The report of the Chief Executive (Document “D”) provides an update on COVID-19 communications in Bradford District. It describes the district communications response between March 2020 and January 2021. 

The report sets out how the Council-led system-wide communications response to COVID-19 across the Bradford District is being managed, explaining the leadership and co-ordination role of the System Communications Group, communications activities throughout the pandemic so far, and NHS-led planning for vaccinations. 

Recommended –

(1)       That Bradford West Area Committee notes the contents of the   report and the communications work that is taking place across   district to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Jenny Cryer – 07582 103747)

Resolved –

(1)       That Community Action Bradford & District (CABAD), Racial       Equality Network (REN) and the Urban Reach Partnership CIC be   requested to attend the first meeting of the Bradford West Area   Committee in the Municipal Year 2021/22,to give a detailed           presentation on their respective organisation’s focus based            community engagement work on COVID-19 in the Bradford West         area.

(2)       That officers be requested to examine the credentials of Urban Reach Partnership CIC and that, following this examination,            Officers report the outcomes directly to the Members of the             Bradford West Area Committee.

ACTION:       Assistant Director, Office of the Chief Executive

The report of the Chief Executive (Document “D”) provided an update on COVID-19 communications in Bradford District. It described the district communications response between March 2020 and January 2021.

The report set out how the Council-led system-wide communications response to COVID-19 across the Bradford District was being managed, explained the leadership and co-ordination role of the System Communications Group, communications activities throughout the pandemic so far, and NHS-led planning for vaccinations.  

The Assistant Director was in attendance and with the invitation of the Chair, gave a synopsis of the report. She explained that the report gave some indication of the communities’ work that had been going on to date. There were a number of approaches which the Council had tried since the beginning of the pandemic. The communications channels had been significantly extended to reach wider audiences. Contracts had also been awarded to voluntary organisations, who had been asked to focus on community based engagement with particular groups of residents and residents across the district. 

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A question and answer session ensued:

·         How much money had been awarded to the organisations that had been tasked to deliver the community engagement activities?

o   In the region of £200,000 each was earmarked for the 3 organisations that had been given the contracts for the delivery of activities of engagement work;

·         Out of the 3 organisations, clarity was sought on Urban Reach?

o   Urban Reach was a community interest company that undertook district wide work and that contracts had been signed by the company representative;

·         It had been brought to the committee’s attention that Urban Reach was a new organisation being registered by the individual who was also the President of Council for Mosques. Council for Mosques was also a faith organisation that undertook community work. Was Council management aware that the President had earlier refused the contract on behalf of Councils for Mosques as the organisation was unable to deliver the work of the Council and then, the same individual having registered a new company as Urban Reach, under his name and had accepted the Council contract to deliver the exact same engagement work that he had declined on behalf of Council for Mosques?

o   Due to a lack of information at hand on the background of the background of the organisation, the individual concerned and the basis for rewarding the community engagement work, information sought could not be provided at present. However, the community organisation was called Urban Reach that the and the name of the representative was for public records to view in Companies House;

·         The Chair asked the committee whether any member had come across this new community organisation during their engagement activities within communities in their respective wards or ever heard of this organisation?

o   To which the answer was no; and,

§  Following a sense of confusion by the committee, the Chair raised concerns as to the authenticity of Urban Reach and how a significant amount of public funds could be given to a newly  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54