Wednesday, 2 July 2008

Today was the launch of our new Community Development Network for Watford, as proposed in our (draft) Community Development Strategy. The intention is that this network will bring together those (in WCVS, Watford Borough Council and Watford Community Housing Trust) who are working in Community Development and act to:
· identify new or unmet needs;
· raise the profile of Community Development work;
· co-ordinate timetables and activities;
· exchange information;
· develop standards;
· share skills, learning and good practice;
· identify opportunities for collaboration;
· develop standards.

There was a good turnout. Alison Stainsby explained the current re-organisation taking place within Watford Borough Council (including the removal of her own post) and Alison Plant explained some of the training and development work that WCHT are undertaking. She also had to advise us that WCHT’s Director of Community Empowerment had left WCHT at short notice to take up another post. Two high profile changes at our first meeting!

For this first meeting of the network we were joined by Rachel Leggett of Inspire East who travelled all the way down from Norfolk. She gave an excellent presentation on the Community Development work of Inspire East and helped ensure that the launch was a success. We will meet again after the summer and try to get around to adopting some Terms of Reference.