Your Call annual report 2012 - Blackburn with Darwen Borough ...

Overview of the campaign
L-R Jayne, Jack and Chris get ready to start work in the rain at the Your Call clean up at St James Cemetery, Stopes Brow, Lower Darwen.
Your Call was launched in November 2011.
It was set-up as a response to the unprecedented budget cuts
the Council had to make because of funding reductions.
The severe cuts meant the Council could no longer try to solve
every problem the borough faced on its own. It needed the
help of residents to make neighbourhoods cleaner, greener,
safer and more prosperous.
Residents told the Council clearly that they wanted to get more
involved in making their communities a better place. Indeed,
many residents were already doing so.
Many said they were happy to get out there and do their bit but
sometimes lacked the resources to get projects off the ground.
One of the clearest examples of how Your Call works is the
success of the environmental part of the campaign.
Your Call provides tools, equipment, health and safety advice
and guidance and waste removal.
Since 2011, 3545 volunteers have taken part in 118
environmental improvement activities.
Activities have included back street clean-ups, litter picks, grass
cutting and hedge trimming.
Other Your Call successes include the increase in the number
of winter squads, which has doubled since they started in
November 2011.
In total, nearly 5000 volunteers have taken part in Your Call.
One important aspect of the Your Call campaign is for the
Council to continue to listen to residents about their priorities
and their ideas to make their neighbourhoods better places.
In August 2012, the leader of the Council took part in a special
consultation event which saw a black cab complete with a
video diary room parked in Blackburn and Darwen.
On the day 46 residents filled in the feedback cards whilst a
further 24 gave their comments to the ‘cabcam’. The videodiary
style comments have been made into a YouTube video
and uploaded to the Council website. More than 30 feedback
cards were also taken away by residents to fill-in and return at
a later date.
The main topics for discussion with residents were about
litter, highways issues, dog fouling and suggestions for youth
activities.
Another example of this continued listening is the Your Call,
Your Agenda meetings which has seen young people and
children meet up with the Council leader to set the agenda and
talk about issues important to them.
Last November, the campaign was named Community
Initiative of the Year at the UK Public Sector Awards – national
recognition of residents who have been taking action to make
a real difference in their communities.
Your Call in numbers
118
33
5000
10%
Clean ups since 2011
other events such as dog solutions workshops
volunteers taken part in your call activities
increase in the number of residents who said they
have volunteered. Increase in the last 12 months (Figures
taken from the 2011 & 2012 resident’s survey).