Council leader David Thomas: Listening to you about how we can be better

For our first event, we set up our gazebo and information stall on the High Street in Torquay, opposite W.H.Smith.
Immediately, we had a steady trickle of residents popping in to say hello and getting involved with the ‘Place Survey’, which asks for your views on Torbay, as a place; together with your views on the council and then some more specific questions on areas of the council that many residents often engage with, like highways, libraries and waste services, to name but a few.
I also managed to talk to a great many of you about individual issues that you wanted to raise with me.
By late afternoon, we had quite a queue and I thank everyone for their patience as we worked through as quickly as we could.
It was great to be joined on Friday by the council’s chief executive officer, Anne-Marie Bond, and several other council officers, who were able to answer questions directly.
We had a similar response on Saturday when the roadshow moved to Paignton Green where once again, I was joined by Anne-Marie, several officers, and a host of local councillors from the Paignton area, who were also keen to be able to talk to residents from across the bay.
We were very fortunate the weather was extremely kind to us and we spent a lovely day on the green, again talking to many of you.
We will continue to be out and about with the roadshow. Next, we head to Fore Street in Brixham, outside Tesco, on Saturday, July 8, then on Wednesday, July 12, we will be in Victoria Street, Paignton.
Don’t forget, the Place Survey is open until Friday, July 21, so you still have plenty of time to take part and let us know your views and thoughts.
If you want to fill in the survey online, the direct access link is yoursay.torbay.gov.uk/residents-survey
As I go around the bay, talking to individual groups and volunteers, I know first hand that trying to find funds for various projects is not easy.
I, myself, have worked as a volunteer for a few local organisations and quite often we have not been able to achieve what we have wanted to, due to a lack of financial resource. I guess this will always be the case, there will never be enough money to do everything we want to do, either in our home budget, our various organisations and even the council face the same problem.
This week, I want to signpost you to a special fund that has just become available. If you are part of a local group or organisation that is linked to heritage, I have some very good news and I really encourage you to keep reading.
These monies have been made possible after securing £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, together with an additional £12,500 of funding from Torbay Council. The Torbay Local Heritage Grant Scheme is now open to enable more people to get involved in Torbay's heritage and celebrate the bay's UNESCO Global Geopark designation.
The funding is specifically aimed at smaller-scale grassroots heritage projects, which otherwise may struggle to access support. Grants of up to a maximum of £5,000 for activity - for example, events, temporary displays - or up to £7,500 for capital - buying equipment, or physical improvements to places - will be available. The minimum application, in either case is £500.
It is an opportunity for local groups to think creatively about how they would like to encourage more people to be involved in heritage and as a result the area will be a better place to live, work or visit.
To find out more about this scheme and how to apply visit this webpage - www.torbay.gov.uk/lhgs/
The closing date for round one is August 6, so there is no time to waste.