East Durham Area Action Partnership Better for everyone East Durham Area Action Partnership Annual Report 2020/21 Introduction The past twelve months have challenged us all in many ways. The Covid pandemic has changed how the council and Area Action Partnerships (AAPs) have had to work as many communities and local residents have struggled because of the restrictions that we have all had to follow. If there are positives we can take from this terrible situation it is that ‘community’ is alive and well in County Durham. Thousands of people have stepped forward and have taken action to ensure the most isolated and vulnerable have been looked after. The people of County Durham need to be applauded for their efforts. Many of those organisations that have been helping out have been supported by the AAPs who have provided funding to numerous groups enabling them to do their vital work. Some of this funding has come directly through the AAPs whilst other resources have been allocated from the County Councillors Neighbourhood Budgets. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the AAP teams for their help and support in ensuring that our Neighbourhood Budgets have been making a real difference in local communities. The next year will be no less challenging but I am delighted to say that the AAPs are being given extra resources to help communities recover from the pandemic. There is also new funding to support the County Council’s Towns and Villages Programme and the AAPs will be playing a key role in ensuring this funding helps to improve communities across County Durham. Finally I would like to thank all those involved with AAPs including the members of the public who regularly support their work. I am very proud to have been involved with the AAPs over the past twelve years and know that they will keep making a difference in County Durham. Councillor Brian Stephens, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods and Local Partnerships East Durham Area Action Partnership 2020/21 Key Information Processed East Durham Area Action £916,325.98 Partnership of councillor neighbourhood budget allocated to 131 projects and £144,902 157 amount of external match generated Better for everyone community projects supported of AAP Funding allocated to 26 local COUNCILLOR through AAP and Councillor funding £514,773.18 projects FUNDING £76,540.09 There were Amount of match / external funding £99,888 generated of emergency Covid funding granted, supporting 29 local 1,314,919 Potentially organisations engagements with the community through social media with the average post 17,037 getting just under 3,677 views beneficiaries are being supported through the main AAP funding East Durham Area Action Partnership Our People Established in 2009 East Durham AAP (EDAAP) brings together local people and partners to take action on Anyone who lives, works, studies or volunteers in the area can local issues. Areas covered within the AAP boundary include the towns of Peterlee & Seaham and the outlying get involved with the Area Action Partnership. We currently have villages. 900 people who are part of our wider Forum who receive regular updates and who are invited to get involved in the work of the The AAP serves a population of over 90,000 people and is the only AAP that has the whole coastline of AAP. County Durham from Crimdon to Seaham. Our Board is the decision-making body of the AAP. It is made The area’s proud mining heritage is remembered in many memorials and pieces of art in every community up of local people, elected councillors and representatives from and that mining heritage is demonstrated in the strong community spirit especially in the pit villages. partner organisations. Our board members were: Cllr Angela Surtees Cllr Audrey Laing Welcome from the Chair Cllr Alan Napier Councillor Angela Surtees Cllr Lynn Pounder Cllr Leanne Kennedy This last year has been one of the most trying times that every one of them and further on Cllr Susan McDonnell many of us will have faced in our lives. As I took the Chair behalf of the East Durham AAP in April 2020 all board meetings were suspended to board and staff commend their Cllr Isabella Roberts (Parish Council Rep) comply with social distancing ‘good practice’ and it took work which was vital to their local Edna Connor (Public Representative) a few of months before we were able to hold meetings communities. Bill Smithson (Public Representative) online Once the first lockdown was over the AAP procured over Julie Griffiths (Public Representative) Behind the scenes staff and board members were 13,000 reusable masks to enable community centres working overtime during the first lockdown as the County and organisations to continue their activities and our Linda King (Public Representative) Council took the decision to support each AAP with remaining year’s work was focussed around a Covid 19 David Blackwell (Public Representative) £100K to support community-based initiatives to support response with the set up of MSFOOCC Priority group Rona Hardy (Public Representative) the more vulnerable members of our society. made up of Board and task group members. This group Jim Shand (Public Representative) Such was the scale of the activity that the extra £100K for bore the burden of the AAPs work during the pandemic Covid 19 related activities provided by the County Council and I would like to extend a thank you to those members Vacant (Business) had almost been allocated within the first two weeks of it for the time and energy in ensuring that our area budget Chris Williams (Fire and Rescue Service) being made available. was directed into projects that met immediate need. Inspector Emma Kay/Joanne Malkin (Police) Thirty projects received funding and a number of paid We are still working tirelessly to ensure that our Tina Balbach (NHS – DDES CCG) workers and volunteers risked their health to support communities are supported as we entered another their wider community, numerous organisations provided lockdown after Christmas focus was given to the Susan Robinson (Durham County Council) food, food and medicine delivery, home based activities, community centres and development of hubs in villages Ian Porter (Housing) wellbeing support, etc… At the forefront of many of the and towns to allow locals to get local support and I hope Graham Easterlow (Voluntary and Community Sector – ED Trust) activities was East Durham Trust playing a coordinating that the wider community will support the work of our local organisations and volunteers in ensuring that we and supporting role for many groups and organisations The following County Councillors are attached to the East across the patch. come through the other side of Covid. Durham AAP; Lynn Pounder, Rob Crute, Leanne Kennedy, Kevin My final thanks go out to John, Julie, Ian, Wayne and Whilst our NHS workers and associated colleagues rightly Shaw, Edward Bell, Jennifer Bell, Angela Surtees, David Boyes, Laura (our AAP team) who have not only continued to get most of the public praise there are hundreds of June Clark, Ian McLean, Alan Napier, Joyce Maitland, Karen volunteers here in East Durham who rose to the occasion support local members and administer the projects but Hawley, Audrey Laing, Harry Bennett, Sue McDonnell, Karon to make sure those less fortunate or less able than have had to adapt to new ways of working from home and Liddell, Gerry Bleasdale, Sue Morrison, Eunice Huntington, themselves were supported during the first lockdown. often not being in the communities they so passionately I would like to send a personal thank you to each and support and assist has proven a challenge for them. Ivan Cochrane, Peter Brookes, Lucy Hovvels, Jude Grant, John Higgins. 2020/21 Funding Allocation Area Budget Covid Emergency Support £3,118.00, Harbour, Domestic V support £13,000 awarded to East Durham Trust for Holiday Activities We have provided £99,888 of emergency Covid funding to £5,060.00, Eden Hill PC & HPRC, Covid 19 response with Healthy Food. East Durham provided food and activity support 29 local organisations: £2,193.94, Horden Parish Council, Holiday Actvities packs to children and young people in conjunction with £4,092.00, East Durham Trust, East Durham Responders extended programme Dawdon Youth and Community Centre, Easington Colliery £2,000.00, Community Spirit, N’hood Support Peterlee £2,000.00, Thornley Village Centre, Continuation of Covid Regeneration Partnership, and Seaham Youth Centre. Support and Packs £4,800.00, Dawdon YCC, Dawdon Community Foodbank £11,500 awarded to Shotton Partnership 200 Ltd for £2,150.00, Eastlea Community Association, Covid Holiday Activities with Healthy Food, providing food and £3,000.00, Murton PC, Op Easter Bunny £3,450.00, South Hetton, Covid Food and Activity Packs activity packs to children and young people. This project £4,500.00, Shotton Com Centre, Covid 19 Support was delivered working with Haswell and District Mencap, £4,500.00, Church & Co-op, Wheatley Hill & Wingate Covid Neighbourhood Budget Wheatley Hill Community Association, and United Benefice Support £1,025.00, Wheatley Hill Community Primary School, Holiday of Wingate, Wheatley Hill and Hutton Henry. £2,000.00, Thornley Parish, Keeping links School Open/ Breakfast/Teatime Club £5,000 awarded to Eden Hill People’s Centre to deliver £3,568.00, Greenhills, Meals on Wheels £20,000.00, Peterlee Town Council, Peterlee over 70s holiday activity packs and provide access to food for £9,970.00, Groundwork, Peterlee Pandemic Response Shielding Support Service children and young people. The project was working with £2,000.00, Eden Hills Peoples Centre, Operation Tea Party Horden and Peterlee Rugby Club to help deliver this project £4,834.85, Seaham Youth and Community Centre, using their volunteers to enable delivery of the activity Establishment of food bank and delivery project £2,493.00, Blackhall Community Centre, Tea for the Shielded packs and packed lunches alongside their catering facilities £2,000.00, Macrae House, Helping Hands £1,500.00, DCC CYPS Wingate Primary School, Lockdown to prepare the packed lunches.