Pride in Place community board chairs appointed

Two chairs have been appointed for the Britwell and Foxborough Pride in Place boards who will be driving community-based improvements across the two areas of the town. 

In March, the government announced their third tranche of Pride in Place funding – with Britwell and Foxborough areas of Slough chosen by government, based on their data, as two of the recipients. 

The funding requirements state community neighbourhood boards should be established, made up by a majority of local residents and stakeholders including local politicians and chaired by an independent person. 

These boards are then charged with engaging the whole local community in a long-term programme, designed with local people and communities, building their capacity in very distinct areas to bring about sustainable change. 

Applications for chairing the two boards were invited in June and, following interviews with council representatives, members of the local community, young people, and the local MPs, this month, Rob Deeks was appointed chair of the Pride in Place Britwell Board and Jessica Theisinger was appointed chair of the Pride in Place Foxborough Board. 

Rob Deeks is the chief executive of Together as One (formerly known as Aik Saath) a local charity which supports peer mentoring and conflict resolution for young people, led by young people. 

Rob said: “Being appointed Chair of Britwell Pride in Place is a huge honour and a responsibility I take very seriously.

“Alongside the new board, I am determined that we use this opportunity to deliver meaningful, long-term improvements for the people of Britwell.

“Our approach will be simple: listen carefully, work hard and deliver. We want residents to see real progress and feel the benefits of this investment in their everyday lives.

“Britwell has a proud community, enormous potential and a bright future. The board and I are ready to work with residents and partners to make sure this opportunity creates a lasting legacy for generations to come.”

Jessica Theisinger is the headteacher of Foxborough Primary School. 

She said: “I feel incredibly privileged to have been appointed as Chair.

“Foxborough is a community with enormous strengths and potential; this funding represents a real opportunity to invest in the people, places and ideas that will make a lasting difference for local residents.

“It has been both exciting and heartening to see so many residents and community stakeholders expressing an interest in joining the board.

“That enthusiasm demonstrates the pride that already exists within our community and the shared commitment to making it an even better place to live, work and thrive.

“I look forward to working alongside our board members and partners to ensure this investment delivers meaningful and lasting benefits for the whole community.”

Councillor Wal Chahal, leader of the council, said: “I am delighted to welcome Rob and Jessica as chairs of the board which will be driving the community-led improvements in Britwell and Foxborough. 

“The Pride in Place programme may be administered by us here at the council but at its core the project is about long-term, community-led change and having two such committed, local and knowledgeable chairs will be fundamental to its success. 

“I am looking forward to the boards being put into place and watching local communities become truly involved in not just saying what they want for their areas but helping make it happen.”

Boards are also being recruited to currently and details will be presented to the government by the end of August. 

Anyone wanting to get involved should email britwellfoxboroughplace@slough.gov.uk