The Association is run entirely by volunteers. An elected Committee meets every month to discuss current issues and decide actions to be taken. This is often in the form of writing to those concerned in TRDC, for example.

The Committee has recently taken steps to ensure they have a clear understanding of "how things work" by inviting officers of the Council to attend meetings to talk on various areas of responsibility. Knowing who does what is helpful when a fast response is needed (for a case in point, see the Riverside Drive dump item).

Each member of the Committee has a portfolio of responsibilities - areas in which they have particular interest and knowledge (details here). This does not mean that Committee members cannot comment on interests outside their own allocation: it is an attempt to speed up the large workload.

Last year, the Committee was strengthened by the addition of Jane Weitzmann, an ex Councillor with 11 years experience on Planning. We have also welcomed Ian West LLB to the committee. The Committee has already benefited greatly by their input. Among the longer-serving members of the Committee, Tony Berry has carried the large workload of being both Membership Secretary, and a member of the Editorial Sub Committee producing the twice-yearly magazine, Independence.

The magazine is delivered free to all members by our volunteer Road Representatives. You can read a summary of the current issue here. If you are not a member, you can obtain a free specimen copy of Independence, together with a membership application form, by contacting Tony Berry. Either telephone him on 01923 775956 or make your request via the Feedback facility on this web site, remembering to include your name and address.

We are always pleased to hear from you. If you would also like to get involved with running the Association, we are even more grateful! You might like to become one of our invaluable Road Reps, for instance. That involves walking along a few nearby streets twice a year. In the Spring, you deliver copies of Independence to local members and collect subscriptions (£2 a household), and in the Autumn, deliver the magazine and collect any stray subscriptions that have remained unpaid. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Committee, please let us know. We have been short-handed for some time, but as mentioned, we recruited two new Committee members last year: at time of writing, there is still one vacancy.

The Association was founded in 1929, and celebrated its 75th year in 2005. There is now more need than ever for a strong and well supported community association.

Shirley Jacobs

Printer-friendly version of this page.