How to spend lottery windfall on Pitsea (From Basildon Recorder)
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How to spend lottery windfall on Pitsea
9:00am Friday 31st August 2012 in Echo News By Melissa Hills
Councillor Terri Sargent, Basildon Council development services manager Pam McCarthy and Pitsea resident Sue Houghton
THROWING a huge community party each year and improving youth facilities are among some things residents want to spend £1million of lottery money on.
More than 50 residents from Pitsea turned out to the first in a host of consultation days at Chalvedon Community Centre and Social Club yesterday to have their say on how the money is spent.
The Chalvedon area, which includes Wickford Avenue, Ashlyns, Pitsea Road and surrounding streets is to be given the money from the Big Lottery Fund to spend in the community.
Sue Houghton, 43, of Chestnuts, Pitsea, a community representative working on the scheme, said she was very pleased with the turnout.
She said: “This money will help us turn round the estate. It is to be spent on a mix of age groups and not just one specific one.
“The residents have come up with some great ideas and because we are still in the very early stages we are open to all suggestions.”
The project, dubbed the Heart of Pitsea, saw the community centre buzzing with residents, children having their faces painted and local PCSOs chatting to residents.
Residents were asked to write down ideas on sticky notes, with more youth facilities, a skate park and improving community pride all being featured as possible ways to spend the cash.
The project is being headed by Basildon Council and the Basildon, Billericay and Wickford Council of Voluntary Service, which will be given the cash to distribute.
Terri Sargent, Basildon councillor with responsibility for community services, said a big sporting project taking in the Olympic legacy idea could kick things off.
She said: “I would love to see a huge community project launch this and make the most of what we have. With the Olympics on our doorstep, we could make the most of the legacy and really get people inspired.”
The cash will be released over a ten-year period.
Comments(6)
mikepaterson
says...
9:56am Fri 31 Aug 12
Eric Whim
says...
10:23am Fri 31 Aug 12
mikepaterson wrote:big community punch up once a year, after a few light ales etc would be nearer the mark....
Not sure that frittering the money away on parties is a very sensible thing to do...
Eric Whim
says...
10:29am Fri 31 Aug 12
The cash will be released over a ten-year period.
I trust that the cash released will include all the nterest that th £1 million has already accrued while sitting in the coffers and that which will be accrued by the cash over the ten year period.
APR
says...
9:51am Sat 1 Sep 12
Eric Whim
says...
9:55am Sat 1 Sep 12
APR wrote:maybe they can use the million quid to buy Pitsea Swimming Pool.....
Most of it will go in administration fees.
EthanEdwards says...
9:54am Fri 31 Aug 12
We could even underline it with a giant Oly rings display.
Stick it on the side of a busy A road for maximum laughs at our expense.
Sounds like a plan. Now where have I heard tha kind of idea before....
My 2p...build some shelters / homes for the destitute homeless with it. Not waste it of frippery or the underserving non travelling folk.