Friends of the Coro

An impressive group of people sat at the high table - all men. The two people that I really wanted to hear from weren't there but sitting at the side or the back. They were women :wouldn't it be great to hear more from Cllr Pat  Jones who impressed me with her remark about flooding -"Let's have less talking and more of shifting sand bags" (my version). Then there was the amazing Anita the brewery maid with a very clear concept of making a business work. Sadly they said nothing.

To be fair this was not meant as an ideas meeting but rather to raise the membership and concept of this group. Like all things to do with official bodies it takes forever (when viewed by someone who is used to getting something done next day - have and idea, test it out, put it into practice - how else do small businessmen survive!). It looked like about fifteen people sat out there in front - let's say ten and they wanted four hundred members. Then, couldn't they each have found ten people from each of their contacts at £10 per person - done in a month - and they'd be well on the way to 10 x 10x 10 = £1,000 pounds from 100 members. No things don't work like that here in Ulverston. They have to all come equipped with fancy little 'necklaces' to show that they were 'special'. Then their website doesn't work . . .

When one suggests an idea one gets a typical response "You can't do this for this reason or that" Rather than that's an interesting idea: let's find out how we could make this work - perhaps not like this but slightly differently. How many of these people have actually earnt their living with their ideas which promotes a totally different approach. One never rejects anything until it really looks a no hoper and then only to put it at the back - just in case. Could it be that they are regular users - which doesn't mean that they are ideas people.

Once again Peter Winston has found his way in! Hasn't this guy already too many things to do? Can't we have someone with a real spark of excitement in his thinking. Someone with the combined policies of Gavin Knott and someone else with a track record of coming up with creative money making ideas - there must be someone somewhere.

Furthermore the website isn't functioning yet even though there was an article with it's address on in the West Gaz.

Two ideas might be worth a note amongst many:

1. Adjusting the pricing structure of the letting of the hall in order to ensure 85% letting of the facilities. Some people (maybe young people) might be able to use the facilities for no more than the cost of maintenance - possibly having to clean the Hall themselves. Sadly there was a self-satisfied answer of 60% lets - better than elsewhere - but a long long way of 85%. The thinking here is a theory that the more people that hire the hall , the more that will think of letting it again - maybe at a greater cost and profit to the Coro

2. Along the same lines -  the more people that use the place , the more that will hire it. So a really attractive cafe set up for most of the hours of the day is a possible idea. One that has a really community involvement with lots of subsidiary activities - The Forum in Barrow has something similar though it's missing the feel of real community.  Maybe in the long term the cafe could dub as a Library/ Tourist Information Centre/ cafe with live music and art displays - something with a real buzz/ and then of course the Halls , meeting rooms etc - and even something more - are there any basements? Can tables put outside on the pavement. Someone I talked to suggested using the space on the flat roof on both sides of the hall.

I'm sure there will be more good ideas but they need hours and hours of careful on the spot thinking until an ideas arrives - very hard work!