Preston's Anchor Board Meets to Tackle Key Priorities in the City

Preston's newly formed Anchor Board met for the second time recently at Town Hall offices, with even more partners joining the discussion.

Established back in May, the Board is a collaborative group of partners across the city, coming together to oversee key issues affecting the people of Preston, and by working together to find practical, long-term solutions for the benefit of Preston residents and communities.

The Board will help support the Council's Community Wealth Building programme by further embedding collaboration across Preston's anchor institutions.

The Board which comprises representatives from the NHS, private sector business leaders, educational establishments, co-operative networks, blue light representatives, trade unions and members from the VCFS sectors, will also collaborate to help shape a new vision for the city on the run up to, and beyond the next Guild in 2035.

This means looking at what is most important for Preston, what we can do best to help the most residents with areas of their lives such as new jobs, skills, training and education, and an overall better quality of life, health, and wellbeing.

At this session, council officers presented some up-to-date data research on the current state of the city and discussed how we can use this as a basis for forward planning and tackling some of the worst areas of deprivation and inequality in our communities.

Officers also provided an update on the Community Wealth Building (CWB) work happening across the city, what it means for our residents, and how partners can get involved and support the city's CWB aspirations.

Leader of Preston City Council, Councillor Matthew Brown said:

"The Anchor Board is a positive step forward for the city, bringing together many different partners from all different sectors with one common goal - how to make Preston a better, more prosperous and healthier city to live and work, not just for now, but for future generations by delivering more fairness in our communities. Partnership working has proven benefits, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, and much more can be achieved when we all pull together and combine our knowledge, strengths, and resources.

"Working with our anchor partners to effect greater, lasting change in Preston is one of the fundamental cornerstones of our commitment to building community wealth, and we are really excited to be working with a wide range of partners to make a positive difference to our city's residents."

Preston City Council actively applies and prioritises the principles of Community Wealth Building wherever applicable and appropriate. Community Wealth Building is an approach which aims to ensure the economic system builds wealth and prosperity for everyone.

Members of the Anchor Board

Members of the Anchor Board include:

• Preston City Council
• The Foxton Centre
• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• LTHTR
• Preston Cooperative Development Network
• Lancashire Police
• TUC
• Harrison Drury
• Ampios
• Lancashire Fire and Rescue
• GLL
• Cardinal Newman
• Progress Group
• UCLan
• Community Gateway
• Preston Digital Cooperative
• Onward Homes
• The Vault Youth Zone
• PNE Community Trust
• LSCFT