CHRISTMAS LIGHTS RAFFLE

We all remember the Broadstone Christmas lights last year, well my family for one cannot forget them as we had people phoning us - at home - to complain at how poor they were! The lights have always been provided & maintained by the Broadstone Chamber of Trade, with only a small annual grant from the Borough of Poole towards installing them so in the resident's eyes the blame lay fairly and squarely at my door. But what is the Chamber of Trade? A collection of small businesses trying to keep the shopping area alive, with very few active corporate members.

A public meeting was held to decide how we could renew the lights and the overwhelming result was a Raffle. That way each and every Broadstone resident and worker could play their part. We arranged great prizes including a marvellous trip to New York and Theatre Trips along with smaller prizes from local business.

The response to the raffle has been a bit low key but with fantastic support from some including Forum Jewellers and Masons Health Foods in particular. Thanks to them and to a number of other traders and local organisations for doing their bit. We have arranged new lights for this year only to cover the Broadway and will re-use the old ones in the roundabout and on Dunyeats Road. We need to start again in January with a new plan to renew them again and I would ask that each and every reader gives some thought as to how we can ALL help next year.

It just remains to congratulate the winner of the New York Trip - Elizabeth Griffiths from Broadstone - and to wish all the residents of Broadstone a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

Vikki

Archive Winter 2004 | next

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