Dear Sir,
I seek to engage with my ward residents.  To inform residents about what is going on, I run a facebook blog, host two interactive radio shows, and I have my regular ‘County Newsbits’ column courtesy of the Newton News.  When the weather is appropriate, I go round asking residents door-to-door what is causing them concern.
I regularly do drivearounds of areas of my ward looking for fly-tipping and other problems.  I also do frequent walkabouts, usually alone, sometimes with my councillor colleagues, occasionally in formal ‘multi-agency’ groups with police, wardens, livin etc.
It is true that – after I once was accused of being a burglar – I have started wearing a high-viz jacket with my name on it!  And, not satisfied simply with recording areas of litter in my ward, I have been for some time then going round picking it up.  Recently, I have advertised when I would be doing so, and invited people to join me.  So far, no one has taken me up on my offer, but I was gratified that a correspondent last week had noticed me doing so.
That letter, however, then went on to suggest that I was “wasting my time”.
With this, I am afraid, I cannot agree.  This Spring, thousands of volunteers have turned out across the County for the ‘Big Spring Clean’.  And I regularly join Church and Community groups who are voluntarily cleaning up parts of their town.
I refuse to disparage the work of these wonderful people as a ‘waste of time’.  Their selfless action shows that they care about their community.  It sets an example.  And it does make a difference.
Indeed, there are many other activities which depend on the goodwill and hard work of volunteers – without them, whole swathes of our community life would simply cease to exist.
Once a week, Council employees litter-pick the council land and highways of my ward.  Operation Spruce Up – with help from the local Councillors’ Neighbourhood Budgets – will shortly smarten up Central Avenue.  But I welcome and praise those volunteers who accept a personal responsibility to their community, and who work so hard to make Aycliffe such a lovely place to live.
Thank you.
Cllr John D Clare