Column by the leader of Stroud District Council, Doina Cornell.

Stroud District Council has five key priorities but at the heart of it all, why councillors run for election and what drives the work that officers do, is one thing – helping people.

The five key priorities form the council’s vision to lead a community making Stroud district a better place to live, work and visit. We host quarterly Local Strategic Partnership meetings which brings public, private and voluntary sectors under one roof and last Friday (January 10) it was inspiring to hear from valuable initiatives which help people find homes and work.

Homeshare brings together older people with spare rooms and people who need accommodation who are happy to pitch in. Dubbed ‘housemates reinvented’ the scheme matches householders who benefit from low level support and home sharers who get more than just a place to live, but a home.

The matching process is thorough and there is no pressure from Homeshare to accept a match who they are not completely happy with. A similar scheme is Nightstop where people with spare rooms can help provide temporary accommodation for young people. Most young people come to Nightstop through a referral from an agency and need the support it offers at a vitally important time in their lives.

Find out more at gloucestershirenightstop.org.uk or by calling 01453 331330.

Building good quality homes for local people is a top priority for SDC, and Community Land Trusts are a great way to achieve this. CLT’s can build homes for rent only in perpetuity.

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council and Uley Parish Council former chair Anne Sutcliffe took the LSP through the process, which I am pleased to say has the support of Stroud District Council but can face opposition from some quarters.

It was a very valuable session and we are always ready to help CLTs provide homes.