Issue 48

Originally published at: https://hornseacommunitynews.uk/news/issue-48/

Welcome to Issue 48


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With the Nursery School the latest service to come under threat, the sensation that we are being systematically stripped bare of all our public assets one by one grows ever stronger. However, in adversity the greatest qualities of human nature often come to the fore and this certainly seems to be the case in Hornsea.

In this paper we never tire of championing the phenomenon that is the Floral Hall- a shining example of how a community can respond to the threatened loss of its cultural events centre. In last month’s issue we highlighted the success of the Community First Aid Centre in substituting for our Minor Injuries Unit. This month on page 7 you can read about the success of another fantastic volunteer lead project- Living Well, which is filling a huge void by helping those suffering from social isolation.

These and other projects serve to reinforce my conviction that when a community decides (or is forced) to take matters into its own hands and meet its own needs, it can do so far more effectively than when services are supplied from afar. In the Call for Evidence (adjacent) I argue that globalisation has led to the opposite trend whereby we are dependent on ever more remote powers. In a recent article by Simon Jenkins of the Guardian entitled, ‘Yes we must take back control, not from Brussels – from Whitehall’, he states that Local Government receives “a derisory 1.6% of GDP, against 6% in France, 11% in Germany and 16% in Sweden. British local democracy is that of a failed state.” Furthermore, of that 1.6%, only a miniscule amount is allotted to our Town Council.

If government were to truly devolve power and resources to the local level and create conditions whereby it became economically viable to start producing for ourselves again rather than being dependent on giant corporations, so many of the challenges we currently face, from employment to environment, could be tackled far more effectively.

Happy Birthday

Moving on to lighter matters- HCN celebrates its fourth birthday this month so once again it is time to say a huge thank you to everyone who contributes; our ever-loyal advertisers, fantastic column writers, printers, proof readers, typists, and delivery personnel. A special mention this time must go to Stuart, whose boundless energy, enthusiasm and talent have made him into a delivery man/roving reporter/sales manager all in one!

With forces of nature such as these in our ranks who knows, maybe one day we might be capable of reclaiming and exercising our right to self-
governance?!

Ed