June Greensmith - Community, Civic Pride, Action

19/09/2026

GOOD MORNING… MY THOUGHT FOR THE DAY ☕️

I’m often criticised for asking too many questions of our current representatives, both at Town Council and ERYC level.

And that has got me thinking… what do people think politics and public representation are supposed to involve? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Surely asking questions is part of it?

If something hasn’t been done, a leaning road sign reported repeatedly, for example, why not ask why?

If public money is being spent, the Seaton to Hornsea path, for example, why not ask how the decision was reached and whether that money is being spent effectively?

If a system doesn’t appear to be working, having to report the same problem repeatedly, why shouldn’t we question the system?

And if residents repeatedly raise the same problem, surely somebody should be asking why that problem remains unresolved?

Think about it another way. When we have work done at home, do we simply accept whatever the builder thinks we should have? Of course not. We ask questions, discuss what is needed and expect an explanation of the costs and decisions. Public services should be accountable to the people they are there to serve too.

Questioning isn’t attacking. Scrutiny isn’t negativity. Disagreement isn’t abuse.

There is, of course, a right and a wrong way to do it. Questions should be fair, factual and respectful, and people should be given the opportunity to explain their decisions.

But the alternative, nobody asking difficult questions because it might upset someone, concerns me far more.

Without scrutiny, inefficiency can become accepted. Poor practices can become “the way we’ve always done things.” Mistakes can go uncorrected and, in the worst circumstances, wrongdoing can have room to flourish.

I don’t expect every question I ask to uncover a problem. Sometimes there will be a perfectly reasonable explanation, and that’s an answer too.

Nor do I expect everyone to agree with me. But I do believe that anyone who puts themselves forward to represent the public must be prepared to be questioned about the decisions they make and the services residents receive.

And that includes me. 🤗👍

If I am fortunate enough to become one of your representatives next May, please ask me questions.

On Wednesday mornings, weather permitting, I can be found at the Sunken Garden from 10am until 11.30am. Come along. Challenge me when you think I’ve got something wrong. Ask me what I’ve done, why I’ve done it and what I’m doing about the issues you’ve raised.

Let’s have those much-needed, and too often missing, face to face conversations. 🤗

Because accountability shouldn’t be something we demand from other people and then dislike when it is applied to ourselves.

Good representation isn’t about avoiding difficult questions. It’s about being willing to ask them, and being willing to answer them. 👍

Photo: Sunken Garden, North Promenade, Hornsea

18/09/2026

Is this the new model of Town and Parish Councils.. please read my earlier post on the subject of which who benefits from this approach to General Maintenance in our Towns and Villages…🤗👍

18/09/2026

Good morning Hornsea - today is:

MORNING REFLECTION…

Photo: A normal day in the office… 😳😩, piled high until the floors are all laid.

As I woke up this morning, my thoughts went back to yesterday’s “sign post”, but this time to the much bigger picture.

Yesterday generated quite a debate about who reported what, who eventually got something done and who should receive the credit.

But perhaps we are asking the wrong question.

The real issue isn’t who finally managed to get a sign repaired. It is why something reported repeatedly could remain unresolved for so long, and what that tells us about the system responsible for routine maintenance.

And that led me to another question…

What is that system going to look like after the 2027/28 budget, and who will be making those decisions?

Across the East Riding we are already seeing community organisations stepping in.

Here in Hornsea, HUG and other volunteer groups undertake work that might otherwise simply not get done, or certainly not as quickly as residents would like.

Elsewhere, councillors are working with community groups to tackle similar problems. Town SMART is a particularly interesting example, with Cllr Dimberline now talking about developing it into a CIC so that it can take on larger community projects.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I think strong community organisations can achieve remarkable things.

But there is an important distinction.

Community groups should add value to council services, they should not gradually become the unpaid replacement for routine services that councils can no longer afford to provide.

Because where does that eventually lead?

Do communities with active volunteers, successful CICs and particularly determined councillors receive better maintained public spaces than communities without them?

And what happens when those volunteers become older, tired or simply decide they have done enough?

These questions become even more important as ERYC begins looking towards its 2027/28 budget.

There will be difficult financial decisions ahead. Added to that is uncertainty about who will ultimately be driving those decisions at County Hall.

Whatever the political make-up, however, the fundamental questions remain the same.

Where will the savings come from?

Will they come from genuine efficiencies, organisational changes and doing things differently?

Or will we see further reductions in the routine maintenance residents notice every day, our roads, pavements, signs, verges, green spaces and public areas, with communities increasingly expected to fill the gaps?

I don’t have the answers this morning.

But yesterday’s debate about one road sign has certainly made me think about the much bigger question:

What kind of local authority service are we prepared to fund in the future, what should residents reasonably expect it to provide, and where should the responsibility of the council end and that of community volunteers begin?

As we move towards the next budget, those are questions I think are well worth asking.

It could be a rather bumpy ride. 🤷‍♀️

If you have got this far you might want to check out a few ERYC financial facts in comments?

17/09/2026

Well done, ladies… informative AND entertaining! 👏🤣

We are about to enter another round of budgeting for 2027/28.

Some of you may recall my post on last year’s budget… yes, THAT often-shared one, complete with the memorable comment from Cllr Leo Hammond! 🤣

So, will I be talking “nonsense” again this year? 🤔

I certainly hope, like Cllr Howard and Cllr Christon-Whyte, that no stone will be left unturned when it comes to looking for savings and making sure taxpayers’ money is being spent wisely.

And I agree with Cllr Howard that the weekly food-waste collection deserves proper scrutiny.

I appreciate that weekly food-waste collections are now a Government requirement and that Government funding has been provided for their introduction. But that shouldn’t prevent questions being asked about how effectively the system is working in practice.

How much additional food waste is actually being diverted from general waste? How well are residents using the service? What are the ongoing operating costs? And is the model ERYC has chosen delivering the best possible value for money?

If we’re going into another difficult budget-setting process, those seem perfectly reasonable questions to ask.

I suspect there will be plenty to talk about over the coming months! 🤗

And ladies… I’ll certainly be watching the next episode. 👍

P.S. Ladies… perhaps HRTF might be worth a look for a future episode? 🤗

The Hornsea Residents’ Transport Forum has certainly had an interesting first year, public transport, parking, coaches, walking and cycling… and we even managed to make the newspapers and BBC Look North!

There’s definitely plenty of material there. 😂👍

Welcome to the first episode of Carry On at County Hall – East Ridi...

17/09/2026

Good morning Hornsea and North Holderness. 👋

Just a reminder that Hornsea Town Council’s Full Council Meeting takes place on Monday 21 September at 7pm.

This is your monthly opportunity to attend and have your say during Public Participation.

One item on the agenda particularly caught my attention:

Item 7 – “Let’s Celebrate Towns” initiative – grant funding – information enclosed.

I understand there may be £20,000 of funding available for improvements to Hornsea, which could present a really good opportunity for the town.

I’ve emailed the Town Clerk and asked for a copy of the information referred to as “enclosed”. Although the agenda tells us the information is enclosed for councillors, it is not readily available to the public, so I’ve asked to see it. 🤷‍♀️

I’m particularly interested to see whether the funding criteria includes public consultation or community involvement in deciding how the money should be spent. I very much hope they do. 🤞

£20,000 could make a real difference somewhere in Hornsea, and before decisions are made about where it goes, I’d like to see residents given the opportunity to put forward their ideas too.

Once I receive the information, I’ll share it here. 🤗👍

16/09/2026

10.30am, beautiful morning, been here since 9.15 with the HUG seafront team, and now I’ll stay until 11.30 for anyone who wants to chat about local issues. Already spoken with 3 residents so, it’s definitely worth coming down here. I’ll continue to be here every week unless the weather prevents me.

Enjoy your day and if you get a chance have a walk along the prom.., it’s just beautiful down here.

16/09/2026

Good morning Hornsea ❤️

Today I want to share this poster from Hornsea First Aid Centre, a charity very close to my heart and one I’ve been proud to volunteer with since 2022. Where have those four years gone? They’ve absolutely flown by!

I work alongside a wonderful team of caring, dedicated people who turn out week after week, in all weathers, throughout the year.

In the four years I’ve been involved, the Centre has helped thousands of people. Many have been able to receive the help they needed right here in Hornsea rather than making an unnecessary trip to A&E, helping the individual while also reducing pressure on an already very busy NHS.

HFAC was founded by Rosie Bullard and others in 2018, and remarkably, many of those original volunteers are still giving their time today. But none of us is getting any younger! 🤗

And that’s really what this post is about, the next generation of HFAC volunteers.

We want this wonderful service to be here for Hornsea and the surrounding communities for many years to come, and that means gradually bringing new people into the team.

You don’t necessarily need medical experience. We need Meet & Greeters as well as First Aiders, and training for First Aiders is provided with the costs covered.

So, if you live in Hornsea or the surrounding area and could spare a regular 4–6 hour shift, perhaps this could be something for you.

No drama, no enormous commitment, just a few hours of your time as part of a friendly team, helping to keep a service going that has become an important part of our community. ❤️

All the contact details are on the poster. Pop into the Portacabin in Tesco car park and have a chat, you might just find yourself becoming part of the HFAC family. 🤗

Come and join us. ❤️