Councillor Chris Ready: August 2010

Monday 30 August 2010

Top Lock Community Day 2010

Top Lock Community Day

Local Cllrs and the MP join in the fun

Top Lock community day was formally opened by Lisa Nandy MP and joined by Cllrs Chris Ready, John Hilton and Ron Conway

Lisa paid tribute to the Top Lock committee who organised the event and spoke on how important community events like this were in bringing young and old together

in a joint statement the Local Cllrs said that it was so pleasing to see community spirit alive and kicking in top lock

Jean Fieldhouse the secretary of the committee said it was great to see the MP and all the Councillors attending the community day and lots of people attended and enjoyed the day we are hoping to have many more events throughout the year

Saturday 28 August 2010

All aboard for a tram trip into past - Features - Wigan Today

All aboard for a tram trip into past - Features - Wigan Today
the tram is now on display in Haigh Emporium in Aspull

Tuesday 24 August 2010

Tributes to former council PR chief - News - Wigan Today

Friday 20 August 2010

Ask The Cabinet

WIGAN voters are to be given the chance to quiz their political leaders online.

The ruling cabinet is Wigan Council’s top policy-making body, making decisions every month on millions of pounds of public spending.
It consists of 10 senior councillors who are each “champions” for a major area of responsibility (known as their portfolio) such as children, older people or the environment.
Now its members – including leader Lord Smith and deputy Coun Dave Molyneux – are just the click of a mouse away.
The idea for the Ask the Cabinet website came from Coun Chris Ready, cabinet member for improvement.
He said: “We need to be more open and accessible to people. We are accountable for millions of pounds of public money and services and this new website gives people the chance to ask us questions about what we do and why we have taken decisions.
“People will be able to ask a general question about our policies or ask us to justify a particular course of action and we will give them an answer. We hope this is a good way to encourage more interest in the workings of the council.
Anyone using the site will see a description of which services each council member is responsible for, along with a photo of the councillor.
They can submit their question online and it will appear on the website along with the cabinet member’s reply.
To ask a question of the cabinet, visit www.wigan.gov.uk/askthecabinet

Town Hall Treat

THE newly-formed Frenchwood Court Residents' Group enjoyed a tour of Wigan town hall.

The Aspull organisation’s trip was made possible with the help of Aspull New Springs councillor Chris Ready and Aspull Forum chairman Ron Conway.
Secretary of the group Gwen Adamson said: “ We had a lovely day rounded off by a good meal at The Stables in Wigan. Thanks to Ron and Chris for organising the day and Arena Housing for the funding. At our very first meeting Coun Ready suggested the tour and he did the rest for us.”
Mr Conway said: “I took the day off work to support the residents and it proved to be an excellent day and I am really glad they enjoyed it.
“I would encourage all groups to visit the town hall.”

New Springs Seaside Trip

We're all going on a summer outing

NEW SPRINGS pensioners are getting ready for their annual seaside trip – after help from their ward councillor.

The Holy Family Church Hall-based Over 60s group, which meets every Wednesday, was facing a funds shortage, threatening the annual spring treat for the area’s senior citizens.
But now the coach to Southport and the catering arrangements are booked after Labour’s Chris Ready came up with a 250 donation from the ward’s Brighter Borough fund.
Coun Ready said: “This is always a very popular and important event and when I heard it may not happen, I was determined to help if I could.
“Many of these old people are effectively housebound and wouldn’t be getting to the seaside otherwise, so they really look forward to this great day out.
“I’m delighted to have been able to help because this is an organisation which I think is really important to its members.”

Chris is full of Life

Ince comes to Life

There’s a brand new one-stop shop in the heart of Ince, open for business and ready to provide answers to some of Life’s biggest questions.

It’s the very latest of the new local Life Centres to open up in communities across the borough in the last few months. These new customer service centres are proving to be big hits in their local areas, with busy and modern facilities in Marsh Green, Leigh, Abram and now at Higher Ince’s community and health centre.

Cllr Chris Ready is the council’s champion for customer services. He says: “Many people in our borough will be aware of the exciting Life Centre development in Wigan town centre, which will provide a 21st century contact point not just for the council, but other organisations such as the health service. Well it doesn’t end in Wigan!”

“The local Life Centres are community versions of the Wigan centre and they offer a one-stop shop for all public services,” adds Cllr Ready. “The council works for all the people of the borough and we’re committed to improving our customer service to make sure people get exactly what they need.”

Inside the building is a brand new information ‘hub’ where customers can get quick answers about how to access a wide range of council, health and other public services. Trained staff are on hand to help. There are one-to-one inquiry desks, computer terminals for internet use, a free-to-use ‘hot phone’ to help resolve any queries the Life Centre staff are unable to

The Ince Life Centre is open each weekday from 9am until 5pm. Local buses passing the venue include 32, 33, 132, 540, 593, 598, 630, 664 and 674 services.

Chris makes home visits

HAVE you got a problem a councillor could solve?

One leading Metro councillor has come up with a novel idea of making sure he reaches all the people in his ward who need him.

Aspull and New Springs Coun Chris Ready has started door-to-door surgeries, believed to be the first in the North West.

Residents who requested a visit were also surprised to find new Wigan MP Lisa Nandy joining forces with Coun Ready with her own offers of help for their queries and problems.

He put out leaflets in Whelley’s Top Lock Estate with a special communication and residents who want a personal call from the councillor were asked to post the side of bill placed ‘Call’ in a front window so that he could give them a knock during a special visit on foot.

Currently, the system is running alongside Coun Ready’s conventional surgeries which are held at Aspull Library on the third Tuesday of the month.

But he hasn’t ruled out abandoning the old-fashioned methods altogether and replacing them with the new system in the future.

Coun Ready said: “I have set up a different way of going about running a surgery and it has certainly been well received.

“Councillors have always done surgeries the same way, book a room and advertise you are available between certain hours and then sit there waiting for people to turn up.

“Sometimes it can be very busy but on other occasions you can find yourself sat there twiddling you thumbs and thinking that you could be better employed in serving the community.

“So now, rather than waiting for residents to come to us with their issues, we are going to them.

“Every Saturday we are now planning to visit an area of our ward having previously leafletted between 500 and 1000 homes there the previous Wednesday or Thursday.

“Then, if residents have a problem and want us to call, all, they have to do is stick the leaflet in their window and we will be there.

“The MP is very keen on the idea and said that, barring engagements, she would hope to join us on most Saturdays.

“They can already contact us by phone or Facebook and a host of other ways, but now if they want to have a personal chat with us in person, all they need to do is out the leaflet in the window.

“People at the weekend seemed very glad to see us out and about and more than happy to talk.

”Of course you always get the people who say that they only see us at elections time but this has never been the case with our team.”

Life Centre helps local mum

It was just another day for customer service adviser Janet Haynes when Ashton mum Amanda Smyth walked through the doors of the Life Centre in Platt Bridge to enquire about bettering her job prospects.

“When I came I found Janet to be very warm and welcoming,” says Amanda. “I told her my issues and she got me an appointment with the skills shop.”

The Life Centre team worked with Amanda to improve her CV and get her the training she needed. Amanda adds, “Being unemployed for two years I found the help they gave me really built up my confidence and I feel I learned a lot”.

Wigan Council’s Janet Haynes says: “The Life Centre is all about getting into the heart of the community, it’s about making services and information more accessible. We can help people with housing, health and environmental issues you can truly say that this is a one stop service station for your problems.”

Amanda called back into the Life Centre to tell Janet the great news that she had just accepted a new job as a nurse, which fits in perfectly with her family commitments.

The council’s champion for customers, Cllr Chris Ready, congratulated Amanda on her success. He says: “In the current climate it helps to have an all in one service to help people like Amanda with such issues as unemployment to improving your lifestyle. I’m delighted that the new Life Centres are making these things possible.”

Hindley/Abram Life centre has had over 800 enquiries since opened in the Spring. It is part of the Platt Bridge Community Health Centre on Rivington Avenue, and is open 9am-5pm Monday-Friday for more information visit the Wigan Life website www.wiganlife.com/lifecentres Local Life Centres are now open in Leigh Town Hall, Marsh Green Library and at Ince Bar, with the main town centre Wigan Life Centre, with swimming pool, library and gym, already well under construction.

Monday 16 August 2010

Service with a Smile at Amberswood

A politician from the Cabinet having lunch at Chequers may not be headline news, and in these cash-conscious times the fact that the politician bought his own meal isn’t that remarkable either.

But this isn’t the country home of the Prime Minister, this Chequers is the café within Hindley’s Amberswood Day Centre – and the cabinet member is Cllr Chris Ready, Wigan Council’s champion for customers.

“Fine food and great company: who could ask for more!” says Cllr Ready. “The staff and volunteers at the day centre provide a great service and those who are supported here are really valued.”

Amberswood is a council run day centre for adults with learning disabilities. It gives them access to a variety of leisure, educational and developmental activities. The service is carefully tailored to each individuals’ needs, from sensory stimulation to travel training.

Cllr Ready was visiting Amberswood to see how people like Chloe Leyland, and her friends Vicki, Julie and Catherine, are coming along with working on front line roles, dealing with the public with the assistance of carers and supervisors.

“I love working here,” says Chloe, from Gidlow. She’s been working at Chequers Café on Fridays for a couple of years now and had previously been at college locally. “I’m really supported here and I help other people too,” she says. “I do the tills, the washing up. I like it.”

People can choose to attend the centre five days a week, or on selected days to suit their lifestyle, like Chloe. There is a gardening team based there, the reception desk is staffed by people keen to develop their clerical skills and the Chequers café, open to the general public and incorporating a training kitchen where staff provide training.

“This work done here is very important,” says Cllr Ready. “The benefits are here for all to see and I can heartily recommend the café to visitors as well.”