A Profile of Thetford August 2004 Compiled by Corah Carney Keystone Development Trust A Thetford Profile Introduction by Neil Stott, Chief Executive of Keystone Development Trust Welcome to the Thetford profile, a comprehensive and informative digest of local data. I hope you find the profile interesting and useful. Thetford faces many challenges, illustrated by the data contained in the profile – but numerous organisation and local people are working hard to build on Thetford’s many assets and regenerate the town, Thetford is changing. Since the 2001 Census there has been a significant amount of new housing built, investment in local infrastructure, major European investment in social and economic activity and new services and activities springing up – and a real will to make Thetford a better place to live, work, study and visit. Working together we can make a real difference. Neil Stott Chief Executive Keystone Development Trust 1 A Thetford Profile Purpose of The Thetford Profile The main purpose of compiling this document of current information is to provide a single source for much of the information about the Thetford area. In addition it provides an opportunity to highlight the common links between data sets and allows the user access to a unique compilation of data relating to the area. When viewed as a whole it also provides a fascinating insight into the area. It can also support both proposals and decisions for improvements. As with any data however, it is a snapshot, limited to a point in time and by the data available. The data is in this document has been collated from a variety of sources, the main one being the 2001 Census data from the Office of National Statistics Web-site. There are also many individuals and organisations who have contributed information and figures. Caution should be taken however, when comparing data from the 2001 census with the 1991 census as the ward boundaries changed in 2001 and this would lead to inaccurate comparisons. Corah Carney Health Development Officer August 2004 2 A Thetford Profile INDEX Section Page(s) Executive Summary. …………………………………………………. 4 - 5 Keystone Development Trust 6 -11 Section 1 – Demographics of The Thetford Area………………… 12 - 23 Section 2 – Indices of Deprivation…………………………………... 24 - 33 Section 3 – Employment……………………………………………... 34 - 44 Section 4 – Education & Training…………………………………… 45 - 51 Section 5 – Health…………………………………………………….. 52 - 70 Section 6 – Housing…………………………………………………... 71 - 78 Section 7 – Crime & Disorder………………………………………... 79 - 90 Section 8 – The Thetford Community……………………………… 91 - 99 Section 9 – The Thetford Environment……………………………. 100 - 112 Section 10 – Thetford’s Culture & Heritage……………………….. 113 - 124 Bibliography……………………………...……………………………. 125 - 127 Glossary......................................................................................... 128 - 129 Acknowledgements........................................................................ 130 3 A Thetford Profile Executive Summary Thetford is in many ways different from other parts of Norfolk. Significantly enlarged by migration from London, the local population increased fourfold between 1958 and 1980. This has now created a mixed identity which is quite different from its surrounding areas of Breckland. Situated some 30 miles from Cambridge and Norwich, it is said that Thetford is “an island of deprivation” which stands out starkly in its rural Norfolk setting. Its population is big enough to display some features associated with urban disadvantage but it is not big enough to have the knowledge, experience or critical mass to solve its own problems. It depends on collaboration with a host of different partners to provide a sufficient range of opportunities to meet the needs of its population. There are a number of socio-economic issues highlighted in Thetford: 25% of the population is under 16 years compared to the national average of 17%. The wards of Thetford-Abbey and Thetford-Saxon have twice the Norfolk average for the percentage of households consisting of lone parents living with dependent children Three out of the 4 Thetford wards are in the top quintile of most deprived wards nationally. Educational standards are very low with 12% of students in 2000 obtaining no GCSE passes at all compared to the national average of 5.4%. The 2001 census shows that only 9% of people in Thetford have achieved a level 4/5 qualification (first degree and above) compared to 20% in England. Two out of four wards have over 40% of people between 16-74 with no qualifications. Only 2% in Abbey ward are employed in higher managerial posts compared to the national average of 9% whilst 39% are employed in routine or semi-routine posts compared to the national average of 21%. Child health is a major concern as it has the highest number of children on the Child Protection Register for its size of population in the whole of Norfolk. There is a high rate of teenage pregnancy and anecdotally, there are said to be large problems associated with substance misuse. Low aspirations and low self-esteem are frequently reported in reviews about Thetford. 4 A Thetford Profile However, Residents in the Southern Norfolk area generally have better health than average with longer than normal life expectancy. Deaths from Cancers and Coronary Heart Disease are lower than the average but accidents are a major cause of death, especially on the roads. Thetford’s location is to be envied. Set in the heart of the Breckland countryside, it has many hectares of unspoilt forest and many SSSI and nature sites. Thetford’s intriguing history, full of ancient sites and hidden treasures, is set to provide an excellent centre for tourists. 5 A Thetford Profile KEYSTONE DEVELOPMENT TRUST (KDT) Keystone became a Development Trust on the 1st April 2003. It is a Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee. Keystone has an active web-site on www.keystonetrust.org.uk. Keystone also has a trading social enterprise– Keystone Development Services. KDT was established to provide long term regeneration work in a community controlled legal entity, which had the ability to own and manage assets and trading companies. This will ensure long term sustainable investment to complement public funded regeneration programmes and grants from Trusts, local authorities and fundraising. KDT has a growing membership of over 500 partner organisations and individual members who elect a Board of 8 elected members and 7 appointed Trustees making a total of 15. KDT has a Trust Management Team consisting of a Chief Executive, Director of Finance and Business Development and five senior managers. KDT is the accountable and implementation body for the SRB6 scheme until completion in 2006. It is also the implementation body for the Keystone element of the European Objective 2 scheme (2003 – 2008) and the delivery agent for a number of partnership projects. The Vision Keystone Development Trust’s vision is; ‘To improve the quality of life and opportunities for people who live, study and work in the Keystone area through sustainable, community led regeneration. Working closely with partner organisations and communities, Keystone aims to ensure that the area is safe, healthy, inclusive, socially and economically vibrant.’ The vision is underpinned by the following key principles; We will invest in community capital; the collective skills, knowledge, experience, facilities and organisations which ensure greater returns in the quality of life for all. We will encourage economic self-sufficiency, local ownership and economic growth. We will encourage all communities to participate in local civic life We will prioritise those individuals, groups and communities who experience disadvantage or social exclusion We will always try to achieve value for money, maintain and develop the best management and planning practises, and ensure all Keystones’ projects are monitored and evaluated. 6 A Thetford Profile Trust Aims Keystone Development Trust’s aims are built around a community capital model. Community capital is a key concept for the Trust. Many communities experience the positive and negative consequences of social, economic and technological change and often feel powerless to address global economic forces which are driving change – particularly communities which have been worst hit. Building community capital is about ‘empowering’ individuals, groups and communities to tackle their own needs and issues, create their own solutions, organisations or enterprises. Anchoring community capital is about creating sustainable opportunities (i.e. training, jobs) in social (or commonly owned and managed) assets or enterprises. Keystone’s aims are; ‘To build community capital, the collective skills, knowledge, experience, facilities and organisations which ensure greater returns in the quality of life for all, and to anchor community capital locally to ensure sustainable returns. To build social capital by assisting individuals, groups, communities and networks to identify their own needs, assets, issues and develop sustainable strategies. To build human/personal capital by developing opportunities to learn and apply new skills and knowledge. To build financial capital by maximising individual, group and community income and assets, and investing in local social enterprises To build environmental capital by sustaining and utilising environmental assets To build physical capital by investing in facilities amenities and infrastructure To build cultural capital by developing