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Find out more about our first 1000 days by turning over to the next page 10 | Inform Winter 2017 Inform Winter 2017 | 11 Inbrief First 1000days On 25 December 2017, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council will reach its 1000th day in operation. During this time your 40 Elected Members and Council officers have worked to deliver quality services to residents of and visitors to the district, to develop and promote the district as the place of choice to live, work, visit and invest, and to carefully and strategically manage a large estate on your behalf. This estate includes leisure and community centres, outdoor spaces, parks and play areas, recycling centres, off street car parks, tourist attractions, arts and culture venues, civic and administration buildings and fleet. So what does this mean? Well, since 1 April 2015: Brexit – Risks, Opportunities and Issues to consider Fermanagh and Omagh District Council commissioned a joint research report with ten other local authorities along the Border Corridor to help residents and businesses be fully aware of the issues as a result of Brexit and to help them to prepare for them. Copies of the report, “Brexit and the Border Corridor on the Island of Ireland; Risks, Opportunities and Issues to be Considered” are available from Council offices and the report is also available to view on the Council website. The Council continues to work closely with the ten other Local Authorities along the Border Corridor to lobby and advocate at the highest levels of Government in Belfast, Dublin, London and Brussels for the needs of the region and to best manage the transition. Community Planning - from ‘talk to action’ The ‘Fermanagh and Omagh 2030’ Community Plan outlines a Vision and eight long term outcomes aimed at improving quality of life and public services in the district. The Plan will be delivered through a partnership approach and, over the past fewmonths, Community Planning partners from the statutory, community and voluntary, and business sectors, government departments and key agencies, have been working closely together to develop an Action Plan for delivery over the next 2-4 years. The Action Plan will focus on those actions which require a high level of partnership working --------------------------------------------------------------- Residents’ Survey – your chance to have your say Your Council plans to undertake a Residents’ Survey in winter 2017/18 to find out what you think about Council services and the way in which we communicate with you. The survey will be undertaken by telephone. A random sample of households in the district will be selected to take part in the survey. Those who are invited to participate in the survey will be notified in writing by the Council in advance of the telephone call to deliver. Actions which are the sole responsibility of an individual organisation, therefore, will not be included as these will be taken forward by individual partners through their own corporate and business plans. As lead partner, the Council has held numerous workshops with all partners to openly discuss and debate the development of actions to support each of the three themes outlined in the plan: • People and Communities • Economy, Infrastructure and Skills • Environment The draft Action Plan will be released for public consultation towards the end of the year before being finalised. Last year, you told us what matters and we agreed a Community Plan based around the evidenced priorities and needs. We now want to hear your views on the draft actions. Details of the public consultation process will be available on our website at www.fermanaghomagh. com/communityplan or by contacting us using the contact details on pg 2. Volunteer with us Through the Community Plan ‘Fermanagh and Omagh 2030’, the Council has committed to ensure that, ‘Our communities are inclusive, safe, resilient and empowered’ and volunteering is one way to achieve this. We recently launched a new Volunteer Policy to provide a coordinated and consistent approach to volunteering where opportunities exist within the Council organisation. Volunteer registration opens each year in October and May. To find out about upcoming volunteer opportunities please email volunteer@fermanaghomagh.com or contact us using the contact details on pg 2. This investment included: • Programme to transform the Enniskillen Castle complex and develop the Castle Basin Promenade in Enniskillen • Developing the Riverside Walk and completing work to the OASIS Plaza in Omagh • Developing and upgrading a number of outdoor Multi Use Games Areas • Improvements to the public realm in Old Market Place and construction of the Bowling Green pavilion in Omagh • Extension and improvements to facilities at Killyvilly and Gortrush depots to deliver more efficient and cost effective services • Extension of Greenhill Cemetery, Omagh • Construction of the West End Community Centre, Enniskillen £14 million has been invested in venues and facilities across the Council area Improving health & well-being The Council continues to deliver a programme of activity to promote healthy and active lifestyles. Since 1 April 2015 some of this activity has included the delivery of a summer activity programme for children and young people and the roll out of Sport NI’s National Lottery-funded Everybody Active 2020 programme which helps people get more active more often and targets in particular children and young people, people living in areas of greatest social need, those retiring fromwork, women and girls and people with disabilities. 500 nursery pupils have been involved annually in the Healthy Towns Nursery Activity coaching programmes and 850 clients have participated in the GP Physical Activity Referral Scheme. Supporting our local economy We continue to manage and deliver a range of programmes and initiatives to develop our local economy. For example, since 1 April 2015 we have managed a number of capital projects across the district; promoted 587 jobs through the New Business Start Up programme and launched a free to download mobile app ‘Invest Fermanagh Omagh’. We have also provided training and networking opportunities for local businesses through events such as Enterprise Week held in early November and invested in 1,126 home energy improvements to qualifying households within the district as part of the Department for Communities (DfC) Affordable Warmth Scheme which is delivered in partnership with the Housing Executive.