23 Sep RESIDENTS WITH VISION FOR CLEAN, SAFE AND ATTRACTIVE SURROUNDINGS – COMMUNITY MATTERS
By Ceri Silk, Community Builder for Torquay Town Centre
I love being a community builder, supporting individuals to enrich their lives by connecting with others and Melville Community Group members with the mural created on Warren Hill, Torquay encouraging involvement in their neighbourhood activities.
And when people come together to form groups, share their passions and work towards a common goal, then the magic starts to happen, and we can make a difference in everyone’s lives.
Two groups that have achieved amazing things in the past year are the Melville Community Group and the Friends of Torwood Costal Area (FOTCA).
The Melville Community Group is a group of residents from the Melville Hill area who have engaged with others in their community and worked with the local council to develop and action a strategy to improve where they live. Their vision is a clean, safe, attractive community that is welcoming, vibrant, and thriving.
Activities and initiatives include the installation of CCTV cameras, increased street cleaning, improved lighting, an issue-reporting portal and community social events.
The most recent project, created by local residents in conjunction with Groundworks, is a beautiful, colourful mural on Warren Hill.
The FOTCA is a group of locals who care for Torwood Costal Area, an attraction that gets thousands of visitors but unfortunately has been neglected in recent years. Working with the council, SWISCo, and the Coast and Countryside Trust, these individuals come together to cut back brambles, litter pick, sweep, paint, dig, plant and socialise.
Thanks to the FOTCA’s dedication, Beacon Cove is now back on the ‘Agatha Christie Mile’. I am also extremely proud to announce that both the Marvellous Melville Mural and FOTCA’s extensive aesthetic improvements along the Torwood Costal Path were judged as part of this year’s South West in Bloom competition.
Congratulations to our local residents, whose passion for improving their environment while having fun and making friends is creating a real difference that we can all enjoy. Please contact me to find out more about groups you could join.
Let me know what passions you would like to share and I will be happy to help you get started. Call 07931 567885 or email [email protected]
