Wednesday, 22 June 2011

Exciting Times

It's been a busy few weeks, I have attended the Installation of the Mayor ceremony at Peterborough Cathedral for Cllr Paula Thacker MBE. I attended the Civic forum briefing for forces in Cambridge which was very informative,
I had a very informative and enjoyable day at RAF Alconbury and RAF Molesworth which had a demonstration from the drug and bomb dogs. It's amazing what is happening on our doorstep that we are unaware of.
Last Thursday I went to dinner at Corpus Christi College for the Outgoing Mayor of Cambridge there were many guests including Lady Archer.
On Council business we are now in the process of putting the Parish Plan together and have agreed to pay for the Youth worker to continue in Ramsey. I have also attended my first steering group meeting for the million pound Lottery grant thats coming to Ramsey!!
I am now pleased to announce that the election of the Ramsey Youth Town Council will take place in September so watch this space.......

Friday, 10 June 2011

Things that need doing

I thought it might be interesting to give you an idea of how the Mayor of Ramsey spends her time. As you know I am new to the job and am beginning to get to grips with the variety of roles that it encompasses. What is gratifying and satisfying is the range of work that is required, and the very real practical help that I can provide for my constituents and the town itself, so here is a quick look at my recent diary.

I attended the Church Fete at Thomas a Beckett Church Saturday afternoon where I was one of more than 200 people that turned up to enjoy the day.

On Sunday I attended a Civic reception in St Ives on representing Ramsey with the Mayors consort Peter Reeve, a very impressive service, parade and do.

Abbey College, Ramsey
On Tuesday I was filmed by the BBC for the Sunday politics show (local) and visited the Student Representative body (SRB) at the Abbey College to discuss the Ramsey Youth Town Council. Wednesday I met with the Head Teacher Patsy Peres of the Ramsey Spinning Infants School to discuss the RYTC which was again well received. The elections will take place in September,

I visited local businesses in Ramsey to see how their businesses are getting on and what support they need from us in the town council; parking issues are coming up as a consistent theme it seems

I met with a local resident to discuss her problem of the allocation of school placements, I will be attending a hearing with her tomorrow.

Cambs.
I attended a meeting as a member of the Lottery Steering committee where we are discussing the £1 million Lottery grant Ramsey has received. On Thursday I am at a meeting with the local police at 9am, at 10am I am at the hearing ref the school placement at 2pm meeting the Highways manager to discuss speeding in Mereside and the cost of traffic calming and in the  evening I am chairing the Full Town Council meeting.

Canberra Court Street Surgery

Police, Councilors and Housing officers were pleased with the warm welcome and excellent response from the community of Canberra Court area in Ramsey. More than 50 residents attended the Canberra Court street surgery held on Saturday 4th June.

The 'engagement session' was attended by more than 50 local residents mainly from Canberra Court and also from the Avenue, St Mary's Close and Charles Close. Issues were put forward including transport problems, issues with dogs and with vandalism as well as excellent suggestions from local community members on how to tackle antisocial behavior and drug and alcohol related crime and disorder.

 
Key partners in creating access to solutions for the community who attended included :
Ramsey Neighborhood Police - Sgt Dave Savill
Muir Housing - Jan Kileen
Luminus Housing - Phil Rozier
'Ramsey back on track' residents Association - Alan McFadyn
The Mayor of Ramsey - Cllr Lisa Duffy
Huntingdonshire District Council - Cllr Ian Curtis
Cambridgeshire County Council - Cllr Pete Reeve

As Cllr Pete Reeve said,
"We have made excellent progress with this event. Residents seem less reluctant to speak with the police and have put forward many excellent ideas that will make a big difference to our community. I am really grateful to the officers for coming to our event  and engaging with this community. We will be taking forward the ideas and proposals that the residents have put forward to our team meeting on Thursday this week at which we will produce a costed action plan with key leaders for each improvement priority.

"It is vital that this community sees actions from the event as they will judge us not on our words but on our deeds and the outcomes. The local residents have taken a brave step forward in rebuilding trust with the police and council / housing association officers. It is now our turn to return that good will by achieving some positive outcomes that can be seen in the community.

"The police, Ian Curtis and I are already agreed that we will put forward Canberra Court and the avenue as the policing priority for the area, which will ensure extra resources are placed there. Other ideas that came from the day include installing security features such as fences and security doors and mending those that have been broken, upgrading the CCTV and bringing back the neighborhood warden on site.

"At the group meeting on Thursday we will be able to priorities the suggestions that have been made and identify funding for the suggestions. We will then go back to the community with our proposal for realistic outcomes that can be achieved within the financial framework that is available.

"We also got many good leads on drug dealers and businesses supplying alcohol to underage drinkers and it is my intention to stamp down hard on these activities."

Above all I would like to thank the residents who participated, it is only through their goodwill and support that we can make the progress that this local community deserves to have.

Thursday, 9 June 2011

With the Ramsey Brownies in Walled Garden

It was a great morning in Ramsey's beautiful walled garden this weekend. I joined the local brownies and members of 'Ramsey Initiative' for a session of weeding, watering and gardening.

 As a former Brownie it was wonderful to see the Brownies so active in the local community. As well as earning their badges, Ramsey Brownies are doing an excellent service for the community.
The walled Garden has been brought back to life by local volunteers and it is great to see the next generation taking such an active involvement in its future.

Ramsey Walled Garden is a hidden Gem in our beautiful, historic market town. It is open to the public to enjoy every Sunday afternoon and whether you are a tourist visiting the area, who wants to experience some of the history of Ramsey or a local resident looking for a relaxing afternoon in beautiful surroundings, the walled garden should not be missed.