People centred

Hull could soon have its own 'Community Tsar' if recommendations for developing the city's community centres over the next decade are implemented. Employing a dedicated community centre development officer to help community associations and centres to meet the challenges of the future is one of the recommendations made by the council's Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee.

The Committee's year-long investigation found that while some community associations and centres are thriving, others are struggling to survive due to fragmented support and a lack of resources and strategic direction from the council. The report, which will go before the City Council's cabinet shortly, proposes involving community associations in the development of community based groups and establishing centres as modern buildings at the heart of local communities Other proposals include introducing a new 'Community Centre Development Strategy' by October 2004 and making one of the council's corporate directors responsible and accountable for the development of community associations.

Coun. Stephen Baker, chair of the scrutiny panel, said: "The enquiry has been extremely thorough and we are confident that the recommendations which we have made would make a vast difference to this service and help it play its proper role in community development. "I would like to thank the army of volunteers working in community centres for their efforts and for their time which they give freely to help their local community."

Paul Taylor, chair of Hull Federation of Community Associations, said: "We welcome the report, which is long overdue. We've been in limbo for a few years. We provide some help but we're a charity so we're limited in what we can do. "Hopefully this will provide the impetus which allows Hull's community centres to continue to thrive."