Coming out of this pandemic, while it is an important aspect of our economic recovery, we cannot simply focus on investment in our physical infrastructure. We need to invest in our social infrastructure, in our community assets and in our third sector if we want to truly level up across the country and deliver an economic recovery that works for everyone.
Since my election in December 2019, I have made the case that nurturing civic pride is an essential part of levelling up. The feeling that “Stoke is on the up” motivates people more than anything, to play an active role in contributing to their community.
You can here my thoughts on levelling-up our social infrastructure here.
Community and Family Hubs
Family Hubs are centres which ensure families with children and young people aged 0-19 receive early help to overcome a range of difficulties and build stronger relationships. Effective early intervention can reduce family poverty, improve mental health and lead to lower crime, unemployment and other negative outcomes which carry significant cost to the public purse. They are centres which enhance integrated working by enabling easier access to support, better outcomes for families, more effective service delivery and smarter use of budgets.