Last week I was a busy bee…flying here there & everywhere.
On Wednesday evening, myself, along with my good friend Tom decided to plod along to the full-council meeting at town hall. Sadly, we weren’t treated to the comedy show that was the last full meeting I attended. Never the less it was a productive evening. We got invited to share drinks & nibbles with the Councillors, and whilst I watched Tom help himself to a good old pint of beer, courtesy of someone other than a Lib Dem (of which he is through & through) I mingled politely as you do.
One of the things that had been niggling at me throughout the evening was that there was much discussion about the Audentiors Awards. Don’t get me wrong…I think they are a genuine asset to the town & am delighted that the achievements of some of the local residents were celebrated. However, there is one category I feel they are missing…something quite significant I’d say…the contribution of young people to their community. At no point on the guest list did a young person appear, and that saddens me greatly. I could name at least twenty-five young people off the top of my head who are certainly worthy of being recognised for their achievements in making a difference within Watford.
And whilst the Yopey awards go some way in acknowledging the positive activities of young people it would be great to do something purely for Watford young people.
The most productive aspect of my evening therefore was approaching a number of local councillors about the idea of having a Watford award ceremony for young people, with a publicised nomination process, use of the Colloseum, and entertainment throughout the evening- which got unanimous approval…and so this is yet another project I hope to take on.

Thursday evening saw yet another meeting…this time with the Youth Advocate group who are slogging away organising a huge summer event which brings local service providers and young people together…named TAKE2 it certainly deserves at least one blog entry…watch this space!

Another local issue that has arisen over the past few days is the appalling state of one of our local parks. Callowland playing fields provide a generally family friendly area, and I have enjoyed many a summer day there. However, one of its more regular users, one of my peers, has shared his concerns with me about the state of what was the former tennis courts. Now used mainly for football the courts are a little worse for wear, one side of the fence having been removed last summer. This has caused a large amount of mud to fall onto the surface causing a decline in the quality of play achievable. The ball is easily kicked into the residential area surrounding the park, hitting people’s cars & properties, which my peer tells me reflects badly on him & his friends who just want to have a peaceful game of footie. He also expressed concerns about the safety of others, especially families with young children who risk being hit each time they walk by.
I hope to take this forward on behalf of those young people, as a youth advocate…perhaps Watford Borough Council will surprise us with their response when I send a letter to them later next week?
I’ll keep you posted.