Following an extremely successful recruitment process, the South Lockleaze and Purdown Neighbourhood Group are pleased to announce that we have recruited 4 further Directors to our Board. The 4 new directors will be joining alongside Emily Shimell and David Walwin, two of the three founders of the group, to create a solid and more resilient team to take the SL&P Group and Old Library into the next phase, after a tremendously successful two years of getting this grassroots volunteer project off the ground.
We would also like to say farewell to Debbora Hall, one of the other founders of the group, who will be stepping back from director duties and moving away from the area in the very near future – Debbora has been a vital and hugely influential member of the team from the start, and we would like to say a massive thank you for all she has done alongside Emily and David; taking on the Old Library building as a 100% volunteer run community space, helping to save South Purdown from development, and ensuring a solid foundation for the group to move into its next stage.
We would like to say a huge welcome to the new board members:
- Maria Kennedy, who has been hugely involved with the Old Library and SL&P group from the outset, in processes, finances, strategy and café volunteering.
- Jim Tickner, who is already widely involved in volunteering, strategy and events, including the new monthly film night Fridays and new ThinkTank events.
- Lucy Warwick, who has recently got involved in the Old Library with administration and hires, and is a regular user of the space.
- Rodney Gear, who runs the hugely popular parent and toddler group on a Wednesday morning.
Each of the new directors bring a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, qualities and skills to the project. We are very excited that in establishing the new board, we are embarking on a new phase for the group and robustly taking the Old Library and neighbourhood group forwards alongside the fantastic team of current volunteers, as it continues to serve our local community.
The South Lockleaze and Purdown neighbourhood Group C.I.C. was set up in 2015 to facilitate and encourage community activity, drawn together in large part by a passion to protect our neighbours and green spaces, and make the most of the amazing area we have chosen to live. Loosely covering the area of Lockleaze and Eastville that falls between Morris Road, Muller Road, Narroways, Eastgate, Glenfrome School and the M32, this 100% volunteer residents group is extremely proud of what it has achieved towards saving South Purdown, taking on and running the Old Eastville Library, accessing funds for a new playground development, helping improve communications across our area, and running a fantastic range of much needed activities and events for our neighbourhood.
If you would like to get involved with your neighbours and join us to do more, or to share ideas or skills, get in touch with southlockleaze@gmail.com or pop on into the Old Library and say hello!