Anybody out there?

Six days ago I emailed ALL Blackpool Councillors. To date I have received replies from two of the elected representatives on this list.  One of those replies was a grumpy email saying nothing the other was lovely from someone who clearly cares about the young people of Blackpool and wants to help us do more.

I hope they can find the time to get back to me soon.

I am going to start blogging again. Turn the heat up to try and grasp the change needed in this town for young people.

No more Mr Nice Guy!



Sean

PS Here is the email I sent to ALL the councillors in Blackpool.

Hello elected representatives of the young people of Blackpool! 

Forgive the group email but I really need your help. 

After 3 and a half years of unpaid work on our social enterprise, £30,000 of my own money (which sits on the mortgage), thousands of young people using our building, scores of gigs, events, a partnerships with the PCT and Blackpool Fylde & Wyre Hospital Trust. I have (after hundreds of meetings with tens of different officers of the council) not really got a meaningful result from Blackpool Council. 

In the main I have met decent, honest and professional people. But the young people of Blackpool need some action now. The council needs to engage to help me and my partners at the PCT and hospital trust get hold of one of the many available buildings and use it sustainably for young people. Spend a small percentage of your young person's budget through us on the young people of Blackpool and we will make sure that that funding pays dividends that will last long into the future. 

As elected representatives I wanted you to know that the BIG SOCIETY is out here but it needs YOU to support it and ask your officers to help us make the town better for young people.

There are still very few "nights out" for Blackpool's young people and this is something that causes problems to the council, the PCT, the hospital and the police. So if this BIG SOCIETY is to mean anything Blackpool Council must engage now with us instead of talking about talks and/or nicking our ideas and doing them badly. 

I promised the young people at the meeting at the CLC in the video that I would make things happen and I don't intend to fail them on that promise. But I'd rather do it before they go to university. ;-) 

I am in touch with various areas of the council (some more successfully that others) but I really need you to put your hob nail boots on and go and kick some officer behinds please.  

Young people in Blackpool need more to do and we can deliver it in a low cost and sustainable way and while we do it we can deliver innovative health messages. 

The PCT are on board. The Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Hospital Foundation Trust are too and I hope your Young People's Service will commit soon (I am meeting with Mike Taplin again on 17th September.) 

I see money being spent on young people that delivers a fraction of what we already deliver at no cost to the council so it would be great if you watch the video on the Facebook group and email me back to say you will try and help me help our young people. 

I could say more but now is probably not the time.

Here is a link to the Facebook page and video (posted on the wall)... http://www.facebook.com/pages/SPACE-Events/112083102165048?ref=ts

Hope you get chance to look at it and if you feel you can help at all I would love to hear from you. 

Many thanks for your time and apologies for the intrusion. 

Hope to hear from you soon, 

Sean 

Director SPACE Blackpool CIC 

PS Our social enterprise has run 5 rehearsal rooms and put on gigs and events since January 2007. We now are using social media and events to deliver innovative health messages to young people with our partners the PCT and hospital trust.