Malvern Hills District Council commits to spend locally
Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) has joined a group of trailblazing councils across the country who have agreed to prioritise local partnerships and investment.
The Keep it Local initiative, led by Locality in partnership with the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, encourages local authorities to forge strong, long-term community partnerships and invest in the local area.
In signing up to the six Keep it Local principles, which include increasing local spending, proactively supporting local organisations, and tackling issues neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood, MHDC is recognising the value of working with local people and organisations.
The people of the Malvern Hills District have a deep understanding of the needs of their community and are best placed to provide effective solutions.
These principles fit with MHDC's Connected Communities strategy which forms part of the council's Five-Year Plan commitment to 'develop and implement an asset-based community development strategy which supports the building of strong, resilient, and sustainable communities.
The other councils signed up to Keep it Local are: Bradford, Bristol, Calderdale, Cheshire West and Chester, East Sussex, Hackney, Kirklees, Leeds, Lewisham, Malvern Hills, Newcastle, Oldham, Rotherham, South Gloucestershire, Wakefield, Wirral and York.
Cllr Natalie McVey, Deputy Leader of Malvern Hills District Council, said: "We are proud to have become a Keep it Local council. We believe that, through forging close bonds with organisations and people who are rooted in our community, we can make the district an even better place to live and work".
Roger Britton, Chairman of Community First, said: "At Community First we are a charity whose focus is on local solutions owned and delivered by local communities. We are therefore thrilled to see Malvern Hill District Council's clear commitment to 'Keep it Local' and are proud to work alongside them to bring this ambition to life. We know that communities, particularly rural communities are rich with assets, it is the job of charities like ours and local Government to help them animate those assets so they can get on and be great places to live and work."
Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality said: "We are delighted that Malvern Hills District Council has joined our Keep it Local network. Putting trust and power in the hand of local people and organisations reaps huge rewards.
"Local community organisations across the Malvern Hills District have multiple advantages over large, national organisations. Their in-depth local knowledge and connections mean they are often able to react quicker and more effectively. Furthermore, spending taxpayers' money locally ensures that resources remain in the local area, strengthening the local economy. Through building long term, local connections, we can transform our places and unlock the latent power in our communities."