THERE is a real chance to bring money into the Kirkbymoorside area if everyone says what they want for the future.

A group of residents in an area stretching from Kirby Misperton in the east to past Nawton in the west met last week at the Rose and Crown in Nawton.

They had come to hear how their views could directly influence funding for their projects over the next ten years.

Jo Reilly, community link officer from Ryedale District Council, is setting up groups of people looking at the future in areas covering the whole of Ryedale. She is working to develop a group based around Helmsley and two covering Malton and the Wolds and another for the southern part of Ryedale. Pickering has already started work and drawn up its prospectus for the future.

There is money from Europe available through the Single Regeneration Budget round six. To tap into it, properly constituted groups need to consult with their areas and from that consultation draw up a prospectus of projects that would improve their area.

Jo Reilly aims to help groups to draw up their shopping lists. She wants to bring together as diverse a spread of interests and skills as possible.

District Coun Gary Hobbs, who was at the Nawton meeting, said that this was a real opportunity for people to say what they wanted. Kirkbymoorside's representative at North Yorkshire County Council, Coun Val Arnold, agreed: "This is an excellent opportunity for the people of Kirkbymoorside and surrounding areas to make their comments heard."

Everyone present was asked to jot down three things they liked about the area and three things they disliked.

Top of the list of dislikes was the lack of rural transport and the need for low-cost housing. Lack of entertainment was also noted by several people. "Stop turning the area into a retirement hot spot," demanded one person, while another commented that the community needed to pull together.

On the positive side, everyone liked the area and the fact it had small local communities which were friendly and largely crime free. Quality of life was paramount for many and not only was the area beautiful, its towns and communities all had their own unique characters. Some people said privately they were concerned about making changes for change's sake.

Nigel Richardson, a Kirkbymoorside town councillor, said one of the problems in trying to get a group together to draw up the prospectus was that the satellite villages were very insular. Geoff Edmond of Kirby Misperton reminded people that all the work put in by residents and parish councils was voluntary.

Jo Reilly agreed that bringing a group together and setting it up was hard work. Coun Richardson added: "It is exciting to have a wish list, but everyone has to pull together, the sun and the satellites." It was added that if people did not get in on the project at the ground floor they would lose out in the long run by not getting funding.

The next meeting is on March 6 to which everyone is invited. The venue is to be confirmed. For more information or ideas of projects for the future, telephone Jo Reilly at Ryedale House on (01653) 600666.

Updated: 10:27 Wednesday, February 05, 2003