‘A huge challenge’ - Jarrow Forward looks ahead to delivering £20million investment into the town
The chair of Jarrow Forward is “looking forward” to the challenge of delivering £20million-worth of investment into the town.
Jarrow Forward is looking ahead to delivering the Jarrow Plan as it aims to make the most of the £20million Pride in Place funding.
The neighbour board, which is made up of representatives from local groups and organisations, will deliver the funding over the course of the next ten years.
It has put together the Jarrow Plan after consulting with more than 1,500 residents and 500 young people, alongside community groups, businesses, schools, service providers and national funding bodies.
The plan aims to deliver local employment opportunities, cultural pursuits, leisure and sporting facilities, and more through the community-led initiative.
‘I want to do justice for the town’
Susan Wear, Chair of Jarrow Forward, has revealed that Jarrow’s recent unsuccessful UK Town of Culture bid has allowed the neighbourhood board to gain a better understanding of what is happening in the town.
She said: “Everyone put such a huge amount of work into the bid and we learnt a lot through that process about what is actually going on in Jarrow.
“It was a really good exercise to have done and the good news is that we don’t have to wait until 2028, we can get on with it now because we have the Jarrow Plan in place.
“It is a huge honour to be chairing the Neighbourhood Board and I want to do justice for the town that I’ve lived in for more than 30 years - this is a chance to actually make a difference.
“Jarrow has loads of potential but it just hasn’t had the investment or the attention to make things happen so this is the opportunity to change that.”
‘The public have given us a huge challenge’
Susan has also given an insight into some of the things that Jarrow Forward has planned for the town as it looks to take on what she describes as “a huge challenge”.
She commented: “The public have given us a huge challenge because everyone is so proud and ambitious for the town.
“We’ve been told they want the town centre to be a more vibrant and dynamic place with lots of things to see and do.
“The biggest thing of all is that people want fulfilling job opportunities for young people.
“So we’ve had to put all this together and we can’t do it all so we’re going to need help and support from our partner organisations.
“We’ve developed a full play strategy with a focal point being a properly-managed adventure playground, which will be of a type that people will come from across the North East to visit.
“Then we’re looking at a ‘centre of creativity’ for young people, where they can go and try any number of things that could give them the ambition and confidence that lead to them becoming employed.
“So it is huge challenge but I’m looking to working with everyone who has accepted that challenge and believes we can do this.
“The big ideas are there but we can do somethings that will have an impact quickly - so we’ve got a few things that could be in place by the autumn.”
Jarrow Forward is continuing to seek the views of residents, businesses and young people throughout the next ten years of the Jarrow Plan.
You can have your say online at: https://www.ourconversation.co.uk/yourjarrow/.