Summerway Watchers
Exeter City Council is used to getting its own way by tactics which are totally unworthy of a public body. It has already destroyed the Orchard Adventure Playground by methods similar to those used against Summerway, and found that nobody protested after a while. Nevertheless, it is a huge loss to the community, as thousands who experienced its benefits would testify. Many resent the Council’s actions, but realise the difficulties in taking any suitable practical action to restrain it. To all intents and purposes, the City Council is unaccountable, and is making a mockery of democracy.
ECC has repeated its tactics against the Summerway Club, and bullied through its own ideas for a park without consulting those most affected, destroying the Club in the process. With the demolition of the Clubhouse, the Council clearly hoped Summerway Tennis would just terminate. In the words of Alan Caig, the City Council’s Head of Leisure and Museums, “The demolition will cause a last (I hope) upsurge of energy on this one which might hit the press.”
The wish to hide all the dirty tricks and sweep the dubious methods employed by those responsible for the demolition under the carpet is understandable. However, this serious crime against the community must not just pass into oblivion.
The Council seems to be banking on the matter being quickly forgotten and nobody caring. If that is the case, it badly misjudges the situation. People do not forget, and many do care. The problem is finding an effective way to encourage our remote and wilful Council to abandon its headstrong ways and to listen and relate to its citizens and the community.
The Watchers
The tasks we face are to find ways of keeping matters alive, and in getting them out into the open for scrutiny. The biggest problems are our busy lives which leave little time for tackling anything extra, the despondency people feel about any possibility of change for the better, and most people being afraid of being seen to question the Council’s intentions, fearing possible vindictiveness.
To address these issues, Jim has been assembling a large email group, known as Summerway Watchers. These receive updates at intervals, and copies of any emails and documents relevant to the Council and the survival of the Club. The identities of Watchers and their email addresses are kept strictly confidential. What is really important is that the Watchers are informed, and can take any convenient opportunity to question politicians who might appear on their doorsteps seeking election, or maybe find other ways to show their support for the Club.
Purely by being fully aware of what is going on, people can have a healthy influence on those who govern, or misgovern as the case might be, our City and even our Country. Obviously, the more who join the Watchers, the more effect the group will have.
Jim carries little slips with him, besides his Volunteers Care! cards, which are useful when adding new Watchers. So that folks might have them to hand when introducing others to the group, the fronts and backs of the slips (five up on A4) may be downloaded as PDFs using the links below.
Summerway Watchers are not asked to make any commitment beyond receiving the emails. Simply doing this will help ensure the brilliant concept of Summerway Tennis will survive. Joining this group is an indication that you care about sound government, the community, and especially the children. If you are not already a Watcher, please join us, and encourage others to do the same. Simply email Jim and say that you wish to become a Watcher.
Download the “Watchers Slips Side 1” PDF (104K)
Download the “Watchers Slips Side 2” PDF (38K)
These files may be opened and printed from Adobe Reader. The best results may be
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