What is the Love Sidmouth project all about?
The outline can be found on the Devon County Council google drive account of Cllr Denise Bickley here – and is reproduced below:
An outline of a plan to be fully established for 2026
The problem
Why is this needed?
We’ve all seen the problems around town that seem to have been getting worse for years. We know that councils are strapped for cash and the money just isn’t there to do the ‘extras’.
How do we get on top of the problem throughout the valley, without spending too much council tax money, and without the same volunteers doing everything? How do we get our town centre looking loved again, our shops looking cared for, the shared spaces as nice as they can be?
One such issue is how we deal with street weeds. Part of that problem is the issue of poisonous weedkillers which we would rather not continue to use, such as glyphosate – which kept on top of weeds efficiently but we now know the damage that was done to our invertebrates and to our soil quality. And so we need to be thinking about how to keep our pavements and cracks in our streets relatively clear with good, eco-friendly tools.
We know that some groups are already doing so much in the Sid Valley. The most prominent and one of the most valued is Sidmouth in Bloom which, as part of the national In Bloom organisations, runs the It’s Your Neighbourhood (IYN) and It’s Your School (IYS) schemes.
However, perhaps SiB is still not widely known about and perhaps not appreciated enough. Moreover, there might be members of the community who feel they would like to start their own project. And groups always need more volunteers and new entry routes into existing groups.
But we do also know that volunteering brings massive wins for the volunteers – a higher level of social inclusion, lower levels of depression and anxiety, and positive wellbeing from ‘a job well done’. Work done by the community is also known to be more valued when it is broadly ‘owned’ by the whole community.
So, a ‘solution’ to trying to make Sidmouth more attractive might lie in getting more of us in the community involved in actively looking after our own patch.
A solution: an area-centred Award?
Can we all help?
The idea is to start a new initiative, with multiple organisations and individuals involved, so that the entire town feels ‘ownership’ and ‘buy-in’. Participants could potentially win a big prize at the end of the year, attend the VGS Award Ceremony for recognition, and feel warm and fuzzy because we’ve all made a difference together!
What is the aim of the project?
We want to make Sidmouth to look less sad and tired, clear up any slightly ‘grotty’ areas – but not over neat-and-tidy. Weeds don’t belong in gutters and grass sprouting out of cracks takes on the look of neglect. Wild flowers and flowers from cultivated seeds are fine but in the right place – and it’s really up to businesses and residents and families to decide what looks right.
Similarly, a lick of paint or a new facade or a rescued bench given some TLC – all these can add some character to a place. Sidmouth and the Sid Valley are special places and we want to cherish their unique personalities. Great examples are the bicycle with a panier of flowers which greets people as they enter the north of Sidbury; or the new corners of the Ham given imaginative life thanks to the School of Art; or …
Devon County Council have begun a new ‘Parish Protocol’ system where if we have jobs that we want to do, that would normally be their remit (finger signs, cleaning or repairing signs, kerbs etc), we can liaise with them to get them sorted out far more quickly, so this links in well.
So, the aim of the Awards is to encourage us to ‘Love Sidmouth’ even more through actions small or larger, all within the ethos of being people-friendly and nature-friendly.
The idea is open to:
• Businesses
• Clubs and groups
• Individuals
• Streets/localities
Finally, the project can be found on FaceBook: Love Sidmouth 💚
And the entry form can be found here: Love Sidmouth – Entry
Have fun!
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