Community Matters: the residents’ panel of Thanet District Council

Community Matters is a consultative panel of around 1000 residents, which aims to give local people a chance to have their say about life in the District and about local public services. Thanet District Council set up and runs the panel.

The current residents panel has run for four years and is now being refreshed to ensure that even more people are able to particpate. Find out more about joining the new panel.

Who has joined Community Matters?

Members of Community Matters are from a range of backgrounds from all over the District. The panel is broadly representative of Thanet’s population in terms of age, ethnicity and areas, so everyone is welcome.

What has Community Matters achieved?

Community Matters has helped to set the council's priorities over the last four years. Members of the panel have given their views on a range of subjects including:

What they think of Thanet as a place to live
The major crime and anti-social behaviour issues in their neighbourhood
How much they recycle and how satisfied with they are with recycling
The state of the area’s beaches
The condition of housing in the area
How they want to be communicated with
The opportunities to get involved in helping to shape council decisions.

One of the main issues the panel raised in their first survey was the importance of activities for young people. As a result the council proposed to set aside £50,000 for youth development, with an additional £40,000 proposed for sports development in response to their views.

Community Matters also helped to shape the council’s high-profile Thanet is Beautiful campaign, which aimed to promote the beauty of the area and discourage people from dropping litter.

What does joining Community Matters involve?

As a member of Community Matters, you will be asked to take part in postal surveys throughout the year as well as opting to take part in small group discussions or workshops on topics that they are interested in. During these events you will have the opportunity to meet Council officers and explore a topic in detail.

Why would I want to join?

As a member of Community Matters you will have the opportunity to tell us about your experiences of living in Thanet and what you expect from local public services. You will be able to inform decisions made by the Council.

The range of topics and issues you will be consulted on will be wide and affect you and your neighbours’ lives.

As a member you will receive regular feedback on what we have found out and on actions taken as a result through our feedback pack, letters and email messages.

What about confidentiality?

All the information you give us is confidential and we will never use your name in any of our findings, or pass your name and address to other organisations. Your data will be held securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. It will only be used for the purposes described and will not be published on an individual basis.