Meeting to discuss Surbiton YMCA

Location:

Guildhall
High Street
Kingston-upon-Thames
KT1 1EU
Sep
Tue
16th
17/09/2008 - 00:00

I have been informed by a Kingston councillor that the meeting is just a scheduled management meeting and is not intended as a forum for residents to attend. A recommendation will be put forward at this meeting that a public event is organised.

Surbiton.com webmaster

Comments

Of course they are not going to hold it at the YMCA and of course it will be at a time most inconvenient to the majority of critics and those most affected.

And you can bet your bottom dollar that when it's over, the YMCA, the Councillors, the MP and the Police will publicise what a positive meeting it was and another testament to them "working with the community."

And remember, forget about the Chief Executive of Surbiton's YMCA attending.

I cannot attend at that time. If the time is not mutually acceptable there is no point in having it. Once again I say the place and time should be a the YMCA Surbiton (evening) not Guildhall (morning). Are the organisers of the meetings planning it so there is little attendance due to work commitment. Thus they can say there is little real concern and just let it all drift away. If that is the case it will not be forgotten should there be a future incident.

I agree that the meeting should be in the evening, but am not sure it should be at the YMCA itself. I for one would not feel comfortable going into a meeting to criticise the way the place is run while the residents are outside - these are not the sort of people you want to be victimised by.

You fact that you would not feel comfortable is just the point. If things are as bad as some have said then matters must be cleared. I will state exactly where I stand. There is a problem but very small. The problem has been built out of all proportion to where incidents which might not involve YMCA residents are being blamed on them.

The custom in England is for the 'accused' to face their 'accuser'. The YMCA should be one of the focal points of the local community, not a place of fear. So far it is interesting to note that nobody want s to go to the Guildhall.

"interesting to note that nobody wants to go to the Guildhall"

The problems in SURBITON ... NOT KINGSTON!

I am with you Surbiton not Kingston. Afterall we must keep our transport carbon footprint down :)

Or the council in their plush chairs are too FRIGHTENED to go to the YMCA in SURBITON

We should point out that the 9am time is to be confirmed. Morning at Guildhall on the 17th is all we have at the moment.

Please post any details if you have them.

Surbiton.com webmaster

This should be held at the YMCA in the EVENING so the TAX PAYER can attend not just the jobless and retired

Anonymous wrote:

This should be held at the YMCA in the EVENING so the TAX PAYER can attend not just the jobless and retired

I agree. Who do they think they are? All local residents who want to should be able to attend and it should be at a time and place to ensure that it happens. All of the councillors should also attend. The local councillors and the YMCA managers will just try and fob us off like they have done for the last 5 years.

Dave

Why dont you people actualy arrange a meeting with the YMCA and get to the facts. Anything happens in Surbiton and its the cry of it must be the YMCA's fault is frankly lamentable. The fact that you feel scared going past the place is not the fault of the YMCA but the perception you project from your own mind. Do you hold on tight to your handbag or breifcase when a blackman gets into a lift. As thats wrong and is your problem.

Anyhow, Make a date withthe YMCA and a constructive way forward were things can be addressed positivly. So many come across - not this, not that, close it without even using one single fact; Indeed alot seem to use facts that have nothing to do with the YMCA. 2 people burned in Surbiton last week, I say close down that street - you see the rational going on here. For alot its there uber-expensive house going down in value. Well when I put money on a gamble and loose I dont expect it back and cray about it.

So lets see some constructive ways forward and ignore the council as frankly we can all agree they couldn;t organise a meal in McDonalds if they tried.

Anonymous wrote:

Why dont you people actualy arrange a meeting with the YMCA and get to the facts. Anything happens in Surbiton and its the cry of it must be the YMCA's fault is frankly lamentable. The fact that you feel scared going past the place is not the fault of the YMCA but the perception you project from your own mind. Do you hold on tight to your handbag or breifcase when a blackman gets into a lift. As thats wrong and is your problem.

Anyhow, Make a date withthe YMCA and a constructive way forward were things can be addressed positivly. So many come across - not this, not that, close it without even using one single fact; Indeed alot seem to use facts that have nothing to do with the YMCA. 2 people burned in Surbiton last week, I say close down that street - you see the rational going on here. For alot its there uber-expensive house going down in value. Well when I put money on a gamble and loose I dont expect it back and cray about it.

So lets see some constructive ways forward and ignore the council as frankly we can all agree they couldn;t organise a meal in McDonalds if they tried.

Hmmm. This looks like a post from one of our local Lib Dem councillors. The statement about black men is pathetic. Those of us that have lived in Surbiton for 5 to 10 years (or longer) will know that there is a constant problem in Surbiton eminating from the YMCA. Drunks and drug takers, aggressive behaviour and begging. Local people shouldn't accept this behaviour and have every reason to expect some action from the council - our coucil tax is a ridiculous amount. We know it's not just the YMCA, but that IS where MOST of the problems start.

Tony

Thanks "Anonymous" for your helpful suggestion. The problem is, many people HAVE been trying for years to get the YMCA to address their concerns and to deal with the OBVIOUS trouble directly attributal to some of their residents, all to no avail.

NO ONE has suggested, as you have intimated, that EVERY problem in Surbiton is caused by residents of the YMCA and to suggest otherwise is an unreasonable attempt to belittle the seriousness of the behaviour (criminal or otherwise) by some of these louts who make other people's lives a misery, increase costs for businesses and ultimately reduce the pleasantness of the town itself as a place to live, work and rest.

And why shouldn't the Council be involved? IT houses many of these troublemakers with the YMCA and so it also has a duty of care to ensure these tenant louts, which are in the minority, DO NOT affect the peace and enjoyment of the MAJORITY. Whether those that you seek to criticise for complaining actually own their house or not, is totally irrelevant. We are ALL entitled to live here and NOT ONE of US is entitled to do so to the exclusion of everyone else.

SurbiTOM

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