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Note: These pages are still under development - launch date 23rd March.

6. Community Consultation and Participation – the process

1. Introduction

Community Consultation and participation is an essential element of the Healthcheck process. Following the initial data analysis and information collecting, a series of public meetings is used to both define the Vision and the Key Issues and Priorities for Action. Then again, following the development of a draft Action Plan, further consultation meetings are used to define the final Action Plan.

During the spring and summer of 2005 the Crowborough Partnership undertook a detailed programme of consultation activities and events

• Consultation with the Crowborough hinterland[6] through postal questionnaire
• Theme group discussions to assist with completion of the worksheets

· Display stands at the Town Hall and Wealden District Council Pine Grove offices

• 3 separate community consultation days in June
• Delivery of questionnaires through doors in June
• Consultation of all groups and organisations listed in The Crowborough Directory
• Tailored retail questionnaires delivered and collected in June / July
• Surveying of areas including Jarvis Brook, Crowborough Hill, Poundfield, Western Road and Whitehill
• On-line questionnaires for business sectors
• Specific consultation with the younger and older members of the community.

2. Community Visioning Event

This event was attended by over 50 people from community organisations and public sector bodies. This meeting began the process of drawing together the SWOT analysis (S = Strengths, W = Weaknesses, O = Opportunity, T = Threats) and developing an overall Vision for the community.

3. Theme group meetings

A series of open public theme group meetings were held in relation to the 4 themes to help review the worksheets and to identify key issues for discussion within the wider community

• Economy
• Transport and Accessibility
• Social and Community
• Environment

4. Community questionnaire

A series of events were organised to promote the community questionnaire and members of the Crowborough Partnership were on hand to answer any questions on:

• Friday 17^th June in the Town Centre
• Saturday 25^th June at the Farmers Market
• Saturday 9^th July at the Crowborough Summer Fair
• Questionnaires were also delivered by members of the Crowborough Partnership to sections of the community and made available through Wealden DC offices, Crowborough Town Hall, Crowborough Library, Safeway, Waitrose, Alderbrook Stores, Roan Cards and Jarvis Brook Bakery.
• Surveying of areas including Jarvis Brook, Alderbrook, Crowborough Hill, Poundfield, Western Road and Whitehill

5. Young Peoples’ Consultation

During June and July 2005 an Action in rural Sussex Young Peoples’ Development Worker undertook a number of consultation sessions with young people. A number of different consultation methods were used to engage with young people both in groups and as individuals.

The chosen methods were:

• Youth questionnaire[7] – to look at the same sorts of questions as the adult questionnaire but in a more youth friendly style and with a particular focus on what might be called ‘youth issues’.
• Interactive consultation sessions – working with small groups (between 5 and 10) – these sessions include running through questions with flip chart paper, ordering statements in terms of priority, and thinking creatively about what improvements they would like to be made to Crowborough and which would be most important.
• Street based survey – a series of short questions which can be answered on the street and are not in as much detail as the full questionnaire. The survey can be broken down into smaller sections depending on the time available with individual young people.
• Tutor group sessions – working in a formal school setting with a larger group to look at key questions around the four themes – similar to the smaller group sessions.
• Summer Fair– similar to the street based survey.

The following sessions were held:-

1. Scouts Consultation – Friday 17^th June, 7-9pm, Scout Hut

Working with the Crowborough 1^st Scout group as part of a round robin session including a range of activities. 21 boys aged between 11 and 14 took part and one female youth leader aged 19. All the boys lived in Crowborough apart from one who lived in Eridge. During these short sessions the participants were all asked about what things they like best about Crowborough and what things they would like to see that would improve Crowborough. In addition to these two key questions they were also asked about either environmental issues, transport issues, youth provision, or safety and recreation.

2. Guides Questionnaire – Friday 17^th June

The youth questionnaire was distributed to all members of the Crowborough 1^st Guide group. The girls then completed the questionnaire as part of their guide session and returned them at the end. 25 questionnaires were returned by girls aged between 11 and 15.

3. Crowborough Youth Council – Monday 20^th June, 7-9pm, Info.shop

This session was run by dividing the group into two and giving each a focus – one on transport and one on the environment. Ten young people took part in this session, a mixture of young men and women aged from 14 to 21.

4. School Questionnaires (by 8^th July)

Youth questionnaires have been sent to Crowborough Community College where one tutor group from each year will fill them in and the head of year will have responsibility for returning them.

5. Street Surveys (by 13^th July)

Some street based consultation has been carried out so far in the areas suggested by the partnership. The biggest challenge in this aspect of the consultation so far has been in finding enough young people around on the streets and at the skatepark and other areas to talk to. Where young people have been available they have been willing to talk and have given fairly detailed response to questions.

6. Summer Fair (9^th July)

Particular youth focused consultation as part of the fair activities. This will take a similar format to the street based consultation - asking a series of simple questions and continuing to develop more detailed answers when there is a clear interest on the part of the young person. This is very much a qualitative rather than quantitative exercise which often produces more detailed and interesting information.

6. Older People’s Consultation

Throughout June 2005 an Action in rural Sussex Development Worker held informal consultation events as summarised below:-

The Martletts Sheltered Housing Scheme: A Coffee Morning on Monday 20^th June attended by about 25 residents.

Nevill Court Sheltered Housing Scheme: A Coffee Morning on Monday 18^th July.

Old Mill Court Sheltered Housing Scheme:A Tea Afternoon on Wednesday 15^th June attended by about 20 residents and the Scheme Manager.

Rumsey Court Sheltered Housing Scheme:A Tea Afternoon on Monday 27^th June attended by about 25 residents and the Scheme Manager.

St. Michael & All Angels Coffee Stop, Jarvis Brook:The weekly Coffee Morning on Tuesday 14^th June attended by about 30 older people and Volunteers.

United Reformed Church/WRVS Lunch Club: The weekly Lunch Club on Wednesday 15^th June attended by about 40 older people and Volunteers

Age Concern Lunch Club: The weekly Lunch Club on Wednesday 29^th June.

Crowborough Hospital Day Centre: The Day Centre on Monday 20^th June attended by about 20 people on that afternoon, Volunteers and Paid Helpers.

Care for the Carers: Norman Franklin, the Volunteer who runs this Group in Crowborough, encouraged members to fill in a Questionnaire.

7. Local businesses Consultation

The Crowborough Business Group had undertaken an extensive consultation with local businesses in 2003 and the information gathered in 2005 supplemented the information already collected. The consultation with local businesses in June were as follows:-

• Tailored retail questionnaires delivered throughout the town and collected from the town centre but SAEs were also delivered for retailers elsewhere in Crowborough e.g. Jarvis Brook, Alderbrook, Walshes Road, Western Road, Poundfield, Crowborough Hill, Southview Road and Whitehill
• On-line questionnaires were designed and posted on crowbrough.biz for use of other business sectors
• Copy documentation relating to all aspects of the ‘economy’ theme were posted on the Healthcheck web pages of www.crowborough.info
• Relevant information was displayed at Business Lunches

8. Local Organisations, clubs and societies

A questionnaire was sent to all those in the Crowborough directory.

9. The surrounding area consultation

A detailed questionnaire was sent to all the Parish Councils of the parishes surrounding Crowborough and responses were received from the following:

• Wadhurst
• Frant
• Withyham
• Buxted
• Maresfield
• Fletching
• Danehill

Copies of all of the questionnaires are included in Appendix 1

© The Crowborough Partnership