Our Priorities
The BigLocal Plan
Bring the Community Together
We will do this by creating more opportunities for people to come together to learn new skills, have fun, socialise and feel connected to this area.
This includes making the most of our community spaces and encouraging more activities, programmes and events to take place for the benefit of everyone.
During the process of updating our plans, we listened to the various feedback that we received. Predominantly the feedback has been about bringing the community together and helping celebrate our differences as well as enabling / empowering all to fulfil their ideas and projects. Through the review we also learnt: We will deliver a range of activities and events through: From the community feedback we have identified six schemes, under ‘Bringing People’s Together’ to help us meet this aim.
- We will deliver a range of activities and events as Farley Big Local
- Support existing community groups / small local charities – Community Chest
- Community Chest Annual Showcase
- Support Community Activity – Venues
- Older People – Specific targeted work
- Young People – Specific targeted work
What you told us
During the process of updating our plans, we listened to the various feedback that we received. Predominantly the feedback has been about bringing the community together and helping celebrate our differences as well as enabling / empowering all to fulfil their ideas and projects. Through the review we also learnt: We will deliver a range of activities and events through: From the community feedback we have identified six schemes, under ‘Bringing People’s Together’ to help us meet this aim.
What we’re doing
- We will deliver a range of activities and events as Farley Big Local
- Support existing community groups / small local charities – Community Chest
- Community Chest Annual Showcase
- Support Community Activity – Venues
- Older People – Specific targeted work
- Young People – Specific targeted work
Improve Park, Green & Open Spaces
You have told us that you would like to see improvements to outdoor spaces and outdoor experiences for people that live, work and play in the Farley Big Local area.
This includes parks and play areas.
What you told us
During the process of updating our plans, we listened to the various feedback that we received. You have told us that you would like to see improvements to outdoor spaces and outdoor experiences for people that live, work and play in the Farley Big Local area. This includes Parks and Play Areas. We will deliver a range of activities and events through: From the community feedback we have identified three schemes to help us meet these aims.
What we’re doing
- We will work with Big Local Partners to explore the options for the development of a Mountain Bike Trail at Winsdon Hill
- Green and Open Spaces Audit
- Green and Open Spaces Community Chest
What you told us
During the process of updating our plans, we listened to the various feedback that we received. There are some things already happening in Farley and wider in Luton with the development of the existing businesses in Farley to the new opportunities which will develop at Luton Airport for example.
We are committed to supporting people to access opportunities for learning, employment and social enterprise existing and new.
What we’re doing
- Develop Social Enterprise / Local Enterprise – A programme of work to support the strengthening and growth of local business which include training of staff; opportunities to employ local people
- Credit Union – Delivery of the current project in line with the revised and reviewed plan of activity
What we’re doing
- Research to support employment of people with mental health problems and learning difficulties. Specialist researcher to undertake a feasibility study, help us identify sources of income and draft a potential business plan for a social enterprise with the purpose of providing employment or housing for people with mental health problems, learning difficulties, depression or other disabilities
- Skills Training Programme – Fund a variety of programmes to teach a range of skills aimed at improving the employability of local people, aged between 16 -65. Where possible projects may deliver a local improvement to maximise the benefit from the investment
- Brief required and further analysis of skills gaps requiring training. Utilise Jobcentre employment specialists including disability, long term team advisors and understand resources / benefits /c onstraints available and applicable to each unemployed person. Explore links and benefits of the Luton Investment Plan
A Safe Place to Live, Work & Play
We will do this by creating more opportunities for people to come together to learn new skills, have fun, socialise and feel connected to this area. By working with local organisations and groups of residents to monitor, report and record local crime through Neighbourhood Watch schemes, challenging levels of reporting and providing information and capacity building to residents to keep the area safe.
What you told us
Based on the results of the consultation recently conducted we know:
The results clearly highlight that people in Farley BL area feel safety is a priority for them. Of the 383 people that answered the question in the recent survey, 342 stated that safety is a priority for them.
Using the options presented to people who answered the survey questions the top priorities for local people are:
- Roaming CCTV in local crime hotspots
- Safety zones for young people
- Neighbourhood Watch schemes
- Improving lighting
What we’re doing
- This is a new theme of work for Farley Big Local which has been included within this plan based on the ongoing community conversations in the area which has highlighted this as a priority for local people.
- To support the development of the theme a small subgroup has been formed to respond to local feedback.
Farley Big Local FAQs
Big Local is an exciting opportunity for residents in 150 areas, including Farley Hill, around England to use at least £1m each to make a massive and lasting positive difference to their communities.
Big Local brings together all the local talent, ambitions, skills and energy from individuals, groups and organisations who want to make their area an even better place to live.
Local Trust administers the programme nationwide. Local Trust are an invaluable resource, in terms of advice and support, to each of the 150 areas around the country.
The Big Lottery Fund is the main funder of the Big Local programme
A partnership is a resident-led initiative and every Big Local must have a partnership made up of local residents and representatives from local groups/organisations active in the area. There is a requirement that a majority (at least 51%) of partnership members should be local residents. Farley Big Local is the name of our partnership.
The role of the partnership is to:
- bring together the community’s views, and make the overall decisions about how Big Local will work in Farley and how to use the £1m
- ensure Big Local is resident-led and that people across the Big Local area have a genuine and continuing opportunity to be involved
- work with the locally trusted organisation to ensure the Big Local plan is carried out
- review the plan, in order to create a follow-on plan for future years
- connect with local organisations, businesses, public agencies,councillors and others who can deliver activities and help make Big Local a success
- work with the Local Trust rep and locally trusted organisation to achieve change
All Big Local areas are required to develop a community plan that builds on what is good about the area; provides community-wide benefits; responds to local priorities; and satisfies Big Local outcomes.
The Big Local partnership is responsible for making the decisions about how best to spend or invest the funds based on the agreed vision and plan for the local area. The vision and plan are created by local residents and is reviewed annually. The partnership is supported by a locally trusted organisation which is responsible for administering the funding in line with the plan. The locally trusted organisation for Farley Big Local is Age Concern Luton.
Age Concern Luton is the town’s biggest charity supporting older people and their families. The charity provides care in the community enabling independent living for many. A key priority for the charity is to make Luton a wonderful place to live and grow old. As such supporting local communities to make improvements to their areas is a natural extension of the charity’s day to day work and strategic vision. Age Concern Luton is delighted to support community causes and foster ever lasting change.
Age Concern Luton was chosen by the partnership from a number of possible organisations. Age Concern Luton acts as the accountable body and administers the funds on behalf of Farley Big Local, ensuring that the proper financial controls are in place.
Since the Partnership is not a formal organisation with its own constitution, Age Concern Luton performs a number of functions on behalf of the partnership, notably employing staff.
Local Trust does not expect partnerships to have a bank account, process invoices or deliver lots of activities. This is why partnerships work with organisations that they trust and who have the appropriate skills and structures in place to assist.
Document Library
Everything you need to know about Farley Big Local funding and resources to support our area.
AGM Meeting Agenda March 2018
Farley Big Local Boundary Map
Farley Big Local Delivery Plan 2018
Farley Big Local Delivery Plan April 2020
Farley Big Local FAQ
Farley Big Local Terms of Reference 2019
Local Insight Farley Hill May 2017
Local Insight Farley Hill February 2018
Local Insight Farley Hill October 2018
Local Insight Farley Hill January 2019
LocalInsight Farley Hill July 2019
LocalInsight Farley Hill September 2019
Meeting Agenda January 2018
Meeting Agenda February 2018
Meeting Agenda June 2018
Meeting Agenda July 2018
Meeting Agenda September 2018
Meeting Agenda October 2018
Meeting Agenda November 2018
Meeting Agenda February 2019
Meeting Agenda May 2019
Meeting Agenda June 2019
Meeting Agenda July 2019
Meeting Agenda September 2019
Meeting Agenda November 2019
Social & Meeting Agenda December 2019
Support Social Enterprise, Learning & Employment
There are some things already happening in Farley and wider in Luton with the development of the existing businesses in Farley to the new opportunities which will develop at Luton Airport for example.
We are committed to supporting people to access opportunities for learning, employment and social enterprise existing and new.