You ask – we respond

Ipswich Borough Council and its partners – Suffolk Police, Suffolk County Council and the Police & Crime Commissioner – are working together to respond to issues raised by the community in south-east Ipswich following the murder of teenager Tavis Spencer-Aitkens.

Since then the people responsible for the murder have been convicted and imprisoned and partners have continued to work with the community: the Murrayside Community Centre has been kept open and now hosts a full program of youth activities; the Borough has provided free summer holiday iCards for young people across Ipswich; the local park, St Augustine’s Rec has been redeveloped with new play & equipment and planting; local community groups have formed and been supported by partners; and a new resident consultative group has been formed called ‘Race For Change'.

The ‘Race For Change’ resident group helps to inform the actions of partners in the Racecourse area and recommends projects for funding. You can read more about it here:

Race For Change

Following community meetings held last summer, the partners have taken action to support the local community. You can read about the issues raised by the community then and the immediate measures in the newsletter published online here:

Community Newsletter 

Free sport!

During the summer holidays Ipswich Borough Council gave children the chance to apply for a FREE iCard to allow them to enjoy a range of sporting activities over the long school holiday. There was a total of 25,855 attendances who joined in over 500 sporting activities during the 6 weeks.

This pledge to ensure that youngsters in the town have more to do, was made by Borough Council Leader David Ellesmere at a community meeting in South-East Ipswich.

The iCards allowed any one between 5 and 16 attending a state school in the town to enjoy free swimming, racquet sports and everything from fitness sessions to roller-skating at the Council’s sports centres.

The activities are in addition to the Borough’s extended free Jumpers for Goalposts community sports offer in local parks.

If your child is interested in becoming an iCard member, please go to www.ipswichfit.co.uk /memberships