5th October 2007, 07/338
Garden makeover team set to take root in
Skelmersdale
The green squad will be giving one lucky Skelmersdale resident a
garden makeover after she scooped 1st prize for her views on
improving services.
Earlier this year a survey was sent out to households to ask for
their comments about local services. It was part of the Safer
Stronger Communities cash injection of £3.7m to make Digmoor,
Moorside and parts of Tanhouse cleaner, greener and safer over the
next three years.
To encourage people in the area to fill in the questionnaires,
various prizes were up for grabs for the first three names to be
pulled out of the hat.
Rosie Cooper MP, Chair of the West Lancashire Local Strategic
Partnership, said: "Throughout this project we have stressed the
need to have people's input and comments so we thought it would be
a nice gesture to offer prizes in order to encourage as many people
as possible to fill in the questionnaires. We had a good response
and I'd like to thank people for taking the time to fill them
in."
Top prize has gone to Kerry Philips who will enjoy a garden
makeover from Groundwork Lancashire West and Wigan on the 8th and
9th October. The team will spend the two days turfing, flagging and
landscaping the area to make it a green haven for the family to
enjoy.
John Bradshaw won 2nd prize of £100 for garden furniture and the
3rd prize of a £50 garden voucher went to Robert Pearson.
Cllr David Westley, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, said:
"Congratulations to the winners of the survey. I'm delighted they
took the time to give us their views and these will be studied
carefully to see how we can all work together to improve local
services."
Margaret Highton, Chair of the Neighbourhood Board, added: "From
the start we have wanted this project to reflect the needs and
wants of the community so the questionnaire we sent out was just
one of many initiatives we have used to listen to their views.
We've already made lots of improvements in the area as a result and
the Neighbourhood Board are currently looking at a number of new
projects to fund to make our areas cleaner, safer and
greener."
In keeping with this theme Emma Staniforth, Community Development
Project Officer from Groundwork Lancashire West and Wigan, is
always on the look out for new ideas to improve the
environment.
Her work has been funded through the £3.7m and she is working on a
number of landscaping improvement projects in Digmoor, Moorside and
parts of Tanhouse. She is also looking at making lots of green open
spaces more useable as this is something that came out of the
survey.
Anyone who would like to get in touch with Emma regarding ideas and
to identify areas in need of improving can contact her on 01942
821444 or email emma.staniforth@groundwork.org.uk.
For information about the £3.7m project, contact Chris
Skinkis/Karen Warmington at the Neighbourhood Management Office, on
01695 737808 or email neighbourhood.management@westlancsdc.gov.uk.
Related information
> Council
news
> West Lancashire Local Strategic
Partnership