C.A.T.

Eddie Price (Resident Envolvement Officer) talks about his role in the resource centre.

"My role is working with people, getting the people to do the things they want to do for the benefit of there community. Its about engaging with people, talking to people and finding out what they want and taking that forward to the people that make the decisions. Its about bringing people together and organising things and working as one unit for the benefit of all".

"With guardance from me the residents have put together a detailed action plan for the future. This neighbourhood action plan is still developing, each month representatives from each group meet at the resource centre (which is a small living room in a council house) but its still usual to see 30-40 people. They talk about what they want for their community and we bring people to speak to them, Community Wardens, Sure Start, Councilors, local government, who ever their need to speak too. They see that its the residents that push this forward and say what they want in their area".

Two factors that have helped develop an action plan have been the training that residents have received and visits to other community projects, which have enabled them to learn from successes and failures of others and to share ideas.

A regional Fund Raising day was held in June 2002 at Hartlepool Historic Keq for groups to come together and share experiences. This event was made possible through joint working of the Regeneration Exchange, Neighbourhood Renewal, Home Housing Association and Neighbourhood Services. This served as an excellent example of agencies combining to help resident groups apply for and receive the funding their deserve.

Mick Thompson explains, "Am thinking in my experience it is always good to have speakers at events were people can get the offical voice of whats available. The most important thing is that residents talk to their peers, local people from different communities and learn from there experience and sometimes learn from their failures, which is just as important".

Councillor Sandra Fenwick (Dyke House Resident) explains, "Things that have changed in the past 18 months in Dyke House has been absolutely phenomenal. residents taking ownership for everything thats theirs and making a difference by working with other groups including the police and neighbourhood services, the residents are changing the whole lot around, its abosolutley marvelous and am glad that we are part of it".

Eddie Price explains "Dyke House has really got a strong community spirit. In the past there has always been pockets here and there and everywhere. A residents group can be formed in one street, more recently its all about coming together pulling the patch work together".

"The whole of Dyke House is steeped in history, their are a proud people and their have always looked toward the past. The things that were then, in them times, leaving the doors open, seeing that each others kids were alright and talking to one another. Obviously society has changed, things have moved on. But these people have managed to maintain a lot of the past. In particular the united strong community spirit. I know because when I first came to Hartlepool this was one of the first things that hit me. If you want real community spirit then this is the place to come".

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C.A.T. Communities Acting Together. 29 Chatham Road Hartlepool Dyke House Hartlepool TS24 8QG. tel: 01429 405596. Local contacts - Eddie Price tel: 07789 923565. Mick Thompson tel: 07786 126776. Muriel Boreland tel: 01429 291537. Webmaster Rolf Parvin Email: [email protected]

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