My first theme this month concerns young people in the village.

A grouping of local organisations with a common interest in youth have come together over the past few months to concentrate on improving the provision of activities and facilities aimed at children and youths from 10 years and up.

The first outcome of this is the running of a Youth Club for three months on a trial basis, which if successful, we hope to make a permanent feature and run frequently and regularly.   This first initiative has been taken by our Neighbourhood Wardens, well supported by WBC Youth Service, Parish Council, the Neighbourhood Police and Extended Schools project.  The first meeting was on Friday 13^th June, and was a tremendous success, with over 30 young people attending.  Hopefully, with continued interest, and sufficient local volunteers to help to run it, this will make an entertaining focal point for our younger population.

A further part of the plan is to address the lack of play facilities for older children, a gap which the cycle track was intended to fill.  Whilst that project must be shelved for the time being until we find a suitable site, the Parish Council will still strive to make better provision, probably in Bucknell’s Meadow and possibly elsewhere, as soon as we can.  We are looking at what could be done in the area around Thames Reach, but stress that no definite plans or proposals exist at this stage, and we will consult widely amongst local residents well before any proposals are made.

Finally, whilst referring to young people, the Council has sponsored a Photo Competition specifically for youngsters, to take pictures of aspects of Purley. The best pictures will be featured as new images of Purley on our Parish Website.  Please encourage any young persons that you know to enter.  The details are contained on the website.

We held a meeting of residents and Flood Wardens recently to discuss our Flood Plan and give out information from our partner agencies – West Berkshire (WBC) and the Environment Agency(EA).  We looked at what had worked well in the last two emergencies in July 2007 and January 2008, and what needed to be improved. As a result, we have an undertaking from the EA to change their telephone warning system to give Purley a better service, and we have requests lodged with them for better defences and website information which we will keep pursuing on behalf of the lower village.

We plan to add to the Flood Wardens scheme to act as a supplementary support system for residents, and would welcome a few more wardens, particularly around Brading Way, Riverside Drive, Oak Tree Walk and The Short.  The responsibilities are few, not called upon very often (we hope!) but the benefits to the village are great and the wardens have the advantage of getting good and early information when it is needed.  Please contact me if you feel that you could help, for more details.

Rick Jones

Chairman - Purley on Thames Parish Council

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