Wokingham

A Wokingham district-wide community conference, organised by Wokingham district’s Local Strategic Partnership (LSP), will drive forward community involvement in the new Local Area Agreement and in developing a community vision on Wednesday March 29.

The conference entitled “Continuing success” will be held at The Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham, beginning at 9am and will aim to:

* Provide an understanding of the Local Area Agreement and what it means for the Wokingham district

* Identify the community’s priorities for the future

* Debate the “state of the district” with Wokingham District LSP

The conference will consist of workshops on the role of the Local Strategic Partnership, developing the Community Strategy, and the four blocks of the Local Area Agreement. Representatives from LSP members and networks, as well as local community representatives from the public, private, voluntary and community sectors and local residents will be invited to attend the conference.

They will choose between two workshops during the morning: ”The work of the Local Strategic Partnership” and “Developing Sustainable Communities”. For the afternoon, there is a choice of four workshops based on the Local Area Agreement: “Children and Young People”, “Healthier Communities and Older People”, “Safer and Stronger Communities” and “Economic Development”. The afternoon will begin with a presentation by “Local Futures” on the state of the district, and at 2.45pm there will be a question and answer session with a panel drawn from members of the LSP. The conference will close at 4pm.

“This will be an excellent opportunity for key stakeholders in the Local Area Agreement to meet and exchange ideas, and a learning opportunity for all involved,” said executive member for community development Dianne King. “I look forward to the input of all our valued partner organisations in shaping the future of the project.”

Many local community organisations have been invited to the conference, but any local group or individual who would be interested in attending should contact Sue Roberts in the council’s Strategy and Partnerships team on (0118) 974 6016.

Wokingham District Council