We are Cally Community Plan
There’s a lot going on in the Cally, including through the council’s We are Cally project. The council has been listening to the ideas local people have to make the area an even better place. Their ambitions have been captured in a set of agreed actions to be taken by local organisations, residents and the council in the We are Cally Community Plan.
We spoke to local resident Sue Cartwright about her involvement in the Greening Cally group, and plans to make Cally greener by finding new spaces to grow plants.
Hi Sue, can you tell us a little about yourself?
Hi I’m Sue Cartwright, I’ve lived in the area since 1984, originally in a flat over the shop next door to KFC until 1990 and I’ve lived nearby ever since.
I’m retired now, but I was Director of Student Finance at University College London in charge of tuition fees, prizes, loans and bursaries… since retiring, I’ve enjoyed gardening, community work, reading, sewing. I also like a variety of music, art and theatre.
What do you do?
Volunteering wise, I volunteer for Healthwatch Islington. We champion people who use Islington health and social care services. We carry out surveys of local people and projects including visiting care homes and reporting on care, records and activities and interviewing patients at GP surgeries regarding accessibility. We work all over Islington and deliver reports and recommendations to the care supplier and council, I thoroughly enjoy it.
I also get involved in the Patient Participation Group (PPG) at my local GP practice. Most GPs have PPG groups. We attend regular meetings, usually chaired by a GP, and discuss improvements and issues about the practice with a view to improving the quality of services. To help include the patient community we’ve held an exhibition about famous women in Islington this year and have displayed a small art exhibition of work by differently abled children.
I attend to the Neighbourhood Panel with the police and I’m secretary of my street’s residents’ group.
I’m also involved in a local Tree Pit group - planting up the area around the base of trees and looking after them. We usually meet on Saturday mornings and as well as learning about different plants it’s a very sociable activity, it’s an opportunity for neighbours to chat and get to know each other.
How are you playing a role in the Cally Plan?
I’ve got involved in the Greening Cally work in improving open spaces near Killick Street Surgery.
I’ve always been involved in community meetings and been active in the local area. I’m looking forward to having face to face meetings again with all the different communities that make up the Cally.
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