How ACT began

On 16 October 2003 a public meeting was held in
St Augustine's Hall in north Norwich. It had been organised by two local residents, Sally-Ann Reynolds and Donna Williams, with the help of Norwich City Councillor Diana Lowe and the Rev'd Nicholas Vesey, Vicar of St Augustine's, in order to begin a conversation about tackling anti-social behaviour and improving community amenities in the area. We date ACT's existence from this meeting.

A few months after this meeting St Augustine's Community Together Residents' Association (also known as ACT and SACTRA) was formerly constituted in order to give people living and working in the St Augustine's area* of Norwich a public forum where they could express their concerns about issues affecting their daily lives, homes, families and businesses. Very soon after this the group began campaigning to make St Augustine's a better place to live, work and play.

Local issues & ACT campaigns

Some of the issues ACT has addressed include:

• Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour by working with Norfolk Constabulary, Safer Neighbourhood community policing teams, Community Wardens, and officers of Norwich City Council and Norfolk County Council.
• The provision of good quality social amenities, such as improved green spaces and child-play facilities, as well as supporting the setting up of a parent and toddler club, 'Cheeky Monkey' (for details click here).  ACT is a member of the Norfolk Safeguarding Children Programme.
• Improving the dilapidated appearance of some of the buildings in St Augustine's by working closely with Norwich City Council and other bodies such as the Norwich Society.
• The economic and cultural regeneration of the area as a stakeholder in the Northern City Centre Area Action Plan forum.
• Environmental problems including the provision of refuse management and recycling facilities in the area, litter, graffiti, fly-tipping and dog fouling in public areas, broken or defaced signage and broken or inadequate street and security lighting.
• Reducing traffic congestion and noise, improving air quality and making our streets safer.
• Helping people save regulary and have the opportunity of having safe, low-interest loans by supporting the setting up of a branch of Ketts Credit Union in the area (see under Finance in Local Directory).

To read news of current community issues click here.

ACT community meetings

ACT has campaigned successfully on all these issues and seen great improvements but there is still plenty to do.
If you would like to get more involved come along to our next community meeting and let us know your views, concerns, problems and ideas.

ACT holds free and open public meetings in St Augustine's Hall every couple of months or so throughout the year (usually five times a year). These are regularly attended by the area's elected City and County councillors, the City Council's Community Engagment officer for the area, local social housing officers, and Norfolk Constabulary's Safer Neighbourhood Team Police Community Support officers.

Click on News and Events for details of our next meeting.

ACT - A properly constituted body

St Augustine's Community Together Residents' Association (also known as ACT and SACTRA) is a fully constituted, voluntary, community action group managed by an annualy elected executive committee. Currently these are: Chair The Rev'd Nicholas Vesey and Secretary & Treasurer Mr Stuart McLaren. In addition, in committee-appointed roles are Mrs Debbie Norwell, our local Children's Champion, and Mr Nick Hall, our representative on the local Safer Neighbourhood Action Panel (SNAP).

Elections to the executive committee are held at the annual general meeting each January. Membership of the Association is free and open to everyone over the age of 16 who lives or works in the St Augustine's area.* Persons under the age of 16 may be admitted to junior membership at the discretion of the executive committee.

Area we cover

*For the purposes of ACT, the St Augustine's area is deemed to include the following courts, roads, streets and yards: Bakers Road, Barnes Yard, Botolph Street, Catherine Wheel Opening, Chatham Street, Damien Elton Court, Dog Yard, Ebenezer Place, Edward Street, Esdelle Street, The Gildencroft, Hindes Yard, Howard Terrace, Key and Castle Yard, The Lathes, Leonards Street, Magpie Road (south side of road from St Augustine's Gate to Edward Street), Malzy Court, New Botolph Street, Nichols Yard, Oak Street (north of the inner ring road), Pitt Street, Quakers Lane, Rose Yard, Royal Oak Yard, St Augustine's Church Alley, St Augustine's Gate, St Augustine's Street, St Martin-at-Oak Wall Lane, Stonemasons Court, Sussex Street, Talbot Square, Talbot Yard and Winecoopers Arms Yard.

To see a map showing where
St Augustine's is located click here.