Stakeholder meeting
On the 3rd of July we brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including council officers, the voluntary sector, and academics from partner Universities. We invited them to share their local needs and priorities in their sectors, while offering further opportunities to collaborate and consolidate networks.
The event began with an introduction about the Centre for the South and its role in supporting the broader civic university missions. The CftS aims to do this by bridging the gap between the University of Southampton and external bodies to enhance the mobilisation of knowledge on the region's most pressing challenges. We also presented some of the findings from a stakeholder mapping activity, commissioned to New Local. The report expresses the desires of key stakeholders, namely the development of policy products, such as finding a regional identity or creating a regional strategic plan.
Dividing the participants into groups, ensuring diversity across sectors, people were encouraged to express their most pressing challenges. Many questions emerged across five themes:
Connecting communities
How do we foster a pride in place where community assets are valued? How do we regenerate and effectively make use of dead, neglected spaces? Physical spaces are opportunities to celebrate culture and heritage.
How do we empower grassroots communities, encourage democratic engagement, enable co-production/co-creation at the offset, and how do we coordinate between the public, private and third sectors?
Developing an evidence base
Community assets need to be mapped and spaces which can be rejuvenated need to be identified – can we empower the communities to own this work themselves?
What is the impact of community groups in the region? What successful frameworks exist in order to carry out this work and how can the data be accessed? Is evidence around community impact being used to inform policy and local planning strategies?
Interns and placements can be utilised to increase capacity in this area.
Skills and workforce
There is a discord between what skills people have and what skills employers need. Skills need to be matched and shaped across all areas (e.g. engineering, maritime, health and social care, construction, tourism, creative economies). Green skills that accelerate the transition to net zero are essential and businesses need to be incentivised to upskill their employees.
The voluntary sector needs support with developing business plans to help them become more agile and sustainable.
Skilled graduates are leaving to work elsewhere – can arts-based regeneration play a role in helping to retain them? Can brain drain be reduced by creating more opportunities in the green sector?
Regional economy strategy
Economic inequalities need to be reduced, housing needs to be affordable, high streets are in need of rejuvenation, food waste is high. What can we learn from Hampshire 2050 and the LSIP?
Funding is limited and short term. Interventions ought to have shared goals, and voluntary organisations need to be included on bids.
How do we take a holistic place approach and measure beyond economic values alone? What are the broader non-monetary benefits – what do we value, what do we aspire to? What can we learn from doughnut economics?
Public health and social care
Mental health is very poor in the region, along with high levels of climate anxiety and lack of access to green or blue spaces. Access to healthcare can be complex, especially for the most vulnerable groups. Can ‘blue health’ be socially prescribed?
Health inequalities are a serious issue, how do we encourage exercise and active travel? Can voluntary and/or faith organisations play a leadership role in increasing trust?