Community Forum members start work

The government fulfilled its neighbourhood
renewal strategy commitment to establish a community working group
this week with the announcement of the 20 members of the new
Community Forum.

The forum will advise the government on its
progress in delivering lasting change to deprived neighbourhoods
and provide a direct link to the communities the government’s
initiatives are aimed at. Forum members will also be expected to
help explain to their own communities what the neighbourhood
renewal unit is doing to help.

Describing the forum as a “hotline to
government”, regeneration and neighbourhood renewal minister Lord
Falconer said: “Community Forum members will play a key role in
helping to renew our poorest neighbourhoods. Their views – based on
real-life experience – will help ensure that communities are
genuinely involved in the process of revitalising their
neighbourhoods.”

The members, who started work this week, come
from a wide range of backgrounds but all have strong links to local
regeneration initiatives.

– Details about the Community Forum can be
obtained from: www.neighbourhood.dtlr.gov.uk