Progress in establishing a community anchor organisation in Scarborough has been slow, as North Yorkshire Council explores a collective approach instead of a single hub.
North Yorkshire Council has successfully appointed twenty-seven community anchor organisations across the county, but progress in Scarborough remains slow as officials reconsider their approach for the town.
Community anchor organisations are local, voluntary, and community-led groups partnered with the council to boost community resilience, health, and independence. These hubs provide services, support, and activities tailored to local needs, acting as trusted, established bases for community development.
The role and purpose of these anchor groups are to operate as community-led hubs, often within the voluntary or social enterprise sector, to combat local issues, offer social support, and provide long-term resilience. Services can range from community cafes and social gardening to employment support, training, and activities.
While the model has been successful elsewhere, the unique landscape of Scarborough has presented challenges. The council provides funding to these groups through the Stronger Communities programme to improve health and independence, with grant opportunities like the Inspire Fund for local projects.
These hubs are also designed to act as vital centres for resilience and emergency support. However, creating a single point of contact in Scarborough has proven to be a complex task due to the diverse nature of existing groups.
Executive Member for Corporate Services, Councillor Heather Phillips, explained the difficulties faced in the town:
"I think it is recognised that the community anchor organisation model while it works quite well in rural areas is possibly not quite the right model especially for Scarborough or Harrogate. The complex nature of the voluntary sector within Scarborough has various levels of engagement governance capability sustainability so I think that's why the team the localities team have taken the view that it's not going to be a organisation it's going to be a collective."
The local authority recognises that the voluntary sector in Scarborough is intricate, with many different groups already operating at various levels of engagement and capability. Because of this, the localities team has shifted its focus away from appointing a single organisation.
Councillor Phillips acknowledged the delays but remains optimistic about the new collective strategy:
"But we'll have to see how that progresses. I know that it may seem to be slow progress at the moment but hopefully now we've got past that initial attempt we can get on with the collective and I know that there are a lot of different voices in Scarborough it's a very complex area and we're maybe not making as quicker progress as we had hoped for."
As the council works to unite the various voices and organisations in Scarborough, the hope is that a collaborative model will ultimately provide the robust support network the town needs, matching the success seen in other North Yorkshire communities.
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