Agenda item

Andrew Bramidge, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment, and Chief Superintendent Wright to present

Andrew Bramidge, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment, provided an update on Aim 4 of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. 

The Strategic Director set out the four strategic priorities within Aim 4.  They were to:

-         Deliver a loneliness plan for Rotherham.

-         Promote health and wellbeing through Arts and Cultural initiatives.

-         Ensure Rotherham people were kept safe from harm.

-         Develop a borough that supported a healthy lifestyle.

Health and Wellbeing Board members were advised that 19% of Rotherham residents reported feeling lonely, versus 22% nationally.  The recorded prevalence of depression in adults was 17%, versus 13% nationally and the percentage of physically active adult in Rotherham was 64%, versus 67% nationally.

The Strategic Director expressed the view that, whilst loneliness was lower in the Borough than the national average, almost 1 in 5 residents experiencing loneliness remained quite stark, and in conjunction with the remaining data painted a statistically troubling picture, which explained the rationale for the strategic themes.

They explained work that had been undertaken over the last 12 months which included:-

-         ‘Warm Welcome’.  Getting people into warm places and making social connections.

-         11 Loneliness sessions were delivered drawing 122 attendees.

-         13 Early Intervention and Prevention Fund grants were allocated to the voluntary and community sector to address loneliness and isolation.

-         The promotion of volunteering roles as a key way to bring more people out of isolation

-         Arts and Cultural Activities such as the Rotherham Show, which was attended by 45,000 people, and the Children’s Capital of Culture for which events were commencing the coming weekend.

-         Funding bids submitted to deliver projects aimed to get people more involved in their local communities and places.

-         The promotion of activities and initiatives via social media.

-         Collaborative work with the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (SYFR) to raise fire safety awareness through online learning and information sharing initiatives intended to enhance public safety.

It was reported that the Council also had the intention to make further investments in safety and security in the Town Centre, working closely with the Police to increase the visible presence and enhance public confidence in its safety as a result of concerns identified through consultations undertaken over the Summer.

The Strategic Director of Regeneration also reported that a bid had been made to Sport England which looked to enhance locally based and inclusive physical activity over the coming year.

Challenges were expected in relation to funding for the Rotherham Show in 2025, but work was underway to find alternative funding sources to support the show to continue at its existing scale.

The Chair thanked the Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment for the presentation and invited questions and comments from members.

The following points were made and issues raised and responded to during the discussion that followed:

-         It was noted that there was lots of positive work taking place to address loneliness and isolation.  The award winning social prescribing programme had supported in excess of 20,000 people and was the cornerstone of the local approach to loneliness.

-         Loneliness and isolation in young people were highlighted and the differences between being lonely and being alone, with the latter more likely to affect the older demographic.  It was agreed that more detail would be provided regarding efforts to tackle loneliness in younger people at a future stage, however, approximately £1M of National Lottery funding had been drawn down to support projects across the Borough for those experiencing Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) issues.

-         The importance of Healthwave in getting people more active was referenced as were its positive influences on the loneliness agenda through encouraging social interactions through physical activity.

-         It was clarified that loneliness sessions over the coming year would look to cover all Wards, not just those where loneliness had been identified as a priority.

-         Consideration was given to what more could be done to overcome the stigma of loneliness, and it was felt that offering a broad range of activities and services that appealed to a wide range of people was key to success in this area.

Resolved:-  That the update be noted.