Healthy and Resilient Communities is the Focus for a New Partnership

Voluntary and community organisations have a crucial role to play in developing healthy and resilient communities. Working together with the council, they play an essential role in meeting the challenges in Buckinghamshire, so that residents feel engaged and enthused about the county in which they live and work.

Today sees the launch of a new strategic working group, which builds on the strengths of existing partnership work and helps make those vital links even more effective. It will inject energy and fresh thinking and will help tackle some of the critical challenges facing the county over the next 20 years.

Launched by Senior Leads from across the voluntary and community sector and Buckinghamshire County Council, the group will ensure the work and opportunities within the sector are widely understood.

Chaired by the Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire County Council, Rachael Shimmin, the VCS strategic working group’s members include leaders of The Clare Foundation, LEAP, Action4youth, Community Impact Bucks and Heart of Bucks.

Rachael Shimmin, explains: “Increasing the profile and influence of our invaluable voluntary sector will be key to ensuring Buckinghamshire continues to benefit from a fantastic range of community services. Building a strong partnership foundation ensures the VCS are involved from the outset, and are able to contribute to strategic conversations at the right time.”

Jenifer Cameron, CEO of Action4Youth, adds: “We are excited to be part of a group that is forward thinking and innovative in its approach to the future of the voluntary and community sector in our region, and we look forward to making a difference in developing healthy and resilient communities in Bucks.”

Today’s meeting focused on the importance of collaboration and the key challenges facing Buckinghamshire – demographic changes, growth and social care pressures, with the partnership working group establishing shared objectives for the future.