Last hurrah for £56m partnership

A regeneration scheme that has been running in the Black Country for 10 years is set to be wound up.

Sixteen members of staff will lose their jobs when the £56 million Greets Green Partnership comes to an end in March.

The partnership was set up to deliver a major regeneration programme around the area in West Bromwich under the Government's New Deal for Communities scheme.

The chief executive of the partnership, Ally Allerson, said: "We have funded more than 350 projects covering a whole range of theme areas.

"We have funded interventions in health, education, housing, jobs and schools, crime prevention and community development. It has been a huge project in that sense.

"One of the achievements is the work we have done with local people and the work they have done with us.

"We are confident we leave Greets Green a much more confident place," Mrs Allerson added.She said that among the successes, the neighbourhood police team has had a great effect in driving down crime.

"We were one of the pilot areas for the programme and that has been rolled out nationally. We are extremely pleased with the way the police have been working with us. And George Salter Collegiate Academy has gone from a failing school on the brink of closure to one of the top in the country."

Mrs Allerson said that other successful projects include the Hat Trick programme with UEFA and West Bromwich Albion FC which has produced various coaching schemes. But the partnership was disappointed not to have seen progress on housing developments in Dartmouth Street and Claypit Lane.

Mrs Allerson added: "Everything we have done has been made possible by people in the community. We' have had the chance to improve the area, talked to people and understand what they want.

"If we have achieved anything in Greets green, it is all because of the community."

A succession strategy has now been created to ensure that some of the projects started by the partnership will continue and be extended across the borough after the partnership is wound up at the end of the financial year.

Partners including the council and other agencies such as Sandwell Homes and Sandwell Primary Care Trust will help continue some schemes.

A registered charity, Greets Green Community Enterprises, has also been set up to continue some of the projects and take on the assets.