Partnerships « Services

Partnerships

East Grinstead Town Council strongly believes in the benefits of effective partnership working in the best interests of the local community. Such partnerships can entail joint funding of initiatives on a multi-agency basis, the transference of services to outside organisations to generate both local consumer ownership and savings to local taxpayers, and the creation of private companies and/or Trusts to deliver services at arms length from traditional local government. Examples of all three types of partnership have been introduces successfully in East Grinstead and include:

Closed Circuit Television. There are 12 cameras in East Grinstead Town Centre. These are linked to the Sussex Police Headquarters (Mid Sussex Division) at Haywards Heath. They provide evidential material to aid prosecution, are a deterrence to criminals and give public reassurance. Initial capital funding came from the Town Council, Mid Sussex District Council, Sussex Police, Local Businesses and the Home Office. Ongoing revenue funding is the primary responsibility of the Town and District Councils.
East Grinstead Youth Sports Initiative. East Grinstead Town Council, Sackville Community College, Imberhorne School, West Sussex Youth Service and Mid Sussex District Council jointly fund this project that has been running for some six years. The project aims to encourage young people to participate in sport at whatever level is appropriate to their abilities, encourage the development of new sports locally and support local sports clubs. The Initiative promotes an annual Sports Fayre at Kings Leisure Centre in conjunction with the two secondary schools and a Primary Schools TOPS Festival. Further information can be found at www.egyouthsport.co.uk.
Drugs Workshop. The Town Council co-operates with the two secondary schools to host a biennial Drugs Workshop to parents of years 7, 8 and 9.
Capital Grants. In recent years the Town Council has given small capital grants to over a dozen local youth, sports and arts organisations in order to pump-prime the provision of enhanced facilities in the town. An application form and further information is available here.
Allotments. The allotments sites at Mount Noddy and Imberhorne were both transferred to local independent Associations on 21-year leases at peppercorn rents. The benefits included long term security for tenants, improved standards of maintenance, local determination of rents, increased take-up of plots and savings to Council taxpayers.
East Grinstead Museum. The Town Council purchased a local building, the former Market Hall in Cantelupe Road for use as a local Museum. The building was then sold to the East Grinstead Museum Trustees, upon which the Town Council is represented, for a nominal sum with full reversionary rights should the necessary funding not come to fruition. Planning permission for the new Museum has been granted by the District Council. A Lottery application for funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund is pending.
Chequer Mead Arts Centre Trust Ltd, a Company limited by guarantee with full charitable status, was set up by the Town Council with a minority of local authority membership to run the Arts Centre and Theatre. The Trust was granted a 28 year tenancy at a peppercorn rent and receives an annual grant from the Town Council to run the building on its behalf. This grant was £72,936 for 2002/2003 and is index-linked.
East Grinstead Community Partnership, Partnership was created following completion of the successful East Grinstead Health Check that was undertaken in 2003 by the Town Council in conjunction with Action in Rural Sussex. The first Action Plan requirement was the creation of an independent and fully representative Community Partnership. This body held its inaugural meeting in December 2003. It receives revenue funding support of £4,000 per annum from the Town Council, index linked. Further information about the Partnership, its membership, meetings, aims and objectives etc can be found at www.egcommunitypartnership.co.uk