A COMMUNITY Day in Okehampton is being predicted as the most dynamic and interactive event of its kind in the South West — and it is expected to be the first step to accessing many millions of pounds to regenerate the area.
The key to the success of the Okehampton Market and Coastal Towns Initiative, which will create a plan or vision for the future, is having every single member of the community involved and the town is pulling out all the stops to attract people to the event on November 17.
For the first time in history, Simmons Park will host a big top and inside will be everything you ever wanted to know about the area from social and leisure activities to education, health, employment and the environment.
There will be exhibitions from more than 100 organisations and the public can walk through life-size models of projects, listen to live music, watch the fashion shows or take part in a multitude of activities — and the event is completely free.
Spokesperson for the Okehampton Market and Coastal Towns' Initiative (M&CTI) Steering Group Judy Pride said it was an opportunity nobody should miss.
'This day is a chance for everybody to find out what is going on in the area as well as have an input into what happens in the future,' she said. 'It will be the first step towards putting together a community plan which comes from the people — their hopes, their needs and their vision.'
Earlier this year Okehampton was selected as one of the seven Devon market towns set to be regenerated under the M&CTI — the gateway to a 'virtual' £1-million of funding from the South West Regional Development Agency.
In order to put forward a list of regeneration projects for funding, the steering group needs to get a consensus from local people.
'We have a long way to go before we get to the stage of submitting a plan, but the important thing at the moment is to get everyone talking and interested in what is happening in Okehampton and its hinterland,' added Judy.
'If anyone thinks they have a good idea then let us know. Many of the organisations in the big top will have ideas and projects of their own — we want to know what people from the age of 8 to 80 think of them.'
The day will have a serious aim but the whole emphasis is on fun with areas inside the big top divided into a serious of zones — mean zones, pleasure zones, coffee zones and play zones, to name a few.
'We want people to come along and enjoy themselves and hopefully they will learn a lot and so will we,' said Judy. 'It's all about communication and interaction.'
She said people should not just think in terms of the M&CTI funding but all the other pots of money the town already had access to through the voluntary sector.
'This is just the start — we hope many millions of pounds will come to Okehampton over the next few years,' she added.
Every householder in the Okehampton partnership area, which includes North Tawton and Chagford, will receive a letter explaining the day's event which is being billed as 'Tradition with Vision'.
Information from the day will be collated and villages and hamlets within the area who were not represented at the community day will be visited, informed and given an opportunity to have a say on the future of their community.
Paul Tucker from the Community Council of Devon, who has been appointed by the Regional Development Agency to oversee a number of M&CTIs, said Okehampton had taken a very different approach to consult the public.
'It promises to be very lively,' he said. 'There is nowhere else that I know of which is organising such a large dynamic and interactive community event.'
l See page 3 for latest on
Atomic Kitten and Lulu in
Simmons Park on November 17.