Page 4 - link magazine

C/.US PUTTING PEOPLE IN TOUCH
4 IN WEST SWINDON

Providing what a community needs
Looking back and by Councillor Tony Huzzey, Jpader of Thamesdown Borough Council
When one is talking to Senior has provided leisure and social
thinking ahead Citizens, a subject frequently re- facilities based on community
ferred to is the passing of estab-
participation, and has introduced
lished neighbourhoods and the customer participation in devel-
by Roger Ogle, Publisher/Editor
community spirit associated with oping and controlling those fa-
During the last ten years The Link Community Development and them. cilities to encourage and achieve
has changed quite dramatically the Hambro Life staff charity It is within the nature of old active involvement by the com-
in appearance but little in the (now Allied Dunbar), The Link people to look back to past expe- munity we serve.
thrust of its content. has always been self supporting riences, but it is the aim of the In following this path, particu-
Strictly speaking we are cele- from advertising and has always Borough Council to look forward. larly in areas like the Western
brating the tenth year of a title been distributed to every house That looking forward led, some Development, the establishment
which has become regarded as free of charge. thirty years ago, to the decision to of a community spirit among
the best way of finding out what By the end of 1986, the newslet- expand the town of Swindon and people from different geographi-
is going on in West Swindon. ter had collapsed. The content create a whole series of new cal and economic backgrounds is
Put another way, the name did not satisfy readers spread communities. Steps were and emerging. 'The Link' magazine is
represents a certain kind of 'glue' across four quite separate 'vil- continue to be taken to encour- playing a very important and
which tries to keep the idea of lage' areas. There was so much age those communities to become constructive role in this field. Its
'community' alive and dynamic, more it could cover, and the small the type of neighbourhood so attention to local news and events
to sustain the idea of communal army of distribution volunteers fondly remembered by the old is, I believe, second to none.
values in a society which is plac- (about 150 people) was diminish- people. On behalf of the Council I
ing such a view under ever-in- ing rapidly. It is only byliving inclose asso- should like to wish 'The Link' and
creasing pressure. The magazine was launched in ciation, through school, work, the Western Development area
Ten years ago Geoff Richmond April 1987, retaining the name leisure and social activities, in an all the best for the next ten years,
from Toothill put together an 18 and the objectives of the newslet- environment which allows and look forward to the day when
page newsletter and with his wife ter. Our mission is to inform people room to breathe, that such old people who will have been
Kathy, loaded up a pram with people in our new community neighbourhoods and communi- born in the area happily recall the
their first child and the publica- about the good things happen- ties can develop. To achieve these neighbourliness and community
tion and distributed it to the 700 ing, to point out where improve- objectives the Borough Council spirit prevalent in their youth.
houses of the 'western expansion' ments can be made and to give
as the area was then known. local groups the outlet they need Congratulations
By the second edition the to publicise their activities.
newspaper was called the Toot- To a great extent we are being from Swindon M.P.
hill Link, a name put forward by successful in doing this though Simon Coombs
Malcolm Patrick, a 12 year old we could still do more, by, for
from Luddesdown Road. Tooth- instance, better coverage of coun- I am delighted to have this op-
ill' was later dropped in recogni- cil decisions affecting the area, a portunity of writing a few words
tion of the other 'villages' in the regular sports page, more fea- to mark the 10th anniversary of
west. tures. The Link in West Swindon. I have
The Link was published every However, a critical issue is that no doubt that the magazine will
six weeks as an 8 page newsletter wider coverage of local matters go from strength to strength and
for eight years. At first each copy has to be balanced against adver- I hope to have the opportunity of towards Woodhall and Moredon.
had to be stapled by hand! tising content. Although, our ob- offering congratulations on fu- In this atmosphere of constant
Every year one thousand cop- jectives and the quality of content ture anniversaries. change and expansion, it is not
ies were added to its circulation are very different, The Link is still West Swindon is a remarkable easy to develop and maintain a
and along the way we won the in competition with the mass cir- place and its inhabitants have feeling of community - particu-
competition to name West Swin- culation weeklies for the adver- much to be proud of. The chal- larly in view of the rapid turn-
don's leisure centre, something tisingbudgets of local businesses. lenge of a rapidly expanding over of home ownership in some
we never miss a chance to point We should acknowledge their population, with facilities which parts of the area. The Link has
out. support. So long as The Link is at- are hard pressed to keep up, has developed from humble begin-
A small group of volunteers, tractive to them we can continue called for a special kind of pio- nings into a professional and well
coordinated by myself, typed and to provide the people of West neering spirit, not to mention a respected source of news and
pasted together the newsletter. Swindon with the information great deal of forbearance at times. views for all those who hope to
Apart from financial backing for they require, to build upon all the The population of West Swindon see West Swindon develop as a
the first two editions from Th- good things that have happened is still growing at undiminished place where people can enjoy life
amesdown Borough Council in their community. pace as the frontier pushes north to the full.

WESTERN WEB OFFSET PRINTERS LTD-
Member of the Dryden Group.
wish
continued success to Link Magazine for Typesetting Et
Stud0 faClItIO
on its'xlOth Anniversary and Merry Christmas T,Aagazine Et

NowspaP&
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