Council set to vote on partnering with charity

AGREEMENT COULD HELP IMPROVE LEVELS OF SCHOOL READINESS

- By DANIEL HODGSON

A COUNCIL is expected to vote in favour of partnering with charity Thrive at Five.

Middlesbrough Council’s Labour executive will vote on whether to approve an investment into a partnership model with Thrive at Five, which is the recommendation from council officers.

If approved, the council will enter into a five-year agreement with the charity, subject to legal and finance review and approval. If members of the executive chose to vote in favour, it means they will also receive an annual update of progress.

Thrive at Five is a national charity that aims to help young children to develop strong foundations for life and learning, according to documents being presented to the executive tomorrow. They are a “place-based initiative” and executive members are told that the charity brings significant resources and capacity to the areas within which they work.

The total investment for the first five years is £3.6m, which will include £600,000 from Middlesbrough Council over the course of three years. Thrive at Five will fund the other £3m. The “pathfinder” is set to operate for five years, with the approach set to be embedded as normal practice.