Stradbroke - A Thriving Community

Stradbroke...a thriving Suffolk Community

Stradbroke Parish Council 2010

Defined by its physical boundaries, Stradbroke is an unchanging Parish Defined by its people, it is a positive, flexible, vibrant and constantly developing Community...

Welcome to Stradbroke

Who makes up our Community ?

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Everyone who lives in the Parish Everyone who visits the Parish : To Work To Play To be educated To socialise To holiday To spend leisure time To use village facilities and sevices Everyone who runs a business in the Parish Everyone who shops in the Parish

How does “The Parish” communicate with its community and the wider world?

• Through the parish magazine “The Stradbroke Monthly” o This is produced under the auspices of the Parish Council and is produced every month except January. o 740 copies are produced each month, each copy has 32 A4 pages – a total of 23,680 pages are printed month o It is self financing and returns a small surplus which is fed back into community activities (pays for website, contrbutes towards potential funding of youth activities) o It succeeds through the combined efforts of some 40 highly committed volunteers every month (at least one of whom is always a Parish Councillor) o “The Diary” page keeps everyone up to date with what is happening that month

How does “The Parish” communicate with its community and the wider world?

• Through the “Village Website” (www.stradbroke.org.uk) o The current website is in its fourth version and has moved away from the old style static information site to an individual base, interactive site o In April 2010 It had over 240 members and 15 group members In that month there were 3,129 visits from 1,720 unique users who viewed 23,444 pages Those 3,129 visits came from 50 countries/territories around the world o It is run and managed by volunteers (at least one of whom is always a Parish Councillor) Running costs are met by the Parish Council

How does “The Parish” communicate with its community and the wider world?

• Through the “Radio Stradbroke on the Village Website” o The website runs its own internet Radio Station which now has a regular Sunday slot as well as covering outside broadcast events in the village such as special village cricket team matches, the Jazz and Real Ale festival and putting on special charity events such as “music marathons” o It has attracted a lot of interest worldwide and projects the community and its activities beyond it’s parish boundary o It has its own Group Member page on the Village Website which contains “podcasts” and vidoes of some of Radio Stradbroke’s previous events

How does “The Parish” communicate with its community and the wider world?

• Through Parish Council meetings o The Parish Council meets every second Monday of the month o There is an Open Public session at the startof every meeting o Residents are encouraged to raise matters with any of the councillors for them to raise for discussion at the meeting o Committees are set up to cover all the important aspects of Parish life and activities and those committees report back at each monthly meeting o Parish Councillors voluntarily resolve problems raised by residents where they can, to ensure prompt resolution (eg broken slabs on war memorial before Remembrance Service, Ditch clearing where necessary, cutting back trees where appropriate-eg Tennis Courts) o All meetings are minuted and made available in hard copy at the Library or on The Parish Council page of the Village website. o A precis of each meeting is printed in “The Stradbroke Monthly” under the heading “The Parish Pump !” o There is an Annual Parish Meeting each spring where the past years activities and actions are discussed and all village groups are invited to report on their year.

How does “The Parish” communicate with its community and the wider world?

• Through Parish Notice Boards o The Parish Council Board is located at the crossroads in the heart of the village o The Walks Notice board is on the garden wall of Church House o The MSDC Board is next to the Bowling Green opposite the Community Centre o The Community Centre Board is ... outside the Community Centre o There are public use Boards in the centre of the village outside The Old Builders Yard, Church Street Town House o There are Boards in shops, particularly the Post Office and Spar Shop

Who do the Parish residents need to communicate with?

• Relevant businesses both in and out of the Parish o The Stradbroke Monthly carries adverts relevant to the needs of the community Priority is given to Stradbroke based businesses Non Stradbroke based businesses are included if useful for the community o Adverts are designed for new businesses to help them get started(no cost)

• With each other through, social groups, sports clubs, schools and activities o Activities and events are reported each month and publicised in “The Stradbroke Monthly”

What are the sports groups, social groups, clubs and activities ?

SPORTS GROUPS Stradbroke FC Stradbroke Youth FC Stradbroke Cricket Club Badminton Club White Hart Bowls Club Stradbroke and District Bowls Club Tennis Club Table Tennis Club Swimming Pool

What are the sports groups, social groups, clubs and activities ?

SOCIAL GROUPS Over 60s Club Contact Club Stradbroke Cinema Cameo Lunch group Youth Club Womens Institute Friends of All Saints Church Stradbroke Local History Group Eye and Stradbroke Family History Group Baptist Church Coffee mornings Royal British Legion Brownies Girl Guides (new group hoping to start this year)

What are the sports groups, social groups, clubs and activities ?

SUPPORT GROUPS Good Neighbours First Responders

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES All Saints Church Baptist Church

EVENTS Country Fair Village Games Intervillage Sports Open Gardens Stradbroke Art Show Stradbroke Flower Show Regular charity events Stradbroke Local History Slideshow “The Village Archive” (Mar and Nov)

What are the sports groups, social groups, clubs and activities ?

FITNESS ACTIVITIES Organised walks along Stradbroke’s footpaths Fitness and activity trail at Recreation Ground Permissive path to cemetary Westhall open space – football and childrens play area Recreation Ground - football and cricket pitches Swimming Pool – organised activities Gymnasium development (due to open Oct 2010) Childrens Play area at the Community Centre

What are the sports groups, social groups, clubs and activities ?

MEDICAL FACILITIES Doctors Surgery Mobile Dental Surgery First Responders

EDUCATION Stradbroke Pre School Stradbroke Primary School Stradbroke Business and Enterprise College (IT area can be hired) Stradbroke Library (has IT and gives 1-1 training) Sure Start for young children WEA classes every year Advanced Italian classes – Volunteer group

INFRASTRUCTURE

Local Police and Community Police Officer have office space in village Police have an open meeting time in the Library every month for residents to discuss any issues or concerns.

The village Fire Station is manned by retained fire fighters all of whom live and work in the village and are on constant availability.

The Stradbroke team of First Responders provides rapid response to medical emergencies if called in by the Ambulance Service

What facilities exist to enable the clubs and groups to function ?

The Community Centre Regular upgrades to building and facilities,this year: New Kitchen Resurfacing of the hall floor Power supplies to enable Mobile Dental service to operate WiFi access being installed New signage Improved marking out of car park spaces for greater efficiency New storage facilities and extension before committee

What facilities exist to enable the clubs and groups to function ?

The Recreation ground Sports field drainage installed Fitness track opened with outdoor fitness equipment New pitch allocated for youth football New storage facilities for ground care equipment Grass cutting done by Cricket club (Pc pay CC - keeps money within village)

What facilities exist to enable the clubs and groups to function ?

Westhall Open Space New goal nets for football

The Court House Library activities and free access and guidance to IT equipment IT, one on one training courses Youth Club room Parish Magazine production room (printer etc)

SBEC (hiring of facilities) IT classrooms Sports Hall Football pitches IT Centre

What is the parish support structure that enables all this to happen?

The formal “backbone” is the Parish Council Monthly meetings Committees covering Finance Planning Burial, Churchyard and Footpath Recreational Facilities Community Centre (2 councillors represent the Parish Council as CC trustees) Street Cleaner Addressing and resolving issues and problems Strategic Planning (include Parish Plan)

Added formal “backbone” comes from the Stradbroke Charitable Trust They manage the residue from charitable trusts going back to the 1600s They manage new charitable bequests (e.g Reg Elvin) Manage income from renting the surgery to the local GP practice Make improvements to the facilities at the Medical Centre Maintain the gardens at the Medical Centre From their income and capital they have provided this year: Financial support for the new Stradbroke Youth football club Help to the Bowls Club for their water supply pipes The development of the Fitness Track (Elvin bequest used for this) Installation of outdoor fitness equipment around the track Work on the Community Centre Substantial donation towards the cost of the playing field drainage

The real “backbone” is the volunteer.

Without volunteers none of the support structure would exist.

They are at the heart of everything that is done in the parish.

The individuals who form the committees that run the facilities, the clubs and the groups Parish Councillors Trustees of the Stradbroke Charitable Trust The Tree Warden The Footpath Warden The Street Cleaner (“paid” volunteer, equipment provided by the Parish Council)

Individuals who take on tasks to enhance the village Litter picking Cutting verges Trimming hedges Identifying and reporting problems to be dealt with Maintaining the War Memorial garden Winding the Church Clock and the many other minor tasks that make a difference

...and Local Businesses who Provide advertising space for events Sponsor and support clubs and groups Provide at cost help for “things that need doing”

The users who are the residents (and visitors) who willingly and positively Support community activities and events Support local businesses Play for the sports teams Give generously for our charity events

Stradbroke is : A thriving and positive community...

A diverse mix of ages, backgrounds, circumstances and interests...

Self supporting through the generosity of the community as a whole...

Understanding of its past but always looking to its future

The people of Stradbroke make Stradbroke what it is...

The people who live here are at the heart of everything that is done in the community...

We are the community

Notes and contact details

Produced by Stradbroke Parish Council 2010