Your questions answered
What will be done with this survey?
The first aim of this survey is to create a snapshot report of Brentford, its people, businesses, groups and services, showing what is available and how to access it, but also what is missing. The report that will follow will be used to help inform Hounslow council of the needs of Brentford so that we stand a better chance of getting those needs written into Borough plans and eventually met. It will also ensure that where funding is available, we claim our fair share of it.
Is that all?
A report for the council, on its own, is not enough to justify asking you to spend 10-15 minutes filling this in. From the survey we will, with our project partners (Brentford High Street Steering Group, Brentford Community Network and Brentford Chamber of Commerce, along with others), look at the needs and wants highlighted by those who live, work or volunteer in Brentford. From this we will create an Action Plan that we can drive forward as a community.
What will be in the Action Plan?
That depends on what you write in the survey! We are asking everyone with any involvement in Brentford to fill in the survey so that we have as many different points of view as possible. With our project partners we would like to put these views into a United Vision of where we would like Brentford to be and an Action Plan of how to get there.
So the big plan is?
We want to create links between everyone in Brentford, to help promote businesses, charitable groups and services in a united manner, both to each other and to the outside world. We want to enable businesses and groups to work together and communicate with each other, as well as with residents and the local workforce in a way that benefits us all.
All right, where’s the survey?
You may work locally, but not be able to find an affordable and quick lunch. You may be caring for a relative but not get enough support. You may be a parent who needs to know about toddler groups, or would like somewhere for your teenager to go in the evening. You may want a better night life. As an individual, it is difficult for your voice to be heard but when united together and led by an organisation of which the council take note , your opinion has a much stronger chance of being acted upon.
As a business, what’s in it for me? (I'm a sole trader, shopkeeper, multinational or other business in Brentford)
If you’re a small trader or a shop keeper you may feel your voice is ignored and that you find it difficult to promote yourself. Even as a larger business, you may feel you don’t get enough support when you try and improve business conditions. You may want local advertising but find it difficult to make it affordable. If you’re a large company who doesn’t sell locally, you may have a community investment programme, or might wish for local information to give your workforce. We will help put forward these views and look for solutions to problems.
As a charity, what’s in it for me? (I'm a charity or a voluntary group)
Are you struggling for grants or for help finding the right grants for your group? Do you need more volunteers? Do you have problems getting your service advertised to those who need it? Do you struggle putting on events? Do you need more volunteers? Running a charity or a small voluntary group has its own pressures of running an organisation on a limited budget. You may wish to get in touch with similar charities to work together. These are all issues that the Brentford Sustainable Community Strategy want to look at and help with.
As a statutory group, what’s in it for me? (I'm part of the statutory sector)
Working in the statutory sector you may find difficulties in forging links with business or voluntary organisations. You may have ideas that you cannot carry out yourself but would like to pass on or would like to work with other groups to deliver. You might find it difficult to promote and identify yourself to the public. Whatever the issues, we would like to work together to solve them.
Thank you to all those who have completed it so far. If you've said yes to publicity, you're listed below, if you haven't we thank you anyway:
Alice Hodgson
Barbara Lawrence
Brenda Beckett
Brentford Toy Library
Diana Oppe
ECS Ltd
ISIS Waterside Regeneration
Judy Rees
Kate Harvey
Octink
Peter Hawkins
Quilliam Property Services
Richard South
Sharon
Stella Hawkins
Tracey Bleakley
March 10, 2010