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Leigh can feel
justifiably proud of its strong sense of community. This spirit
has been built up over many years and through many generations.
We are fortunate to have in our town many groups and associations
which add so much value to people's lives.
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Council seeking
to cut back on services and by individuals who care only for
their own personal interests. Alongside this, the policy of
successive governments has been to reduce the role of the
state in providing public services and to rely increasingly
on the commercial and voluntary sectors to make up the shortfall.
Instead of directly administering public spend on social projects
and activities, government favours the allocation of funds
to local community partnerships on the premise that local
people know better where the available money should be spent.Whilst
this may be acceptable in principle, it does mean that local
groups and individuals have to be organised, committed and
assertive.
Setting up local partnerships, drawing up bids to secure funding
(often in competition with other communities) and energising
individuals to become involved all represent a significant
challenge to our community.
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We are also fortunate
that many individuals are prepared to put so much time and
effort into sustaining these organisations.Lately however
these activities are coming under threat. Community centres
and venues are closing, finance is becoming more difficult
to secure and there is an increasingly pervading emphasis
on the individual rather than society. Our environment
is being assailed by developers seeking to cram as many dwellings
as possible into every piece of land, by the
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