Tidworth Area Board Report for Ludgershall Town Council Annual Meeting
AB Board business meetings
Tidworth AB has held 4 business meetings this year which, alongside decision making on grant applications, have received multiple partner updates. These include from the Phillip Wilkinson - Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Constable Catherine Roper Wiltshire Police Chief Constable. We have also welcomed Dame Sue Grey, the new CEO of the Armed Forces Equine Charity, ate Brooks from Age UK, Nicky Harris from the Family Hubs team and regular updates from MoD partners and Town and Parish Councils.
Tidworth AB priorities for 2025/26
Health and Wellbeing – AB Lead Cllr Chris Williams
Youth Engagement – AB Lead Cllr Keith Allen
Community Safety – AB Lead Cllr Dave Lumsden
AB Grants Supported
· Ludgershall Memorial Hall - £3,600 for Hall Improvements
· Tidworth and Ludgershall Mens Shed - £3,750 for facility improvements
· Area Board Initiative - £700 for half term youth engagement sessions
· Collingbourne Kingstone Recreation Ground - £3,500 for fencing improvements
· Area Board Initiative - £5,000 for detached youth work project
· Area Board Initiative - £2,000 for in-school youth engagement work
· Area Board Initiative - £1,000 for Wellington Academy Youth Committee projects
· Army Welfare Service - £2,500 for summer activities
· Area Board Initiative - £500 for digital inclusion project
· Area Board Initiative - £500 for Health and Wellbeing Event
· Age UK Wiltshire - £2,000 for Celebrating Age Wiltshire project
· St James’ Church Ludgershall - £2,500 for “Our Community Churchyard” project
· Chutes Connect - £870 for minibus excursions project
· Stand Easy Veterans UK - £300 for an event gazebo
· Age UK Wiltshire - £830 for “Daytime Disco” project
Youth Engagement
The detached youth work will be starting properly this summer with workers expected on the group in late May/early June– this will involve youth worker going to the areas which young people “hang out” to engage with them and deliver youth work on site rather than in a youth club setting.
Cllr Keith Allen has also engaged with Wellington Academy to establish a Youth Committee within the school, which the AB has allocated funding to in order to design and deliver projects of their own design.
The Area Board continues to support local youth organisations such as the Army Welfare Service and others.
Health and Wellbeing
Age UK Wiltshire have brought their successful Celebrating Age Wiltshire project to Tidworth for the first time. Look out for their events around the area bringing arts projects to older and vulnerable adults.
The Heath and Wellbeing Group is working on a public event which will be taking place in Ludgershall memorial hall on Monday 1 June.
The HWB Group continues to support local groups who provide health and wellbeing services locally such as Stand Easy UK Veterans group and the new Chutes Connect minibus project
Community Safety
As a new priority to the area board, only confirmed as a priority in November, the AB are still in the process of establishing a new Tidworth Community Area Safety and Security Group.
This includes ensuring a comprehensive list of partners are on board, and a suitable Terms of Reference is written and approved – likely to be done at the Area Board meeting on Monday 15 June.
There will be a focus around reducing anti-social behaviour and while this is not exclusively caused by young people, the group will work closely with he local youth network to support the detached youth work project.
Area Board Priorities will be reviewed at the Area Board meeting in June
To see more information on the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment data which informs these priorities alongside local knowledge, please see link below.
