Tendring residents health and wellbeing set to receive boost

The safety and health of Tendring residents is set to be given a boost as two community action groups join ranks.

The Community Safety Partnership, in operation in the district since 1998, has worked closely with the Health and Wellbeing Board since it was set up in 2016.

Operating separately until now, both focused on improving the lives of residents, with discussions around the same issues regularly appearing on both agendas.

In an effort to streamline projects and to make an even bigger impact in their community, the two groups have now merged.

Funded by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex (PFCC), Community Safety Partnerships bring together council officers, councillors, police officers, fire officers, the probation service and other organisations – including Crimestoppers and Neighbourhood Watch – to work on tackling local crime and disorder and reducing reoffending.

In Tendring, this year’s allocation of £25,094 from the PFCC’s Community Safety Fund 2022/23 is being used to focus on the partnership’s priorities – tackling antisocial behaviour and supporting vulnerable people; reducing serious violence; and meeting emerging local threats and issues.

Leanne Thornton, community safety and engagement manager, said: “We were aware that community safety issues had an element of health and wellbeing, and vice versa. Both agendas were aligned in more ways than not. Plus, there were a lot of the same people on both boards.

“So, this year, we refreshed the boards. We were talking about health and wellbeing on the Community Safety Board, it is impossible not to, but aligning the boards and agendas really made a lot of difference. A lot of our priorities dovetailed together, especially around domestic abuse and mental ill health.”

The priorities for the year were established after partners shared data on public perception of crime.

Work in previous years has included an antisocial behaviour patrol officer patrolling Clacton town centre; the Unite Our Communities project which engaged young people in discussions around extremism, radicalisation, hate crime and prejudice; and mental health awareness workshops with Colchester United Football in the Community.

Leanne said: “The funding we give makes a huge difference to people’s lives. The impact can be lifechanging.

“We are definitely going to achieve more this year with the two boards working together, as well as being able to return to working face-to-face after the pandemic restrictions. We will have so much more impact this year.

“We want people who come to our district, whether that be to live, to work or to visit, to feel safe and have a good time while they are here.”

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner said: “It is good to hear that there has been an alignment of community safety issues and health and wellbeing, as one directly impacts the other. We know that partnership working between services is effective in achieving safer communities in Essex, and this is evident from the work being done in Tendring. We must all work together to create places where residents can live, work and travel safely.”

• Residents are invited to attend the Annual Public Meeting, held by the PFCC and attended by the partnership, to discuss issues in their area. The next one is being held on June 14, from 7pm. Visit safercommunitiestendring.co.uk for information on venue.
• Follow the partnership’s work on social media accounts https://www.facebook.com/CSPTendring and https://twitter.com/TendringCSP