The Growing Opportunities Plan 26-29 is the fourth iteration delivered by the Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP).

Below you can find details of the previous plans:

Growing Opportunities Plan 23-25

The Growing Opportunities Plan 23-25 was the third plan co-created by the SIP to address social inequality across Stratford-on-Avon District, the aims of which can be seen in the diagram below.

The key successes of the plan can be viewed below, with a report on the plan to be added soon.

Key successes:

• Over £1 million of funding secured for voluntary and community sector through the work of the Stratford-on-Avon District Council funded Development Officer at Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action (WCAVA)
• Stour Health and Wellbeing Partnership (SHWP) successful National Lottery bid securing £186,000 over 3 years enabling them to employ staff and expand their offer to the Stour community
• Delivery of the Community Builder project in Bishopton and Clopton
• Delivery of suicide prevention and mental health support sessions to local schools by Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind
• Support to pupils at Lighthorne Heath Primary School in the form of counselling and project work by the Parenting Project.

Social Inclusion Statement 2019-2024

Statement priorities were determined using analysis from the Stratford-on-Avon District Social Inclusion Statement Research 2018 with LSOAs with higher indicators of deprivation with the IMD. The following priorities were identified:

1. Improving education, employment and training; increasing income and reducing debt within Maybird & Bishopton, Alcester and Henley, Southam and Lighthorne Heath, Studley and Bidford to include boosting the alternatives to high cost credit
2. Combating social isolation within Stratford-upon-Avon, Alcester, Studley and Henley, and combating rural isolation within Lighthorne Heath and Kineton, Quinton and Long Itchington
3. Supporting older people through delivery of support and information, and the expansion of Dementia Friendly Communities
4. Empowering communities to harness local resources and expertise to help themselves - thematically across communities of interest, geographically within priority 1 areas and within new communities
5. Improving mental wellbeing through building resilience and promoting wellbeing at all ages, and raising awareness of services and support
6. Delivering Afghan Relocation & UKRS Resettlement Scheme, enabling displaced Afghan citizens and refugees worldwide to resettle in the district (added in 2021)

Key successes:

• Support delivery of Community Builder Pilot Project in Maybird and Bishopton
• Support those experiencing food or fuel poverty (inc £60k for 22-23 and £100k for Energy Support Fund)
• Review Dementia Services information - update leaflet webpage
• Deliver and promote UBUS community transport service until the end of contract
• Establish strategic groups within new communities as a support partnership (Meon Vale and Upper Lighthorne support partnerships created)
• Partnership liaison and co-ordination to support resettlement of displaced citizens under Afghan Relocation Assistance Policy (ARAP) and UKRS resettlement schemes
• Include dementia awareness in SDC's corporate induction
• Support JSNA priority to promote support to new parents experiencing mental health challenges
• Funding clinic to assist local groups in submitting funding applications
• Identify potential sources of funding to enable achievement of SIP objectives and align with local VCS needs

Social Inclusion Statement 2014

Developed after consultation with the newly formed Social Inclusion Partnership and after review of data, six intervention priorities were identified:

1. Education, employment and training work in two areas of the District (Maybird & Bishopton, and Lighthorne Heath)
2. Income and debt work in two areas of the District (Alcester and Henley, and Southam and Lighthorne Heath)
3. Social isolation work within Stratford-on-Avon town
4. Monitoring, impact measurement and creating greater understanding
5. Boosting the alternatives to high cost credit
6. Current initiatives

Key successes:

• The statement was used by local organisations to generate inward investment of £660,000 from funders
• Commissioned a research project called 'Measuring Social Exclusion in Stratford-on-Avon District' undertaken by Warwickshire Observatory