Like many people over the last few weeks, I have been feeling the full effects of a bad cold as the weather has plummeted in the first month of the year. Nevertheless, I threw myself into an action-packed week to try and shake it off.
Thankfully, I spent a lovely warm evening with my friends at the Swindon Stroke Support Group last Thursday to give a ‘behind the scenes’ talk on what it’s really like in Parliament. The charity goes to fantastic lengths to support those who have suffered from strokes, as well as their relatives. They provide weekly social evenings which involve a chat, tea and biscuits; a game of cards, dominoes, scrabble, quizzes, bingo and anything else they can think of! They also organise local trips and holidays, all much appreciated by their members.
After that it was time to brave the cold again as I headed out on Friday morning to join the Penhill team of Neighbourhood Wardens. I was keen to see first-hand their work and what difference they are able to make. The wardens are funded through Swindon Borough Council Housing and they work with council house tenants across Swindon to promote a clean environment and create a friendly community atmosphere. This widely involves clearing litter, graffiti and fly-tipping either with residents, or for them. They offer advice and support and try and identify appropriate help where people are struggling. They have an active programme of community projects and they are certainly visible and well respected in the community.
The frustration remains with a tiny minority of residents who simply refuse to take responsibility. Their rubbish, graffiti or simply bad behaviour can ruin an area. I wanted to understand just how much powers they had to force them to act, or simply make them accountable. This is something I want to explore further as no-one should have their area ruined by a handful of selfish residents.
Another aspect of the Neighbourhood Warden scheme is the Young Warden’s Project, which is run by several different communities across Swindon. Having joined the Moredon young warden’s project previously, I have been able to see the positive work the programme does in teaching youngsters to care for their environment. I hope to join more of the Young Warden’s in the summer.
Finally we have had yet more positive economic news in Swindon. The latest unemployment figures released this week showed another big fall in unemployment across Swindon. Since 2010, we have seen a staggering fall of 62.9%, whilst youth unemployment has fallen by 63.6%. We have the strongest growing economy in the developed work, employment is at an all-time high and wages are rising faster than prices. Our long-term plan is working for Swindon
