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

Looking back

Running things

The partnership continues to meet monthly with the strong support of the Local Trusted Organisation, Age UK Lincoln & South Lincolnshire. Finances are sound as Boston Big Local enters the last phase of its two year plan.

Communications go from strength to strength, with a lively social media presence attracting new followers and pointing people to the main news stories on the website. The focus has been on refining and sharpening the message, seeking to increase connection for residents with what is after all their success story, steered and managed via the resident led partnership. As part of promoting clarity on Big Local, I have contributed a blog on how Big Local is run locally and nationally.

Doing things

The excellent Spendometer on the front page of the website informs residents that of the £1M+ investment, Boston Big Local is in year 4 and has spent around £250,000 to date.

The Beach event was a great success again this year and supplemented by additional spin off events, such as the closed session around the beach area for people living with dementia and their carers and the Active Boston event as opportunity to try new activities and all for free.

Boston in Bloom blossomed again this summer, with Maddy Eyre writing to say: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Boston Big Local for your continued support, sponsorship and partnership this year and going forward into 2019 without which we would find it difficult to sustain the level of success which we have achieved since joining the East Midlands in Bloom campaign 6 years ago.”

Other activity included the ever popular Boston Bike Night. And the latest round of community chest awards went to support local groups Friar’s Folly, Boston Community Transport and Nacro.

Looking ahead

Boston Big Local is looking ahead to its new plan due to be in place in April 2019. It has already consulted on longer term legacy ideas and is to meet with partners in October to review needs and priorities and how best to meet these over the life span of the next plan.