Communities urged to build on New Deal success story » Housing » 24dash.com

Communities Minister Baroness Andrews has today called on community leaders from across the country to look to the future and build on the success of the New Deal for Communities programme over the past decade.

New guidance published today highlights the many ways in which New Deal for Communities projects are working to ensure that efforts continue to turn around the most deprived areas of the country when the programme comes to an end in 2010.

In particular, NDCs are looking at ways to build on the work they have done over the course of the programme, by encouraging greater community involvement and engagement in the delivery of local services by mainstream agencies such as the Primary Care Trusts.

Through the New Deal for Communities programme, £2billion has been allocated to 39 projects in some of the most deprived parts of the country, to improve quality of life and opportunity for local people.

Since its launch, the New Deal for Communities programme has led to a number of significant improvements, including:

• An improvement in educational achievement - 37 per cent of children in NDC areas achieve five or more GCSEs in 2005, compared to 26 per cent in 2002
• Over 17,000 people gaining employment
• Over 3,000 additional childcare places
• Increased satisfaction with NDC areas as places to live - up from 60 per cent to 71 per cent

The New Deal for Communities programme also has a successful record in encouraging local people to get involved - nearly 60 per cent of NDC board members are local residents.

Communities Minister Baroness Andrews said: "Over the past decade, the New Deal for Communities programme has made a real difference to the lives of people in some of the poorest parts of the country.

"But too many people still suffer from the cycle of deprivation, and it is vital that the 39 NDC areas must ensure that this legacy is not lost, and build on this success.

"That's why I am publishing guidance today which will help secure the future. NDCs must learn from the experience of others, develop strategies to continue the efforts of the past decade long after the programme ends, and ensure that the expertise of local people - which has been vital to the success of NDCs - is not lost."