Viridian Square NEEDS YOU! Get in touch now!

Viridian Square is still relatively new, and it is broadly felt that it is quite unmanaged in the day to day running and maintenance. There are many issues and concerns, and no real direct connection with the residents themselves. This needs to change. Viridian Square needs representation by its residents, not by some distant unknown party. Viridian Square needs to form a residents group, official or unofficial. That group would work together to identify the issues and work together with the relevant parties to resolve them. It would communicate with local services such as the council and the police, to better co-ordinate resolutions. There is no direct pay for this work; in fact in some cases it will cost money. But the rewards are making you and your neighbours happier, and making Viridian Square a better place to live.

So, volunteers are needed!

Don't assume others will handle this! Actually there are very few volunteers, and without the numbers, it won't happen. Viridian Square will be neglected, big maintenance bills will increase, and the service to you will degrade. If you don't want this to happen then get in contact with me now and register your interest. Let me know how you would like to be involved. Email me on stevem@viridiansquare.org.uk

For example:

One or more people need to get together and look to create a residents association (and if this is not legally possible because Crest / Countrywide have already set in stone, the formal management process, then there is no reason why an unofficial group may not be formed). If you’d like to make this happen, get in touch with me and I shall help to co-ordinate with other neighbours and try to get a meeting arranged with other interested parties.

Someone to write the regular newsletter. You would need to be someone that is quite connected in the square. You probably would be friends with quite a lot of your neighbours and have a hand on the ‘grapevine’ of the square, and know what is going on generally. You probably would already use the forum quite a lot and tend to get involved. You will need a broadband Internet connection and a PC that you can use freely, most likely at home. Preferably you would have Microsoft Office and know how to use it. You should expect to be contacted by residents with all sorts of varied queries, and be prepared to direct or help out. Note though that this is not something to commit to lightly, it can be hard to find the time, and to write the newsletters, and they can’t be abandoned. If this sounds like something you’d like to take on, then contact me. The tools are already online to automatically manage subscribers. I can provide the tools needed to make it easy to send newsletters out to subscribers.

One or more people to moderate the forum. The resident’s forum is where anyone can go to discuss their comments, concerns and queries with fellow residents and members. However, like any forum it needs organising. Users can create duplicate topics, go off topic, and generally and easily make the forum into a mess that makes it difficult for other users to find what they need, and to use it generally. Moderators spend time in the forum, sign up and pay attention to new posts. They look out for bad or offensive posts, merge duplicate topics, archive old ones, and keep things tidy. You would be someone who is likely to be quite organised and methodical, and be interested generally in the square. It would help if you were quite connected with your neighbours. You also need to be diplomatic, because you will have the power to modify user’s posts, but that doesn’t mean that you can change, delete or adjust things if they do not suit your personal opinion. If this sounds like something for you, then contact me and I can set you up and help you with this task.

Promotion and communication. For all of these tools, the group, and neighbours to be effective in managing the square, people need to know what is going on. People come and go from the square all of the time. Therefore, promotions such as leaflet drops to everyone are needed to remind people of the forum, news and any other items that your fellow neighbours may not be aware of.

Anything else? I am sure you have your own ideas as to how to improve the square. Why not share them in the forum?

Email me on stevem@viridiansquare.org.uk