Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2013 | Page 34

Diary of the High Sheriff
Mary Case

Mark Waldram, Anthony Bryan, Daniel Carley, Richard Carter, Alex Boirand, Colour party and
Standard Bearer, Darren Attrill, Matthew Jay, Dylan Redmond-Gray, Bryan Flawell.

I have seen many interesting and
worthwhile projects during my first
few months as the Isle of Wight High
Sheriff. This time I would like to
highlight the amazing transformation
of what was Pan Estate, Newport,
and is now a thriving area with an
unbelievable commitment to the
community.
I knew about the Way Forward
group helping those with learning
disabilities and I've had a tour around
the Independent living area which has
all the aids that help to make life easier
for older people in one place where
they can try them out prior to buying
them. But there is much more!
Pan Together is a community
association housed originally in a
converted mobile classroom behind
Downside Middle School, called
The Isobel Centre. It was supported
by Pan Neighbourhood Partnership
(PNP) whose remit is to help with the
regeneration of Pan and improve the
quality of life of the residents.
After the school closed as a result
of the school re-organisation, PNP
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On one of the hottest days of the year
I was invited to attend the Passing out
Parade for the Retained Firefighters of
the IW Fire and Rescue Service, the new
recruits demonstrated their skills with
various appliances and techniques to
tackle fires.
Their dedication and passion is
testament to their training and dedication
to help their communities whilst putting
themselves in danger.
Luckily no one, including me in my
uniform, physically passed out due to the
extreme heat
A big thank you also to their employers
who allow them to attend incidents during
work time.

moved into the school building and
attracted several organisations to base
their operations there. Now named
Downside Community and Learning
Centre (DCLC), it and Pan Together
(PT) continue to work closely.
PT is thriving. It is still based in the
Isobel Centre with another ex-mobile
classroom and provides a community
café, regular community activities,
information sessions, courses and
events. Also, weekly there are two
sessions of a youth club, bingo,
Japanese play group and Tai Chi. It
also hires part of its premises to Ability
Dogs. PT has taken over the school’s
gardening plots and with the addition
of raised beds grows ingredients for the
café.
Organisations that use the DCLC
site include:
• The Independent Living Centre,
providing a public facility for the
display of a wide variety of equipment
and adaptations to help people with a
disability.
• Independent Arts, provides activities
particularly for residents of care homes.

• The Works, a Youth Trust project
helping young people tackling alcohol
and drug addiction.
• Wight Stars, providing tuition
for young people in theatrical
performance.
• OSEL - The Way Forward, provides
activities for people with learning
difficulties. *Bournemouth Football
Club in association with the Isle of
Wight College, provides a sports
coaching course.
DCLC has a Changing Places toilet,
which enables people with severe
disabilities to get out and about.
The Recreation field contains a new
children’s play area and the Multi-use
Games Area (MUGA) which saw
the incidence of criminal damage in
the area halved within a year of its
installation. It is also used by local
football teams, including a youth team
sponsored by PT.