Page 7 - link magazine

swindonlink.com • January 2009 7
Connecting people and

their communities in 2009
Community interaction is what The Link is all about and was the rea-
son it was started in December 1978. Indeed back then Thamesdown
Council had a large, successful community development department
to assist people connect with each other and voice their views to the
council and other organisations.
Its responsibilities were divided across all of its services in response
up between other departments in to government demands, creating
the early 1990s, but many of the partnerships with the large organi-
ideas are set to reappear in a new sations we work with like the police
council policy called Connecting and health services, and getting to
People, Connecting Places or CP2 grips with the regeneration of the
for short. town centre.
Seven existing council staff are to “CP2 is a long term project to
be appointed as ‘area directors’ to get the council more in touch with
spend two days of their week focus- neighbourhoods to build a much
sing on the needs and problems of stronger pride in Swindon.
particular neighbourhoods. “This means the council has to
Although they offi cially start look at different ways of working PACKAGING & STATIONERY
their work on 1 April 2009, they to deliver services which try to meet
will spend the next three months the needs and problems of each AT GREAT PRICES
talking with ward councillors, area. The council has to get closer
looking at data for the areas they to communities and involve people Wholesale
will be working in and discovering in decisions.”
what makes a neighbourhood tick
by meeting community groups and
organisers. ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG ZIGNIG
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the idea of ‘localism’ and central
government is keen for local coun- Order and pay online and have your items delivered
cils to make the way they operate Or collect from our warehouse at rear of
more accountable to voters. But the Unit 1, Bagbury Park, Lydiard Millicent
practicalities and details of deliver-
ing services at a local level have still Call fi rst on: 01793 770778
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Swindon Council chief execu-
tive Gavin Jones said Connecting Gavin Jones, promoting change
People, Connecting Places was Outlining what will be taking
part of a long process going on in place he said the council will We can help you
Swindon. “The leader of the council have to:
Rod Bluh and I share a vision which • start discussions on topics of lo-
reaches out and involves people in cal interest; beat the
their communities. • use the right language to encour-
“Over the last few years the age people to participate; Credit Crunch
council has spent a great deal of • offer training to people so that
time and energy reorganising the they can better understand how 1 You drop it off
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Sorting out the traffi c calming hoods;
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West Swindon Forum on Monday is spent.
12 January, 7.30pm in the com- “This is a fi ve year project to
munity suite at Link Centre. change the culture of the council,”
The problems on the two roads said Mr Jones. “The criticism that
have been going on for years. the council is detached from the
Engineers from the council high- people it serves has been valid
ways department will be present in some situations. CP2 is about
to talk about ways forward. changing fundamentally this.
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