What is The Merkinch Partnership?

There are many organisations working in and around the Merkinch area. The Merkinch Partnership will try to help everyone work together and with the local community. Quite simply the aim should be to improve the quality of peoples' lives - by working together. The Partnership evolved from a number of meetings and a community survey undertaken in 2004. A successful conference was held at the end of 2004 and on 21st June 2005 it was agreed that the Merkinch Partnership should be formed and the first committee was elected. Many of the organisations and groups working in and around the Merkinch area have been involved in one way or another with the evolution of the Partnership. It is important however to ensure that the Partnership continues to work closely with all community organisations and the people of the Merkinch area.

Will this just be another talking shop?

The Partnership will try and ensure that everybody is working together and will need to make sure that the right people are talking together. The Partnership will also quickly develop an action plan which will have specific targets for when things should happen. The Partnership involves people from the local community and they will have to be happy that the Partnership is bringing about real improvements.

How can the community be involved?

The Highland Council is keen to ensure that communities are fully involved with the changes they want to see happen. Community Planning is about getting everyone working together. The Merkinch Partnership is your local community planning partnership. This will involve everybody who is active in the local community. It will be for the Partnership to keep the local community informed about what it's doing but also to work closely with individuals and community groups to make sure that they are working on the right priorities.

Why was the Partnership set up?

The Council and local members of the community undertook a survey in 2004 to find out what local people felt was good about the Merkinch area and what could be improved. They held a successful conference at the end of the year and also public meetings in 2005. A steering group was set up to look at the possibility of forming a Partnership. Following a meeting on 21st June 2005 it was agreed that The Merkinch Partnership should be formed and the first committee was elected from those present at the meeting. For more details see the list of members at the end. These individuals are involved in many of the groups working actively in the Merkinch area. A number of sub-groups will be formed to look specifically at areas like environment, wealth creation and other issues affecting local people. Other individuals, representatives and groups will be involved in these sub-groups. One of the Partnership's first jobs will be to tell everyone in the area what its doing.

How can I have my say about what the partnership should be doing?

There are contact details at the end of this sheet and you should feel free at any time to discuss any concerns you have or issues you want raised by the Partnership with Anne Sutherland. Alternatively you can raise any issues with the members of the committee and ensure they take up the matter with the Partnership. The Council's Area Development Manager would also be happy to discuss any more general issues. You can make contact by phone, letter, and e-mail or by dropping in to the Partnership's office, c/o Merkinch Enterprise.

Aims of the Partnership

The Merkinch Partnership should:

• bring together at a local level representatives of the public sector, private business, community and voluntary sectors, so that different initiatives and services support each other and work together

 

• be a non-statutory organisation working with and for the community

 

• operate at the local level enabling strategic decisions to be taken close enough to the community to be influenced by the community

Objectives

The Merkinch Partnership should set out to:

1. Develop a variety of means to work with and consult with local people and representative organisations and communities in the Merkinch area.
2. Build a common purpose and shared commitment.
3. Develop and publicise its aims and priorities.
4. Share local information and good practice.
5. Value the contribution of all partners.
6. Identify, encourage and support effective local initiatives.
7. Develop a common performance management system.
8. Provide a forum for debate, discussion and common decision making.

Key Tasks

The Merkinch Partnership must:

• Prepare and implement a community plan for the area, identify and deliver the most important things that need to be done and keep track of progress. The community plan should also be kept up to date. The key tasks already identified by the Community Participatory Appraisal and Community Conference should be quickly reassessed and implemented as soon as possible.

 

• Bring together as required local groups and initiatives to provide a forum through which mainstream public service providers (Council, the Police, Health Services, Central Government Agencies and so on) can work more effectively together to meet local needs and priorities.

 

• Work with the local authority to develop community planning at a Merkinch level within the overall City of Inverness & Area and Highland Community Plan

 

• Develop and deliver a local renewal strategy to secure more jobs, better education, improved health, reduced crime and better housing and help contribute to closing the gap between neighbourhoods with different needs and resources.

Membership

The membership should reflect the aims and the issues with which the partnership is dealing. The Partnership should normally include:

• community organisations and local people.
• voluntary organisations.
• public sector organisations that serve the Partnership area.
• businesses.
• individuals who fully subscribe to the aims and objectives of the Partnership

The Management Committee should seek formal membership application from all the groups, initiatives and organisations working in or for the benefit of the area and individuals fully supportive of the aims and objectives of the Partnership. They should determine a membership fee structure and maintain a membership list. They should determine whether the group should operate as an informal body, formally constituted body or company limited by guarantee. A suggested draft constitution is available. Unless a constitution or company status determines otherwise they should hold an Annual General Meeting within fiveteen months of being first appointed at which they should report to the community on their activities and seek agreement on the way forward.

For more information whom should I contact?

Anne Sutherland has been appointed for a year to act as a Project Officer in the Merkinch and to help develop The Merkinch Partnership. Anne works within the Merkinch Enterprise offices and they also provide support and backup. You can contact Anne on 01463 240085.

Partnership Members:

Peter Corbett, Councillor
Ali Locke, South Kessock Residents Association
Bette McArdle, Arts in Merkinch
Joan Tracey, Jannie's Hoose
Alison Berg, Community Centre
Alistair Murray, Trinity Church
Ross McGillivray, Merkinch Enterprise