Giving Wigton a voice
Last updated 14:05, Thursday, 17 July 2008
Our local neighbourhood forum has always been about giving the people of Wigton a voice. It was set up fifteen years ago by the County Council and is still working hard supporting local projects and representing the interests of Wigton residents. Pat Ackred works for the forum and is the local neighbourhood development officer. It's a long title but Pat has a key role. The forum ensures that everyone gets to have their say.
As Pat says, "We're there to bridge the gap between the County Council and the community."
The group runs regular local drop in sessions and larger meetings four times a year around the area inviting anyone to attend and raise matters of local concern. The beauty is that each meeting is attended by representatives from the County Council, District Council, Police and Health Authorities or any other group which we think may contribute to solving local issues or concerns.
The role of the forum is as varied as the concerns raised by residents and it's success is down to nothing more complicated than getting everyone with an opinion and an influence into one room to talk.
Pat reflected on some recent issues raised at the meetings. She said, "Some things may seem like minor issues to the people making decisions but they can have a massive impact on the local people affected by them. There was a bus route from Ireby to Wigton which was discontinued by the bus company. We were able to discuss the problem with the people affected at one of our drop in sessions and the result is that the bus route looks like being reinstated. Small things make a big difference to people's lives and we're here to communicate this to larger organisations."
The value of the Neighbourhood Forum is not just in its role as an arbitrator but as a supporter of local schemes and projects which bring benefits to the local community.
Pat said, "We can offer support to local groups and projects by providing advice and funding. it doesn't have to be a ground breaking project; small schemes can make a big difference to a community. We've recently funded a trip which meant that the Wigton Brownies could visit other groups in the area. We've provided a grant for Altham Village Hall and funded a Stepping Stones project for local people with learning difficulties. It's this grass roots support which often gets neglected when larger organisations are given responsibility for local funding. We really can work at an individual level and help to provide a local presence for the County Council."
Details of Drop In sessions and quarterly meetings are listed on the Neighbourhood Forum section of this website.
