Our Aims And Successes

The objectives of Southcote Residents Association are:

• To promote the interests of all residents, regardless of tenure.

• To improve the estate conditions in a way that can benefit everyone.

• To consult and negotiate with Reading Borough Council and/or other statuary or voluntary organisations / bodies, to ensure the best for our residents

• We always try to consult with people before we make any changes around the estate, and try to act in everyone's interest.

We will, if asked, enquire about the repair service schedule, and follow up any outstanding issues. This should be the tenants responsibility but we realize that not everyone is as vocal as us, so we try to be of assistance when we can. Reading {and every other local authority} has a duty to consult with its tenants and we use that to our advantage whenever possible, to make Southcote a safe and pleasant place to live. These aims are basic but we always try to help our residents whenever we can.

Southcote Estate has a large mix of age groups, from birth to 100 years, so we think it very important to represent everyone. To this aim, every year, we try to put on a summer coach trip so that the less mobile amongst us have a chance of visiting the sea. This is always well subscribed and we hope that it is appreciated. We have in the past taken 3 coach loads away for the day, so it's a very popular event.

Every year we help to organise a "May Day Event" on our "Village green" where stall holders can sell their wares, and there are fairground rides and other attractions for the younger folks. This is a very well supported event which has become a major fund raiser for many local groups including ourselves.

Every council house has had the chance of a porch light fitted to there property. We managed to secure funding for this from our council, and spent many hours ensuring that as many tenants as possible benefited. The money came from the Housing Revenue Account so only council tenants could have the work done.

We now are looking at other improvements around our area that we can fund from the same budget. This time we want to fund some environmental improvements. We have been involved at varying levels in many decisions taken by our council that affect our estate, not always popular with residents but "you can't win them all" and we will not sit back and let the authority do as they please.

If any new members wish to join us we will always make them welcome, there is no cost, just a commitment to improving our Southcote Estate.