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Meath resident Peter was increasingly concerned about the deterioration of the road surface along Westbrook Road, directly outside The Meath driveway which the people we support use to access the town centre. Due to the narrow pavement, people in wheelchairs have to use the road rather than pavement, and perilous potholes are making the journey difficult for many of the people we support and their staff members.
Peter spoke to his support staff about his concerns and they supported him to think about what he could do to be proactive. Peter decided to write to a man on whom he felt he could rely to be listened to: Meath Supporter and Godalming Town Mayor, Cllr Paul Rivers. The Mayor responded to confirm that he understood Peter’s safety concerns and frustrations and thanked him for bringing the issue to his attention. At a recent Mayoral visit to The Meath, it was wonderful to catch up with Cllr Paul Rivers, together with Cllr Penny Rivers, Mayor Consort and Peter.
Enjoying Rocky Road at The Hive
Over a catch up over coffee and Rocky Road at The Hive, Paul and Penny thanked Peter for raising his concerns. Penny is a Surrey County Councillor representing Godalming North and she has been able to allocate nearly £60,000 from her Surrey Highways Fund to resurface this road later this year. Peter was extremely pleased with this news and commented, “Thank you Paul and Penny and for listening to me, I am so happy that I have helped my friends here and the road will be easier for us.”
Peter was also extremely proud to have been gifted with a Godalming Town Council tie, which he will wear with pride at special events such as a forthcoming annual Town Council Meeting to which he has been invited, as he has been nominated for an award for Good Citizenship.
The resurfacing of the road will make a genuinely positive difference to our daily lives but the achievement of getting the work agreed represents a wonderful community and team effort. We are immensely proud to support Peter and his peers to be active members of the community and are grateful to have such wonderful supporters in our local Mayor and Town Council who recognise the importance of listening to all voices in their local community. As both Penny and Paul have said in the past “together, we are stronger.”
