An open meeting/workshop that took place on 12th August 2015…

Buckfastleigh Town Council hosted the first public discussion meeting ‘Engaging the Community’ for Buckfastleigh & Buckfast parish residents on Wednesday evening (12th August). Around 35 local people, mostly already active in community projects around the neighbourhood, turned out to look at prioritising the issues facing the town and start to figure out how to engage more of the community in planning and deciding the parish’s future, as well as looking at how the community and Town Council can work together to achieving these goals.

Councillor Andy Stokes explained one of the reasons for holding the event:
“I hear a lot of despair that people don’t engage with community activities any more – and we know that a vast number of people didn’t even vote at the elections. I think this is because people don’t feel like anything they do makes any real difference – but at the same time, no-one is really being encouraged to get involved and take part in changing things…
In fact we all have loads of brilliant ideas all the time but how many times do we actually follow through on them and do something to make them happen? It’s hard to take on challenging things on your own and it’s easy to run out of steam even if you do have a go at it. This project is the beginning of creating a support structure within the community to get people sharing the ideas they think are important and encouraging and enabling them to work together towards achieving their goals.”

The topics selected on the night as having the highest priority included finding ways to improve public transport around the town; investigating traffic flow direction; improving the connection between the Railway station and the town centre and finding ways to maintain the threatened Youth service.

Panels were formed and groups looked at issues from Transport and traffic direction, to community gardening and the viability of a local currency (the ‘Fast-Buck’ of course!)…

Town Council deputy-chair Pam Barrett said “It was great to hear the buzz around the room as groups discussed their projects and came up with ways of getting them off the ground. One of the projects was looking at ways which local voluntary groups could work together to make savings and share resources – an idea which is very much a priority for me as one of the trustees of Victoria Park and Buckfastleigh Open Air Pool.”

an artists impression of what a local currency might look like…

Andy commented:
“We are trying to avoid traditional style meetings where everyone sits in silence in rows while someone talks at them – who wants to go to more meetings like that? I certainly don’t… Instead there are opportunities for everyone to work in small groups and have a chance to share their thinking.
The plan is to hold a follow-up event in the near future to which everyone will be invited, so do come – your community needs you.
You never know, that bright idea of yours could turn out to be a winner!”

If you want to be involved or kept up-to-date with this project, email Andy here.

Andy Stokes, Pam Barrett Thursday 13th August 2015

View/download the presentation given at the meeting: engaging community notes….

And view the notes from the discussion groups below: