STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Partnership working has always been a strength in Middlesbrough. Our Local Strategic Partnership (LSP) reflects that starting point with all public agencies aligned to tackle the town’s opportunities and issues. The private sector has always demonstrated a willingness to support that process and all of this is overlaid by a robust voluntary and community sector as well as representatives directly nominated by their local communities.

The LSP tries to harness this willingness to work together and provide a system in which all can have influence. This is very important in taking the town forward but also important in convincing regional and central government that we know what we want to achieve.

It is of course easy to become confused by the many grant funding streams and the various acronyms, such as LAA, MAA, CAA, SCS etc by which we are judged. Essentially however the process is simple – we need to collectively work out how to take ‘our’ town forward and those who support us financially need to know we are delivering.

The new Partnership Forum structure will, I hope, give more time for more detailed discussion on topics. I hope that these sessions will give a greater opportunity for people to have a say and participate more in the detail than was possible through the previous arrangement of large Partnership meetings.

My role as Chair is primarily ensuring everyone has a fair say, you can be sure however that after 38 years work in Middlesbrough I have very much more than a dispassionate interest in ensuring the town goes forward. My work in Middlesbrough has straddled initiatives from running the City Challenge initiative in East Middlesbrough, working on the creation of the new residential community at Coulby Newham as well as running the Town Centre Regeneration Company for the full 7 years of its operation. All of this gives me a grasp of the many positives related to the place but also a recognition that there is much more to do. It will be much more successful if we do it together!

Les Southerton
Chair, Middlesbrough Partnership