Rick's St Mary's Diary

As well as the canvassing in the evening, I attended to some case work today, having picked up a number of issues when speaking to people over the last few days. The pathway by the motorway at the back of Stanley Avenue North (connecting it to Bury Old Road) is strewn with litter, and I have asked the Council to take a look at that. I have also made some enquiries today about a Home Improvement Grant for a local resident - the Council is obviously strapped for cash, but there are procedures in place to make sure that those in greatest need are given the greatest help. And in addition, I talked to the Council's Disability Service this morning, who were very helpful in answering a query I have regarding disabled parking facilities on the streets outside private homes. We had a conversation with a resident about this last night when canvassing, and I said I'd look into it. Apparently the criteria are very strict (which is understandable), but the waiting list for an assessment stands at 32 weeks! So if the resident concerned submitted an application for assessment today, the assessment wouldn't take place until the end of November! I don't know the ins-and-outs of the situation, but that seems a very long time to me. The staff were so helpful on the phone, it's a shame that budgets won't stretch to allow them to help so readily in person.

Aside from canvassing and casework, my working day was spent packing things into boxes. We are having an office move, and it turns out that the grand total of all my efforts in work over the last three years can be placed with room to spare inside two medium sized crates. Which is fairly distressing. But not half as distressing as what awaits me on Monday, when I march into the unknown of a new office layout, lots of new people, and the unending nightmare of having to unpack my crates and stare depressed at the contents within.

Horrific.

Rick