STROUD District Council leader Steve Lydon keeps you up to date with council matters

  • FIRSTLY, as council leader, please accept my sincere apologies if you were one of those affected by the mistake we made with our council tax direct debits. I have asked for a full report of how and why it occurred. This will be made public, and immediate steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again.
  • Many of us make New Year resolutions, but you might not be aware of some of the opportunities available.

When we think of museums, we think of places to go to view exhibits, but there’s much more than that at The Museum in the Park. There are creative activities and workshops throughout the year for children and adults – visit museuminthepark.org.uk

The Subscription Rooms in Stroud is somewhere we immediately associate with bands and performances, but did you know that it also runs classes and workshops? If you’re interested in improving your fitness you might be surprised to hear that it runs Yoga, Jive and Pilates classes and if you want to explore your creative talents there are also painting, photography and calligraphy classes, to name but a few.

Stratford Park Leisure Centre and The Pulse in Dursley have already attracted new members wanting to get fit for the year ahead. Of course our district has an increasingly ageing population and whilst joining a leisure centre might not be right for everyone, we have just opened up our sheltered housing schemes to their surrounding communities with fitness classes specifically for older people. If you or anyone you know might benefit, call 01453 754508. At the end of last year, I mentioned the Big Community Switch campaign run by Gloucestershire County Council, which aims to drive down your gas and electricity bills. Visit tinyurl.com/buhvvla or call 01452 425757.