Glen Innes has been chosen as one of seven sites for a three-year community funding pilot aimed at addressing social and community issues at a local level.

Nationally, the Stronger Communities: Action Fund has been allocated more than one and a half a million dollars in its first year by the Child, Youth and Family Services.

The Glen Innes pilot is a partnership between the Government, Auckland City, community groups and the community.

The suburb was chosen because of its high unemployment and truancy rates, and low levels of incomes, educational qualifications, health and housing. Despite these negative indicators, however, the Glen Innes community is vibrant and keen to address the social issues it faces.

Work has already begun in Glen Innes to address a variety of social issues with a plan in the developmental stages looking at employment, youth, health and education. Auckland City is working with the Glen Innes community to explore solutions to these issues. A hui earlier this year identified community development and employment as two broad areas needing attention. The community development area focuses on the Ruapotaka Marae, youth issues and Education/Information Community workers.

The Strengthening Communities pilot will make funding available at a local level so that social and community issues can be addressed. It fits neatly with Auckland City’s priority of strong and healthy communities.

Chairperson of Auckland City’s Community Development Committee, Councillor Penny Sefuiva, says: “The council is already working with Ngati Whatua and Pacific Island churches, but this pilot will enable us to move beyond surveys and research to a more practical level. We want to get programmes on the ground and this will provide extra capacity and resourcing for our existing community networks.”

Formal discussions aimed at clarifying the pilot’s aims, objectives, structures and functions will now take place, building on informal discussions already held about the project.

These seven pilots will run for three years with $1.5 million available until June 2001. Further funding for subsequent years has not yet been announced.

Auckland City will administer the pilot funds with council officers monitoring performance. Other funding sources and leverage opportunities will be sought to strengthen and broaden the work of the pilot.

ENDS

For further information contact: Cllr Penny Sefuiva, Community Development Committee chair, tel 846 0861

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