Cambridge Community Board member Philip Coles is inviting locals to get involved in a “Keep Cambridge Beautiful” committee to help further beautify the town and enhance community assets.
The call is out for Cambridge residents who are passionate about their community.
With the aim of securing a place as New Zealand’s “Most Beautiful Town”, a Cambridge branch of Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) is being set up to help beautify the town and involve residents in enhancing our community assets.
Having made runner up in 2017 and missing the shortlist for last year’s awards, Philip Coles from the Cambridge Community Board learned from the award organisers that in order to improve our entry, we need to ramp up community involvement in projects which help to enhance the town and educate people in the process. A local branch of KNZB would help, too.
And so a branch is being set up to do just that, but it needs volunteers who are proud Cambridge residents to step up for the cause.
“The committee will work with local community groups like the Cambridge Tree Trust and the Cambridge Community Garden, as well as artists, students and anyone passionate about improving our town,” Coles explained.
“One of the big things why we haven’t really won the award is through education with the community, and community involvement. It’s not just having nice flowers and nice trees, it’s community involvement in projects and volunteer work, and portraying that in our application.
“It does involve beautifying the town but also improving our community assets and making our public areas more beautiful or special by extracting talent from our community, like artists, gardeners, getting people to come out and express their talents.
“And kids too… we have a lot of things in town for adults, what other things can we do to involve children and entertain them. For years people have said there’s nothing in town for kids and that’s why they go off to the big cities. If we can work something out between us all, put that to the community board and get funding, lets give it a go.
“It’s about that real community involvement, over and above anything else that’s been done. … That’s all part of keeping New Zealand beautiful and improving our town.”
The group’s application process would be funded and supported by the Cambridge Community board. Already some members of local organisations have expressed an interest in being part of the group, but the opportunity is open to all, including high school students, retirees, anyone passionate about enhancing Cambridge.
To find out more or to get involved, email philip.coles.nz@gmail.com or phone 021 432 767.
