SAP does not seek to compete with or duplicate the work of any other organisation. We are here to promote greater co-operation and understanding between the very wide range of statutory and voluntary organisations and community groups which are already operating in Sherborne and the surrounding area, as well as to promote or assist in joint actions as outlined in the revised version of the Sherborne Area Action Plan 2006-9.
Local Forums that are already established but are independent of the Sherborne Area Partnership and welcome our participation include the Chamber of Trade & Commerce, the Transport Action Group (TAG) and Sherborne Churches Together. We also have close links with the SHARP Learning Project based at The Gryphon School.
Sherborne Area Tourism Forum brings together a wide range of people and organisations from Sherborne, the surrounding area and further afield who want to increase the potential of Sherborne as a tourist destination. New members are always welcome, so contact us on 01935 816961 for more information. It is a fund-holding body and agreed a Constitution that was submitted for ratification at its first AGM which took place in mid March 2007 when the first officers and other members of the Executive Committee were elected. Our last meeting was on 10th September when our main speaker was Gary Fooks, Team Dorset 2012 Legacy Manager. Our next meeting will be at 2.30pm on Thursday 4th December in the Council Chamber.
The Sherborne Area Equality Forum is for local people who have experienced exclusion as a result of their disability, gender, faith or ethnic origin as well as for representatives from the statutory and voluntary organisations that work with and for them. The Forum is concerned about public attitudes to people with disabilities and hopes to play an active part in the PACT initiative being lead by Dorset Police. Our last meeting was on 28th August when we reviewed the progress made by Lizzie Kingsbury, SHARP Learning Manager at The Gryphon School, on "Know the pavements", an Access Survey to the centre of Sherborne on which she has been working for the last few months. The completed Survey will be available for discussion at the SAP AGM on 25th September and then accessible at the Gryphon Conference Centre (by arrangement with Lizzie in 01935 810152). The Forum next meets on Thursday 6th November at 2.00pm in the Wessex Room at the Gryphon Conference Centre.
Sherborne Area Over 50s Group (previously known as Sherborne & District Senior Citizens Group) was officially launched in September 2006. Contact Mervyn Smith on 813150 for more information. We are working closely with them on issues of mutual interest and have jointly relaunched the Sherborne Area Services for Older People Forum in order to ensure that the statutory and voluntary organisations that work with and for older people have a regular chance to meet and share information. The last meeting was at Half Acres Sheltered Housing Scheme Community Room on 10th September. We meet again in the Council Chamber at the Manor House (NOT the Community Room, which is already booked for another event) at 10.00am on Wednesday 17th December.
The Sherborne Area Services for Children & Families Forum is managed by Lizzie Kingsbury, SHARP Learning Manager based at The Gryphon School, so contact her on 01935 810152 for more information.
We are working with Sherborne Youth Centre, the RendezVous and other youth organisations to enable local teenagers and young adults to set up their own Youth Forum.
Sherborne Area Housing Forum was launched in October 2006. We are actively involved in the consultation being undertaken by WDDC on the Barton Farm development in Sherborne (see http://www.dorsetforyou.com/bartonfarm). We are also monitoring the progress of Buckland Newton Community Land Trust who plan to build affordable housing for local people on an exception site in the village that we hope will lead to similar planning applications for exceptional sites in villages elsewhere in West Dorset, including the Sherborne Area. We last met on 29th May when we discussed our response to West Dorset District Council's draft Housing Strategy for 2008-2012. Our next meeting will be a joint one with other Housing Forums in West Dorset and WDDC Housing policy staff to discuss the complex subject of the Local Development Framework (LDF). It is being arranged by West Dorset Partnership. For information about affordable home ownership in Dorset, see http://www.search4myplace.co.uk/Data/ASPPages/1/12.asp .
We are working with Dorset Police to assist in the roll-out of the Sherborne Town Safer Neighbourhood PACT Panel during 2008.
Sherborne was awarded a Silver Gilt Trophy as well as the prize for the best Market Town in the South West in the SW in Bloom Competition 2006, following our initial effort in 2005. We worked with a range of local organisations and individuals to do even better in 2007, so were absolutely delighted to be awarded the Gold Trophy for our class, as well as two others. See the Sherborne in Bloom section of this website for more information. Judging of our 2008 entry took place on Thursday 17th July and the results of the competition will be announced in Plymouth on Thursday 18th September.
Sherborne Area Environment Forum last met on 4th September. There are a wide range of groups locally with a diverse range of interests, so the challenge will be to make them even more effective in achieving change as well as in educating the general public on the crucial issues at stake. Topics at our last meting included a Stop the Drop litter-pick Campaign in association with CPRE and local schools, a report on a Douzelage environmental conference in Sweden attended by local school pupils as well as on a vist to meet members of Transition Glastonbury. Our next meeting (date to be arranged) will give local people including school pupils a chance to hear from Dave Levi, WDDC's Recycling Promotions Officer.
Sherborne Area Health Forum met for the first time on 15th May and was chaired by Barry Williams (POPP Community Leader for the Sherborne Area and ex-NHS Senior Manager). The principal speaker was Catherine Boulton (Community Planning & Development Advisor for Dorset PCT) on Health Forums and how they operate. It last met on 10th July. Anyone interested in Dorset PCT's health and and DCC's social care policy and provision is welcome to attend. The next meeting will be at 2.00pm on Thursday 9th October in the Council Chamber, when our main speaker will be Julie Vance, Deputy Director of Nursing at Yeovil District Hospital who will be talking about their discharge procedures for older patients. The new Dorset LINk county-wide health and social care consultation process started operation on 1st April 2008, managed by Help & Care, so the Health Forum should be able to provide an opportunity to participate in it for people living in this area. See www.makesachange.org.uk and http://www.helpandcare.org.uk/join-us/local-involvement-networks-li.aspx for more information about Dorset LINk.
You can also contact us on 01935 816961 for further information about any of these activities.