From the beginning, the NDC has been resident-led and has taken community engagement very seriously, actively involving residents in devising its strategy and theme priorities and in commissioning and evaluating projects.

NDC’s Community Engagement Task Group launched a series of themed community debates, discussing the local impact of the financial crisis and recession and developments in education and crime. Increasing numbers of people from across Doncaster participated, and the debates led to a much greater quality of understanding and input by local people as well as a better relationship between NDC and the Doncaster Free Press, following the participation of the editor, Graeme Huston, as chair of the first two debates and a speaker in the third. Community forums like these are now being recognised by national and local government as a vital way of involving people in local democracy, and our initiative was at the forefront.

NDC ended the year by reducing its staff team by about a third, in readiness for the end of its programme in 2011. Part of this involved a plan to ensure that community engagement continues by devolving the NDC community engagement function to our key community partner organisations and enabling them to fully explore how they could make themselves sustainable once NDC funding ends.

Each year we make a big difference in the NDC area by providing three types of grant funding:

• Community Grants ranging from £500 to £50,000 for community groups and voluntary organisations.

• Business Grants up to £5,000 which provide 50 per cent capital funding to local businesses for such things as security and signage.

• Moving On Bursaries – small sums of money provided, through referrals from local organisations, to individuals in difficulty to help improve their lives (see page 14).

Women’s Aid was able to continue with their Asian Women’s Advice service this year, thanks to an NDC community grant. The project provides advice and support for women and their children living with or fleeing domestic violence. The work involves culturally sensitive advice and support on issues such as immigration, forced marriage, health, language barriers and social isolation and is provided through drop-ins, an advice line, individual sessions, translation, outreach visits and group activities.

Sue Womack, Director of Doncaster Women’s Aid, said: “During this year, NDC funding enabled our Asian Women’s Advice Worker to respond to 1,232 referrals. In addition, we hosted our 10th Asian Women’s Conference, a combination of awareness raising and a celebration of Asian culture through the medium of dance and song. The event was attended by over 100 women from the Doncaster Asian community in the NDC area”.

An NDC business grant enabled aquatic and reptile shop Tanks A Lot to refurbish their reptile house and provide a more welcoming and professional image. This has encouraged customers to spend more time in the shop.

Joan Jackson, the owner, said: “The grant has made a real difference. When you’re a small business it’s hard to know where to turn but NDC showed they cared and nothing was too much trouble for them.”