Southwark Alliance looks for residents to join Board

Thousands of posters, postcards and information leaflets are being distributed across the borough, asking residents “Who Do You Know?".

“We are hoping that even if some residents don't want to volunteer for this role themselves, the question ‘Who Do You Know?' will encourage them to think of suitable people that they know,” explains Southwark Alliance chair Councillor Nick Stanton.

The Alliance board brings together a diverse group of people who can speak about the concerns of different communities with the organisations that provide public services such as the Council, the police and the health service. Working as a team, its job is to make things better for the people of Southwark.

“To do that job we need to make sure local people have a voice and that they are fully involved in influencing decisions that affect their lives,” he says.

One resident will be selected from each of the eight Southwark Community Council areas (Borough & Bankside and Bermondsey community councils cover much of SE1) and will be appointed to the board until November 2005. They will be expected to attend around eight meetings a year, should be willing to advise on a range of local issues affecting residents of the area and be committed to working in partnership with statutory, voluntary, faith-based and business organisations.

• Application forms are widely available across the borough, and can also be obtained, with more information, by phoning a special hotline – 020 7079 0526, e-mailing [email protected]">[email protected] or visiting the Southwark Alliance website.