Online Newsletter to introduce Tracey, Nicky and Colin to Brentford
We have been out and about for the last eighteen months, meeting as many people as possible on the doorstep and becoming involved in the local community to learn more about what matters most to those living in Brentford. We would really like to hear from you about any local issues of concerns you may have and listen to what you feel the wider priorities for the area should be.
So here’s a selection of what have we been up to in the last few weeks and stories we thought might be of interest!
Happy Mothers Day!
Sunday morning, alongside Mary Macleod, we attended the Mothering Sunday service at St Faith’s church. It was a lovely service and good to see so many people there. The congregation was treated to some hymns sung by the Lionel school choir who did a great job! The children later made some beautiful presents in Sunday School - lucky Mums! Thanks to Reverend Durkin for a lovely service and to the whole of St Faiths for being so welcoming. The flowers given out by the children were an extra treat!
St Georges Day in Brentford
St George's Day will be celebrated in Brentford this year with lots of fun including music, entertainment, food and drinks, local history exhibits, and stalls selling art and crafts. The event is being organised through the Brentford High Street Steering Group, and the theme is ‘What England Means to Me’.
The event will start at around 3.00pm on Friday 23 April in the Market Place, High Street, Lion Way and The Butts. There’s lots of family fun lined up in the afternoon followed by entertainment for the grown ups later on, finishing around 9.00pm. Please do come along and join in the fun! For more information, or to volunteer to help, please contact Julia Quilliam on 07958 332806 or 020 8847 0332.
Brentford Festival 2010
Put Sunday 5th September in your diaries now for the Brentford Festival – yes, we are planning the event already! Once again, this will be a day for family fun in Boston Manor Park, so please do come along!
However an event like this does not happen without lots of hard work, so if you would like to volunteer, please contact Linda Massey at linda.massey@brentfordfestival.org.uk. In addition, Tracey is looking for donations of raffle prizes and Nicky is on the hunt for details of any craftsman/woodmen/carpenters that are willing to demonstrate their work on the day!
The People's Millions 2010 - now open!
The People's Millions - the popular partnership between the Big Lottery Fund and ITV is now open for applications for 2010. This is our chance to win up to £50,000 to improve Brentford, and we can be totally innovative! If you can think of a new and original idea that will make life better for people in Brentford, you could be on ITV this November, competing for viewers' votes.
The application form and further details can be found at www.peoplesmillions.org.uk. Please do let us know if you have an idea and we will give you all the support we can! Be quick though, the deadline for entries is 12pm on 14 May 2010.
Well done to Brentford School for Girls!
Government figures published recently showcased the exceptional performance of Brentford School for Girls. The school has improved by an unprecedented ten per cent on last year’s performance, further widening the gap above the national average for GCSE results. We are immensely proud of Brentford School for Girls and the fact that the exceptional progress has been praised at a national level. Teachers, support staff, parents and pupils at Brentford School for Girls should be congratulated on what is a fantastic achievement.
New School for the Brentford/ Isleworth Area
Hounslow Conservatives have announced that a key pledge for the May 6th elections will be to build a new Academy in the borough and raise standards in schools, in response to parents concerns over limited school places in the borough.
We will build a new Academy secondary school in the Brentford/ Isleworth area – a free, non-selective, high-quality state school that is open to all. In addition, if parents want to establish their own school then a Conservative local authority will do all we can to support them, so that parents get the best education for their children. We are also committed to transforming and modernising our school buildings in current schools.
Finally, a Conservative Government will make sure that Head Teachers are given a greater say in school discipline and are empowered to set high standards. Yet another reason to vote Conservative in the upcoming local and general elections!
New Tax Threat to Local Brentford Pubs
Grant Shapps, The Conservative Shadow Housing Minister has warned of a ‘tax bombshell’ faced by community pubs this April. New research by the Conservatives reveals that Gordon Brown’s tax inspectors are hiking up business rates for local pubs across country. Friendly community pubs with darts and pool tables face the biggest threat.
This comes as figures show 3,690 local pubs in the UK have closed under Labour, according to official records held by tax inspectors. "Gordon Brown has pushed local community pubs to the wall", Shapps said, pointing out that at the same time Labour has ignored "the binge-drinking dens that have wrecked our town centres and fuelled violent crime".
Brentford has some fantastic pubs and they are part of the heart and soul of the community. We are completely against measures that unfairly put these local businesses under threat.
Recycle more and earn £50!
During March 2010 Hounslow Council is running a competition to encourage residents in the borough to recycle more, and regular recyclers will be rewarded to thank them for their efforts!
If you use the kerb-side collection service and comply with the following criteria, you could be in with a chance of winning £50. Here's how:
1. Place your recycling out by 7am on your collection day
2. Make sure that all containers are left at the edge of your property
3. Make sure that materials are left in the appropriate container
That's all you need to do! You must be placing recyclable material in at least your food waste bin and recycling box to be eligible for a reward, and five rewards will be issued across the borough.
So why give my vote to the local Conservatives?
Hounslow Council has been under Conservative control now for the past four years (following 35 years of labour rule), and residents have seen substantial improvements in services. However, Brentford has no Conservative representation. We would like that to change that and for the residents to have a stronger voice in the borough. Here’s what has been achieved already:
Over the past four years the Conservative controlled council has worked with residents and communities to build pride borough wide, by listening, by taking residents concerns seriously, and by promising to do more without taking more. We have begun to show how bright a future this borough and its people can have. It is time for Brentford to have a Conservative voice.
When we came into office Hounslow had the fifth highest council tax in London. We now have the fifteenth highest in London, saving residents £210 per year based on the average increase seen under Labour control in Hounslow. Please make your vote count in two months time and bring Conservative representation to Brentford.
And Finally!
You can find out more about what we have been up to and what we will be doing over the coming months by visiting our blog http://brentfordconservatives2010.blogspot.com/. Why not come along to our next association fundraising quiz night at the Lord Nelson on the 1st April (from 7.30pm). Tickets are £10 (including dinner), and can be purchased on the evening.
We look forward to meeting you in the coming months.
Best wishes from
Tracey Bleakley has lived in the local area for over seven years. She is the Operations Director for a social enterprise dedicated to helping families become fitter, healthier and happier through local community programmes. Tracey has an Engineering Degree, an MBA and is completing an MA in International Policy and Diplomacy. She has a long career in business and management consulting and supports a number of not for profit organisations, giving practical help and operational advice. Tracey can be contacted at traceybleakley@hotmail.co.uk or 07989 853074.
Nicky (Nicola Dykes) has lived in Brentford for nearly three years and has been an active campaigner in West London for five years. She works for a communications company in London, specialising in advising charities and companies on how to run political campaigns. Nicky has also worked on a pro bono basis helping charities. In the last year Nicky has walked from London to Brighton to raise money for Oxfam and the Ghurkas and enjoys other sporting activities such as running and cycling. Nicky can be contacted on nicolad1983@hotmail.com or 07899 928916.
Colin Ford’s history with Brentford spans over 40 years during which time he has both lived and worked in the ward and run his own business on the London Road for 8 years to 1994. Colin is an engineer at WorleyParsons and has two daughters. He has completed the London to Brighton cycle ride three times for the British Heart Foundation and enjoys playing golf at Hounslow Heath, sailing, cycling, watching rugby and going along to the odd game at Brentford. Colin can be contacted on colin_n_ford@hotmail.com or 07970 936182.
March 22, 2010