Old Windsor Community Partnership

The Old Windsor Community Partnership was formed four years ago to allow the village to benefit from funding not available to Borough or Parish Councils. The first project was granted funding from the South East England Development Agency to improve the appearance of the shopping area in St Lukes Road. More recently the Community partnership have been involved in, and together with the Parish Council provided funding for, the footpath lighting across the recreation ground.

In October 2009 the Partnership converted in to a Community Interest Company (CIC registered at Companies House. This provides financial protection for the Directors should the CIC want to engage in other local activities and also gives it a familiar and understandable status which is advantageous when seeking external funding. In other respects the aims and objectives of the CIC remain as before i.e. to negotiate additional finance for, and manage, projects which will benefit the local community.

The legislation on how a CIC is set up is the Companies (Audit, Investigations and Community Enterprise) Act 2004 and the rules under which one operates is the The Community Interest Company Regulations 2005. An information pack explaining more about CIC's can be found here.

To contact the Old Windsor Community Interest Company please click here.

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The Old Windsor Community Partnership Board consisted of

Tony Troughton (Chairman) Dave Pinkstone (Deputy Chairman)

Duncan Pollock (Secretary) Steve Pilgrim (Deputy Secretary)

Lynne Jones (Treasurer) Christine Harris (Deputy Treasurer)

Steve Winton Freddie Kidson

Caroline Crane John Lee (Business Liaison)

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Minutes from Previous Meetings

Please click on the dates to see the minutes

09-06-08 14-07-08 01-09-08 13-10-08 03-11-08

EGM on 12-11-08 01-12-08 02-03-09 07-04-09

08-06-09

The Final EGM held on 04-11-09

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The Old Windsor Community Partnership, the first body of its kind in East Berkshire, has a Management Board of local residents and Councillors, all volunteers. Its purpose is to identify, from the Village Plan, projects which will enhance the Village, to raise the necessary funding and to manage the work.

The Community Partnership was formed in early 2006. It immediately focused on the village improvement most requested by residents in a village-wide survey in 2005 as part of the Village Plan - the revitalisation of the village centre in St. Lukes Road. This meant re-directing the traffic and creating a paved semi-pedestrianised area in front of the shops.

Firstly the Board worked with the officers of the Royal Borough to produce a fully costed Project Plan. It then put together a comprehensive proposal for matched funding of £40,000 from the South East England Development Agency. (N.B. These funds are not accessible by either the Borough or Parish Councils) Following a face-to-face presentation to the Agency in June the funding as requested was obtained.

The Board also carried out a series of public consultations to judge reactions to the Plan. Wide support was given and, following detailed negotiations with the residents living nearby and therefore most affected, it obtained their support after minor changes had been agreed.

Both Parish and Borough Councils and Windsor Housing Association were consulted and they all agreed to contribute to the Project.

Local business people, the Youth Club, and various local village groups were also consulted and they gave their support.

Finally with the help of Royal Borough Officers a financial contribution was obtained from most of the shopowners whose trade would be boosted by the changes.

This project, the first of many, was completed in early 2007 and it has significantly improved the whole area around the main shops in Old Windsor. No longer do pedestrians have to compete with cars not just on the road but also on the footways. Elderly residents and parents with young children are able to shop in a safer environment and a pavement café has since been introduced by one of the retailers.