Newletter No.7

RESOURCE CENTRE

The Resource Centre opened its’ doors for the first time on the 23rd July 2003. The opening was performed by Cllr Roger Perks the Mayor of Weston-super-Mare and over 100 guests and members of the Residents’ Association attended throughout the day. They were all able to see what has been achieved in the EIGHT WEEKS since we formally took over the shop. We have a meeting area, four computers, a fax machine, a photocopier, a laminator and dozens of leaflets on a wide variety of subjects, all for your use. We have a private office if you wish to see an advisor on a personal subject and we also have a disabled access toilet with full disabled facilities. We also have a very large back yard that we hope to roof over in the next twelve months to make a much needed meeting room. This will also give us a good source of income to make the resource centre self sufficient. On an average day so far, we are seeing about 15 to 18 members and are helping them with their problems or just enquiries.
As well as the Mayor being a visitor we have also had the local MP Mr Brian Cotter, and two Chief Superintendents from Sussex Police who wanted to see a Resource Centre in action. I am pleased to say, they went back to Lewes suitably impressed. We have also had a visit from all the local councillors and a number of visitors from other areas of Weston-super-Mare.

September sees Energy Efficiency Month and to coincide with this the Resource Centre will hold a meeting and display on Friday the 26th of September 2003, 2pm to 4pm.. Advisors from the Council will be on hand to offer advice on how to save gas, electric, and heating in your home. Further they will be able to help you find Grants and other information to save you money with bills. Leaflets and other information are already available at the Resource Centre so why not pop in and pick some up?

North Somerset Councillors Sally Tabrett, Colin Golland, and Andy Wright, will be on hand at the Centre to answer any questions or queries that you may have. They will be here between 10am and 12 noon every 1st Wednesday of each month.

A representative from Liberata will hold surgeries at the Resource Centre every second Thursday of each month between 2pm and 3pm. Appointments may be made or you can just call in. Housing and Benefit forms are available from the Resource Centre, along with help if you need it to fill them in. We also offer photocopying of relevant documents free of charge to help you.

Following a spate of damage around the Old Bristol Road area they are in a process of forming 2 or 3 more Watch’s to deal with the problem in these roads. It is also possible that they will ask to join us and come into our Residents Association. We of course would welcome them, if this is what they decide.
An Area meeting of all NW coordinators is to be held at the Resource Centre on Friday 12th September 2003 at 7pm. I urge all of the coordinators to attend, as it will be a chance for us all to meet and plan the way to get the best from our group now that the dark nights are nearly upon us. Linda Grove will be invited along with Steve Bridges of the Local Action Teams, so it would be a good way to show them what we are about.

Courses are available at Trafford Hall near Chester for Young Persons. The courses last four days and are residential. Young people in groups of six must be between 11-16 and we send with them two adults. The cost of the four days for the total group is Ł150 and the courses start February and run to late August during school holidays. The courses are designed to inspire and support young people and adults interested in developing community projects for the benefit of their local area. Lets try and send a group next year.

Following complaints over the last few years about loose tarmac and the flooding in the garage areas, our Residents group and our local Councillor Sally Tabrett have arranged with North Somerset Highways a