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Victoria In Partnership Ltd (also known as VIP) started life as a word based steering group founded approximately 4 years ago. due to Victoria Ward featuring highly in the Governments Indices of Deprivation and by it being largely overlooked by previous local Borough Initiatives, a group of like minded residents got together and organised a steering committee made up of various stake-holders including the local Police, local Councillors, Primary Care Trust, residents associations, local community groups, representatives from the Third Sector and Southend Borough Council.

Our primary project was to landscape the town centre tower block estate on which people felt neglected and isolated. After consultating residents on what they would like to see, use and experience within the estate we raised in total 225k to landscape and maintain for 5 years all the outside communal areas, install seating, improve lighting and create a childs soft play area. This project is still running and can be seen and enjoyed to this day. We then went on to obtain funding to carry out an extensive feasibility study which outlined many areas of need within the ward. The study highlighted over 240 potential, short, medium and long term projects and concluded that “Victoria Ward is central to the future regeneration of Southend on Sea”. This led to Victoria In Partnership Ltd a ‘Not-for-profit’ company limited by guarantee and also a registered charity being formed just over 2 years ago and employed a part-time Project Worker to start to address some of these issues. Over the past 2 and a half years we have been involved in the initial consultation, steering panel, subse­quent build and opening to the public of 3 Childrens Centres, 1 based on the grounds of a local school, 1 attached to a local church and another on a highly deprived housing estate. Also from initial concept to the opening of our much needed Credit Union within Southend to the creation of Street Wardens in our top three most deprived wards. We have also over the years been involved in local planning and development that impact on our residents as well as supporting local groups and organisations. But to do any of this we need help from both the business and residential communities.

ANYONE who lives, works within the ward and wants to offer their time, expertise, a service or financial backing however large or small would be greatly accepted and appreciated.