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Gnosall Parish Logo (Image) 

Gnosall Parish Council           

 (Including the wards of Moreton and Knightley)                                   

 

Dementia Friends Logo (Image)

Introduction to GMK

I’m writing this in the depths of January, when the weather is decidedly chilly and promising snow, Christmas seems ages ago and holidays appear to be just a tiny dot upon the horizon! It’s a difficult time of year, both financially and in health terms, as we try to cope with the aftermath of a festive season upon our bank balances and our waistlines. I wonder how many of us will still be keeping up our New Year Resolutions when this edition is out in early March?

Those resolutions are like a promise to ourselves that we can do better, be better, aim higher and put right anything we may have let go last year. They are evidence of our ongoing commitment to self-improvement and that’s a journey with no endpoint. We are all a “work in progress”. That applies to the Parish Council just as much as it does to parishioners – and we are just a few weeks away from the local elections in May, when we all get a chance to change the local landscape.

Parish Councillors, too, will need to consider whether they are standing for re-election and this is an opportunity for everyone who has ever thought “I could do that job!” to put themselves forward. If we have more applications than we have vacancies, there will be a Gnosall election too. I’d like to ask you to seriously consider whether you have the skills, qualities, time and willingness to give something back to your community by joining the Council. We are always keen to welcome new faces and there’s no doubt that there is a lot of work to be done, so the more hands there are to help, the better. If some of those hands were attached to people of, shall we say, a slightly younger age-profile – that would be even better! At present, the “maturing like a fine wine” group is well-represented! For those who like their statistics: the average age of a parish councillor is 61; 25% of the present councillors have been in post for over 10 years; 60% of our number are men and just 11% of our councillors are under the age of 45. Now I’m not saying that our present councillors are too old – I’m one of them, after all. But I do think it would be great if we could better reflect the parishioners we represent. Have a think and see if you’re up for a challenge.

2018 was a very challenging year for the Council, with a number of demanding projects on the go at once and some other things had to take a back seat due to conflicting pressures. It puts a great strain on councillors and Officers when there’s so much to do but that’s when the value of teamwork is seen most clearly. It’s also one of the things I personally have enjoyed most about being a Councillor; the feeling of working with a team of people who all want to make a difference to our village is something I relish. It’s still hard work – but it’s so rewarding, especially at a time when, nationally, pressures have polarised communities and even families into distinct camps. It’s good to remind ourselves that in our village, we are able to put our other differences aside and work together to ensure that Gnosall has something to offer to all its residents.

On that note, I shall think of Summer and welcome you to the March edition of GMK!

Cllr Gail Gregory

Chair of Gnosall Parish Council

 

Smart Alerts and Neighbourhood Watch

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You may remember that an article was included in the Spring 2018 edition of GMK in which the Parish Council actively promoted setting up a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.  The Council is aware that a dedicated group of people in Moreton and the surrounding area run a very successful Neighbourhood Watch Scheme.  The Council is again inviting anyone who may be interested in participating in setting up a scheme in Gnosall to contact grahampayne@gnosallparishcouncil.org, telephone 01785 822243 or patricia.alker@gnosallparishcouncil.org, telephone 01785 823271 and we will collate responses.  Alternatively you can sign up for Smart Alerts or volunteer for Neighbourhood Watch by visiting www.staffordshire-pcc.gov.uk .