Metheringham Parish Council News - Spring 2009

Christmas Tree
The Metheringham Christmas Tree Lights Switch-on took place in early December and we would like to say a big thank you to all those who attended. This was followed by a short carol service around the tree. We retreated to the warmth of the Star & Garter for well deserved refreshments, thanks to Graham and Maggie for organizing them. It has been agreed the Christmas Tree Light Switch-on this year will take place on Wednesday 2 December, details will be advertised nearer the time.

Parish Plan
Communities of any size can produce a Parish Plan. To date around 3,000 communities have produced a Parish Plan, either individually or by forming local clusters. As yet, Metheringham has not produced a Parish Plan. These documents comprise the socio-economic and environmental issues of a community and their proposed remedies. Parish Plans are intended to be evolving documents, outlining how a community would like to develop over the next ten years and usually include an action plan detailing how these developments can be achieved.

The next step is the formation of a Steering Group, this will be made up of volunteers from the community. Consultation is also key to setting off on the right foot. Remember it's OUR plan and it's up to OUR VILLAGE to make sure the action plan is implemented, monitored and updated.
If you believe you can offer your expertise in a certain area or would like to be part of the steering group please contact the clerk.

Recreation Fields
The Parish Council is still in negotiations with Lincolnshire County Council. However we believe we are now very close to signing the Heads of Terms agreement for the lease of the Star & Garter field. Metheringham Parish Council and Lincolnshire County Council are totally committed to providing better facilities for the community.

Surfacing of Princes Street Car Park
The Parish Council had numerous comments and complaints from nearby residents and users of the car park about the poor state of it. At the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 27 January 2009 it was agreed the car park would be surfaced and this has now been completed.

Village Centre Regeneration Project
A local stonemason, Goldholme Stone, has been contracted to produce the new cross and the design has been submitted to the Parish Council and is now in production. The cross, chosen, is similar in design to the original cross dating from 1911. It will be manufactured from Stretton white stone, (a sample of which can be seen in Info-Links, High Street). The original stone base will remain, but will be professionally cleaned to integrate with the new top section. It is expected the project will be completed by March 2009.

Youth Council
Metheringham Parish Council is considering creating a youth council in the village, but we need your views and support:-
Why set up a Youth Council?

Young people are the future of our communities and it is important that we, as the parish council, invest in them. Developing youth councils can act as a real means of incorporating young people into our communities and can lead to a much safer, vibrant and sustainable community for all residents.
Who Benefits?
Not only do young people benefit from setting up a youth council but the parish council and the local community as a whole benefits.

Youth Councils enable Young People to;
" Voice their concerns
" Participate in local government
" Be empowered to take decisions and action to improve their local community.

Youth Councils enable Local Councils to;
" Truly represent the whole of the community they live in
" Become more vibrant, modern and dynamic
" Encourage young people to vote and become councillors when they are old enough
" Improve services to young people

Youth Councils enables the Local Community to;
" Become safer and more sustainable
" More vibrant and progressive
" Improve services and be more representative

Representation and Membership
There is no set age range for youth councils. However, most encompass an age range of around 11-18 or 13-18 year-olds and these are both appropriate age ranges for local youth councils to adopt.

Structure
Most youth councils mirror the local government structure. The most popular type of youth councils are based around current parish council structures. It is important that there is some formal structure so that the youth council can feed into the general workings of the council as a whole and is taken seriously as a component part of that local council with some real power and influence. At the same time some informal workings with regard to communication and style of meetings may be more appropriate and will keep young people more interested, informed and engaged.

Meetings
It is important that there are enough meetings to ensure that decisions are agreed and the youth council is active but at the same time there should not be so many meetings that people lose interest and focus. Many councils meet once every two weeks or once every month. It is useful to have each meeting on the same day and at the same time so that people do not become confused or forget.

Empowering Young People through Youth Councils Give Real Power to Young People
It is important that the youth council is not just a talking shop but gives real power and responsibility to the young people involved.
What kind of things might a youth council be valued interested in? and what can it realistically achieve? Well that depends on the youth council and the facilities it already has available to them. Most young people say that there is not enough to do in their local communities. Developing a youth council can ensure that there are more facilities for young people and, more importantly that those facilities are tailored towards the needs of young people because they are set up by young people themselves. In addition, it creates a system of ownership and respect among the young people and ensures that the service is developed and sustained.

There are many issues that affect young people that the council may not even consider. If you have ideas or suggestions as to how to improve the village then this could be your opportunity to have real impact. If you would like further information or want to become a member of the youth council please contact the Clerk.
Ms Sharon Wetherall - 0800 634307