How can we get YOUR opinions on the things that matter to YOU?

At the Abbotswood Week of Action drop-in morning today real "members of the public" were very few on the ground. Almost everyone seemed to be representing an agency, a committee member of a residents association, a councillor, or had some other official role (apart from the young lady making the excellent tea and coffee - many thanks!)

We all did some useful networking but it reinforces a view that consultations have to be taken to places and events where people are already going.

South Glos had done some pre-publicity. They had leafleted the surrounding properties, but the leaflet was a bit of a turn-off - It was headed "Yate and Dodington" and "Abbotswood" wasn't prominent enough. There were no posters in shop windows, and the entrance was hidden away behind the vegetation so we weren't even visible  from the shops. There was no A-frame board out in front of the shops to grab the attention of the (few) passers-by. There was a press release but it majored on the World Cup activities that have been going on in the Youth Centre, so the Evening Post and the Gazette ran with that.

This can't just be a trend for our area - may you have some ideas about how we can all learn how to do this better. I appreciate that this wasn't a Town or Parish consultation, it was S Glos, but we're all in this together.

All comments welcome, both from local readers and those further afield!