Residents cast deciding vote on £20,000 giveaway

It’s a family affair! Ted Flynn with the Kirkby Family

Families, councillors and residents across Heywood turned out to vote for community safety projects they wanted to receive funding.

The results mean that Heywood is set to benefit from community clean ups, a safer town centre drinking scheme and additional transport to Pilsworth Retail Park.

At the Feel Safe in Heywood Event on Saturday 28 March, 80 people from across Heywood armed with voting handsets cast the deciding vote on how the council and police should spend £20,000 addressing community safety concerns.

Projects were split into three categories; £3000, £7000 and £10,000, a project from each will be awarded with a portion of the cash.

Heywood’s Young Advisors have been collecting local people’s ideas, on behalf of Rochdale Council and the Police, about how community safety could be improved in the town. A panel reviewed all the applications and a series of community safety projects were agreed as feasible solutions to the safety concerns raised by local people. It was these community safety projects that were up for public vote at St James’ Church.

Duncan Pearse, from Heywood’s Young Spirit, said: “Heywood’s Young Advisors have worked extremely hard to make sure that the people of Heywood had this opportunity to make real decisions on how money is spent improving life in their communities. We received so many fantastic ideas on how the money could be spent that the only fair way to distribute it was to allow Heywood people to vote for their favourite projects. I think the voters have chosen three worthy winners and we will continue to work with the council and police to ensure these projects are implemented.”

Julie Green and Helen Bly are thrilled that Heywood is going to get a spring clean to remove litter, broken glass and fly tipping. £3000 will now be invested into cleaning up grot spots across Heywood. “I voted for community clean ups as I felt this was the most worthy cause”, said Julie. Helen added: “The clean ups will make my community a safer and more pleasurable place for my kids to play.”

Eric and Susan Hoyle, Landlord and Landlady of the Hark to Tower pub, Bury New Road, are excited about taking part in a new scheme aimed at encouraging safe and responsible drinking. The scheme aims to reward licensees who provide good management, a safe and enjoyable environment for customers, discourage binge drinking and prevent alcohol-related crime. This scheme has proved to be successful in Rochdale Town Centre. This was a clear winner with 57% of votes. £7000 will be invested into launching the scheme and introducing plastic glasses and bottles into pubs across Heywood.

June Parkinson and her granddaughter Libby McNulty of William Greenwood Close, were delighted that additional transport to Pilsworth Retail Park was voted as the favourite project in the final category. “I think it will benefit the community most. Families, pensioners and disabled people will now be able to access the facilities in Pilsworth whereas in the past it has been too expensive to get taxis back and forth. Children were risking their lives walking on the busy roads just so they could go to the cinema or bowling,” said June. £10,000 will now be invested into providing this as a pilot scheme.

St James’ Church Hall turned into a tearoom for the afternoon, and voters enjoyed cakes and refreshments whilst they voted. Councillor Ted Flynn, cabinet member for community safety, summed up the day: “It was a terrific day! The number of people who turned out on the day proves how much local people care about improving their community. It was nice to see whole families, such as the Kirkby family, show their support. It is important that people in Heywood feel safe and I hope that these projects will give local people the facilities and security they need to lead happier lives.”

All community safety concerns highlighted in the applications forms have been passed onto the council and police who will now investigate ways they can resolve some of the issues people in Heywood are experiencing.