As your Big Local Rep, about every three months I share my thoughts on local area progress with you as residents and with the central team managing the national programme. Your comments and thoughts are always welcome.

Running things

The partnership continues to meet monthly with the strong support of the Local Trusted Organisation, which is now Age UK Lincoln & South Lincolnshire. Wendy Griggs continues as main contact and financial manager and enabled a smooth transfer, with all contracts and responsibilities now handed over. Boston Big Local held a successful annual celebration and AGM in May.

The partnership continues to work very well together, new members bringing fresh ideas to blend with the accumulated expertise of longer standing members. Communications are excellent, being further enhanced through a partnership with Media Trust. Some recently attended the Big Local Connects event in London at the end of June and members are also completing the partnership survey for Local Trust.

Doing things

The latest newsletter describes how residents of Boston Big Local have been distributing the money to good causes in the area, including continuing support to the Boston Marathon UK and for accessible equipment for disabled children. There is also an interview with the Boston Big Local Delivery Partner of the year, Fran Taylor. The Community Chest has been revised and updated and is again open for applications for financial support of up to £1500.

Looking ahead

The summer months are busy and bustling with Boston Big Local funded supported activity, including the bike night, cycling road show, Active Boston event and the third Beach Event. The Beach Event continues to grow in popularity and in its range of spin off activities.

Come the autumn, attention in the partnership will turn to reviewing the last 18 months, learning lessons to take forward into building the next plan due in April 2019. Boston Big Local remains soundly run, aspirational in its vision and realistic in what it can achieve to help make the area and even better place for residents to live.