BURNGREAVE AREA PANEL

CO-ORDINATOR’S COLUMN

This is Stuart Bolton, your Area Co-ordinator, reporting back to you on what your Area Panel have been doing for you over August and September and what we will be up to in the future.

Don't forget you can contact me at: Christ Church, Pitsmoor Road, tel. 276 9134, or write to me at: Room G44, Sheffield City Council, Old Town Hall, Sheffield, S1 2HH

FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR FIR VALE

As regular readers of this page will know, over the last six months your Area Panel has been doing a lot of work to help get Fir Vale and Page Hall declared a regeneration area. If this happens it will mean that the community in Fir Vale will be able to apply for large amounts of money to help tackle the problems and realise the hopes of the area. However, most of the work your Area Panel has been doing is ‘behind the scenes’ so I thought I would update you on what we have achieved so far.

We have helped to organise and support regular meetings of local people who are interested in setting up a Fir Vale community forum. The group has been working hard and has already put together the first example of a constitution.

Through the new Neighbourhood Renewal Fund we have been successful in getting Fir Vale extra Council money to tackle crime, help children and families and improve the environment. We have also been successful in getting some money to employ a worker just for Fir Vale. Their job will be to help put together a plan for work that will regenerate the area and they will also be helping the community forum to develop. Finally, your Area Panel has been meeting regularly with key Council people, including the Chief Executive Bob Kerslake, to ensure that the whole of Sheffield Council is working for the regeneration of Fir Vale.

A lot has been going on and there is still a lot to do, so remember to keep reading the Messenger so we can keep you updated on what is going to be the start of an exciting time for Fir Vale.

POSITIVE YOUNG PEOPLE

I just want to tell you a bit about the Burngreave Positive Action for Young People project. Your Area Panel supports this project along with the Council’s Leisure and Recreation, Housing and Youth Service, the Furnival and Police. Matthew Charles, the project worker, has been working with young people in Burngreave since 1999 and over this Summer he ran loads of activities for them. In the next few months he aims to work with young people on Woodside and run DJing and driving awareness sessions. He is also helping young people who move in to Burngreave to cope with all the things you need to do and think about when you move in to a new home.

NEW BROOM, CLEAN SWEEP

One of your main concerns, and one which the Area Panel is always working hard on, is improving the state of your streets. The Area Panel recently had a meeting with local people who are interested in the environment and the Council’s new Streetforce, who sweep and clean your roads. The aim of the meeting was to see how Streetforce can change where and what it does in Burngreave. A lot of problems were identified and lots of good ideas were suggested. Nick Hetherington and Andrew Staniforth, who work for Streetforce, are putting together a new plan that they will be trying out in parts of Burngreave. If you want to hear more about this then come along to the Area Panel meeting on November 14th as Streetforce will be there to present their new plan.