First of all a big thanks to CCAG for their invite to blog with them. The CCAG and the ARA are both committed to making life in the Arbo and its surrounds a more positive experience for all. If you don’t know, the ARA stands for the Arboretum Residents Association and we have been active in the Arboretum for many years. We represent the opinions and ideas of Arboretum residents. We are non-political although we work together with our local city and county council representatives to help achieve our goals. We meet about every six weeks at the Baptist Church on Samsone Walk.

Over the years we have been involved in many diverse projects, the most recent of those being Light Up the Arboretum which won Worcester City Council’s “Talk to Me” award for the best community project 2019. The ARA is behind the wonderful Westbury Street Pocket Park beneath the viaduct, it’s recent revamp being secured by the ARA through funding from the government’s plastic bag levy on supermarkets. The ARA also instigated and has just helped successfully secure a Residents Parking Scheme which will come into operation in the near future and help alleviate some of the parking issues in and around the Arboretum. On behalf of residents, we have also been heavily involved in decisions made on the future of the Sansome Walk swimming pool site.

Our annual events include an Autumn Harvest Fete and Carols at Christmas both of which are held in the Pocket Park. All our community projects rely on the support of residents so if you hear of a project you’d like to be involved in just get in touch. Similarly, if you’d like to start your own community project, the ARA would more than likely be able to help out with volunteers and administrative support.

We are extremely excited about the prospect of working together with the CCAG. Our first project together will be the Canal Festival from the 28th to the 30th of June. We believe we can make this festival even better than the last.

The ARA will be posting on this site at regular intervals, so please log on. On this website facilities are provided to post comments and volunteer for most projects. Please take these opportunities because the Arboretum as a community is as only as strong as it’s residents. Any member of the community is welcome to our six weekly meeting, the next being on the 21st of May at 7:30 at the Baptist Church Samsone Walk, hope to see you then.

Best Regards. Bob Whitelaw (ARA Chair)