On the day most of us trudged back to work, here's a new year message from your friends in TASK - Take Action for Seven Kings- as we commit to keeping up our reputation as one of the borough's liveliest and mostimpactful community groups.
Our overall sense is that 2009 was a rather good one, with some very positive developments, including:
* Real progress securing a definite commitment for a new Seven Kings library, almost 20 years after the closure of the original, on the corner of the High Road and Kingswood Road. This arises out of our campaigning in 2008 for a replacement facility, which saw over 2000 local residents sign and submit a massive petition. We are currently working with library managers and local politicians - including ward councillors and Council leader Keith Prince - to secure an affordable site to refit and stock. Our original hope was that the new library will open for business in the Spring, although this may slip slightly as things are running behind schedule because sourcing a keynote local building proved more difficult than imagined. Keep watching this space for more details.
* An improving shopping environment, with high levels of occupancy and some quality refurbishments even in these most dire economic conditions. Top marks to local traders like Gizem bakers for investing in their premises, and a warm welcome to the various new traders - like the High Road car audio sounds, HiQ, Pretty Women beauty parlour and GF electricals - and returning businesses, like the Joker pub. We still resent the excessive number of take-out food outlets and want to see strong enforcement action on opening hours and food hygiene in 2010, with a longer term vision for much greater diversity of local shopping choice. We wish the new business partnership set up this autumn all the very best, and hope we can work together to attract good publicity and new investment funding to our neighbourhood. The Christmas tree and festive lights worked well as a symbolic start, sending off good vibes and establishing a feel good factor. We hope to build on this.
* Regular walkabouts and clean up activity, picking up on unsightly dumping, graffiti and many other street scene issues. TASK have been leading on this for two years now and continue to set the pace for rapid clean-up action. We will soon be publishing 2010 walkabout dates and welcome new faces and suggested locations to visit.
* An award winning railway station. A couple of years ago it was inconceivable we could have entered, let alone won, an award for a well-kept station. However, a combination of local pressure and operator commitment backed up by small scale practical actions over two years have turned things around, with much needed new investment in the building, a new platform level cafe and planting for the first time in 40 years. The recent installation of a new audio system with soothing sounds has made the station all the more pleasant. All reasons why we were one of few urban stations invited to Norwich, for the annual first great eastern station awards.
* A popular community festival in early September, funded by the Council's area 5 committee, covering Seven Kings, Goodmayes and Chadwell Heath. This brought thousands of local residents together in a specially made-over Barley Lane recreation ground to hear live music, take part in cycling and other activities; and to find out more about some of the groups and activities on offer where we are.
As the new year begins, we will be focusing on a number of campaign themes, including:
* Ensuring the new library is delivered as promised
* Hosting election hustings for the upcoming local and general elections so that voters can meet and quiz those wishing to represent them
* Campaigning for an even stronger and more visible local police presence, to include a fulfilment of their promise to site an outreach portakabin by the railway station
* Bringing top quality public street art to the area, thus further improving the street scape and hopefully bringing in more shoppers and visitors
* Greening the area, with more street trees and effective planting.
To achieve all of this, we really need your help. The more volunteers we have, the more we can achieve and the smaller the load for the few. At present, we particularly struggle to attend daytime meetings at the Council and other public bodies, so any help covering these is mostwelcome. Please contact Chris at chrisconnelley@ntlworld.com if you can assist and any particular areas of interest you have. That's enough for now. Here's hoping 2010 is happy and healthy for us all!
TASK
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Social Distortion - Don't Take Me for Granted.
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