Youth project stopped as Enfield Council staff accused of 'dirty tricks' campaign

[Elton]

A VISIONARY volunteer programme to teach young people fishing and outdoor sports has been put on hold amid allegations of obstruction by Enfield Council staff.

 

Full article here:

http://www.enfieldindependent.co.uk/news/8..._youth_project/

[Dick Dastardly]

Thats a great shame I hope it all gets sorted out.

[Jeffwill]

Definitely in line with my experience of Parks personnel in my local authority. I got involved in turning around the fortunes of a council controlled community pond, I could now write a book about all the scheming behind the scenes which mainly started after I had repaired many years of neglect. Never received even a thank you.

 

With "just" the Parks department, the number of incidents where they argue the toss, repeatedly f-ck things up, waste public funds, tell lies, ignore the bleeding obvious, drag their heels..... truely beggars belief but the most annoying thing of all......butter wouldnt melt in their mouth!

 

This chap being hindered by council workers ...... its almost certainly based on jealousy after seeing this volunteer achieving something they did not think of themselves or could not organise themselves. To take on the project he must be very committed to it so must be very annoyed to take the action he has. A lot of disagreement takes place before people feel forced to go public.

 

EDIT: Never ever take on a Lease for a council owned Park / pond. Better to get a large petition together and campaign for the local authority's Parks Regeneration Dept to undertake projects, as its what "the local community wants", i.e. tax payers.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Jeffwill

[Jack81]

Definitely in line with my experience of Parks personnel in my local authority.

 

The number of incidents where they argue the toss, repeatedly f-ck things up, waste public funds, tell lies, ignore the bleeding obvious..... truely beggars belief but the most annoying thing of all......butter wouldnt melt in their mouth!

 

I think many would rather the public weren't around at all. Would make their life easier! Couldn't believe it when we went to our local park for a bbq and game of cricket in the summer. Had a great afternoon but towards the end one of the rangers came and told us we were not allowed to have a bbq in the park. Unbelievable! What is it there for if not for people to get together outside? If it was Australia there would be a bbq installed every 10 yards for public use.

 

Hopefully this will get sorted out now that it has been brought to public attention. Sounds like a great project to get urban kids involved in the outdoors.

[watatoad]

Sounds as if they would like the public excluded from having access to parks all together - all they want the public for is to pay their wages/salaries but they don't wont to work and God forbid they are asked to be accountable or show what they have achieved.

 

EDIT:

WE NEED MORE PEOPLE POWER.

END EDIT:

Edited December 22, 2010 by watatoad

[Bartman]

Sounds as if they would like the public excluded from having access to parks all together - all they want the public for is to pay their wages/salaries but they don't wont to work and God forbid they are asked to be accountable or show what they have achieved.

 

EDIT:

WE NEED MORE PEOPLE POWER.

END EDIT:

 

I work on this project with Dave and you would think that they would be glad that somebody was promoting the incentives that they should be pioneering anyway ! The truth is that they seem to resent the projects efforts, perhaps because it just exposes their own inadequecies and lethargy. I hope that the investigation is not just lip service and ultimately serves to get certain individuals to wind their necks in and provide the minimal cooperation to allow the project to grow. Once again the petty politics and jealousies serve to deprive the kids of a worthwhile and healthy interest.

[Jeffwill]

I work on this project with Dave and you would think that they would be glad that somebody was promoting the incentives that they should be pioneering anyway ! The truth is that they seem to resent the projects efforts, perhaps because it just exposes their own inadequecies and lethargy. I hope that the investigation is not just lip service and ultimately serves to get certain individuals to wind their necks in and provide the minimal cooperation to allow the project to grow. Once again the petty politics and jealousies serve to deprive the kids of a worthwhile and healthy interest.

 

 

Hi Bartman,

 

I completely empathise with Dave, yourself and the other volunteers who are freely giving their time to make a council owned amenity a "better place" for the community. I have spent the last 8 years doing the same and by far the the biggest pain.... tax payer funded council staff! You may find some staff even using your work / project material as their own in job interviews like I did!

 

It would be interesting to know the types of problems you have encountered? We probably could play snap

 

You probably already know much of the following but councils are made up of a large number of departments that all have different agenda's but all make it their business to stand over your good works whilst not get their hands dirty (workshy). Yet behind the scenes they take personal credit for making the project happen, i.e. after "encouraging volunteers into organising a new group (a "friend of" group name is popular) and agreements being signed, i.e. management agreements, Lease's, Licence's etc. (From now on, as the Leaseholder the group is liable for for any accidents on the site and require insurance no matter what Parks staff tell you (Landlord & Tenant Act 1954).

 

In my experience the whole relationship is based on a lie from the start, i.e. Parks Regeneration staff claim they cannot apply for grants themselves and to compound matters saying its easy for members of the public that form into an organised group. It took me two years of hassle to begin obtaining grants for my project and I have been a finance officer for 25 years. (The problem for any fishing project is that no grant provider wants to help increase fishing opportunites for able bodied anglers).

 

Re problem staff - if you complain to the staff annoying you and they dont react positively, you need to document in a notebook unsatisfactory incidents and make a formal complaint to the councils corporate complaints section. Involving your local councillor is an option but they will correspond to the same erant people or their managers who cover it over and nothing changes.

 

Anyone reading this and thinking of taking on a local council owned water - councils are now even keener to foster work on the community due to a lack of government grant funding but Parks Regeneration Sections are applying for grants all the time but always try fobbing off work on the community siting financial difficulties......if they are willing to lie to me (someone who works in the council) they wont think twice about joe public.

 

Usually this type of working situation would not last long but as employee's of the Landlord you cant rid yourself of them....and these well paid staff will happily sit back and watch you struggle. Thats all part of why they foster the work out to community groups...... no genuine interest.

[Bartman]

Hi Bartman,

 

I completely empathise with Dave, yourself and the other volunteers who are freely giving their time to make a council owned amenity a "better place" for the community. I have spent the last 8 years doing the same and by far the the biggest pain.... tax payer funded council staff! You may find some staff even using your work / project material as their own in job interviews like I did!

 

It would be interesting to know the types of problems you have encountered? We probably could play snap

 

You probably already know much of the following but councils are made up of a large number of departments that all have different agenda's but all make it their business to stand over your good works whilst not get their hands dirty (workshy). Yet behind the scenes they take personal credit for making the project happen, i.e. after "encouraging volunteers into organising a new group (a "friend of" group name is popular) and agreements being signed, i.e. management agreements, Lease's, Licence's etc. (From now on, as the Leaseholder the group is liable for for any accidents on the site and require insurance no matter what Parks staff tell you (Landlord & Tenant Act 1954).

 

In my experience the whole relationship is based on a lie from the start, i.e. Parks Regeneration staff claim they cannot apply for grants themselves and to compound matters saying its easy for members of the public that form into an organised group. It took me two years of hassle to begin obtaining grants for my project and I have been a finance officer for 25 years. (The problem for any fishing project is that no grant provider wants to help increase fishing opportunites for able bodied anglers).

 

Re problem staff - if you complain to the staff annoying you and they dont react positively, you need to document in a notebook unsatisfactory incidents and make a formal complaint to the councils corporate complaints section. Involving your local councillor is an option but they will correspond to the same erant people or their managers who cover it over and nothing changes.

 

Anyone reading this and thinking of taking on a local council owned water - councils are now even keener to foster work on the community due to a lack of government grant funding but Parks Regeneration Sections are applying for grants all the time but always try fobbing off work on the community siting financial difficulties......if they are willing to lie to me (someone who works in the council) they wont think twice about joe public.

 

Usually this type of working situation would not last long but as employee's of the Landlord you cant rid yourself of them....and these well paid staff will happily sit back and watch you struggle. Thats all part of why they foster the work out to community groups...... no genuine interest.

 

 

Hi Jeff,

An official complaint has gone in already and the project temporarily suspended ( by Dave's own choice ) until the matter is resolved. It was not our ideal choice to 'go public ' but the way things were evolving we were left with little option if the project was to continue. Most of the problems seemed to originate from one individual in particular, with this person's staff complying with their master's wishes ( whether willingly or through peer pressure )

 

Ours is not the only group in the park who have experienced this 'obstruction' over the years and we are currently compiling statements from them regarding this individuals's actions.

 

I really am at a loss to understand the mindset of such people. Surely the success of any project in the park serves only to reflect positively on the management of the same ? If they receive credit for the work of volunteer bodies then so be it ! I really don't give a monkey's about who gets the acolades as long as we achieve our aim to get more people into the outdoors ( Although so far the project has dealt mainly with getting kids started fishing, our long term goal was to extend this to the elderly and disabled, in fact anyone ! The bigger picture would encompass outdoor nature walks, cycling, birdwatching,etc ).

 

It is not as if we were a major drain on the resorces of the park. All we asked for was the loan of tools ( until we received funding to obtain our own ) and the boat ( which aside from us, never appeared to be used, and was transfered to and from the lake by volunteer's vehicles ). Our efforts hardly impacted the workload on the park staff !

 

Hopefully the independant enquiry will result favourably for the project and we can leave the politics to the politicians and enjoy what we really find worthwhile !