Tag: crosspool forum

The hard work of Crosspool Forum Chairman Ian Hague was recognised on Saturday when he was presented with an award for his contribution to our local community.

The Crosspool Community Award, or Crosspool Person of the Year as it is sometimes known, was set up in 2013 by Crosspool Forum to acknowledge commitment, accomplishment and achievement by individuals in the neighbourhood.

Retired Lydgate Junior School headteacher Sue Havenhand was the first person to receive the award last year, and following public nominations and a vote at an Open Meeting it was decided that Ian should receive it in 2014.

He was presented with the award at Crosspool Fayre on Saturday and gave a short speech to say thank you and explain his motivation for all his Forum work, which is to bring the community together.

Crosspool Forum Vice Chairman Steve Reynolds sums up Ian’s contribution:

Ian moved into Crosspool with his family in 1972, where his children grew up in the area before going to universities, getting married and having families of their own.

He worked for the CIS until his retirement in 2002. He was unable to hang up his working boots altogether, taking a couple of part time jobs helping out in Crosspool’s Greencross Chemist and also Kathryn’s Flower shop in the precinct.

The idea for Crosspool Forum came in late 2002, under the auspices of David Aspinall, then South West Area Coordinator. In June 2003 the Crosspool Forum was launched and run by volunteers under the watchful eye of Ian and Barry Clay.

The Forum was set up to tackle issues such as litter, grass verge parking, local public transport, planning applications and tree replacement. It had a large input into the 2007 traffic management scheme through the shopping precinct alterations and secured Hagg Copse (Coldwell Lane/Manchester Road junction) as a community green area

It has also worked to bring to light significant local planning applications, including the proposed convenience store at Motor World site in 2010 and more recently Moor View Farm.

In Ian’s eleven years at the Forum helm we have seen:-

• The introduction and editing of the Clarion quarterly newsletter delivered to over two and a half thousand local households in the area.
• In 2008 the installation of a bench, made possible by generous donations, was a welcome addition to the precinct.
• 2010 saw the launch of our website, Crosspool News. Today you can also keep up to date by following us on Facebook and Twitter.
• Precinct Planters/hanging baskets/Christmas trees.
• Crosspool Festival, Summer Fayre and street markets.
• Car Boot Sales and Community Skips
• Vergeside bulb plantations, seeing 30 thousand bulbs planted over a decade
• Annual Children’s Christmas Party
• Various local computing training courses bringing computer skills to the more mature residents of Crosspool, and recently Tai Chi which is becoming very popular.

Since the launch of the Forum Ian’s drive and determination was to bring the community together, work with council officers, local councillors, schools and police, to improve and enhance the community in which we all live and work, promote a community spirit, and to preserve and improve Crosspool’s first-rate access to the countryside, village atmosphere, good neighbourliness and general character of the local area.

Over the last eleven years Ian has certainly achieved this goal.