One Voice

Partnership work was the focal point of Thursday’s quarterly Trust Thamesmead Community Voice meeting held at The Link Thamesmead.

Attended by a number of residents, Trust Thamesmead, Peabody, Erith & Thamesmead MP Teresa Pearce, councillors from both Lesnes and Moorings wards and PC Chris Molnar from the Metropolitan Police Bexley agreed it doesn’t matter if you live in the London Borough of Bexley or Royal Borough of Greenwich, Thamesmead is a collective with everyone interested in issues that affect residents, no matter what borough they live in.

Trust Thamesmead’s Head of Partnership and Engagement, Lucy Webb said: “It was fantastic to hear from the majority of partners who are working together to make improvements in Thamesmead. Together we are stronger and can and will achieve great things in Thamesmead.”

Lucy went on to tell the audience about a partnership project Trust Thamesmead is leading on which will look at six health and wellbeing priorities with the evening’s audience voting mental health and an increase of credible service providers offering advice and guidance to residents as their biggest priorities.

Peabody’s Thamesmead Strategy Team’s Engagement and Programme Manager, Ellen Halsted asked the audience a handful of questions which the strategy team has been asking Thamesmead residents throughout the summer including what they like best about Thamesmead with the green open spaces and waterways, a sense of community, good schools and the town’s proximity to nature all rating highly, as did word/phrases; quiet, peaceful, a beautiful place to live and the fact they live so close to the bright lights of London.

Lucy went on to add: “There is a true sense of community in Thamesmead. It is no surprise to the Trust, who has been working exclusively as a community development agency in Thamesmead since 2000. It really is a fantastic place to live, work and volunteer. We, as are the residents, really proud to be a part of its history and its future.”

Findings will be published in Peabody’s Thamesmead Futures Plan which is a long-term look to the future of Thamesmead which will be published in early 2015.

PC Molnar also took to the stage, promoting honesty and transparency and the want to make positive changes in the area. A sentiment echoed by  Councillors including 23-year-old Thamesmead resident and Thamesmead East Councillor, Mabel Ogundayo who said she wanted to help make Thamesmead the best place it can possibly be.]