It was a pleasure to chair July’s meeting of Frome Town Council after several months attending from behind a screen due to ongoing cancer treatment. The meeting included some exciting news about our parks, a discussion about the challenges facing some members of our community, and an opportunity to reflect on the amazing legacy of Green and Healthy Frome, one of Frome’s most ambitious partnership projects to date.
I was delighted to begin the meeting by announcing that Victoria Park and Mary Baily Playing Field have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag Award, an international benchmark for well-managed parks and green spaces, recognising spaces that are welcoming, safe, sustainable and valued by their communities. Congratulations to our Environment Team and everyone who helps make these spaces such valued assets for Frome – including the people that come out and enjoy them!
We also heard from local resident Victoria Hicks, whose family farms the land known as Sunset Fields at Vallis. Victoria spoke about the damage caused by people straying from public footpaths and the impact this has on the land and their business. Councillors shared their concerns about the situation and discussed possible actions, including working with local schools and community organisations to raise awareness of the importance of respecting farmland and the countryside. Cllr Nick Dove meets regularly with the police, and promised to raise this directly with them, and ward councillor Carla Collenette offered to meet to discuss with Victoria further. We will continue to explore how we can support local farmers and encourage responsible behaviour.
Green and Healthy Frome was one of the first major projects that I was involved in, and I think when I look back on my time as a councillor in the future, one of the standout moments will be getting the message that we had successfully secured the £1.7million funding! I’m proud to have played a small part in this project and it has genuinely shaped the way that I work as a councillor. Working in partnership isn’t always easy, but this project really demonstrated how much stronger we are when we all work together, and each partner brought something unique to the table. Combining those different strengths, Frome Medical Practice, Edventure and FTC achieved far more than any of us could have alone.
One of the things that the Climate Action Fund money has enabled us to do is to commission a full evaluation of the project, to look really carefully at what we’d achieved, to understand the impact:: thank you to Abi and Ben for producing such a thoughtful and insightful evaluation and sharing the findings at the council meeting. Abi finished by saying “Green and Healthy Frome has achieved extraordinary things” and “The impact of showing ways that communities can take action for the environment and climate – in a way that is rewarding and strengthens a sense of community agency – counteracts helplessness and should not be underestimated”
The evening was a reminder of what can be achieved when organisations and residents work together. Whether caring for our parks, protecting our countryside or tackling climate change, collaboration remains one of Frome’s greatest strengths.
