Great Yarmouth Borough Council is national award finalist for community work

Great Yarmouth's Neighbourhoods that Work Project is a finalist in the Community Involvement Category of the 2018 LGC Awards, run by the Local Government Chronicle, with judging taking place this week.

Neighbourhoods that Work (NTW) aims to help communities to develop their own ideas for improving lives, help existing services to work better together to support vulnerable people, and help people into training, volunteering and work.

Supported through the Big Lottery Fund, this joined-up approach of working with and within communities supports one of the council's priorities, which is to work with partners and communities themselves to build stronger, better connected, more resilient neighbourhoods, further improving lives locally and enhancing Great Yarmouth as a great place to live, work and visit.

The news follows success in last year's MJ Local Government Achievement Awards, which saw Great Yarmouth Borough Council chosen as a finalist in the Excellence in Community Engagement Category, in recognition of the same project.

Cllr Andy Grant, chairman of the housing and neighbourhoods committee, said: "This is important national recognition for an approach to community work that we have developed over more than 15 years, and we would like to thank the LGC, the Big Lottery Fund and the whole NTW team. Credit must go to the dedicated team of staff and partners who work incredibly hard to deliver a pioneering project that is genuinely improving lives right across the borough."

Sheila Oxtoby, chief executive, said: "Great Yarmouth is a nationally-pioneering council in many ways and I am so proud that an approach developed here has gained this important national recognition, reflecting the continued hard work of colleagues and partners, and the continued support of members.

"We have a mission to raise the profile of our way of working, and to share our learning with other organisations, so we can embed the approach and benefits in communities, both locally and nationally. This is our second national award nomination for the Neighbourhoods that Work Project and our fingers are crossed for judging this week." 

The council will find out whether it has won the category on Wednesday, March 21.