Past Projects & Events
A big win for Disabled Parking in St Neots Market Square!
October 2025
The Issue
In September 2025, Huntingdonshire District Council started parking enforcement on the streets of St Neots. A sign had been up at the disabled parking spaces on the Market Square on street parking for a while, but nobody paid any attention to the hours and days of enforcement. Wording wasn't clear and looked like this:
A bit of background
Many found themselves getting fined for parking with a valid Blue Badge in a disabled space. An old Traffic Relief Order imposed hundreds of years ago with the market charter, hadn't been changed or noticed when the Market Square had it's refurbishment in 2024-25. The disabled parking was previously on the Market Square itself, but is now on the road around it and in the style of on street parking bays. This meant that yet again, disabled people faced discrimination and were an after thought. I started to discuss this with the town council and they got this response from Cambridgeshire County Council:
Action Taken
As you can imagine, I was fuming! It was down to the cost and sounds like an inconvenience! Once people started getting fines, I kept in contact with one person who's wife got a fine. They fought it at appeal, but lost due to the traffic order making the fine legal. I wasn't happy, so took it to as many press outlets as I could.
The links for these are on the Media section of this website.
I appeared in local and regional press, radio, as well as a TV appearance on BBC Politics East. This finally got the attention of a county councillor and within a few weeks, we heard this news:
The Outcome
I personally heard from Cllr Wyatt and have been assured the parking signs will also be amended. It shouldn't have taken all of the press and constant badgering to get our voices heard, but I am thrilled to have kept pushing this until we got the result we wanted and should have had from the very start!
Judging in the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Make a Difference Awards
19th September 2025
I had to keep a very big secret for the best part of 6 months. Last year I made it to the final 4 in the Great Neighbour category at the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Make a Difference Awards.
This year I was asked to be a judge in the category I was nominated in last year and pick the winner and present their award! I was very honoured and humbled to be asked and want to thank all of the amazing team at BBC Radio Cambridgeshire for being so lovely and welcoming. And a massive well done to all the nominees, finalists and winners. You all make the world we live in a much better place!
Re-opening of Moores Walk garden, St Neots.
13th September 2024
I was delighted to be invited to the re-opening of the Moores Walk garden. Thank you to St Neots Town Council for inviting me and for everyone involved in making it look so pretty and becoming very accessible.
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Make a Difference Awards
2024 Results
I was totally surprised on 18th July by the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire team, who came to St Neots to surprise me with the news that I'm one of 4 finalists in the Great Neighbour category.
I had no idea it was happening and had been asked by the town council to do a site visit to the Changing Places build. This was very plausible as I was due to do that anyway, so I went to Riverside car park, where it's being built. After 10 minutes of chatting with my friend there, a man with a loud speak jumped out and I thought it was a mad person at first! I knew they were announcing finalists that day, but was listening to the radio on my phone. At first I didn't join the dots. All media for this can be found on the Media page of this website.
I may not have won, but to be shortlisted into the top 4 in my category out of hundreds of people, really is amazing! The inspirational people I met, I just don't know how the judges picked 1 from each category! I finally got to meet Dotty McLeod too, who's show I'd been on twice already by then!
I still got an award to bring home, so I'm happy. Thank you to those who nominated me and for those who supported me during this exciting time!
Disability Awareness Day
20th January 2024
Those with mental, physical, sensory and emotional disabilities, and their carers and families, often find it difficult to access all the relevant information required to meet their needs.
Consequently, in a joint initiative, Access in St Neots, the Integrated Neighbourhood Project, St Neots Town Council and CCC Communities Service hosted a ‘Disability Awareness Day’.
It did the following:
● Brought together under one roof the various sources of information and support (i.e. charities, groups, services and councils).
● Promoted initiatives, projects and support that are available and are being planned by these providers.
● Tackling/addressing issues related to all disabilities, benefiting the whole community.
● Share ideas/views/information from partners and fellow residents that will enable charities, groups, services and councils better to understand the needs of the attendees and the community.
