Spotlight on Alan Griffiths

Our reporter, Bradley Maher, caught up with Alan Griffiths in order to find out what his role in the Huyton SRB entailed.

Could you tell me a little bit about your role in the SRB?

“My job title is Projects Manager with Huyton SRB. This really means I’m the Programme Manager at the project level. My role is to monitor each project to make sure they meet their objectives and to make sure changes are made where necessary.”

How long have you been based here in Huyton?

“The SRB programme began in 1996 and we moved to the building in Lansdowne Way in May 1997. I joined the SRB in 1996, but I have worked for Knowsley since December 1984 in all kinds of different jobs, all within the Department of Planning and Development .”

How many projects have you dealt with?

“On average there are around seventy ‘active’ projects at any one given time. We end and start projects at the beginning of the financial year. Some projects run on and on while others are completed in a matter of months.”

What are your plans for the future here in Huyton?

“The biggest thing coming up really is the opening of the multipurpose resource centre, which is currently under construction at Alt Park. We will be moving in there when it is completed in the autumn. There will be a doctor’s surgery, a ‘Sure Start’ office, the Community and Youth Section and the Children’s Society.

The building is funded by the SRB and Pathways ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). The SRB programme will end in March 2003 but we have some ideas for schemes which will carry on what the SRB started. We’re in a position where we have a lot to look forward to while managing current projects. I feel I will continue within this field of work.”

Do you feel the SRB has done a great deal for the area?

“Very much so. A feel-good factor is out there now that was never there before. Prior to the SRB the Council emphasis was much more on capital investments such as buildings and housing. I think that now there’s a larger focus on the community. Around two in five people within the Huyton area have been affected in some way by the SRB, which is a fantastic statistic.

One of the things I enjoy about this job is the ability to use funding to turn ideas into reality; it can be very exciting. At the end of the day we can only measure our success by the number of people we have helped. I think we have more than reached our goals so far.”

Related interviews:

• Cllr Ron Round, Chairman of SRB (issue 5)
• Patrick Leonard, Partnership Manager
  • Farewell (issue 8)