. Speeding/rat-running through the villages they are empowered.

4. Concern about elderly people/ Dave Rollins, Director, AVYFC vulnerable groups unable to meet people 5. Safer routes to school

The top strategic priorities for the LAF to I was pleased to learn that the young people monitor and lobby on behalf of the local area of Wendover have become more involved in community activities as this can only be are: positive for Wendover. 1. HS2 When I met some members of the youth 2. Road improvements required. forum when I was in Wendover I was impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to the area. I wish the youth forum

the best of luck for the future.

David Lidington, MP

About the Youth Forum Community Foundation and are in the process of purchasing a bus. This will also Wendover Youth Forum was set up in late be available for loan by other local groups, 2012 with the aim of providing a voice for including groups for older people, at a low young rate (to meet running and other costs). people in the local area and to ensure that Young people from Aston Clinton at the Youth Forum the local priority: Activities and facili- ties for young people was actioned by the people who know what is needed. The first project undertaken was to survey other young people on their needs. The young people found that transport was an issue for local young people and youth groups in the area and, using the £5,000 budget devolved by the LAF, the young peo- ple have gone for grant funding from the Youth Bank and

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