Ambitious £19.6m Pride in Place programme launches in Rowner with community co-chairs recruited
A huge step forward has been taken in an ambitious £19.6m project to help revamp and revive Rowner with the community co-chairs now recruited.
The community-led Pride in Place programme was announced by the government last year and is designed to build local pride and tackle deprivation, giving residents a real say in shaping their neighbourhood.
The two co-chairs recruited for the Rowner Neighbourhood Board are Kirsty Robertson, chief executive officer of Motiv8 and Chris Willis, headteacher of King’s Academy Bay House, Gosport. Both bring deep local knowledge, strong leadership experience and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for children, young people, and families in Rowner.
Kirsty Robertson grew up in Rowner then Gosport and has worked in Rowner for 17 years, supporting young people and communities through her leadership of Motiv8.
Chris Willis leads King’s Academy Bay House and has a long-standing connection to the Rowner and broader Gosport community through education and partnership working, previously securing funding and formally opening the Gosport Community Hub in 2022.
Kirsty said: “Rowner is not just where I’ve worked for many years, it’s where I grew up, where my roots are, and where I’ve seen first-hand both the challenges and the incredible strengths of this community.
"Rowner is a brilliant place, with brilliant people and Pride Place is a real opportunity to do things differently. It gives local people the time, resources and influence to shape what happens next for Rowner. I’m committed to making sure residents’ voices are genuinely heard, that young people, families and residents are part of the conversation, and that this investment leads to long-term, positive change that the community can feel proud of.”
Chris added: “I am absolutely delighted and honoured to be working on behalf of Rowner in this new role. Through my years in education across Gosport, I have had the great privilege of working closely with so many brilliant Rowner pupils and their families. I know first-hand just how much heart, resilience, and potential exists here. The Pride in Place programme is a fantastic opportunity to ensure families and the Rowner community have a genuine say in shaping their neighbourhood's future. I cannot wait to get out there, meet many more of our Rowner community, and start building that shared vision together."
Their next steps include establishing the Rowner Neighbourhood Board, engaging widely with the community, and beginning work on a long-term plan shaped by local priorities.
The Neighbourhood Board will be community-led, with local people at the heart of every decision. The co-chairs will bring together residents, local organisations, schools, partners and public services to develop a shared 10-year vision for the area focused on:
Restoring pride in neighbourhoods
Tackling long-standing inequalities
Empowering communities to lead decision-making.
In Rowner, the programme will support local people to:
Set priorities based on what matters most to people who live there.
Decide how long-term investment is used.
Strengthen community connections.
Improve local spaces, opportunities and life chances.
Gosport MP Dame Caroline Dinenage said: "It’s great news that Rowner has been allocated government funding, and it’s even better that this will be delivered by a new Neighbourhood Board made up of local people, focused on delivering on the priorities of residents.
"There will be plenty of opportunities for you to contribute your views on how this investment can have the greatest and most enduring impact for Rowner. Please get involved and have your say.”