Connecting Business and Community in Greater Didcot
The Didcot Community Forum recognises the key challenges that Didcot faces and it actively promotes and bridges gaps by fostering aspirations and engaging collaboratively with other local organisations. As part of the mission to create positive change in Greater Didcot, the Community Forum has five key priorities; Young people’s mental health, employment, older people, available facilities and health inequality.
The Didcot Community Forum aims to join up the social infrastructure of Greater Didcot as it grows and to work with other stakeholders to ensure that it delivers on its mission to ensure:
- All young people have the best opportunities to enable them to fulfil their potential
- People who want to work have access to good, meaningful jobs
- Older people are able to enjoy their retirement, with no one feeling left behind
- Access to all community facilities is inclusive, comprehensive and equitable
- Didcot is a thriving and optimistic place to live and work
- To eradicate health inequalities in Didcot
The Forum’s key objectives are to:
- Bring representatives together, at a senior level, who have a key interest in the Didcot Community
- Raise and discuss issues of the greatest importance to people who live and work in the area
- Bring to bear the resources that are under members’ control, in a coordinated way to tackle issues of the most pressing concern
- Influence the use of others’ resources in the Greater Didcot community in pursuit of priority issues
- Influence other organisations including the Board of Didcot First
- Advise on action as and when necessary and liaise with potential ‘delivery’ organisations at local, regional and national level
Membership of the Didcot Community Forum
- Richard Kennell (Chair) – SOFEA / Didcot Community Partnership
- Elizabeth Paris – Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire
- David Pryor – Didcot First
- Angus Horner, Deputy Lieutanant of Oxfordshire, Local Enterprise Partnership and Didcot First
- Dr Rachel Ward – Didcot PCN
- Kate Wareing – CEO, Soha
- Jackie Logan – Didcot Community Partnership
- Matthew Barber – Thames Valley Police and Crime commissioner
Partners
Didcot Powerhouse Fund: Ensures that the organisations it funds are aware of the Forum and how they might contribute to it and derive value from it. The Fund may also consider the priorities of the Community Forum when determining funding decisions.
Charity Support Hub: Works with local charities and community groups that are helping to solve key issues in Didcot, improving their governance and increasing their capacity. Thus far, the DCP has funded 5 organisations to receive this support, and hopes to support more in the future. If you are an organisation or community group looking for help in these areas, please get in touch with Lucinda Cross, Founder of The Charity Support Hub – email. lucinda@charitysupporthub.org
Didcot First works in partnership with the Didcot Community Partnership, an organisation which initiatates community based activities such as The Didcot Grub Hub, which provided food and play for low income families over the summer holidays.
