I have lived in Radford since 1963 and I’ve seen the place change a lot. The fact of the matter is that family life has gone down and anti-social behaviour has become more of a problem.
Radford qualifies for funding from the New Deals For Communities (NDC) because there is deprivation here. People here suffer disproportionately more than other areas. The families are poor and there is unemployment. These people are poor. They don’t have good jobs, if any. One of the factors of poverty is health issues and that affects their achievements in life.
If you are poor you don’t have proper food to eat. You are worried about your financial situation and this is bad to your health. If you are rich you can live in posh areas, you have a nice home, you can exercise more and have good food.
Poor people don’t have these things. It is obvious. The rich people live longer than people who live in places like St Ann’s and Radford. All the poor people live here. The conditions of the houses are not good. The money is not coming here. There is poverty and that affects their lives and their children’s lives.
Children have gone into the drug thing. I had a friend who married an Italian woman and his son became a drug addict. The mother died and his son used to get money from him. He was very upset but he still gave him the money.
COUNCILLOR MOHAMMAD ASLAM (LABOUR)
