In Weymouth, Cllr Clare Sutton is looking forward to restarting activities for children and families with the Chapelhay Community Playgarden group which she set up with local residents fifteen years ago and still chairs.
The playground is at the heart of one of five areas in Dorset where child poverty stands at over 40%, all of which are in Weymouth and Portland.
Clare represents Rodwell and Wyke on Dorset Council and is the Green Group’s lead for Children’s and Adults’ services.
She has been campaigning for a better deal for Weymouth and Portland, which has the third lowest Social Mobility in the whole country, since she was elected in 2015.
Over the years, Clare, who grew up in the local area, and others, have held a huge range of events and activities include arts and crafts, gardening, ’apple days’ and multi-cultural events - all on hold because of the pandemic.
Cllr Clare Sutton receives a donation for the Chapelhay Community Playgarden from Father Andrew Gough
“The kids are brilliant - they just enjoy it so much. This issue of deprivation motivates me more as a councillor than anything else”, Clare told Father Andrew Gough of Holy Trinity Church in Weymouth which has just given a grant to support the group’s activities.
Clare said, “We’re so grateful for the funding, especially at this very difficult time. It’s a vote for the future. Things are going to get better and we’re so looking forward to getting back out there.”
Since 2016, Weymouth and Portland has gone from having 3 full-time Youth Centres, 5 part-time Youth Clubs and the Waves Advice and Information Centre to now having only 1 full-time Youth Centre and 1 part-time Youth Club. Clare is the Green Group's lead on Children's and Adults’ Services on Dorset Council and has persuaded colleagues to:
- prioritise provision on Portland, where there are no youth clubs currently operating
- invest in Youth Workers working alongside volunteers to support existing clubs and establish new ones.
You can watch the full discussion between Cllr Sutton and Father Andrew:
