Fiona Bruce MP Keynote Speaker at Action for Market Town’s National Convention in Congleton
Fiona Bruce was a keynote speaker at the National Convention and Awards Ceremony of the Action for Market Towns (AMT) Organisation held in the Congleton Constituency on 6th and 7th November.
Fiona Bruce MP who was instrumental in bringing the Convention to this part of the country said:
“This is the first time that the Convention has been based across five communities. I congratulate the five ‘Town Partnerships’ of Congleton, Alsager, Holmes Chapel, Sandbach and Middlewich for promoting in so many ways the strengthening of community life here, to such a degree that people travelled from the length and breadth of the UK to learn from their experiences.”
Speaking at the conference at Congleton Town Hall Fiona said:
“Whilst Government can and has done a great deal to support High Streets and our Market Towns – such as through the Future High Streets Forum, High Street Innovation and Renewal Funds and the Portas Pilots and Town Team Partners – of which Sandbach, Alsager and Middlewich are all Partners – ultimately it is local people in local communities who really make things happen - working tirelessly to create a quality of life which is second to none in so many of our Market Towns. I know how hard all the Town Partnerships work in my Constituency and congratulate all those organisations from across the country who have won well deserved AMT Awards in a strongly fought competition.”
After speaking, Fiona conducted a Q and A with delegates to obtain from them fresh suggestions, ideas and comments which she undertook to take back to Parliament to discuss with the Minister for Local Government and High Streets, Brandon Lewis MP, and to feed back his responses to the Action for Market Towns Organisation.
During the two day convention, which featured a packed programme of workshops and visits designed to support towns and high streets, delegates exchanged ideas, learnt how government policy will affect them, and picked up new suggestions for projects and plans to boost their areas and travelled across the five towns of Alsager, Congleton, Holmes Chapel, Middlewich and Sandbach to take part in workshops featuring local community innovations.
Regional Award winners included Rochford Art Trail, Beccles Lido, Northallerton Homegrown Food Festival, Henfield Hub Community Website, Lancing’s Sensory Garden, Sevenoaks Town Partnership Sunday Supplement. The Overall National AMT Award Winner, whose award was presented at the Awards Evening at Congleton Town Hall by Fiona Bruce MP, was the 4CG Project in Cardigan, Wales, a community-owned low cost car park which as well as increasing access and footfall within the town, has raised £300,000 in investment for local community projects.
