Big Conversation: VCSE and Town and Parish Council Workshop

This event is exclusively for representatives from the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) and Town and Parish Councils in Shropshire.

Important Information - Please Read:

The event will provide an opportunity for attendees to take part in Shropshire Council's Big Conversation and also to discuss the issues which are important to you and your communities.

***Due to venue capacity, booking is limited to ONE person per organisation/Town and Parish Council. Please use the attendees list below to check if anyone is attending from your area/organisation. We will operate a waiting list in the event of the workshop becoming fully booked. ***

If you are unable to attend this event, there are other opportunities to be involved in the Big Conversation; please see detail below.

We are currently working with colleagues and partners to design and confirm speakers, presentations and an agenda for the event; we hope to share this with you on this page as soon as possible in the New Year. All attendees who have booked on will receive full details via email prior to the event.

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Further information about the Big Conversation:

The Big Conversation survey is the first phase of a five-year conversation the council wants to have with the people, organisations and businesses across the county to ask them what council services are most important to them.

The Big Conversation comes in light of continuous Government cuts which, in five years’ time, will leave only one quarter of the current funding that pays for over 150 services.

Like all local authorities, the council is faced with the need to make further substantial savings in the coming years due to ongoing Government cuts.

By 2020/21 the Government’s £44m revenue support grant – money that is paid to councils each year to help provide services – will end. By the time this grant ends, it is estimated that we will be a further £77m worse off, due to the combination of inflationary increases in costs, particularly in adult social care, and further cuts in Government grants.

The council’s forecast budget for 2020/21, recently published in the council’s Financial Strategy, is estimated to be £188m. £163m (87%) of the budget will be allocated to core services such as adult’s and children’s social care and safeguarding, domestic waste disposal, concessionary travel and school transport.

This will leave just £25m (13% of the overall budget) of money to spend on the remaining 150 plus services the council currently provides. This is a reduction of 75% from the £100m the local authority currently spend on these services.

This means the council will have to stop delivering some services, and need the public to tell them which services are important to them and what they can do to help and make the remaining resources it has go further.

Claire Wild, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member leading the Big Conversation, said:

“In every home, organisation and business in Shropshire people have to manage a budget, prioritise and make important spending decisions. This is the same for the council, and we really want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to influence these decisions by showing us which services are the most important to you and your community. “As part of this Big Conversation we want you to tell us your views on the services you value, the services you don’t, and the services you and your community may consider to run yourselves. “The Big Conversation will continue over the next five years. This initial survey is the first phase of this conversation. So please get involved, your views will be used to tell us what services the council will provide in the years ahead.”

If you know someone who does not have access to a computer, you can either print a copy off for them or you can pick a paper copy up from your local library or customer service point.

Alternatively you can call us and request one. For more information about the Big Conversation and to take part  Visit: www.shropshire.gov.uk/bigconversation  Follow us: @shropcouncil #Shropbc  Email: BigConversation@shropshire.gov.uk  Call: 0345 678 9077 (weekdays from 9am to 5pm)