Holy Rood Church was a site of Christian worship here in Swindon for many centuries, and following a worrying development, I visited the church on the Lawns at the weekend. There has been serious criminal damage reported within the church itself. The police are working very hard to try to identify those responsible, and I am confident that they will resolve that, however, in the longer term, the conservation of this important historical monument has to be upmost in our minds.
I have been talking with my friends in the Christ Church Parish to establish the level of will that there is to conserve and enhance the church. Whilst the church is no longer consecrated, it is in fact council property, and it is incumbent on all of us to work hard to make sure that we can allow this site to continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. I think there’s clearance work that needs to be undertaken at the site so that it can be opened up a little and made more of our community life. This will also help to ensure that we stop repeats of the sort of vandalism that we have seen here in the last few weeks.
I will continue working with local agencies to help to make sure that this important historical monument, and a place of worship for many of us, is maintained for future generations.
Many of us have enjoyed The Ashes Test this summer and will be aware of how important grassroots cricket is to the future of the game. I was therefore very pleased to meet with the team from Coastal Cobras Cricket Club on Saturday, which is a club here in Swindon that is playing several teams. These include mid-week teams, indoor cricket, and Saturday cricket, but the club are looking for a base here in Swindon for Saturday cricket, as they are currently playing at a ground several miles away from Swindon, so if there is anybody out there who has a passion for cricket, and who knows about available grounds in and around the town, please do get in touch by emailing me at [email protected] I am very keen to help a growing cricket team that is part of the future of grassroots cricket, not just here in Swindon but here in England and Wales as well.
It was great to be back at the Deanery last week to visit Swindon Fencing Club, just one of the summer sporting activities taking place in and around the town for children as part of the HAF Programme. This is a government-funded initiative which helps children who may not have regular access to sport to try out different activities.
Swindon Fencing Club have equipment for over sixty children, and it was great to see children who have never fenced before taking part, as well as children who have been fencing at a national level. It is great to see Government funding making a real difference in the lives of many youngsters here in Swindon. You can find out more about the HAF Programme in Swindon here https://www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20032/schools_and_education/1178/holiday_activities_and_food_programme
Continuing on the theme of government funding, it was great to meet up with the Swindon Town Centre Community Policing Team and the Swindon Safer Streets Wardens on Friday, to find out more about their work together in our town centre. A successful application for over £142,000 of government funding has allowed Swindon Borough Council to employ four people to deter criminals, reassure business owners, and support shoppers. I was pleased to learn more about what is planned over the coming months, as the wardens patrol different areas of the borough, and work with the police to be deployed where they are most needed.
Finally, my local charity of the week is Wiltshire Law Centre, based in Sanford House in Swindon town centre. For over forty years, the brilliant team at Wiltshire Law Centre have been providing free legal advice on a range of issues. Currently, the seven specialist caseworkers provide advice on housing matters, including possession/eviction, disrepair, and anti-social behaviour. For further details about this excellent local charity, including how you can support their work by becoming a Trustee or donating, please visit https://wiltslawcentre.org.uk/
