Star date: 27th August 2015

SALFORD COUNCILLORS TO CHECK WORSLEY AND WINTON FOR `COMMUNITY RESILIENCE'

Salford councillors are to review the state of neighbouring areas Worsley and Winton to see how, in light of huge cuts, they can make `communities more resilient' ie with the use of volunteers to replace Council services and D.I.Y. health and wellbeing.

Worsley residents have an average household income almost double that of Winton, which should tell the councillors everything they need to know about `community resilience'.

More details here...

The Worsley and Winton areas sit side by side but the contrast couldn't be greater. Men in Worsley can expect to live 81.9 years, while in Winton it's 74.6 years. Worsley women can expect to live 84.2 years, while in Winton it's 79.7 years.

The health figures underline the point - in Worsley, only 14% of residents smoke, while Winton has "high rates of admission to hospital for alcohol related harm and long term conditions", according to a Salford Council report.

Worsley has only 3% social rent housing, while in Winton it's 35%, a symptom of the massive wealth gap which sees average household income in Worsley at £47,551 compared to £24,308 in Winton.

These kind of statistics would be obvious to anyone who drives through the areas... "Worsley has two community centres at Beesley Green and Boothstown, as well as two libraries" coos a Salford Council report "Worsley also enjoys an attractive public realm, which includes Worsley Green, Worsley Delph and the Bridgewater Canal.

"Winton also benefits from good facilities" it adds "including an award winning park and a community library."

To see the contrast for themselves, councillors have embarked upon a four month Winton and Worsley Resilient Communities Review, which will see them actually visit the wards and talk to residents to seek answers to questions including  `Why some areas demonstrate higher levels of community resilience than others?'...nothing to do with that £23,243 gap in household income, obviously.

The purpose of the review is totally linked to massive Tory Government led cuts in public services, and how far Salford Council can slash services without butchering communities. Salford Council has already announced £11million cuts for next year, with another £9.8million to be announced shortly. 

The Council is expecting the community to pick up the pieces itself, pushing Dickensian D.I.Y. health and wellbeing, or `community resilience'; defined as "the characteristics which make some communities able to self organise and problem solve, overcome adversity and achieve positive outcomes"...and "fostering more grassroots activity to encourage communities to become more resilient, more self-sufficient and better equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future."

The councillors will be investigating things like `volunteering', `volunteering opportunities', `mutual aid', `resilience training' and `developing local people'. The Council report states "following its 2015/16 budget, the council is pursuing an ambitious transformation programme. As part of this, Salford is seeking to establish a new way of working in neighbourhoods.

"This work stream seeks to identify and map `community assets, which might be physical infrastructure, community groups, and /or talented local people" it adds "By developing these assets the council hopes to increase the ability of communities to help themselves, remove duplication in provision of services and encourage all sectors to work more closely together."

It all sounds lovely for Worsley – how Winton will react might be another story...

Anyone wanting to comment on the review can email peter.rogerson@salford.gov.uk 

• See also previous Salford Star article, Labour Council's Dickensian DIY Welfare – click here