One often hears the words “Civic Pride” shortly followed by “we need to improve it”, but what does it actually mean, and how can it be improved?
Well the definition of Civic Pride is quite simply “PRIDE IN YOUR CITY”. Now that is a bit presumptuous for the people of Reading at the moment as Reading is only a town in Status. However for Reading to take the next big leap in it’s expansion it will need the support of all of its residents.We are going to be putting together “The People’s Bid” which we will submit to the Town Council for them to consider using some/all of it for the City Status Competition.But before we can even begin to dissect the bidding instructions, we need to clarify why we are even in existence. After discussions with local dignitaries, it was clear that the reason Reading failed in its last 2 bids for City Status in 2000 and 2002 was because the people were not involved in the bidding process. On top of that, there was a distinct lack of “Civic Pride” and lack of confidence about whether Reading deserves City Status.So how can we improve Civic Pride. What we are trying to achieve is collate positive stories, events and achievements by the People of Reading into one area, our website. The idea is that people can then see all the good that is happening in this town, as everyone well knows, good news doesn’t make the headlines!The website is for people who are trying to make a difference in Reading, and we are committed to sharing that good news with the town. This will also give people who have never been to Reading before, or who are adjudicating the City Status bid a “one stop shop” to see all of the good things that Reading is about and this we believe will strengthen the bid.Each town that has entered its name into this competition has been meet with people who rubbish the idea and say it is not worth it, or the town itself is not worthy of such an accolade.However, this time the City Status competition is different. The Council will have no budget to spend on a big PR Campaign, so if you are a resident and worry that you council tax is not being spent on Grit for the roads but on fancy slogans and marketing campaigns fear not.Our site is independently funded and managed, and is for the people, by the people.So all that remains for us to say is, if Reading is your home, and you want it to continue to improve it for you and your children, then support the Reading City Bid, support The City of Reading, and take pride in where you live!This is your town, together we can make it your City.