Community Boards

Community Boards bring the council, groups, organisations and local people together. Their aim is to look at local issues and find ways of improving them together.

The value of the Community Boards is being able to listen and respond to local needs.

Community Boards aim to:

• represent the voice of local people
• capture thoughts, ideas and suggestions
• bring together key community partners and residents
• identify local needs and work to produce creative solutions

View the Terms of Reference for the Community Boards (DOCX, 36.3 KB).

Community Boards collaborate with local partners to develop project ideas and initiatives. They are able to address key priorities spanning multiple boards to achieve impact at scale.

The boards use local data, intelligence and the views of the community to identify key areas of focus and priorities for the board to take forward.

These priorities will help to:

• determine where the Boards take action
• allocate funding for projects to improve the local area

Each board has an allocated budget to fund local projects and initiatives.

There will be at least three public meetings held each year, together with at least one community event. At these meetings, funding is allocated and feedback will be shared on the plan of action. Action notes from these meetings are published online.

Each board is supported by a dedicated Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Community Board Manager. They make links with people in the local community to make sure information is shared and local views and ideas are heard.

They will develop working relationships with local people, groups and organisations to make sure they feel connected with the boards and the council.

The ambition is for each Community Board to drive and deliver for their local communities.

If you join your community board, you'll be able to have your say on issues that affect your area. How involved you become is up to you. We will:

• send you a regular newsletter
• invite you to our board meetings and events
• give you the opportunity to get involved with our action or task and finish groups
• let you know about local consultations
• share information on funding for communities

To get involved complete our online form.

If you are unsure which local community board is yours, you can search for it using our postcode checker.

In addition to Community Boards, residents living in some areas in Aylesbury, Chesham and High Wycombe are also invited to join their local Ward Partnership.

The Ward Partnerships have been developed to support the county’s Opportunity Bucks programme, giving residents from these wards a chance to help shape and improve outcomes and opportunities.

An annual budget is allocated to Community Boards from the council’s Annual Revenue Budget which is approved by Full Council each year.

Each Community Board is set an allocated budget. The level of Community Board funding allocated to each area is based on:

• the population of the area
• the levels of deprivation

The Community Board budget provides funding to support local projects that will help to:

• improve outcomes for residents
• address the area priorities determined by each Community Board
• support the delivery of Buckinghamshire Council’s Corporate Plan

Community Boards will set local priorities and develop action plans to address these areas in a way that is tailored to local circumstances.

Projects that address these priorities and local needs are welcome from community and voluntary sector groups.

The maximum funding available for a project is £15,000. All projects must have some financial contributory funding to help deliver the project.

There are 2 types of funding available:

• Community Board project funding
• Small Grants funding

All funding allocations must operate in accordance with the policies and decisions of the council.