We have announced a series of new initiatives to strengthen communities and tackle social isolation and loneliness in rural Braintree.
The plans were announced today (Friday 10 June) at our Levelling Up rural Braintree launch event at Sible Hedingham Village Hall.
Rural Braintree is one of our six priority areas in our Levelling Up strategy. Residents in the area can face more difficulties accessing jobs, services and social opportunities compared with more densely populated parts of the county.
At the launch event we announced new focused activity to address issues like digital and transport connectivity, social isolation, access to employment, pride of place and community wellbeing.
This includes £25,000 new investment to support the work of United in Kind coaches in Braintree.
Working with the Rural Community Council of Essex, United in Kind play an important role in tackling social isolation - encouraging and recognising acts of kindness and helping local initiatives and events get off the ground.
Arts and culture also have a huge role to play in thriving communities and the Essex Summer of Culture will work to connect residents in the area by bringing Midsummer Madness to Cressing Temple Barns in Braintree on the 25th June. Hosted by the Essex Book Festival it will feature author events, live music and theatre.
Residents can see the full programme at the Explore Essex website.
Cllr Louise McKinlay, Deputy Leader of Essex County Council and Cabinet Member for Community, Equality, Partnership and Performance, said: “Our Levelling Up work in Essex focuses on a diverse mix of places with different strengths and challenges and we recognise that we need to work with rural and coastal areas, as well as tackling urban deprivation in our county.
“The announcements we are making today are just the start of Levelling Up in rural areas and we will be working hard to co-produce further support alongside local residents and parishes, building on and making the best use of the community assets we have in place, working together to address inequalities.”
The Levelling up event also saw the start of a programme of community engagement, which will see ECC work with local partners to map out community priorities.
This will help gain a better understanding of how to develop community led solutions to address the real challenges residents in rural areas are currently facing.
Cllr Graham Butland, Leader of Braintree District Council, said: “Levelling up gives us opportunities to work together better and change the way we do things, so it’s great that discussions have now begun for us, as a partnership, to look at the wider opportunities for the Braintree district.
“One of our priorities is to listen and understand the key issues affecting our rural communities and there will be an opportunity as part of this work for us all to engage with our communities and discuss how we can work on together to spread opportunity and improve access to services.”