Residents in Peterborough who care about their community and want to help shape their area’s future are being invited to apply for unique roles.
As part of the national Pride in Place initiative, which will see £40million pledged for community enhancement in Peterborough, the council is looking to recruit members of new Neighbourhood Boards covering Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland and Orton Malborne and Orton Goldhay.
Board members will help guide the Pride in Place programme to support long-term improvements in those areas. The roles are voluntary, but reasonable expenses (for example travel, childcare, or other caring costs) will be reimbursed.
Applicants must live, work, volunteer, or have a strong connection to the area. The roles are not suitable for people applying to represent an organisation seeking Pride in Place funding. Members will be expected to follow the Board’s code of conduct and work in line with the principles of public life.
The move follows the appointment in March of Jonathan Jelley MBE JP to chair the Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland Board, and Ejaz Moghul to chair the Orton Malborne and Goldhay Board.
Jonathan Jelley MBE JP said: “I am really looking forward to hearing from applicants and then seeing the board make a positive difference in Paston, Gunthorpe and Welland. These communities have proud histories, strong identities and real potential, and now we have an exiting opportunity to shape their futures guided by the voices of those who live and work here."
Ejaz Moghul said: "I am also looking forward to working with board members to help the Ortons grow into a vibrant place where opportunities are accessible. We want people who know their neighbourhoods and understand what matters to residents. You don’t need any formal qualifications or experience of being on a board, what matters is your passion, your ideas, and your connection to the community."
Andrew Pakes MP said: "The Pride in Place funding is an opportunity to invest and change Peterborough for the better. These estates have been crying out for support for too long. But the important thing is that the community will be in charge of deciding how this money is used and for that to happen we need great community representatives to step forward. If you are up for the challenge of improving your neighbourhood please consider applying.”
Sam Carling MP said: "The Pride in Place funding is a real opportunity for the Ortons - and it's important that the people who know these communities best are the ones helping to shape how it's used. I'd encourage anyone in Orton Malborne and Goldhay with a passion for the area to consider applying. No formal experience is needed - just a genuine connection to the community and a desire to see it improve."
People can apply by sending up to 500 words by email to prideinplace@peterborough.gov.uk before Friday 22 May. Applicants should tell us about themselves, why they want to a board member, highlight their community passions and examples of how they have supported others or contributed locally.
Board members will be recruited on a rolling basis. A small panel made up of the Board Chair, MP, a representative from the authority and an independent community representative will review applications.
Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to an informal conversation with the Board Chair before final decisions are made. We will take up at least one reference, and appointments will be subject to a standard DBS check.
For more information email prideinplace@peterborough.gov.uk