A new Town and Rural Communities Association (Tarca) has completed a five-day ‘gazebo’ tour of the towns and villages of North Shropshire to promote the group and to ask the opinions of residents on environmental projects to improve local communities and neighbourhoods.
The Association is an independent tenants group, sponsored and supported by Meres and Mosses Housing Association (MMHA), to encourage resident involvement and, in this case, help identify and choose projects that will help local communities improve their immediate environment.
MMHA has allocated a sum of £20,000 for environmental projects every year for five years and £10,000 for Community Development across the region.
The group aims to ensure the broadest possible community involvement and to promote joint working with other agencies.
Resident Involvement Officer, Sheila Standley, explained: “As a result of the tour, members of Tarca were able to talk to more than 200 people about the work of the new group as well as finding out about some really good ideas that might help the environment around local communities.”
Bill Rutter, the newly elected chair said: “The group will eventually include tenant representatives from villages and towns across the MMHA area, leaseholders, people buying shared ownership homes, tenants living in sheltered accommodation and young people.
“It will consider all ideas that are put forward for project funding. They could be ideas to clean up litter, to make an area safer for children to play or to provide more public seating – anything which will benefit the local community.
“MMHA Officers will work with the group to carry out feasibility studies of ideas under consideration and the group will then be able to decide which ideas go ahead.”
Ideas can be forwarded to the group via the MMHA FREEPHONE 0800 434 6289.
For further information please contact MMHA Managing Director Jennie Barfoot on 0800 4346289.
Notes for editors.
· Meres and Mosses Housing Association took over 2,300 properties from North Shropshire District Council on July 30 2007.
· A £30m program of improvements to existing homes is underway.
· Meres and Mosses is part of the Shropshire Housing Group which also includes South Shropshire Housing Association and the property maintenance specialists Total Response Ltd. Together they own and manage more than 4,000 properties throughout Shropshire and Herefordshire.