General Enquiries:
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
Town Hall
Hall Plain
Great Yarmouth.
NR30 2QF.

Tel:
01493 856100

E-mail:
enquiries@great-yarmouth.gov.uk

PR 144

8 March 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



‘Oscars’ were awarded to local people at a recent event to celebrate the achievements of the SRB 5 Cobholm and Lichfield Partnership as the programme drew to a close.

In 1998 research began to establish community needs. The area was recorded as the second most deprived in the Borough of Great Yarmouth with reported high levels of unemployment, poor health, isolation and fear of crime.

Funding gained in 1999 saw the growth of a partnership between residents and professional bodies to help tackle a host of problems.

The last seven years have seen many improvements in the area including the building of the Lichfield Community Centre, Cobholm and Lichfield Health and Resource Centre, improvements to St Mary’s Church hall, business start-ups and training, family support services, the Lichfield credit union and community grants.

During the event at Cobholm Community Centre, fun style Oscars were awarded to local people in recognition of their dedication and contribution over the life of the programme.

The awards were:

• Best Claim Form : Vince Ewing, Pasta Foods
• Milliners Award for Juggling : Jim West, Lichfield Community Association
• Jaws Award for Sharkhunting : Ray Jacobs, Lichfield & Southtown Credit Union
• Bonio Award for Dogmatism : Jack Payne, Cobholm & Lichfield Health & Resource Centre Mgt Group
• International Award for Community Involvement – Margaret Howard – Cobholm resident
• Verbosity with Verisimilitude – Frank Esherwood, Cobholm Residents’ Association
• The Fastest Chair Award – Councillor Penny Linden, and
• The Community Catering Award – Cobholm Community Centre

The Borough Council is in the process of transferring two key assets: Cobholm and Lichfield, and St James Health and Resources Centres to the Bridge Trust of Great Yarmouth. The body is a charitable company limited by guarantee, comprising of local residents and professional bodies.

The centres will be managed locally by two management committees. A community partnership will also continue to operate, and will merge with Claydon and other residents within Southtown that fell outside the SRB5 boundary. They will work together to serve the communities and make further improvements.

“On behalf of the Borough Council and Cobholm and Lichfield Partnership, I would like to give many thanks to everyone who played a part in the SRB5 programme,” said Funding Programme Manager, Joanne Butcher. “It couldn’t have been achieved without you!”

For further information contact Funding Programme Manager, Joanne Butcher on 01493 846565.

Picture caption: Margaret Howard receives her ‘Oscar’ from Funding Programme Co-ordinator Julie Tinsley.

Issued by:
Liz Dann
Press Officer
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
01493 846513