Diary room for Alston Moor residents as Together We Can hits the town

A big-brother style video diary room in Alston has given locals the chance to say what they love and what needs improving about the town.

The room was up as part of the Alston Moor Together We Can project which invited people to find out more about what’s going on in the area, how to get involved in decision making, and give their ideas for improvement.

Together We Can was a two day event which was lead by Cumbria County Council including Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, in partnership with Cumbria police, Eden District Council and other local charity and voluntary organisations.

In the diary room, members of Alston Moor Film club and the town’s Scran Shed youth group recorded local people giving their views and opinions on local services, facilities and communities.

The video will become a record for county and district councillors on what needs improving about the town. It will also become part of an archive of oral history on Alston.

Callum Morsman, 19, from Alston, has been on a film making and editing course which he put to good use as part of the Together We Can event. He said: "Using film to record local people talking about their views and opinions on the local area has been a great experience and definitely something I’d like to do again. 

"We’ve had lots of people come into the diary room and tell us what they think about living in Alston and people’s love of the town’s sense of community has come up time and time again.

The event gave residents the chance to tell staff from county, district and parish councils and a range of other organisations about their views on issues including street lighting, roads, affordable housing and recycling.

Cumbria police also headed up a StreetSafe event which saw them, and staff from the county council and fire and rescue service, go door-to-door inviting people to tell them what they think works well and what could be changed in their neighbourhood.

Mary Robinson, County Councillor for Alston and East Fellside says: "Together We Can events have been held in a number of towns and villages in Cumbria and have been really successful in helping local people get involved and make a visible difference in their area.

"The video diary room has been a particularly exciting way for people to voice and record their opinions about what they want to see done in Alston. 

"It will be an excellent way of understanding what really matters to residents and, along with feedback from the whole event, will lead to real improvements in communities, places and services in Alston and surrounding areas."

For more information on how you can have your say in the future of your local area, contact the Eden Area Support Team.