Tenant and Resident groups from Widnes are demonstrating how partnership working can pay off.

Three groups, Ditton, West Bank Community Forum and Widnes North, came together last week for their second meeting. 

They are planning to meet three times a year in addition to their individual meetings to share good practice, ideas and promote each others events.

Although all three groups are from Widnes each community has different priorities and concerns and the group offers a great opportunity to share ideas on how to get people involved and make funding go further.

Chair of West bank Community Forum Julie Baker said: “I think it is a brilliant idea; we are learning so much. The groups all have experience in different areas and so we are able to share ideas.”

The Trust’s Beyond the Garden Gate programme – which is investing £40m over the next five years to improve neighbourhoods - has started in West Bank and is now moving on to Ditton.

Residents’ groups will be helping to decide what improvements are needed in each neighbourhood as part of the programme.

“We have just seen what the Beyond the Garden Gate programme can do and so we are now able to talk to Ditton members about what they can expect and where best to invest for their community,” Julie added.

“You can see the difference the programme has made in West bank. Litter hotspots have been cleaned up and fences put in; it makes you take great pride in where you live.”

Debbie Jameson, Customer Involvement Officer at the Trust is facilitating the meetings.

“It is really working. They have been able to share local contacts, offered to help each other with local fun days and fundraising events and it is building links between different communities,” she said.