On Monday 24th February, members of the East Coseley Core Group and local residents and volunteers came together to start preparing for the next phase in their Big Local journey once their plan had been formally endorsed by Local Trust. In particular, participants thought about how new projects and activities could be stimulated and supported by Big Local.
At the start of the meeting, chairman of the Core Group, Brian Guest, was able to announce that after Irene Evison’s visit last month, East Coseley’s Big Local plan had been officially endorsed by Local Trust. Brian himself had received the wonderful news not 30 minutes before and he revealed that he’d contemplated what might happen if the plan had been rejected. And what Brian said was inspirational: he and everyone else would still be here engaging with the community without the money.
I’m certain Brian was right. Having been privileged to work with East Coseley people over the past few years, I’ve found everyone utterly committed to making East Coseley even more vibrant and they are worth so much more than any amount of money for the dedication and support they’ve shown and will continue to show.
Equally, everyone was ecstatic that the plan had finally been endorsed. People feel like their hard work is paying off and things are now coming to fruition. And the announcement was just the tonic for a great meeting that contained much chatter about growing projects, identifying and nurturing community leaders, involving schools and young people, making the natural and built environment more appealing, Big Lunches, Black Country festivities… I could go on!
So work continues with renewed energy. On Monday, there will be a Core Group meeting that will look at how the plan can be delivered in a way that involves and engages the whole community. Watch this space!