Blantyre/North Hamilton have now been recognised as one of three Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) areas and work has begun to bring the private sector on board.

A total of £3.5 million will be pumped into the area over the next three years to provide jobs, training, childcare and other routes out of social exclusion for the local community. The initiative will focus on the problems facing young people.

SIPs is currently being set up through a partnership between South Lanarkshire Council, Lanarkshire Development Agency, Scottish Homes, Lanarkshire Health Board, the Employment Service and the private, community and voluntary sectors.

Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and Hamilton Enterprise Development Company have been brought on board to encourage local businesses to become involved in the initiative.

Councillor Tom McCabe, leader of South Lanarkshire Council, said: “Social Inclusion is about overcoming problems of unemployment, crime and the fact that some people have little money to live on. It’s important for us all that we try to overcome these problems in South Lanarkshire. The Council can’t do this on its own. We need the help of other public sector agencies and local businesses to effectively tackle deprivation and give the people of Blantyre/North Hamilton a better quality of life and greater opportunities.

“We will be concentrating most of our efforts on the young people of that area, an initiative that will benefit the whole community in both the long and short term.”

Councillor McCabe revealed that the Council plans to address the problems of the area through a number of initiatives. These include:

There are already a series of strategies which compliment the Social Inclusion Partnership. These include Community Planning, Access & Opportunity and Changing Gear: the Economic Development Strategy for Lanarkshire.

Changing Gear was developed by a partnership between South and North Lanarkshire Councils, Lanarkshire Development Agency, Scottish Homes, and Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire Health Boards. It is supported by a strategic body, the Lanarkshire Alliance, and its main themes are: Building and Attracting Business, Building a Learning Industry, Connecting Lanarkshire, A Place for Living and Work.

Other projects include the Scottish Homes Regional Plan, which aims to regenerate deprived areas and improve housing conditions, and the Community Safety Strategy led by Strathclyde Police.

Partnership activity is also in place for a range of other projects. The New Routes initiative offers unemployed people of that area help and support in finding jobs and/or training. There is also New Deal, the Youth Employment and Training Initiative, New Housing Partnerships and other youth and community-based initiatives.

Cllr McCabe said: “As you can see, South Lanarkshire Council has not rested on its laurels. With our partners, we are leading the way to bring the people of the Blantyre/North Hamilton area the initiatives that will really make a difference.

“We want to bring local businesses on board to help us make the area a better place in which to live. Your business can be involved in a number of ways, including offering training or a job to an unemployed person or just being involved in the local forums. Your opinions, views and ideas matter. The Blantyre/North Hamilton SIPs is about inclusion and that includes you too.”

Social Inclusion Partnership - the Background

May 1998:
Secretary of State for Scotland, the Rt Hon Donald Dewar MP announced his intention to designate new Social Inclusion Partnerships during his address to the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum annual lecture on 8 May 1998

November 1998:
Announcement that £18 million was to be invested in Blantyre/North Hamilton, Greater Pollok and Drumchapel - three of Scotland's most deprived communities - to provide new opportunities for their residents

April 1, 1999:
New Social Inclusion Partnerships begin

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