Dear MSP Board Member

 

MSP Community Engagement Programme - Promotion and Involvement

 

Representatives from VAM, the Primary Care Trust, Somerset County Council and Mendip DC took part in a workshop facilitated by a consultant, Jo Rose, to begin designing the consultation events for the MSP and for Best Value, as agreed at the Board meeting in March.     We are planning 11 events across the district - 6 urban, 5 rural.   Whilst we will be seeking people's aspirations for the next 10, 15, 20 years, it won't be the usual tick box exercise; the events promise to be participative, interesting and most of all, fun. 

 

As the publicity and promotion for the events will carry the MSP logo, we need to let people know what the MSP is and who is on the Board.   We have a working description of the MSP:

 

Local people sharing plans for the future of their community and working together to achieve them

 

We also need a single sentence from each MSP Board member stating why you are committed to the MSP.   Please e-mail this to me by 24^th April at the latest.   Please note that sentences will be subject to editing by the Comms Group to ensure consistency etc. 

 

We are also looking for more people to help deliver the events - to help make it a real partnership project and also to help with the workload.  If there is anyone in your organisation / agency who meets the following criteria please can you put them in touch with me or let me have their contact details:

 

Essential

• Good communicator including excellent listening skills
• Impartiality - we are representing the MSP, not individual agencies / organisations
• Available to take part in a training session to be held on the afternoon of 13^th May, venue tbc - this is crucial
• Available to help deliver a minimum of 2 events.   They will take place during the day in urban areas and afternoons and evenings in rural areas. We don't have the dates yet but will be running the programme from 21^st May to mid July

Desirable

• Experience in community engagement techniques

 

 

We will also be seeking your help in promoting the events - details to follow

 

Contacting Board Members

A final request before Easter:

To help with website development, please can you let me know, as soon as possible, how you would like any e-mail or mail addressed to you as individual MSP Board members dealt with, particularly correspondence received via the website.  The options are:

 

1) I deal with all your correspondence

2) I arrange for your mail to be forwarded to you, without disclosing your address

3) I arrange for your mail to be forwarded to you, disclosing your address

 

I am now out of the office until 24^th April.  If you have any queries in the meantime please contact Stuart Merritt merritts@mendip.gov.uk  01749 341312

 

Best wishes for Easter

 

Sara

 

 

Sara Skirton

Community Planning and Consultation Officer