Engaging with young people in Walsall Wood

Hope to see you there!

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Young people in Walsall Wood are being invited to give their views on the area in which they live at a special BBQ event next week.

John Morris, newly appointed area manager for Walsall Wood, Aldridge, Streetly and Pheasey has arranged a ‘BBQ in the Park’ on Friday 20 August 2010. The event will take place from 6pm to 8pm on the green space behind Oak Park Leisure Centre.

It’s an opportunity for youths to have their say on the current services and activities that occur in Walsall as well as help to identify how the council and its partners can make improvements to their everyday lives.

John will be joined by local councillors and partners including NHS Walsall and the council’s Young People’s Support Services amongst others to engage with the young people who congregate at the site on Friday evenings.

Advice and support on drugs, plus free health checks and confidential advice from NHS Walsall will be available, including screening for Chlamydia in a private room at the leisure centre.

There will be lots of activities and information for young people to engage in, such as free BBQ food and drinks, free use of facilities at Oak Park Leisure Centre including swimming, badminton and table tennis courts, a 5-a-side football tournament and use of the Skate Park.

“Both I and our other area managers are looking to engage with young people to find out how youth services can be improved here in Walsall,” said John.

“Many young people have excellent ideas and suggestions as to how improvements can be made in their local area and this is an opportunity for them to share such views.

“We want as many young people as possible to come along and talk to us. Parents and friends are more than welcome to come along too.”

Walsall’s Area Partnership scheme, launched in May this year, engages residents and involves them in how partners including Walsall Council, NHS Walsall, Walsall Police and others provide services.
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Press release reproduced from walsall.gov.uk

Open the door and let sunlight in…

Conservative controlled Walsall Council has today become the first West Midlands Council to publish all spending over £500 on it’s website. This is a big step forward in openness, accountability and driving improvements in local services.

You can check out the website here: http://opendata.walsall.org.uk/opendata/opendata-datasets/opendata-datasets-st.htm

It’s been something i’ve been pushing for since I first went on Corporate Scrutiny a couple of years ago. I urged the Council to embrace social media, the digital age and to start sharing data with the public. Afterall it’s not the Council’s data – it’s belong’s to us – it’s the taxpayer’s data.

And so here it is. I believe it is an important step. I’ve often thought of the scrutiny role of a councillor being like someone walking into a dark room with a torch – you can only shine light on a small area at one time (items and issues as and when they crop up… there is so much there). With the publication of the Council’s data, the light is now well and truly switched on and in addition to sixty councillors scrutinising the Council – the public and media can now help us.

Now is the time to make the most of it – ask questions and lets use this to start using our taxes in a better, more efficient and accountable way.

Maybe in the longer term my vision of seeing Council services on maps in real time will be published on the internet. You’ll be able to see when your bin was collected (or missed), street swept, pot holes filled, etc – the perfect visual way to see if your house, road and community is getting the services it needs in the right place. The technology is there so maybe… just maybe.

* Just a note on Councillor Al Griffiths who passed away a couple of days ago. Al was a good man and he sat with me at Corporate Scrutiny a couple of months back also arguing for more accountability. I think we’re a step closer today. Rest in peace Al.

Next stop… Friezland Lane!

Victory for local residents, campaigners and councillors this week as Arriva came to the rescue and put on extra buses down Friezland Lane. We managed to get 336 signatures on a petition and were delighted when the phonecall came through a couple of weeks ago, followed by the number being errected on bus stops. Now the buses have starting running down Friezland Lane again. Thanks to residents for helping to get such a great response to the petition.

To help visualise the size of the petition there is a terrible photo above of me with the petition laid out on the floor of the library office at Walsall Wood. It was so big it filled the floor and we couldn’t fit it all onto the camera shot!

BTW – I still can’t understand National Express West Midland’s stance on the road damaging their vehicles but hey that’s their lost income.

The Express and Star have done a nice video with residents and Keith Sears here: http://www.theyamyam.com/triumph-for-shire-oak-bus-route-campaigners

PS – I have two more mini successes to blog about later in the week!

Brownhills Business Park fight heads to High Court

The fight to keep Brownhills Business Park as industrial land continues. Walsall Council have decided to appeal to the High Court against the decision of the planning inspector to allow housing on the site. This is good news and we wait to hear more information from the lawyers. More information as soon as a get it.

Surgery

Thankfully I’m now a lot better after the flu and infection so I’ll be recommencing my Council duties with a surgery tomorrow at Walsall Wood Library – 10am-11am.