The purpose of the Gorefield Street Pride Group is to build community pride and ownership through improving the local environment and making Gorefield a cleaner, greener and safer place to live, work and visit.

Street Pride gives volunteers the opportunity to make a difference to their local environment by holding clean up events and proposing improvements to the local environment. It is a great way to meet like-minded people, good exercise and very rewarding.

People feel they get on better with their neighbours, contributing to the Safer Fenland Partnership key priorities, reducing crime and fear of crime by improving community cohesion, reducing anti-social behaviour through building respect in communities and improving community engagement.

Fenland Street Pride works across the district, with all ages - young and old, from all different backgrounds, primary schools, Pupil Referral Unit, community colleges, FEET (Fenland Environment Enhancement Team) working with probation, with offenders who have community payback hours.

From now on Gorefield Street Pride events will generally take place on every 3rd Saturday in the month with the next event listed below. Jeanette, the Fenland Street Pride Coordinator, has now purchased a wood chipper which is a massive help in disposing of brambles and trimmings resulting in less handling.

The Gorefield Street Pride Group committee was elected at the last meeting - Chair: George Ridley, Vice Chair: Alan Holt, Secretary: John Timms and Treasurer: Barry Cornett. This makes the organisation official so it can now apply for grants for any future improvements it may want to do.

Events:

Next Event: Sat 20th August 2011 (to be confirmed) 10:00 on the Playing Field - we are hoping to be able to populate 2 large half oak barrels with a variety of flowering plants and hope to position these, one on the corner of High Road and Gote Lane outside the Church and the other on the corner of the Pocket Park. Help with litter picking is still needed.

Previous Events:
Sat 21st May 2011 10:00 on the Playing Field - removed overgrown elder and other bushes overhanging the path outside the corner bungalow on the entrance to Oxfield Drive and completed the current bush and tree trimming on the Pocket Park. Litter picking was also carried out along the High Road.
Sat 16th April 2011 10:00 at the Pocket Park - could not complete the bush and tree trimming as the chipper wasn't available so some helped with litter picking and the others went around the village collecting rubish which had been dumped in the dykes. Litter picking was also carried out along the High Road.
Sat 19th March 2011 10:00 at the Pocket Park - 10 volunteers attended, 7 continued the bush and tree trimming until the chipper jammed, conveniently just after 12.00. 3 volunteers went litter picking in the village - thanks for your continued help.
Sat 19th February 2011 10:00 at the Pocket Park - rained off - Gorefield Street Pride Group committee elected - Chair: George Ridley, Vice Chair: Alan Holt, Secretary: John Timms and Treasurer: Barry Cornett.
Sat 29th January 2011 10:00 at the Pocket Park, completion of bramble removal, more bush and tree trimming.
Sat, 8 January, 10:00 – 11:00 saw bramble, bush and tree trimming at the Pocket Park - about 1/3 to a 1/2 cleared.
Sat, 6 November, 10:00 – 11:00 saw litter picking, bulb planting and cleaning up the Pocket Park and some tree pruning.
A video blog is available on the Shape Your Place web site.

Help Needed
If anyone is interested in helping with the Street Pride Project, especially with the environmental aspect, please contact us through the Information Submission form.