Date published: 2024-02-08 | Category: Environment and Clean Air, Waste and Recycling , Communities and volunteering, Delivering for local residents, Community Funding, Bath
More than forty rugby players joined forces with the Student Community Partnership and the leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council to clear up litter in Moorland Road, Bath.
The litter pick saw players from the University of Bath Performance Rugby Squad join Councillor Kevin Guy and other volunteers last week. It was organised by the Student Community Partnership (SCP), which recently received a grant of £47,000 in the last round of Neighbourhood CIL funding.
The funding will support its Community Warden and Administrator for another year and allow the warden to focus on areas with a high density of students, aiming to increase engagement with the community.
Councillor Kevin Guy said: “The SCP is an important partnership which supports the whole community and acts as a bridge between the universities, their Students’ Unions and the council. I’m delighted to have been able to join in with the litter pick and see everyone come together for the benefit of the environment and the local community. Picking up litter is a quick way to instantly make a difference and I’d like to thank all the volunteers for getting stuck in.”
Ghika Savva, the Student Community Partnership Manager, said: “We are hugely appreciative for the support of the CIL funding for the Community Warden scheme which has transformed the way that the Student Community Partnership operates and the impact it has on the community. Over the past three years, the SCP has significantly expanded its community campaigns, now covering 80+ streets across nine wards, reaching 4,000-6,000 students and speaking to thousands of residents. The number of issues raised and resolved annually with the SCP has tripled over this period, a testament to increased reach and engagement with both student and long-term residents. The Community Wardens have established a presence across six wards of Bath where daily rounds take place and have become well known by l residents. Having a friendly warden on hand when an issue comes up enables a quicker resolution and improves community cohesion.”
The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) is a planning charge, introduced by the Planning Act 2008 as a tool for local authorities in England and Wales to help deliver infrastructure to support the development of their area. From the overall CIL that is collected, Bath receives 15% of the receipts, which are allocated to the Neighbourhood Portion of CIL for Bath. In the absence of a parish council for Bath, the council has a statutory responsibility to allocate the funds.
The Community Funding Projects Map shows details of all the projects that have been funded across the city.
ENDS
Photo: University of Bath Performance Rugby Squad players with (front L-R): Ghika Savva, SCP Manager; Councillor Kevin Guy, council Leader; Councillor June Player, Westmoreland Ward; Nigel Rawlinson, University of Bath Chaplain; Kathryn Jones, SCP Administrator; Joseph Dyke, Community Warden.