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"Whingers" win prestigious community safety peace award

I was extremely thrilled to learn this morning that young residents of Isleworth's Worton estate have won the Metropolitan Police Commissioner's Community Safety Peace Award for their work under the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme.They were presented with the award by the Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith MP at a ceremony last night.The work undertaken by youngsters from the estate includes a massive and ongoing clean-up campaign, clearing mountains of debris, overgrowth and graffiti from the estate's maze of alleyways.The initiative have been actively supported by the Metropolitan Police SNT, community payback, the residents' association (ROWE), ward councillors, LBH Street Management and (after a bit of misunderstanding) Hounslow Homes.  I'm too frightened to even try to name everybody personally who has contributed to this wonderful project for fear of inadvertently leaving someone out but special mention must go to estate dynamo Kim Dobson, who has overseen all the youth activity on the estate, PS Kirsty Hayes whose proactive leadership has given Isleworth an SNT which is making a tremendous local impact, Bridget Klempner from London Probation and Councillor Paul Fisher who has led on the project for the council and who has been in the thick of the whole thing since day one.These are the residents who were described by their own former ward councillor as "whingers" when they dared to oppose her plans for their estate.  It is clear that things have progressed immeasurably since those bad old days, now thankfully consigned to history.A very big well done to Kim, Kirsty, Bridget, Paul and all the youngsters whose hard work has made all this possible.

Phil Andrews ● 6156d8 Comments

It was a good letter, wasn't it Vanessa?In actual fact it was written by a member of the ICG.  There are a lot of members of the ICG living on the Worton estate.  Sadly though they are not joining at the same rate as they were when you were in office.  Had we offered an award for recruitment in those days, you would have won it hands down.Yes, there are still issues from time to time with Hounslow Homes.  Goodness knows it was only two years or so ago that it was effectively an arm of the New Labour Party, indeed it campaigned more effectively for your cause in Isleworth than you did.  Since then there have been a few changes within the organisation, as you will be aware.  Some persons of note are pursuing careers elsewhere.  Increasingly Hounslow Homes now works constructively with the community rather than treating its tenants and leaseholders as the enemy.  However where there are lapses we will address them.  In recent weeks ICG councillors and residents have been reported doing precisely this.So when you gloat about isolated instances in which co-operation with the organised community has been less than perfect Vanessa, let us remember to get this into some kind of perspective.  Under the present administration this is regarded as a failing.  Under yours it was policy.

Phil Andrews ● 6151d

Yes it is good news, looks like the newer housing wasn't the end of civilisation as we know it, after all the scaremongering doesn't it. However Pat, I think you are being exceptionally hard on poor Phil, you see he has to big this up to deflect the criticism from people on Worton who it seems are not too happy with Hounslow Homes. They apparently aren't too hot at removing dumped toilet pans from pavements and who don't seem to know whether they are coming or going - literally, due to changed road priorities that came in in 2004!! The complaint in the local paper ends with this "One day Hounslow Homes will care about tenants and residents on this estate". Er, can someone remind me just who is responsible for Hounslow Homes?

Vanessa Smith ● 6151d

Well done!(the banner heading wouldn't take the whole line so I had to abbreviate)

Sarah Felstead ● 6154d

It was an excellent evening and a big well done to all on the Worton Estate on winning this extremely well deserved award.This is a fine example of various agencies working together with the community to improve local issues and the young residents of the estate are a true credit to the Borough of Hounslow and beyond.I hope to post some more pictures later.

Paul Fisher ● 6154d

From left to right: Councillor Paul Fisher (Isleworth ward), Sir Ian Blair (Commissioner, Metropolitan Police), PC Phil Beale, Kim Dobson, PC Mike James, Councillor Shirley Fisher (Syon ward, Deputy Mayor of Hounslow), Councillor Dr. Genevieve Hibbs (Isleworth ward, Mayor of Hounslow).

Phil Andrews ● 6155d

Hi PatIt's nice to hear from you, and I'm glad that you are keeping in touch with events in this part of the world.The Hampshire air must be doing you some good as it seems that after all these years you can now at last bring yourself to refer to me by my name, and even conduct debate without rancour and bitterness being too evident.  Maybe Vanessa would benefit from spending a couple of weeks with you down there?Then again I've heard Nottingham's nice at this time of year...Let's be up front about this.  The large majority of people who opposed this development were residents of the Worton estate, therefore ipso facto the majority of the people being referred to as whingers were residents of the Worton estate.  Yours and Vanessa's own constituents.You may recall, as I do with some amusement, Vanessa's gymnastics over this particular incident.  Having described the residents as whingers in a newspaper article, she then declared at a public meeting attended by some 200 people that she hadn't said anything of the sort - then said it again about five minutes later to the very same audience!The people of the Worton estate are good people - proud, decent and with a real sense of community.  This award could not have gone to more deserving people.  I'm immensely proud of what our community, free of its shackles, has achieved on the Worton estate and I am equally proud of the job which our new councillors have done in helping to drive that process.

Phil Andrews ● 6156d

Many congratulations to all who took part in such an effective and useful event.  What a pity Phil Andrews is still peddling that old chestnut - out of context and with nothing to do with this excellent story.  For the record, Vanessa was referring to those, who like Phil Andrews, opposed the building of new homes on the estate. This in spite of the fact that I had ensured that first offers would be made to current residents on Worton.  So Phil, just enjoy the success of this group of people and stop rehashing old and partial stories

Patricia Nicholas ● 6156d

More good stuff from the Worton Estate:http://memusic.metro.co.uk/users/theruskinsJL

Jim Linwood ● 6156d