Budget cuts always seem to hit the most vulnerable hardest

MY STUFF IN THE HERALD EXPRESS 28th NOVEMBER 2013

 

Vince Cable (Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills) came to visit South Devon the other day and amongst other things spoke to the local business forum at the end of a busy day. For all sorts of reasons I didn’t attend that gathering but was fortunate enough, thanks to Adrian Sanders MP, to spend a little time with Dr Cable during the late afternoon. I’ve always been a supporter of Dr Cable and really enjoyed reading his excellent book ‘The Storm’ about the financial crash, published in 2008.  But although I have admired his work I did have a problem with some of the changes in direction once he joined our coalition government. I reminded about his potentially being included in the 2012 Olympics as a member of the fiscal gymnastics team with backward somersaults as a particular skill. Those adjustments are of course a consequence of endless policy trade-offs in any coalition which is why our present political leadership has been a worry for me. Anyway it was a pleasure to meet him and I do recommend his book to you as we battle through this age of austerity.

I did raise an eyebrow recently, something that I seem to do a little too often these days, when HRH Prince of Wales called the three main political party leaders to Buckingham Palace to debate voluntary service for the young. Doubtless the meeting will result in numerous focus groups, assorted projects and the usual myriad of quango style organisations. Thinking about the financial action of the Coalition I felt a certain empathy with Prince Charles’ obvious concern for our young people. We should, of course, all be concerned because this is about the building blocks of a cohesive functional community and given the high level of young people without jobs this has to be a worry.

I do wonder whether our local political leaders had any of that in mind when setting the budget for Torbay in particular. Did you notice the Mayor’s budget detail or did it get lost in the swirl of political rhetoric that always makes any sort of reasoned analysis problematic? I did take a long hard look, as did a friend who made the following comment, “Have you looked at the Mayor’s budget on the website? There are so many cuts to services for the most vulnerable! SHOCKING!!” Curiously that comment was brought into immediate focus later that same evening when I bumped into another friend working for Torbay Council and lightly asked the question, “Still got a job?” Her face dropped and I realised immediately that I had asked the wrong question. It seemed that she had received her notice that afternoon. My reply was, “But you work with very needy young people!!” Given that she has always done much more than was required for her post, had supported so many marginalised young folk and helped in ways that I cannot even start to list the loss to Torbay will be huge. That’s the point really. It’s not just what folk do for a job it is also a matter of understanding what they also do through goodwill. Expecting the voluntary sector to pick up the slack is it seems to me wishful thinking!

Budget cuts always seem to hit the most vulnerable hardest. This budget is going to impact upon us all and so how about making your view known? Why not attend the Mayor’s Budget Event on 2^nd December at 6.30pm at The Rivera Conference Centre (also known at the ERC, on Torquay seafront). The event is open for us all to attend! If you have computer access then do take a look at: http://www.torbay.gov.uk/index/yourbay/events/budget where you will even find an interactive budget simulator to see how you might allocate the meagre funds available! You will also find a questionnaire allowing you to have your say about the Mayor’s proposed budget.

You have the chance here to participate in local government and the ability to engage gets even better because now Torbay Council will be streaming many of their meetings. What does that mean? Well this is a computer based facility that will allow you to watch proceedings live!  You can join, via the Internet, a full Council meeting live on 5^th December simply by clicking on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHy8b6V-_QE

Of course if you don’t have computer access you can read about these events in the Herald Express! You can also attend as a member of the public and watch our elected councillors in action although you cannot actually participate.  The meeting will be in The Forum at the Riviera International Conference Centre on the 5^th December starting at 5.30pm.

Goodness, we are all going to be busy bunnies!

Keep the smile!

 

 

 

 

 

Stranger danger in your own home

My words on the Herald Express 14th November 2013

 



 

 

I happened to notice a poster the other day whilst researching changes in the local government landscape. The headline message simply asked the question 'Whose coming into your home tonight to talk to your children?" The little poster showed two young children cosily looking at a shimmering computer screen. Intrigued I read rather than skimmed the information. You might, as I did, raise an eyebrow at that because we tend to know exactly who is coming into our homes! But do we always know? This campaign is about the Internet and what we allow, perhaps unwittingly, our young people access. If you have children and allow them to access the Internet then you really really should read what the Virtually S@fe team have to say!

 

If you read the Herald Express regularly then you will have been aware of the consequences of unpleasant people using social media platforms online to work against the good of a community. As a parent we always want the very best for our children and therefore take as much care as we can to keep them from harm. I guess that is why this little poster made me shiver. The thought of some unpleasant character having a conversation in the bedroom of a young person is horrible and yet that is exactly what evil predators attempt to do via the Internet.

 

The Internet is of course the most wonderful creation and has probably made the world a smaller place. I love it and spend many useful (and not so useful!) hours each week communicating, learning or simply being entertained by this magical invention. But as with most things unpleasant folk tend to spread their darkness causing mayhem and harm. That is sad and also a worry which is why this campaign by Virtually S@fe caught my eye. Virtually S@fe is a project delivered by Devon and Cornwall Police, Hele’s Angels and Safer Communities Torbay with funding from the Torbay Safeguarding Children Board. You can find them at http://www.torbayvirtuallysafe.co.uk/  by phoning 01803 207263 or 207262 or email scatt@torbay.gov.uk  

 

Having said all that we must remember that true friendship is such a precious thing and good friends bring warmth into all our lives. Friendship is a two way process and not a function that should ever carry a score card. To be there for another without counting the cost is a huge thing and too often lost in our fast moving confusing world. Being there for a friend at a time when help is needed doesn't mean that a credit has been added to some emotional balance sheet to be claimed at a later date. Being there for a friend when it matters is a special gift and provides a spiritual lift to both! Friendship builds healthy communities!

 

A few weeks ago I mentioned loneliness and the curious fact that even though we have wall to wall methods of communication social isolation seems to be on the increase. It is a particular problem amongst the lonely as the nights get longer. Even though we may drift around Facebook and other social media platforms it cannot replace the energy of being physically present! Meeting friends and making new friends, it seems to me, is increasingly important to our community as the social landscape changes. It is actually hard work to keep in regular contact with friends in this busy world but worth the effort.

 

The regular meeting places and community hot spots must be developed so that we do as a community pull together. Perhaps as a consequence of these hard economic times there is an increasing potential for greater community action and I have been very aware of new social enterprises developing. There are some very good people doing wonderful work and we must do all we can to support them. One such organisations is Aly Lazell’s Future Shores, a new non-profit project which has just registered with Companies House as a community interest company looking at collaboration for social change with young people in Torbay. They share their skills as professionals with young people to support them to build the projects which they believe will make a difference to their lives now and their futures. They work with the arts, education and enterprise and want to try new ways of working to make positive experiences happen. Projects already include Agatha's Closet (working with fashion, young women and enterprise to create creative industry and event opportunities), Make Music Now (working with young people to create a music offer that is relevant to what they want) and In-Tent (re-homing festival tents to families who need to get some time out and organising some amazing events so they can do just that).

 

I guess that where I am going with all this is the continued need to keep our eyes open and engage with the community. By working together we can make the world a better place that really is in the interests of all rather than just a few.

 

Keep the smile.

 

The end of an era - kind words from Mr Parker

Jim Parker's words in the Herald Express 31st October 2013

"THE shutters will finally come down on 35 years of history in Paignton at the weekend. Harbour Sports Paignton will sadly be no more.
Well-known businessman Frank Sobey has tried to keep the business afloat after more than three decades in the town, but he has been left with no option but to throw in the towel.
What do those TV property programmes say? It's all about 'location, location, location'. The truth is Paignton harbour just isn't the location it used to be for Frank.
That, along with the general market, decreased footfall and, according to Frank, making the harbour as un-user friendly as possible with a raft of rules and regulations, has persuaded him to say enough is enough.
He used to run the harbour outlet and other shops in the city centres of Plymouth and Exeter under Harbour Sports Limited, but the plug was pulled on that company via a creditor's voluntary liquidation just over a year ago.





Since then Frank has been running the Paignton shop as part of a partnership and using the name of the business which has been well known in town for such a long time.
The idea was to make a go of it and then look to sell on the business. It hasn't happened and a recent half price 'all stock must go' sale was the beginning of the end.
Frank says: "We carried on eventually for another year as a partnership using the name Harbour Sports in the hope someone would pick up the torch.
"The shop in Plymouth became a cycle shop/cafe and the one in Exeter is now a Children's Hospice SW charity shop.
"We've had several people express an interest, but sadly nothing came of that and Harbour Sports on Paignton Harbour will slip into history.
"It is a shame but that, sadly, is the landscape these days."
The harbour is seen by many as Paignton's hidden gem. It is one of the most charming places in the country yet it appears somewhat cut off and isolated from the main town centre.
It doesn't sit within the Paignton BID area where traders are given the opportunity to invest, and have a say, in improving their trading environment.
There have always been concerns about a lack of sign posting trying to encourage locals and visitors to walk the whole length of the prom and then see what lies beyond the harbour arch.
I can remember several conversations with the inspirational ladies who run TJs down there. By the way, it was brilliant to see them pick up an award in recent South Devon and English Riviera Tourism and Hospitality awards.
They are battling through but for Frank the fight is over.
He says: "These are hugely difficult times. The harbour is such a lovely place.
"It has not become a user-friendly harbour in so many ways with things like regulations and conflicting use.
"It comes down to footfall.
"The sadness is that the harbour is dislocated from the town. It has lost its way."
He can remember the days of teaching wind surfing from the harbour back in the late 1970s when it was 'vibrant' and not constantly blown out of the water by red tape and health and safety.
Frank says: "Poles and wires have been put up to stop people fishing off the harbour. It must have cost thousands of pounds.
"People see people fishing down there and they are told 'you can't do that'. They no longer come.
"Evidently, there was one incident where one man hit a passing boat. It is called life."
Somebody showed their disdain for the fish ban wires by hanging their washing on them. Wonder who?
Frank adds: "People are told 'you can't park here and you can't do that'. There are so many prohibition signs.
"We have a by-laws sign at the top of the slipway. We are saying 'welcome to Torbay — here's what you can't do'".
The changing face of the harbour is not the only reason he has decided to call it a day.
The limited company went under as it got caught in the harsh times in the High Street.
"The limited company went because we got caught in the changing market place down here," said Frank.
"The biggest thing was getting caught in the high street in Plymouth and Exeter. It was too expensive.
"When you walk down the high street it is like somebody who cannot afford good dentistry — there are gaps all over the place.
"People are milling around but they are not carrying shopping bags. There are so many empty shops."
He recognises there are many success stories out there and is not the sort of person to sit back and just moan and groan.
But there was one moment back at the harbour shop which has stuck with Frank as the clock ticked towards closure.
He says: "Some people are talking up activity (in the town centres) and people say they want to see independents.
"But people are using us as fitting rooms. We had a family of four in here looking at wet suits for an hour. Then the bloke took out his mobile device in the shop and ordered the wet suits on line," says Frank.
He adds: "We were hoping somebody would take on the sports business. We had four or five people who were keen, but they never got far enough to putting ink on paper." He says one interested party was an outdoor centre business offering services including corporate body boarding. They walked after discovering it would cost £5 a time to launch a kayak...
Frank tells me Harbour Sports will become a new shop focussing on chandlery and shellfish. Good luck to the new business, but Paignton harbour just won't be quite the same."

Fuel poverty is a worry in hard times

My words in the Herald Express 31st October 2013

The South West Energy Centre

 

 

When our political leaders suggested the other day that we all shop around for the best energy prices I wanted to shout at the television screen. That may sound pathetic but that is exactly how I felt. Every year as the shadows lengthen the utility companies bump up the price of energy and we all shiver at the thought of yet another squeeze on the family budget. These are hard times and fuel poverty is a worry. It’s especially worrying for those who already struggle with crippling debt.

So what advice do we get from the House of Commons? Shop around for the best price! Great! Step number one is to make sense of the tariffs that they all punt. That is far from easy.  Comparison websites help as do numerous energy advisory folk wandering the streets, waiting to pounce once the call centre has caught another hapless shivering citizen. It’s all so confusing.

Of course getting your deal is a little like attempting to locate a pea as the thimbles move mercilessly around. Have you played that frustrating game? You do of course assume that there is actually a pea under one of the thimbles.  Hmm. It takes time and computer knowledge if that is how you plan to search for the best energy deal. It’s harder to do if you don’t have the required computer skills or indeed a computer. It must also be remembered that, despite the pressure to launch us all into cyberspace, many people still don’t own a computer and so shopping around for a better price online simply isn’t an option.

There are those who might argue that the essential utilities should not be in private ownership and looking at the huge profits combined with soaring energy bills you might raise an eyebrow. But they are privatised and political options for price control seem limited despite the rhetoric.  Oh yes we can all wear and extra jumper, heat only one room and limit the amount of light we use during the long dark hours but that doesn’t take away the pain of energy price increases on already staggering bills.

All this is not helped when we hear about the mis-selling of energy deals and doubtless a number of you reading this will have a certain empathy with that! So where do you get unbiased energy advice and information about avoiding fuel poverty? Well locally we now have a wonderful new facility just off the Brixham Road in Paignton called the South West Energy Centre. These folk have been tasked with helping us all to make the best of what is available in these troublesome times. If you are worried (why would you now not be worried!) about keeping warm, getting the best energy prices and avoiding fuel poverty then give them a ring on 01803 540 725 or if you have computer access look at www.southwestenergycentre.co.uk .

For those of you who follow my rambling rhetoric you will know that community cohesion is something that lights my fire. These long winter periods of darkness leave many folk alone and isolated. How well do you know your neighbours? Think about those who might be living alone and vulnerable. As we push more and more onto the Internet the daily meeting points, like the local Post Office, have disappeared. Even regular trips to local shops seem to be slipping into history. It therefore means that more and more of us communicate via social media whilst waiting for the knock on the door as the supermarket delivery van arrives.

Think for a moment about those outside of that world. Think about older people living alone who might not see anyone for days and have no one to have a conversation with. As the days become colder the worry about heating might cause anxiety. Cold can kill as can solitude, loneliness and isolation.

Thinking about solitude in our lives it is interesting to reflect upon the seeking of a quiet place by design and the sadness finding yourself thrust unexpectedly into a lonely place. They are very different, seeking solitude and being lonely, and in this age of amazing communication social isolation, or so it seems to me, is rapidly growing.

Please take the time to look around and look for the lonely and the vulnerable. Seek out those who might slip below the surface as the cold winter nights drag endlessly on. Often all that is immediately needed is a friendly smile and a cheery greeting. Don’t be frightened to engage with local councillors and members of Parliament. They are human and would love to hear from you! You have a voice and you have a vote. Use both for the good of all and to lift the spirit.

Keep the smile.

 

Being quiet is the best option

 

 

A couple of things happened today that made me raise an eyebrow.  It seemed to me that they were connected and I therefore came to a conclusion. Later in the day I found that there was absolutely no significance in the coincidence. Too often, or so it seems to me, we attempt to look for significance in random coincidence with curious outcomes! In our sound-bite world this seems to be becoming a regular occurrence. The worry is that things are then said in error which can be hugely damaging.

As we rocket toward 2015 the war of words has already started as our political leaders attempt to score points over those opposing them. We all tend to only loosely listen to what is being said which inevitably links coincidental events to which we attach unwarranted significance. In a world crowded with social media it is so easy to hear bits of a conversation rather than the whole thing and judgements are then made without the luxury of firm knowledge. That judgement can launch damaging comment and once the words are out there attempting to pull them back is almost impossible!

All I am saying really is that once the political rhetoric heats up we must listen with care and keep the spiteful comments at arm’s length. To be quite honest if you don’t have something nice to say about someone then being quiet is probably the best option. If you do have a criticism to make then at least ensure that it is understood and balanced.

I don’t know whether you have stumbled across J K Rowling’s new book ‘A Casual Vacancy’ which is very different from the often dark Harry Potter stories. It was for me a fascinating read because it captured the essence of a community and demonstrated how words can skew a point of view. It doesn’t take much for negative comment to grow into something quite harmful. As the politicians both local and national seek election those social divisions can become very complicated with quite often unintended consequences.

One activity that I have always felt an excellent platform for social cohesion is the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and recently the 500^th Gold presentation ceremony took place in London.  There is an increasing need, in my opinion, to encourage young people not in full time education to use the DofE to develop skills to provide a life platform that will both build their skill portfolio and also help bind a community together. Please ask your local councillors what they are doing to support the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award amongst those not in full time education or part of a youth organisation.

Talking of community cohesion I was really pleased to see so many people pitch up to the Oldway Mansion open afternoon the other Saturday. The tour of this crumbling building was actually quite exciting because we got to see parts that have never been open to the public. I gather from the developer that nothing much is going to happen for at least a year and that given the poor state of the fabric the whole project is going to be very challenging. Torbay Council, in these cash strapped times, must be really pleased that this money bucket is off their hands. At least I think that it is off their hands.

The weather this summer has been fantastic and the sunshine continued into September. That warm weather was good news for one young couple who decided to hold their wedding reception at the Red Rocks Beach Café on Goodrington seafront. Always a worry when you are that close to the water because if the wind comes blasting in from the sea accompanied by lashing icy rain then the whole event can become a washout. But their evening went well and the Red Rocks Beach Café throbbed with an eight-piece band hammering out toe tapping music.

It is very easy to say negative things about our tourism offering and yet there really is so much to do. For anyone wandering along Goodrington seafront and Young’s Park that evening it must have seemed quite atmospheric. I loved it and can still feel the tingle today.

In a little while the clocks change and the sun continues to head south. Thankfully this year we have all be buoyed by some lovely weather which has made the English Riviera sparkle. The thing is that the sunshine days kind of seep deeply into the spirit and allow you to almost radiate through the short winter days.

I guess that is one way to keep the smile!

 

 

Don't take the NHS for granted

My words in the Herald Express 3rd October 2013



IF you happen to be reading your Herald Express over a Thursday morning cup of coffee, then spare a thought for me because I will be waiting to undergo a minor surgical procedure at Teignmouth Hospital. I don't live in Teignmouth, but that is where South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has sent me. So while you are tucking into a second piece of buttered toast I will be flicking through the pages of the Last Train from Liguria by Christine Dwyer Hickey while waiting for my surgeon to do his thing. All part of that rich tapestry of daily life of course, or so we believe.

The National Health Service is the most wonderful thing and was coincidently launched one month after my birth in 1948. Not that I have had too many occasions which have required immediate medical attention, but the fact I have always known access to a physician has been freely available is a precious thing.

It therefore worries me when I see huge cracks appearing over the surface and the exhausted looks on the faces of those holding together the frontline services. That has to be a concern for all of us.
I don't know whether you watched the London Olympic opening ceremony last year, but if you did then you must have been impressed by Danny Boyle's breath-taking pageant charting the history of these Sceptred Isles. He paid a stunning tribute to the National Health Service by underpinning the fact universal healthcare is indeed a core value in our society. Although a core value we should never, ever take for granted. These are curious times and we must all pay attention when various changes occur which might threaten that freedom of access to medical care.

We all need to pay careful attention to the words spoken by our political leaders as too often casual comments suddenly become policy. Keep the things which we take for granted very much in mind because local councillors will now be looking carefully at the funding cuts which threaten many of the services that all expect. It will be the discretionary spending which will too often quietly disappear.
One local service under threat is funded school transport and comments from struggling parents of children at St Cuthbert Mayne in Torquay made me raise an eyebrow. It wasn't just the words, but the wide-eyed facial expressions as the impact of additional outgoing on an already beleaguered family budget hit home. My children have grown now, but during their  school years we did benefit from subsidised school transport which, of course, allowed a parental choice as to where our young were schooled. Of course, many might argue if you want choice you should pay for it and while for many that is of course possible, for others it is not.

Sadly with these often very subtle funding cuts it is the most vulnerable groups in society who tend to feel the pain first. If we really want to be a caring community we really must look out for each other in these troubled times and not simply say it's not my problem.

What follows may be seen as a ray of sunshine perhaps.

If you take the time to struggle through my fortnightly contribution you will know the apparent development at Oldway Mansion has made me question progress. On Saturday from 2pm until 4pm there is an open event at Oldway to update the community about progress to date and the anticipated start date, which apparently is later this year, for the resurrection of the mansion as a premier hotel. How exciting. In the words of Paul Hawthorne, chairman of the Friends of Oldway: "We have worked consistently on getting a fair and viable solution for the Oldway Estate over the last four years. Our initial reservations have been addressed, and I believe we are indeed on the way to achieving a future for the house and gardens which our members and the wider circle of people of Torbay can be happy with."

That view is echoed by head of Akkeron regeneration, Mark Jones, who said: "We are pleased to be working towards starting work on the hotel. We are looking forward to the open day on October 5, to show everyone interested in the project the history and current condition of the buildings along with plans."

I have always loved Oldway Mansion with its beautiful gardens, bowling greens and tennis courts. It really is my hope the outcome will be for the greater good of the community and encourage you to visit the open event to gain a better understanding of what is happening.

Keep the smile.

Boost your career with Channel hop



BUENOS Dias! What a sparkling way to start the day and the echo somehow captures the magic of a sunny atmospheric Barcelona, which coincidentally happens to be the home town of my Spanish visitor.

Law student Valenti Sabate is with me for a month and our time together started with a thrilling conversation about Spanish writer Carlos Zafon's book 'Shadow of the Wind'.
Also with me is Matthias Feuerstein from Germany and therefore English is our common language.
I have to say these young folk from Spain and Germany plus the many others who visit bring a special energy to the English Riviera. Of course, the hundreds who make the trip also boost the economy!

Many local employers offer work placements and benefit hugely from the expertise they bring.
It has always made me a little curious as to why our young folk don't seem to head in the other direction for work experience since the placements are funded in the same way.

On Friday morning at a Cockington Court breakfast event hosted by the Torbay Development Agency, I bumped into Nadine Stroud from the Training Partnership Torquay who tells me it is indeed difficult to get our young folk to hop across the Channel.

Then Nadine told me of something I thought very exciting and wanted to share it with you.
It seems there are 20 fully-funded, 10-week work placements being offered to graduates in the south west to boost their career, gain vital European work experience and develop language skills.
Please don't let a lack of language knowledge put you off because there is a three-week preparation course in Torquay.

All you need is a very basic knowledge of French or German. How good is that? Give Nadine a ring on 01803 321210. Placements are on offer in Lyon and Bordeaux in France, and Magdeburg and Leipzig in Germany. There are also other funded opportunities for those who have not gone to university.

It seems to me sometimes we all need to step outside our comfort zone for a little while.
Let's start to make the world a smaller place.

Still thinking about the next generation you may have recently attended one of the many roadshows touring South Devon promoting the new South Devon University Technical College which is scheduled to open in 2015/16.

If you did then you will doubtless share my enthusiasm for this exciting development.
The SDUTC will be the area's first university technical college and is going to offer a whole new way of learning for up to 600 young people aged 14 to 18.

It will be built in Newton Abbot and recruit from across the region including Teignbridge, Torbay, Exeter, Plymouth and the South Hams.

The academy school will have a unique focus in engineering, water and the environment, reflecting both the natural environment in Devon and the needs of employers in these industries where there is a lack of technicians available.

It is interesting to note that locally, apprenticeship numbers in science, engineering and manufacturing are half the regional average and nationally the technician deficit is estimated to reach 450,000 by 2020!

That has to be a worry. It seems to me this exciting development is a very good thing indeed, especially so when I chat with work experience people from Germany where a greater emphasis is placed on vocational education to meet the needs of industry.

Now I have some homework for you.

Roman governors in ancient times used to symbolically wash their hands when they wished to disengage from a thorny topic. It seems to me that habit is popping up again in our Big Society and that worries me. The handing back of quite often essential services to the community is all very well if we have a structure to ensure those most in need don't slip through the gaps.
I worry that all too often the structure simply isn't there but once the service has been handed over it will take time to see whether the baby has gone out with the bath water.

As you know, if you read my words from time to time, I keep banging on about community engagement and part of that is making contact with your local councillors. This need is increasingly important it seems to me. So here are a few questions you might want to ask them.

The first one which springs to mind is about the redevelopment of Oldway Mansion. When will the new hotel open? I will not mention the 12 closed tennis courts. Oops.

The second is about community engagement at the exciting Parkfield Centre with its huge BMX track, climbing wall, skate park, sports hall and other goodies which should by now should be captivating Torbay. Have they, the councillors, engaged?

Finally, rather than overloading you, can you please get an update on the Torquay seafront balloon debt and the future of that weed-covered plot from our political leaders?

Keep the smile!