Marks gets the angle in Fishwick
19 Mar 2010
Mark will be angling for resident’s views at Unity FM as he inspects the investments that have been made in the Fishwick and St Matthews wards of the City, today (Friday 19th March 2010).
Unity FM stands for Fishwick and St Matthews Neighbourhood Management Partnership and was established in 2006 to develop partnerships to address local needs. Having been identified as the some of the most deprived wards in Preston, the Fishwick and St Matthews areas have recently attracted £750,000 worth of investment to regenerate and improve the area. This figure has been further boosted by additional investment from partner contributors such as local housing providers.
The board and staff at Unity FM work closely with the residents that it serves to enable them to tackle key issues on a grass roots level. The key priorities are: community safety, young people, the environment, employment and health and well-being. These priorities have been determined by a range of community consultations and on-going community engagement via Street Audits, PACT meetings, Jigsaw Young People’s Group, Area Forums, Street Representative Scheme, Weeks of Action, Days of Action and other community groups’ meetings, open days and community events.
Mark said: “The Government’s approach has always been to give local people and communities the right level of support and resources to enable them to run their own affairs and collectively solve their problems. I will be interested to see how the money invested into these two wards has been spent to bring some of the key areas up to a better standard. I feel it is important to engage with the residents to see whether they think their quality of life has improved and what more needs to be done maintain these standards.”
Fishwick City Councillor, Jennifer Mein said: “Having represented the people of Fishwick for many years and having worked with the staff and board at Unity FM from its inception, I have seen first hand the improvements that have been achieved over the years. I know there is still much more to be done and hope that funding will continue to be made available to Unity FM to raise the quality of life for all families in the area.”