NEXT PUBLIC MEETINGS:

1) Friday 3rd October  - “Supporting Your Community – The Culm Valley Way”

Willand Village Hall at 7.30 p.m.

The aim of the meeting is to begin to spread the brilliant work of the Blackdown Support Group

Sector: Voluntary

Serves: Ashill, Blackborough, Culmstock, Hemyock, Kentisbeare, Uffculme

Befriending and sitting service. Services include lunch clubs, shopping, advocacy, escorts to health related appointments, transport, home visits to back up physiotherapy, toenail cutting, loan of equipment. No personal care. Health service referral only. Services available to the 20 parishes served by Hemyock Surgery.

Contact: Mrs. Barbara Starkiss (Co-ordinator)

across all of the Culm Valley.

What does the Blackdown Support Group do?

Barbara Starkiss will explain how the Group works, and invited to attend are representatives of College Surgery Patients Support Group and Bramblehaies Surgery Patients Support Group.

The aim is to decide on the next steps forward.

2) Social and Have Your Say Evening followed by Annual General Meeting.

Thursday 23rd OctoberCullompton Town Hall7.30pm.

Entertainment from the Wyndham Singers of Kentisbeare

PREVIOUS PUBLIC MEETINGS AND EVENTS

1) New Cullompton Town Bus15th May 2008

Held to give residents an opportunity to discuss the nature of and route for the new own bus to introduced in the Autumn 2008

2) Culm Valley Health Matters19th June 2008

Held to give residents opportunity to hear Primary Care Trust outline their Way Forward document. Led directly to 3rd October meeting to spread the work of the Blackdown Support Group.

3) Devon Well-Being Strategy17th July 2008

Postponed as we were so keen to arrange it but the Strategy hadn’t been published yet.

4) Mid Devon Show26th July 2008

Joint display with Tiverton Senior Council, and opportunity for the people of Mid Devon to express their concerns about local issues.

What did they say?

Review of ‘post-its’ from Mid Devon Show

This was useful exercise, although some comments were contradictory, & some too vague for meaningful follow-up. Although several relate to Tiverton, it needs to be recognised that Tiverton is nearest big town to Cullompton, & many local people visit for shopping, hospital, & other services.

Key areas:

1. Transport

Clearly by far the area of greatest concern:

a)Bus Passes should operate from 9.00am. Many highlighted this & it has clear implications to b). Communities with limited services & at distance from main centres are badly disadvantaged.

b)Isolation & lack of provision in more rural areas/ villages.  Reorganisation/ cancellation of some services have further disadvantaged some communities.

c)Inadequate disabled access on services in rural areas (older buses?)

d)Lack of services to towns in late evenings (for access to theatre etc)

e)Inadequate links to rail network/ Tiverton Parkway Station/ other transport links

f)Need for Cullompton Town bus.

g)Services eg hospital need to take transport limitations into account when making early appointments.

2. Parking & roads:

Concerns about road surfaces, & overall parking provision perhaps less relevant to us. More relevant:

a)Cost of parking at Tiverton Hospital

3. Care of vulnerable:

a)Concern over sale of Council Care Homes

b)Concern about vulnerable individuals facing immobility & disability. Provision of services/ support?

c)Need to support older people without patronising.

4. Other services:

a)Suggest free swimming for over 50’s; over 60’s.

5. Other general issues raised:

Perhaps could be noted:

a)‘Green awareness’: recycling; need to have ‘green’ agenda to policy (relevant to 1.)

b)Planning: issues re MDDC of planning applications, time, complaints, consistency, ‘green’ agenda.

The way forward will be discussed at the next Committee Meeting on Thursday 11th September at 4.00p.m.

For further details contact:  Geoff Nicholson 01884 33611