SUCCESSFUL ANTI DEPRIVATION PROJECT COULD BE ROLLED OUT TO BENEFIT NEW AREA
January 20, 2010 12:00 AM
The successful Kingsway West Area Action Project could be rolled out to a new area of the city if budget proposals get the go ahead from councillors.
The project, as part of the council's 'One City' Campaign working with Learning City York aims to tackle deprivation and help people gain jobs and skills, would be rolled out to the Clifton area of the city under new proposals.
The project has been running in the Kingsway West area of Westfield since November 2008. The Kingsway West area was chosen to pilot the scheme as it is considered as being one of the 10% most deprived areas in the country.
The Clifton areas falls in the top 20% of most deprived areas and so has been chosen to be the target of the extended project, with the intention that if more external funding becomes available that more parts of the city would be added to the scheme.
Work is already underway to extend the project to the Foxwood and Chapelfields areas of the Westfield Ward.
Since its launch the Kingsway West project has had considerable success in engaging with local people and helping them to find training, apply for benefits and find jobs. Between February and December last year the project helped residents claim more than £40,000 in benefits that they were entitled to but were missing out on.
The multi agency project brings together expertise from across the city including City of York Council, Future Prospects, Connexions and the Citizen's Advice Bureau.
The rollout plans are contained in budget proposals that will be considered by Liberal Democrat Leader of the Council, Councillor Andrew Waller at an Executive Member Decision Session next week.
Councillor Waller said, "Your opportunities in York should not be decided by your background, or the neighbourhood in which you were brought up. Whilst compared to other cities York has fewer inequalities than other areas, as a council we are taking steps to make a difference in the parts of the city where according to national measures there are pockets of deprivation."
"The Kingsway West project has been a very successful pilot achieving strong measurable results to help residents to join in the economic success of the rest of the city. By working closely with partners in Future Prospects, Citizens Advice Bureau, Health, Education, and Department of Works and Pensions and others we have made the resources go a long way."
"This work is especially important given the economic climate and the difficulties many people are having getting through the recession."
"I am sure that, if the budget proposals are approved, the project will have just as big an impact in Clifton as it has had in Kingsway West."
The budget proposals will be considered by Councillor Waller at an Executive Member Decision Session on 27th January.
The Executive will then approve its final budget proposals at a meeting on 16th February before the proposals go to Full Council on 25th February.
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