Richard Baum

In July I left Prestwich briefly to help with the Ealing Southall by-election campaign. A successful result saw the Lib Dems push Labour hard and limit the Tories to a paltry few votes to scrape home third.

Back on Council duty I attended my first meeting of the Bury Council Youth Cabinet, listening to the priorities of some of the excellent children of the Borough giving up their free time to help out. I was amazed at their passion and ideas, and I still am.

Here in Prestwich, we heard of plans from the Cricket, Tennis and Bowling Clubto renovate their club-house and provide a great new sporting facility for the area. And we joined the campaign to get the funding needed to do it. I also started a campaign to end the crazy cross-authority loophole that means our local older people have to get off buses and wait at the border on the way to Burnley! We got publicity in the papers and I asked questions at the PTA and Council. And now the government are ending this madness, which is great news for everyone!

The community of Rainsough received a mighty boost with the formation of a new and revitalised Tenants and Residents Association, which we have supported and attended since its inception. Their top priorities were identified as some more youth provision, and that something be done with the shops on Chapel Road. In the next few months, local Lib Dems would open talks with Salford Council over the shops and get Bury Council to commit £20,000 to their refurbishment, and provide a grant of £10,000 for a 16-18 youth facility in the community centre.

Celebrations in Rainsough continued with a wonderful community BBQ fin day organised by the TRA. And we carried on our work to get every house in Bury a Blue Bin, by working with local people to identify areas not covered by the scheme and pressing the Council to fulfill their promise.

Rick