“Our mission is to enable the people living in the Higher Croft area, to improve their quality of life by working together in creating opportunities for the community, individuals and families to be the best they can possibly be”
A Community Board of local residents meet regularly to decide on the priorities for the local area and agree annual action plans to make positive change. The Community Board has been awarded funding by the People’s Health Trust to fund community group projects that will benefit local residents through a small grants programme.
There are currently 41 residents who are members of the Local Conversations Community Board and sub-groups and Local Conversations activities engage over 3,000 residents each year.
The Community Board, with the support of Blackburn with Darwen Healthy Living, works in partnerships with a number of organisations to achieve its annual action plans. These partnerships include Together Housing, the police, BwD Council officers and Councillors, local Primary Schools, Churches in the ward and other voluntary organisations. These partnerships have resulted in addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDH). Below are the SDH that have been identified through consultations;
- Build Social Connections within the community and wider afield
- Develop a community hub
- Develop a youth panel
- To improve the surroundings
- To help improve the living and housing standards of residents from Higher Croft
- Financial Aid
- To provide a holistic approach and overcome financial obstacles/barriers
Local Conversations is a project funded by The People’s Health Trust in Higher Croft ward. The Higher Croft Ward has 3,127 households and a population of 7,840. The ward is made up of predominately white British people with approximately 3% coming from an Asian (Indian and Pakistani) heritage. 46% of the housing in the Ward is rented of which 45% is social housing the majority of which is managed by Twin Valley Homes, the borough’s largest Social Landlord.