Saturday, 22 January 2011
Local Football Club score with competition win.
Local Football Club score with competition win.
When parent, Cath Walsh, entered a competition at work to win some football equipment for her sons football team, she never thought she would win. However, Cath was left dumbstruck when bosses at the Co-Op Bank in Manchester told her she had won and arranged delivery of the equipment.
Whelley Alexandra under 7s will now be able to use the bibs, balls, cones, goals and corner flags for their home games. Steve Martlew, club secretary and manager of the under 7s said “I knew Cath was entering the competition and was probably as surprised as she was when she told me she had won. We are very grateful to Cath for entering but most of all to the Co-Op Bank. The equipment is worth around £500 and is a tremendous help to us.”
Chris and Ron commented we would like to thank Cath for supporting the club and it’s a great result to get the money when so many other clubs have put in for it. The club have come on leaps and bounds in the past few years and we will continue to help the club in the future in any way we can
Whelley Alexandra JFC have 7 seven teams from under 7s to under 12s and play in the Bolton, Bury and District Football League.
Pictured below are the under 7s wearing their new Co-Op Insurance bibs with club patrons and local Councillors Chris Ready and Ron Conway.
New Houses in Whelley
There are many families across Wigan in need of new homes. This development is very welcome, not just to me but to the families who will now have the chance to see their children grow up in decent housing. I was glad to have the chance to visit with Councillor Ready and meet some very happy families."
Lisa Nandy, MP for Wigan and Cllr Chris Ready Cabinet Member , visited Adactus Housing Association's new development at Durham Street, Wigan. The £7m scheme, which comprises 49 new homes for rent and features a range of energy saving measures, is due for completion in March but some families have already moved in.
The homes replace former local authority flats which were a notorious anti-social behaviour hotspot. Wigan MBC gifted the site to Adactus and the scheme has been developed with almost £3m of grant from the Homes and Communities Agency.
After looking round one of the three bedroom bungalows that have been built for a family with a disabled child, Lisa met Rachel and Gary Irving, who have already moved into one of the new family houses.
Paul Lees, Chief Executive of Adactus Housing Group, said: "We're very pleased to have been able to develop this scheme in partnership with Wigan Council. These new homes will all be let to families from the Council's housing waiting list."
The properties include five 4 bedroom houses and two 3 bedroom bungalows for families with a disabled household member. All the homes have been let to households from Wigan Council's housing waiting list.
Steve Weir, Contracts Manager with Rowlinson Construction said: "The properties have been built to a very high specification and meet Level 3 of the sustainability code for social housing, which means tenants should have very low energy bills."
Chris Ready Cabinet Member and Ward member. Adactus are doing a great job they have transformed the Durham St site, speaking to new tenants is the best way to assess the success of the scheme and everyone we spoke to were over the moon with their new homes
Lisa Nandy There are many families across Wigan in need of new homes. This development is very welcome, not just to me but to the families who will now have the chance to see their children grow up in decent housing. I was glad to have the chance to visit with Councillor Ready and meet some very happy families."
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Localism Bill could have a big impact on us all
Extract From Lisa Nandy MP
I believe in local government. Why doesn't Eric Pickles?
By Lisa Nandy MP / @lisanandy
I've already become accustomed to the poor quality of legislation as a result of the speed at which this government is pushing through its agenda. However, what still takes my breath away every time a new bill is published, are the devastating consequences and reckless ideology that lie just beneath the surface of seemingly ragtag collections of ideas.
The Localism Bill, which has its second reading on Monday, is yet one more example of this and marks a fundamental shift of power in England. The people who will lose as a consequence of its underpinning philosophy are those who live in fragmented, fractured communities, who lack the ability or resources to organise. They make up a significant chunk of the population and they are losing their voice.
At the helm is Eric Pickles: a Secretary of State for local government who does not believe in local government. It is understandably difficult for Ministers to resist the compulsion to intervene - when their own neck is on the line - and trust to local government. But, despite his language, Pickles has no intention of doing so.
For example, the new general power of 'competence' which attempts to shift the emphasis from what councils can't do, to what they can. In theory it should give more power to councils but there are over 140 proscribed activities in the bill already and most likely more to come.
Like the reforms in education and health, the Localism Bill devolves powers to communities, bypassing their elected representatives. The best councillors play a strong part in balancing competing interests and protecting minorities. Without this essential safeguard what often remains is what de Tocqueville called the tyranny of the majority. As one local government official said to me this week, the central question is 'what constitutes a community?'. I believe in community action but what Pickles refuses to recognise is, with an unequal distribution of power between communities, councillors matter.
Overriding them will be particularly problematic in relation to planning decisions. How many homeless shelters and other important but unpopular developments will now be built? This new 'freedom' combines some of the worst elements of democracy: 'might is right', without the best democratic traditions of representation for the voiceless.
Critics will point out that councils are gaining some powers. One of those is to decide who amongst the homeless is a priority for housing. Disparities like this lead to chaos. It already happens: when councils turn away unaccompanied asylum seeking children they are forced to try for help at neighbouring councils. In the battle for school places people move wherever they have to, to meet the criteria. Now it seems those councils who will prioritise the vulnerable will be overrun. Does that really constitute more power for them?
At the same time the bill stops councils from introducing council tax rises above the level set by the government unless they call and win a referendum. It would take a remarkable community to vote through a council tax rise. Taken together with the savage programme of cuts, frontloaded so councils don't have time to pool resources, introduce efficiencies and make vountary redundancies, it leaves councillors simply with the 'power' to decide which staff to sack and which services to slash.
It was an email this week from one of our brilliant Wigan councillors, Chris Ready, which prompted me to wonder if most of his colleagues up and down the country have also noticed this is happening. I sincerely hope so, and I hope they take on this battle and win it.
I was led into local politics after seeing firsthand the difference councils make to people's lives when their politicians choose to do so. At the time, when I worked with homeless teenagers, my local council - Hammersmith - were leading the way in protecting 16 year olds while others were doing all they could to fail them. More than the legislation that was designed to protect them, what mattered to those young people was the judgments their local councillors made. That is why I believe in local government. Why doesn't Pickles?
I believe in local government. Why doesn't Eric Pickles?
By Lisa Nandy MP / @lisanandy
I've already become accustomed to the poor quality of legislation as a result of the speed at which this government is pushing through its agenda. However, what still takes my breath away every time a new bill is published, are the devastating consequences and reckless ideology that lie just beneath the surface of seemingly ragtag collections of ideas.
The Localism Bill, which has its second reading on Monday, is yet one more example of this and marks a fundamental shift of power in England. The people who will lose as a consequence of its underpinning philosophy are those who live in fragmented, fractured communities, who lack the ability or resources to organise. They make up a significant chunk of the population and they are losing their voice.
At the helm is Eric Pickles: a Secretary of State for local government who does not believe in local government. It is understandably difficult for Ministers to resist the compulsion to intervene - when their own neck is on the line - and trust to local government. But, despite his language, Pickles has no intention of doing so.
For example, the new general power of 'competence' which attempts to shift the emphasis from what councils can't do, to what they can. In theory it should give more power to councils but there are over 140 proscribed activities in the bill already and most likely more to come.
Like the reforms in education and health, the Localism Bill devolves powers to communities, bypassing their elected representatives. The best councillors play a strong part in balancing competing interests and protecting minorities. Without this essential safeguard what often remains is what de Tocqueville called the tyranny of the majority. As one local government official said to me this week, the central question is 'what constitutes a community?'. I believe in community action but what Pickles refuses to recognise is, with an unequal distribution of power between communities, councillors matter.
Overriding them will be particularly problematic in relation to planning decisions. How many homeless shelters and other important but unpopular developments will now be built? This new 'freedom' combines some of the worst elements of democracy: 'might is right', without the best democratic traditions of representation for the voiceless.
Critics will point out that councils are gaining some powers. One of those is to decide who amongst the homeless is a priority for housing. Disparities like this lead to chaos. It already happens: when councils turn away unaccompanied asylum seeking children they are forced to try for help at neighbouring councils. In the battle for school places people move wherever they have to, to meet the criteria. Now it seems those councils who will prioritise the vulnerable will be overrun. Does that really constitute more power for them?
At the same time the bill stops councils from introducing council tax rises above the level set by the government unless they call and win a referendum. It would take a remarkable community to vote through a council tax rise. Taken together with the savage programme of cuts, frontloaded so councils don't have time to pool resources, introduce efficiencies and make vountary redundancies, it leaves councillors simply with the 'power' to decide which staff to sack and which services to slash.
It was an email this week from one of our brilliant Wigan councillors, Chris Ready, which prompted me to wonder if most of his colleagues up and down the country have also noticed this is happening. I sincerely hope so, and I hope they take on this battle and win it.
I was led into local politics after seeing firsthand the difference councils make to people's lives when their politicians choose to do so. At the time, when I worked with homeless teenagers, my local council - Hammersmith - were leading the way in protecting 16 year olds while others were doing all they could to fail them. More than the legislation that was designed to protect them, what mattered to those young people was the judgments their local councillors made. That is why I believe in local government. Why doesn't Pickles?
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
Football With Andy Burnham
Monday, 10 January 2011
On the beat
A GROUP of PCSOs were accompanied on the beat by a local councillor and the head of a community group.
Coun Chris Ready and Ron Conway, chairman of Aspull Forum, joined officers on a patrol of Aspull, Shevington, Ince and Whelley last Friday evening.
Coun Ready said: "Going out on the beat with our local bobbies gave us a chance to see life at the sharp end.
"This has given Ron and I a better understanding of what the police have to deal with on a daily basis.
Ron added: “The only we can get a true picture of what the police are up against is to see it ourselves, and we intend to repeat this exercise on a regular basis.”
Haigh Road Zebra Crossing
Saturday, 8 January 2011
Bulb Planting With the forum
Chris receiving his BTEC award
Aspull Church School Clock Competition 2003
Friday, 7 January 2011
Community Awards 2003
Housing Community Day launch 2004
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