Community

There has been a significant reduction in adult education services through successive Government budgetary cuts. Essex Community Learning has been restructured by Essex County Council to the detriment of the community. It is essential that people have access to services to promote life learning. Income from these service is also valuable for schools, benefitting children.

South Woodham Ferrers has the benefit of a number of parkland and play areas, significantly Compass Gardens, Saltcoats Park and the Village Hall playing field and play area. It is important that the future of these facilities is preserved into the future and maintained and enhanced to benefit the community and future generations.

The swimming pool, gym and other facilities available to the community on the William De Ferrers complex are beneficial and must remain accessible with affordable fees to ensure wide inclusive access.

South Woodham Ferrers has a purpose-built library which is shared between the public and the William de Ferrers School. It supports residents in being a quiet place for them to read, study, research and use personal computers, the internet and printers. It is also a place where pre-schoolers meet together for stories nursery rhymes and songs and IT provides local school children WITH holiday reading clubs.

The Library Service across Essex has been repeatedly underfunded and libraries closed or kept open through volunteers staffing them. Recently, SOLE (Save Our Libraries Essex) ran a successful campaign to reverse planned closures and further erosion of existing services. However, this seems to be only a temporary reprieve and library closures will probably be up for review once again in the near future.