What is Lowestoft Together? It’s a Neighbourhood Management Community Action Group. It’s dedicated to improving the quality of life of residents of central Lowestoft.
Residents are at the centre of decision-making of the Lowestoft Together Board, ensuring that solutions come from and are ’owned’ locally, rather than being imposed. Increasingly, Neighbourhood Management is seen by Government, Other Agencies and local communities as one of the best ways to improve neighbourhoods.
Lowestoft Together does have money. It is funded by central government. It supports and invests in local community groups, and organisations that aim to improve our lives. That is one part of its purpose. It has granted funds to Gunton Signpost, Fen Park Friends, St Andrews Church Hall, Whitton Life Project and the Yard Project, and a whole host of smaller grants. It is passionate about our community, and believes local residents collectively know best.
But of course funding doesn’t last for ever. So the other part of Lowestoft Together’s task is to help and ensure that the people who provide our services give us the best service they can—right time, right place, right sort. So we’ve funded two Community Police Support Officers, and an Environment Support Officer, done research into men’s health needs, and lots more. If the community shows these things DO make a difference, and we can provide evidence, then the service providers will usually be persuaded to do it themselves. This re-directing of funds is known as ’service bending’!
So Lowestoft Together is about three key things, empowering the community to take or influence decisions, helping the community to help itself and finding ways to make sure that services improve to meet the needs of local residents.
Advice and support comes from Waveney District Council, CDRP, WaveneyPartnership TV, Local Councillors, Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre Anglia, and Suffolk County Council, amongst many others.
It believes in the power of communities to get things done.
