Agenda item

·         Community Integration Task Group

·         Recognise and Remember Task Group

·         SCMPB Successes 2015/16 (attached)

·         SCMPB Priorities 2016/17 (attached)

Community Integration Task Group

Michael Cannon updated the Board on the work of the Community Integration Task Group. The group is focussed on tangible outcomes and has established four working groups to deliver these covering education, health, employment and housing.  A lot of positive outcomes have been achieved to date and some of these are listed in the successes paper circulated with the agenda. The Group will be reviewing the actions for the coming year at their next meeting in May.

The group is keen to develop cross border relationships especially around the Aldershot area to see how everyone can best work together for the benefit of our military community, recognising that communities do not recognise local authority boundaries.

Recognise and Remember Task Group

Paul Evans updated the Board on the recent successful and well supported meetings. The Task Group now has representatives of Armed Forces Champions from each of the Task Force Commander areas. This has resulted in best practice being shared and improved co-ordination across Surrey.  In addition a local Task Force Commander is invited to give the local perspective.  The group would like to increase representation from the service charities and will invite reps from ssafa and ABF as well as RBL to future meetings. The action plan will be reviewed at the next meeting in May. Key successes include sharing the Guildford signposting leaflet, linking in with Surrey in the Great War, and being provided with a key contact within the Police for co-ordinating public military and remembrance events. The group has raised concerns about the rebranding of the Corporate Covenant and whether this will put some businesses off from being engaged and signing up to it.

The commemoration of the Somme event at Surrey Sports Park on 1 July 2016 was highlighted.  A request was made to try to make the event not west Surrey centric and involve some football teams from the east of the county.

Due to the EU Referendum Reserves Day has been moved from 22 June to September (date TBC).

SCMPB Successes and Priorities

Some of the key successes from the paper circulated were highlighted. Board members were asked to forward additional successes they would like including to Sarah. Action: All.

The successes paper would be promoted through the Surrey Armed Forces website, @SurreyMilitary Twitter and will also be sent to the MoD and partners as a way of sharing best practice.  Action: SG.

A recent successful meeting for all Surrey Armed Forces Champions and Task Force Commanders was highlighted to the Board.  This model has been promoted as best practice across the 11 Brigade area.

The priorities for the SCMPB Executive were highlighted, and it was noted that these were in addition to the priorities and action plans of the two Task Groups. The Board asked for veterans to be more clearly highlighted within the priorities, recognising that veterans are a key focus of the work of the Community Integration Task Group. It was noted that social isolation in veterans tends to kick in about age 35.

Bob Crawley reported that he has developed good links to Surrey County Council Adult Social Care Contact Centre and has been promoting links to ssafa and other service charities to increase referrals.

Under point 4 – Reservists: Work is being carried out to promote the benefits of employing ex-service personnel and Reservists to the business community.

Under point 5 – Youth/Children’s: Chris Booth noted that phase 2 of the Cadet expansion programme had started and a further 150 CCF units across the country would be created. These will be focussed on schools in areas of deprivation.  The majority of costs for setting up CCFs are provided centrally, but the school has to cover staffing costs, although volunteers can be used. The Bishop David Brown School in Woking was considered by the Board to be an ideal school for a new CCF. Cadet expansion is a key area of interest for 11 Brigade under the youth priority. Action: It was agreed that CB would circulate a briefing note on the expansion programme to the Board, and Jenny Muddiman, the Cadet Expansion Officer would be invited to a future Board meeting.

Woking Borough Council is working with the Army Reserve Centre in Farnham to do some Army recruitment in Woking town centre over four Thursdays in May/June.

The Brookwood Last Post Association is looking to encourage further engagement on the first Sunday of each month from April to August at the Brookwood Military Cemetery.