Sonia Kempsey, our chair, has established a Community Plan steering group with representatives from the three levels of local government (parish, district and county) and the Alston Moor Greenprint, who are considering priorities and what grant-funding and co-ordination might be needed.  There are also the first beginnings of small-scale work to implement some of the actions that can be achieved by individuals and small groups with a bit of time, focus and energy.

Things have gone crazy in my conservatory, as you can see.  Cucumber plants and tomato plants have spread themselves, twining tendrils in to the Scheffera plant and collapsing onto each other.  It’s mayhem and happened rather suddenly – shifting from a perfectly well-managed set of plants with potential, but little else, to a prolific and productive jungle.  I’m hoping the same happens with the Community Plan.  What is on the page is just the potential.  I’m hoping for a jungle of activity and I don’t care how disorganised it is!!  

Please take a look through the Plan and think about what you could contribute.  See if you can be part of the jungle mayhem of activity, which, all put together, will result in positive outcomes for Alston Moor.  Now I’m beginning to reap the harvest in the conservatory, and the tomatoes are sweet and the cucumbers crunchy.  I am so hugely looking forward to the ongoing harvest of the Community Plan.  Will 2025 see a thriving community with plenty going on?  

One of the things I intend to try to get happening is a new sort of evening class programme – where we are the tutors/leaders and we can all participate in something we enjoy, whether it’s folk guitar, Roman history, proggy rug-making, astronomy, bird-watching, current fashion, or anything else.  There will be a members’ meeting in late October/early November which will include getting a group together to make this happen.  If you’d like to be part of that, or just to be kept in touch with what’s happening in the Partnership, please become a member (£3 for life membership must be the best deal on Alston Moor).  You can do that here: https://alstonmoorpartnership.co.uk/membership/

What will happen with the Community Plan?  I can only hope it does as well as my conservatory plants.  I’m just off to eat another tomato – they’re as sweet and delicious as the work to progress the Community Plan will be!!