Issue - meetings

This report sets out the Council’s intended Health and Wellbeing Strategy for 2025-2028.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Approve the final Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2028 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

The Committee received a report setting out the Council’s intended Health and Wellbeing strategy for 2025-2028.

The Committee considered the following matters:

a)            Progress Monitoring. In response to questions from a Member, the Community Development Manager explained that the delivery and progress of the 2019-24 health & wellbeing strategy had been disrupted on account of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Syrian, Afghan and Ukrainian refugee schemes – she stated, however, that the Council was now in a much stronger position to deliver on its strategy. She advised that the progress of the strategy would be monitored via an action plan, which was currently in the process of being drafted. The Chair stated that work of the Council would only be part of the picture, and that the success of the strategy would be in large part dependent on collaboration with partner organisations. He advised that the progress of the strategy would be reported back to Committee after a period of 12 months.

b)            Digital Inclusion. It was acknowledged that for a large number of people, digital exclusion can act as a barrier in many aspects of life. Members considered the importance of finding ways to break down those barriers for people who experience digital exclusion, particularly the elderly population of the borough, and discussed the social benefits and alleviation to feelings of isolation that digital devices and their social platforms can provide.

c)            Access to Sports and Other Activities. In response to a question from a Member, the Community Development Manager confirmed that the ‘Surrey Youth Games’ had been discontinued. She stated that its successor, the ‘Young Legends’ project, was currently in development – an activities programme targeted at young children, intended to provide opportunities to engage in sports for those who experience barriers to access for reasons such as physical or financial needs, etc. She stated that the possibility of including creative activities on the programme was also being explored. 

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to:

(1)      Approve the final Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2025-2028 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.