Information on Local Assemblies The Council is making changes to the way it involves Lewisham’s citizens in how decisions are made in their area. Local assemblies will be a place for people who live, work or learn in a ward to meet and discuss issues with other local people. They are a new way for the community to decide the priorities for their area and work with the Council to address them. The proposals for local assemblies emerged from the
- To increase the range of opportunities available to the community influence decision making
- To be a focal point for the community
- To give the community a stronger voice in setting the local agenda for change
- To be a place to find out what’s happening in an area and what opportunities exist to get more involved
- To enable the community to decide how the £10K Locality Fund will be spent
How will the assemblies work? · Each ward in Lewisham will have its own Local Assembly· The assembly will meet 4 times a year· Assemblies will be chaired by a councillor from that ward· Anyone who lives, works or learns in the ward is and will be encouraged to attend· A Coordinator (sitting within the Local Assemblies Team) will be assigned to each local assembly for: community engagement; day to day running of the assembly; and assisting with delivery of the assembly actions· The approach is to adopt flexible arrangements for assemblies that can be adapted to suit different circumstances, minimise bureaucracy and be innovative· A coordinating group composed of at least one councillor, an individual from the community and a relevant voluntary / community sector organisation will provide support for assemblies by helping to plan and structure meetings What will assemblies do?
- Influencing decision-making by strengthening the articulation of local priorities
- Improve accountability and service delivery
· Create opportunities for innovative decision making for the Localities Fund· Bring together individuals from existing projects / initiatives in an area. Assemblies should compliment these· Provide a focal point for engaging with the council and other service providers· Promote active citizenship enabling local people to get things done by themselves Local Assembly Charter Developed by the community, this will set out the direction of travel for the Local Assembly including: · Providing a snap shot of the an assembly’s priorities and actions for change· Agree rights and responsibilities of the Council and of the Local Assembly
· Include specific information about the standards local people can expect in relation to local services
The Blackheath Local Assembly will take place on July 1ST 2008 at St Margeret Lee Church Hall
