We have a high proportion of rented properties...

so Shelter's campaign to improve the situation for people who rent is very welcome. You can join in by clicking here

Regain our streets for pedestrians and cyclists

One way to improve our surroundings is to make it a place where we can walk or cycle peacefully. Click here to find a great website that encourages people to organise things so that we can do just that.

Tenants:- How to protect your deposit

Shelter have produced a very useful guide/tool kit to help tenants protect their deposits. It can be found here.

An article and video clip about street play

Our residents meeting agreed to look into a strategy of Street Play. Here is a short article and video clip that explains the concept. Enjoy.

Improving life in St Edmunds

Click here for a video clip that depicts a town life that is extraordinary. It is different to the UK scene in that traffic moves quietly and slowly and cycling and walking is safe and pleasurable. Is this possible in the UK? If enough people find out and think about it then maybe...

A campaign to promote 'walking to school'

The campaigning body 'Living Streets' is aiming to assist a prospective Bill in Parliament which tries to improve the streets in our cities so that walking to school is more acceptable.
It involves contacting your MP and asking him to vote for the new Bill.
Details can be found here
I recommend it,
regards,
Jim Wishart

An excellent resource for community action

Groundwork is an organisation that helps groups like ourselves. Here is what they say on their website:-

GROUNDWORK
Changing places, changing lives
Groundwork, the community charity with a green heart, is 30 this year. We believe bleak, grey areas lead to bleak, grey societies. We want to empower more people to change under-utilised bits of land into parks, gardens, playgrounds and allotments that people can enjoy with their neighbours. If you or your organisation agree that everyone deserves their own urban oasis to grow food, play, garden or just to sit then get involved.
click here to visit the site

They are coming to help on Monday 10th June with our preparations for the RHS flower festival Britain in Bloom.

A newspaper editorial recommending 20mph zones

At the March meeting of SERA the case was put to improve our area by various means one of which was by reducing the speed of the traffic in our narrow streets. Click here to read the case for change well put in the Independent newspaper.

Neelam Aggarwal voted Northampton's Inspirational Woman 2013

Councillor Anna King, Northampton Borough Council assistant cabinet member for community engagement said: "International Women’s Day is a global celebration of women’s achievements.  Every year in Northampton we mark the day and this year we wanted to acknowledge the work of local women with this new award.

"Neelam, who was recently awarded the MBE for her cross-cultural community work, has made an important contribution to the lives of people in Northampton and we were delighted to present her with this award.”

Congratulations to Neelam who is a member of our Residents Association and a credit to Northampton.

Streets as 'places'.

The campaigning group 'Living Streets' produces a regular newsletter explaining their work on improving the environment in towns. I have signed myself up as the cause parallels to our association's objectives. There is an interesting article HERE

The housing charity Shelter discusses the importance of residents associations

Shelter says:- "Residents' associations can help to improve neighbourhoods by putting pressure on bad landlords and freeholders, improving the local environment and community spirit and helping local residents to tackle problems like antisocial behaviour, noise nuisance and vandalism."
The list of contents of the site:-

• What is a residents' association?
• How do I get involved?
• What if there is no residents' association?
• Recognised tenants' associations
• What if an association doesn't want to be recognised?
• How are residents' associations funded?
• Residents associations for mobile/park homes and houseboats

You can see the full article here
Jim