Castle Cary Town Council is absolutely committed to funding, providing and supporting activities and facilities for our young people.
This is evidenced by the following:
• Funding a youth work service including a youth club that has been running at the Pavilion and Donald Pither field every Tuesday following negotiations with our young people on the streets in May, June and July. They are shaping the provision with the young people for the autumn and winter delivery. This costs the Town Council £10k per annum which includes work outside the delivery hours.
• Supporting a free three day Summer Camp in the Market House with a local business committed to providing expert entrepreneurial skills.
• Supporting the Childrens’ Carnival
• Supporting local sports and community groups through the provision of small grants
• Providing play and sport equipment on Fairfield (in partnership with Ansford Parish Council) the Play Park and on the Donald Pither field.
• Supporting the Cricket Club to run the ALL Stars cricket initiative on Wednesdays and Saturdays
• We published a list of activities available to all our young people during the summer holidays.
• Bouncy Castles on the Donald Pither field in August.
• Activity mornings at the Market House during the school holidays
• Providing the use of Fairfield (in partnership with Ansford Parish Council) for the funfair each year
The issue with the basketball court has been ongoing and following complaints from the young people that the surface doesn’t allow the ‘ball to bounce’ we have started work on it to make it more appropriate. The surface will be replaced as soon as the contractor can do it. The railings have been removed as they were using them as a football goal so we installed a goal post further down the field. It doesn’t have nets on it because there has been severe damage to the cricket nets.
It is the case that some adults in our community have complained but following advice from the Police and Environmental Health we hope that the alterations will be acceptable to all.
It is worth noting that the cost to the Town Council for vandalism is escalating and sadly we have had to reduce the opening hours of the public loo in the play park because of vandalism. There has also been some unpleasant vandalism at the Millennium Garden which is not owned by the Town Council.
Despite all of this our young people are worth investing in and Castle Cary Town Council feels strongly about supporting them. I am regularly in touch with the young people on the streets and have never had a cross word with them. Indeed, yesterday a couple of Councillors were giving away ice creams, left over from the Community Fête at the church, on the Donald Pither field whilst the bouncy castles were there.
A planning application has recently been submitted to Somerset Council for a new Pavilion at the Donald Pither field. This project has been ongoing for several years and it is hoped that once completed it will provide a much needed enhanced family facility for the whole community.
Please do contact me on 07899 86190 if you want to volunteer with Youth Connect Southwest in the future or if you would like to get involved in the Pavilion project.
Judi Morison
Chair of Castle Cary Town Counci
