Poulton Events
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Poulton Residents Spend £20,000 on Building a Stronger Community
Representatives from twenty six local groups each made a 3 minute presentation to assembled residents at the Platform on Saturday 16th February from 1pm. Each group had prepared a bid for up to £2000.
Poulton Neighbourhood Management had a maximum of £20,000 available, so not all 26 applicants were successful.
Throughout the afternoon local people marked each bid out of 10 as to how the project would help to build a stronger community in Poulton.
‘Happy Feet’ cheerleaders provided half time entertainment with a fantastic acrobatic display, whilst free refreshments were served to the voters.
At the end of an eventful afternoon local people had decided who should win. The successful bids were:
Security lighting for the War Memorial Hall
Community training by St John Ambulance
A garden of remembrance at Morecambe Parish Church
Play equipment for Poulton Pre-School
Hanging baskets to be planted by Poulton Residents Association
The World around us project by Chatterbox
Sound equipment for Limelight Productions
Playground equipment for Morecambe Bay Pupils School Council
Citizen of the Year project for Morecambe Community High School PTA
Camping equipment for Morecambe Parish Church Uniformed Groups
Health and well-being at the Rainbow Centre
Music making at Morecambe Brass Academy
An environmental project by the Friends of Morecambe Cemetery
The total amount spent came to £19,809.47
Those applicants who were unsuccessful on this occasion have been offered support in looking at other ways of securing funding for their projects.
Poulton Neighbourhood Management carried out some evaluation of how the audience viewed the event which showed that 92% said that they would agree to take part in an event like this in the future and 90% agreed that they felt they had contributed to an improvement in their neighbourhood.
There were lots of positive comments from local residents including:
“It gives the residents of an area a feeling that they can make a difference”
“Much better than anticipated, voting by the residents is empowering”
“I think everybody made a difference”
“I thought it was very well run”
“Better than expected”
Poulton Neighbourhood Management hopes that the success of this event will mean that we are able to run a similar scheme again in the future.
A Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin On
People came from all over the country to rock around the clock with bands and acts such as The HotWires, Jive Hoot, Mike Haywood, tributes to Billy Fury and Buddy Holly, and finally, Good Rockin’ Tonight had everyone on their feet as they played the final songs to end an amazing day.
So many people really made the effort to get into the spirit of the fifties and came in vintage outfits – women wearing circle skirts and baring their frilly knickers and suspenders whilst Teddy Boys led them around the dance floor
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The daytime was packed with free entertainment including dance displays from local troop ‘Happy Feet’. They performed amazing routines to rock ‘n’ roll classics with a modern twist. A group of fifties fans from Glasgow were teaching members of the crowd how to ‘Stroll’. 
Helping to recreate the fifties era were vintage motor cycles and cars, stalls selling vintage goods, Punch and Judy shows, the ‘Fifties Factor’ talent show, Kate Drummond with her fifties style ice cream van helped the crowd to cool off and Chill were making fifties style milkshakes.
Poulton Neighbourhood Management and Winning Back Morecambe’s West End funded the event. Lancaster City Council provided a Festival Innovation Fund grant of £500. The festival couldn’t have been organised without the support and help from local residents especially Jackie and Martin Colyer, Keith Louis and Kate Drummond. DJ Steve Middlesborough and many local businesses pledged their support in making the festival a reality and contributed to transporting the town back the fabulous fifties. This was a fantastic event for Morecambe which gathered huge support from local people, so much so, we are coming back next year!
The Visitor newspaper sent along a photographer. To see their slideshow click here
