Vision and foreword
from Chair of The Communities Partnership BoardCouncillor Mussarat Pervaiz
March 2020 altered our lives forever. We were asked to, "stay at home and save lives", as the UK was put into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. A feeling of uncertainty was felt across the country and many doors were closed. One part of our lives that did not shut and in fact, was enhanced, was our communities. Individuals, local organisations, community and faith groups, organised themselves with one common goal, to help one another.
From doing shopping for their neighbours, to medication collections, to phone calls with isolated people and offering lifts to vaccination appointments, communities made a difference. One of the reasons we saw communities deliver such innovative solutions to the challenges we faced, was because communities knew themselves best.
As we have now moved past the height of covid, there is an appetite in Kirklees for organisations to further build on the power of communities from the past couple of years. The Communities Partnership Board wants to work with partner organisations and the people of Kirklees, to achieve our vision for inclusive communities and by doing so, improve the lives of our residents.
An inclusive community is where all people have a sense of security, connection and belonging. They enable everyone to participate and contribute, they value diversity and are resilient, proud, and welcoming. We recognise that a community that reflects these ideals does not just happen. It takes hard work and perseverance. Everybody contributes to inclusive communities, not just one organisation, group or institution.
For these reasons, we have followed a partnership-based approach to develop our Inclusive Communities Framework (ICF). Produced in collaboration with public, voluntary and community sector organisations from across the district, the Inclusive Communities Framework articulates a set of core principles and approaches that organisations can use as a guide to move forward, with our communities, on the journey towards inclusivity. These principles and approaches will help organisations understand the communities they serve and will help to break down the barriers that continue to exist for some people.
For this framework to change the lives of people in Kirklees, we need senior leaders from all partner organisations to champion this approach. They can drive the delivery of inclusivity through the work they are responsible for and set the standard for leadership, which inspires others to work in this way. I will hold senior leaders to account and I will expect them to do the same to me. When we equally challenge and support each other, we see the outcomes we desire.
Inequality directly impacts our efforts to create inclusive communities. Inequality creates barriers to employment and opportunity and, whilst this framework alone will not resolve the causes and impact of inequality, it does contribute to overcoming barriers faced by communities.
The pandemic demonstrated how powerful a sense of belonging in our local place can be and I want us to harness this belief and use it to change lives in Kirklees.
Councillor Mussarat Pervaiz,
Chair, Communities Partnership Board
