IS the Big Local fund Thurrock’s biggest secret?
Following a fact finding trip to Grays town centre, the answer appears to be a resounding “Yes”.
Volunteers from Riverside Community discovered that no-one they spoke to had heard about the £1 million in funding that is just waiting for deserving community projects in order to generate a real sense of community in the area despite the fund being in existence for two years.
Riverside Community has had some wonderful successes but, being such a small group, the process of getting the message out to the public and actually supporting the projects that have been started is a hard and slow one. It isn’t just a case of being a small group that is the only obstacle to the task but also the need for members of the community to come forward with ideas to improve the area – from tidying up the streets to more leisure facilities for local children – to make Grays a nicer place to live and work.
If the fact finding mission in Grays town centre has taught Riverside Community anything, it’s that getting the news that the fund exists and getting people’s ideas for improving the area is further complicated by the fact that there is a language barrier for some members of the community. Also, the fact that a lot of people who the volunteers spoke to come from other parts of Thurrock for their shopping needs whilst Grays residents seem to be rather absent.
Despite all the problems involved in getting the message out to the public and getting those community project ideas rolling in, there is still a great deal of money waiting to be spent on making Grays a better and more attractive location for the residents and visitors to our community so why not come along to the Riverside Community Annual General Meeting on Thursday 12th May between 7pm and 9:30pm at The Beehive Resource Centre, West Street, Grays (near the South Essex College campus)?
Your community needs YOU!
Please link to:
http://www.riversidecommunity.org.uk/news/help-us-spend-1m-in-the-community-in-grays/
