February 2018 - Ashby & Measham Community Eye

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ASHBY & MEASHAM

FEBRUARY 2018

MEASHAM LIGHTS Raise £1,300 For Local Charity

Benefiting From Council Agreements

THE JB JAZZ & BLUES BAND

FOOTLOOSE WALKING GROUP

Saturday 10th March At The Venture Jazz Club

Lively Group Of Singles In The 45 Plus Age Range

FANCY A BOAT TRIP? LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER? OR WANT TO HELP DONATE The Baldwin Trust

LEICESTERSHIRE A HERITAGE AT RISK A 1970 CPRE Film And Talk By Tony Stott

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LRWT North West Group We are a friendly local group which meets monthly for talks, visits, conservation work and social events.

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David Maltby on 01530 222934 Margaret Mabey on 01530 412410 Our work parties are on Fridays from September to April and take place at a variety of local reserves. Please ring David Maltby for further details.

March 16th Audrey Watson of British Association for Shooting and Conservation explains how to manage threats to mammal re-introductions and ways of helping declining species.

April 20th Jools Partridge Wildlife Officer Leics County Council describes how wildlife affects his work on the bridges and structures of the built environment.

May 6th Ben Devine leads a butterfly foray at Donisthorpe Woodland Park, Church Street,Donisthorpe, DE12 7PX grid ref SK 317142. Help to survey the local population of the dingy skipper. Meet 2.00pm at main car park.

May 13th Cloud Wood in spring . See, listen and smell the delights of spring in this wonderful woodland. Meet at 9-.0 am in the layby at grid ref 417214 on the Griffydam-Tonge road.

Leicestershire A Heritage At Risk A 1970 CPRE Film And Talk By Tony Stott Monday 19th March 2018 Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall at 7.30pm.

In 1970 the CPRE (Council for the Preservation of Rural England) produced a film highlighting the concerns for the countryside, loss of hedgerows, new houses, loss of village identities, new roads etc. Most of the issues raised, some 48 years ago, are almost the same today. The delightful aspect of this film is that it brings back memories of a quieter pace of life in rural Leicestershire and Charnwood Forest, but do the pubs look the same. After the film Tony Stott, acting Chair CPRE East Midlands, will look at the issues today and the impact of the current Leicestershire Strategic Growth Plan. The meeting will be preceded by a short AGM. Future Events Monday 23rd April 2018. “A Soldier’s Journey; from Headley Court to Stanford Hall” will be a talk by Luke Wigman of his own experiences of success over adversity.

Luke is an ex paratrooper and an ambassador for the Defence National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) which is due to open at Stanford Hall this April. Luke, who is a truly inspirational speaker, has been in great demand all over the UK and overseas and we are fortunate that he can come and talk to us on the eve of the opening of Stanford Hall. Woodhouse Eaves Village Hall 7.30pm.

For further information contact Dick Howard or look at our website www.focf.org.uk - Visitors welcome £3 on the door.

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Measham Lights Raise £1,300 For Local Charity The Tower of Light at Measham raised more than £1,300 this year and the money will go to the Measham United Charities which helps to provide relief of hardship in the village.

The Christmas fund raising initiative involves sponsoring a light bulb on the display at Measham Church tower. When lit, the bulb represents sponsors thoughts and the tower of light can been seen all around the village during the run up to Christmas and beyond. A big thank you to all this year’s sponsors.

Light bulbs are sponsored by individuals, companies and businesses for various reasons.

It can be remembering someone who has died, someone who has moved out of the village or emigrated and there are bulbs sponsored for people in hospital, the armed forces and those working way from home.

During the Tower of Light display there was a list of the names of sponsors and those who were being remembered in the church. A similar list was at the Measham Parish Council office in the Leisure Centre.

The Tower of Light on the tower of St Laurence Church Measham began five years ago and it has helped raise money for the local First Responders, Measham Medical Unit, Measham Welfare Junior Football Club and for several defibrillators for the village.

This year the money raised goes to Measham and United Charities which helps provide relief of hardship in the Parish of Measham. Measham United Charities was formed in 1965 from the amalgamation of 3 old charities: Hall & Abney Charity for the Poor, Dr Henry Hullock and Unknown Donor all with the object of benefit of poor. The money raised this year will help to build up capital so more people can be helped.

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The Venture Jazz Club Saturday 10th March at 8.00pm The JB Jazz & Blues Band.

A superb 5 piece band from Gloucester. They play music by Louis Jordan, Fats Waller and Louis Prima.

It should be a great night! Tickets £10 from Ashby Tourist Office or K.Ward 01530 589268.

Castle Medical Group News Flu Jabs We are hearing of some particularly nasty strains of flu around this year and we want to remind all our “65’s and over” and patients with Long Term Conditions that it’s not too late to book in for your flu jab. Ask at reception.

New Nurse Practitioners Tanya Collins joined our practice in November and is already a valued member of our ever increasing team. We are also delighted to welcome Emma McLeod to the practice this month.

Our nurse practitioners are trained specialist nurses. They have undertaken additional medical education in order to provide advanced nursing care and to prescribe medication and can provide treatment and advice for many problems.

Patient Participation Group (PPG) Annual General Meeting (AGM) All patients are invited to our PPG AGM which is taking place at 6pm on Wednesday 14th March at the health centre. The meeting is expected to last about half an hour. For further information contact ashbyhealthcentreppg@ gmail.com Text Messages You may have noticed and we are using text messages more often to let you know when you have an appointment, remind you to make an appointment when you are due for review or other events hosted at the health centre that we feel may benefit you. To help us let you know of these appointments, events, etc. please make sure that we have your up-to-date mobile number.

Facts & Figures For December • we dealt with 4345 calls (average waiting time 1 min and 57 seconds) • made 314 referrals • dealt with 26,000 prescriptions • had 157 DNA appointments

Measham Community Library Opening Hours: Tuesday 10-7pm

The Baldwin Trust - Fancy A Boat Trip?

Looking To Volunteer?

Or Want To Help Donate?

Our charity has been operating since 1983. We operate two 70foot narrow boats on the canals and river system throughout Leicestershire. The Trust is completely manned by 45 volunteers. We were awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services in 2010.

The mission of our trust is to enhance the wellbeing for people of all ages, especially those living with disabilities, mental illness or social exclusion or isolation. The boat trips provided by the Trust can provide learning and recreational opportunities to disadvantaged or isolated people and their carers which will allow them to maintain a healthy lifestyle or discover new experiences or gain skills. This in turn can improve the quality of their life opportunities.

Our two narrow boats are very old. St. Clare was built in 1988 and Dandelion (we think) in 1980. During the last 6 months, mechanical failures have resulted in the cancellation of approximately 35-day trips booked by our service users. This equates to over 400 individuals who were not able to enjoy a day in the fresh air, on the water and accordingly, they would have remained in their care homes or normal accommodation. The condition of the boats will lead to more breakdowns and the replacement of one or more boats is the only option that we have.

The age of the boats is now meaning that spare parts are not readily available thus increasing the amount of non-operational activity and expense as alternatives have to be sought.

Thursday 10-1pm Friday 10-5pm Saturday 10-1pm Amenities:

• Tea, coffee, biscuits & cold drinks.

• Use of computers • Rooms to hire at reasonable rates.

We are always looking for volunteers, so come to the library or contact us via details below.

Mondays:

Tai Chi 7pm-8.30pm Tuesdays:

Knit-n-Stitch 10.30am Yoga 7.30pm-9pm Wednesdays:

Stroke and Disability group

The beneficiaries of our work are varied but generally, they are all from within Leicestershire and Rutland or close by. We have served a variety of different organisations, mainly Care homes but also Autistic and Asperger’s organisation, “HITS” homeless teenagers, AGE UK, Women’s Institutes and a variety of centres for the physically and mentally disadvantaged including “Headway” and LCC Child Protection homes. By the end of October 2017, we will have expected to carry more than 1700 people from in and around Leicestershire and environs on 160 trips. We hope that you can see that we do “make a difference” to people’s lives.

At least 70% of our groups contain one or more wheelchair users.

1pm-3pm

Our volunteers are desperately trying to raise funds to place an order for a new boat. Our project is called “Put a foot in the water for the Baldwin Trust”. Even if we can raise the necessary funding in the next 3 months to place an order, we will not get our new boat until 2019. We have raised 50% of the required funds for the new boat and are applying for more grants and donations. We are also implementing a major refurbishment programme for the two existing boats because, if we fail to take action now, we believe that 2018 will see a continuing heavy drain on our valuable financial resources (due to repair costs), trying to keep our ageing boats operational thus, pushing the possibility of attaining our new boat further away from reality.

11.30am for 0-4yrs

Our vision is to operate 4 boats in all providing services to between 4,000-5,000 clients throughout Leicestershire and the surrounding counties. Age Concern UK (Leicester), states in their latest survey that there are over 1 million “lonely” people in the UK and that 3.7 million - people live alone! It is not hard to see that this problem will grow and our believe is that with early, low level interventions from active community projects, such as The Baldwin Trust, will lessen the impact on health and well-being of isolation and exclusion for many.

Thursdays:

Walking group meet outside at 10.30am Fridays:

Rhymetime and Tales 10.30-

Monthly Meeting

Of the Book Club-contact the library for details.

During the Easter Break we will be having the “Hunt the Chicken” again come in and win prizes.

Rooms available for hire at reasonable rates.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter www.MeashamLibrary.org.uk Contact Email: meashamcomlibrary@gmail.com

For more information and to book visit: www.baldwintrust.co.uk Email: web@baldwintrust.co.uk Call: 07923817718

Tel: 01163053709

Registered Charity Number 515488 The Baldwin Trust 7, Burns Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 4ND

Registered Charity no 1167493

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Ashby Writers’ Club Programme Chair: Mike Arblaster: Vice-chair: Mark Taylor Secretary: Diane Buxton: Treasurer: Samantha Ridgway: Asst Treasurer: Helen Bralesford: Programme secretary: David Bell: Members’ Representatives: Steve Bull: Henry Sharples:

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13th March Manuscript meeting – members’ own work 27th March Speaker: M P Wright, novelist and TV scriptwriter. Mark has been a roadie, a private investigator and a risk assessor 10th April Manuscript meeting – members’ own work PHOTO: Tenants Mary Tatler and Deborah Kendall celebrating moving into their new homes in Measham

New Home Joy For Tenants Benefiting From Council Agreement Council tenants have moved into 21 new homes that have been handed over to North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) as part of an agreement with house builders.

David Wilson Homes and Bellway provided the council with the homes as part of the developer contribution to affordable housing in the district.

Nineteen of the properties are at Bellway’s Ashtree Gardens development in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, and a further two are part of the David Wilson Homes Nursery Fields development in Measham.

This is a new method of providing affordable housing to those that need it in North West Leicestershire. Twenty-six homes in total have now been handed to the council as part of the scheme, including five properties on the new David Wilson Homes development at Hastings Park in Ashby-dela-Zouch last year.

A further 19 properties are due to handed over to the council this year as part of these agreements. This is in addition to the 24 council homes being built by NWLDC in both Coalville and Ashby.

This agreement comes as NWLDC works to increase its housing stock to meet demand. The authority’s housing waiting list currently stands at 723 households.

Mary Tatler is one of the new tenants at Clay Court, Measham. She said: “It’s a real blessing – I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d be offered the chance to live in a new build home. I had been without a place to live so to be able to move into this cosy and easy-to-keep home has made me so happy.”

Deborah Kendall has also just moved into one of the council’s new properties. She said: “It means so much to have my own space again, and to have a new start and a new life. I’ve not been a council tenant before, but it gives me some real security and means I have so much less to worry about.”

Councillor Roger Bayliss, Portfolio Holder for Housing at NWLDC, said: “It is great to hear first-hand accounts of how this agreement with developers is helping people in need of homes. Our waiting list shows that there is a high demand for council homes. By using new agreements like this, as well as building our own homes, we can increase the number of affordable homes we have to let to those in housing need.”

Stephen Rose, Sales and Marketing Director for Bellway West Midlands, said: “It’s been great to work alongside North West Leicestershire District Council to provide high-quality new homes for the local people who need them. Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a fantastic location to live in, and we really hope that all those settling into life at Ashtree Gardens are very happy in their brand new home.”

To register to be on NWLDC’s housing register, and to find more information, please visit www.nwleics.gov.uk/housing_register

24th April Speaker: Rod Duncan: talking about his new book “Queen of All Crows.”

8th May Comp: poem with a canal theme. Up to 30 lines.

22nd May Manuscript meeting – members’ own work 12th June Speaker: Chris Collett, crime novelist 26th June Manuscript meeting – members’ own work Meetings: second and fourth Tuesday of each month, unless otherwise specified 7.30pm-9.30pm at Congregational Church, Kilwardby St, Ashby LE65 2FQ. Membership: £10 per annum. Visitors are welcome at a nominal fee of £4 per speaker meeting, £3 per comp/manuscript meeting (includes coffee or tea)

Footloose Walking Group Footloose Walking Group is a lively group of singles in the 45 plus age range who enjoy regular Sunday walks, usually between 6.5 and 9 miles long, throughout the East Midlands. All our Sunday walks are followed by an optional pub lunch. In the summer, we have Thursday evening walks of around 5 miles. In addition, there are Saturday morning walks throughout the year of 4.5 and 5.5 miles on the first and second Saturday of the month. There also social events organised by individual members during the year such as, a pub skittles evening, a picnic, a coach trip to a place of interest and weekends away. We publish a monthly walk programme with email updates when required.

The group started in Ashby de la Zouch in 1996 and presently has about 50 members; membership is just £12 p.a. None members are very welcome to walk with the group on two or three occasions to see if they would like to join. For further details contact: www.footloose.org.uk

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Save Our Children’s Centres 24 Leicestershire children’s centres threatened with closure.

A campaign has started to fight the proposed closure of Children’s Centres across Leicestershire.

Leicestershire County Council have proposed closing 24 Children's Centres (formerly known as Surestart centres) and one family centre and merging the service with all other family and young people’s services, including Supporting Leicestershire Families (SLF) scheme, Early Help Information Support and Assessment (EHISA) and the Youth Offending service (YOS).

Following the launch of the council’s consultation an action group, ‘Save Our Children’s Centres Leicestershire’ has been started on Facebook to oppose the closures. The group comprises of users past and present, volunteers, health professionals and various support groups operating out of the centers.

Liz Yeates, one of the group’s founder members, who used the centres with her young daughter said: “We cannot allow these services to be cut from the lives of the most vulnerable, and we’ve got to defend the jobs of the people who have dedicated their careers to assisting our most vulnerable young children.”

In addition to the council's own services many other agencies operate out of Children' Centres, for example Health Visiting services, Breastfeeding Support, Child Health Events and many volunteer led groups such as Breastfeeding groups, Parent Carer Well-being, Sling (babywearing), Multiple-birth (twins etc.) support groups, Childminder groups, singing and music groups. The centres are also well used by the council's own GO LEARN service providing valuable education programs for parents in need.

Liz Blackshaw, a volunteer who has worked at a number of the Children's Centres and another founder member of the action group said: “The centres have transformed the lives of young children and their parents up across Leicestershire. The important role that children’s centres play in providing effective multi-agency working is widely recognised both locally and nationally. In all likelihood it is the parents of the most vulnerable children who will be the ones least likely to attend the new centres.”

Michelle Robson, mother of four and volunteer for Home Start a charity operating out of the centres said: “I’m particularly worried about the effect the closures would have on a mothers mental health. Early parenthood can be very isolating and the support and contact mums get at the centre is vitally important.

Children's Centres are worth their weight in gold and without them my own story could have been very different.”

The group has expressed their concern that vulnerable families and children in need will be forced to make extended (and in some cases prohibitively expensive) journeys to the remaining centres. In addition the group is worried that some may feel stigmatized for going to a building that will also be used for the Youth Offending Service.

County Councilor Sean Sheahan, Labour's spokesperson on Children and Families, said: "Children's Centres are a precious resource for young families whenever they need extra support. Closing Children's Centres and taking away that support risks enormous harm, not only to families today, but also to future generations."

Laurie Needham, member of the group and parish councilor in East Goscote said: “The council don’t appear to have thought the financial implications through, the council's own report, Early Help Review, says that the council may have to pay back up to £5.8 Million in previously awarded grant money. Closing the centres will shift a sizable financial burden on to the NHS, while other services will often not be able to afford the rent on alternative accommodation and many of the groups will be forced to close.”

Maria Bagnall who is an administrator of the group’s Facebook page has started a petition on 38degrees to oppose the changes https://you.38degrees. org.uk/petitions/save-leicestershires-children-s-centres

Ashby Museum News Our new exhibition features Ann Ayre Hely who was born Ann Ayre Bradshaw in the Leicestershire village of Ravenstone in 1819. Her parents kept the Plough Inn there. In August 1851 she married the village surgeon, an Irishman called Dr Hely. Three years later he was tragically killed when he accidentally drank poison thinking it was sherry.

In March 1855, the now widowed Ann volunteered to go out as a nurse to tend the sick and injured soldiers of the Crimean War. She worked first at Smyrna Hospital in Turkey and in November 1855 was transferred to Renkioi Hospital, a prefabricated wooden hospital designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. When the war ended in the summer of 1856, she returned to England and nursed Florence Nightingale for a while. She went on to work as a housekeeper in some aristocratic households and eventually came to live in Ravenstone Hospital (almshouses) in 1889.

Come and find out more about this extraordinary lady.

The Museum has received a batch of coloured slides, taken in 2001, of nearly all north-west Leicestershire’s non-conformist churches and chapels. These are being digitised and put on our photographic archive.

This is only part of an enormous collection now totalling over 3000 images, both past and present.

We are in the process of finalising our summer programme of town history walks. On Wednesday July 4th at 7 p.m. the walk will be the popular ‘Ashby, the Spa Town’. Details of other walks will be published in the next issue.

We were delighted that our Childhood Memories loan box was recently borrowed by Griffydam Primary School to support Key Stage 1 and 2 learning. If other schools wish to make use of any of our 8 loan boxes, please get in touch with the Museum on 01530560090. They cover a wide range of interests. Representatives from NWLDC have also borrowed two of our boxes in a presentation for training purposes and given us very positive feedback.

Also we were pleased to loan a small section of our Standard Soap archive, to help with a practical talk on personal hygiene, to Stuart Warburton who used it with an after-school history club partnership between Coalville History Society, All Saints School and Ebenezer Baptists.

Thanks to Robert Eaton, we have just been given further material from Stevenson and Barratt, who were important estate agents in Ashby for much of the 20th century. We will give more details of this acquisition in next month’s issue.

But she stressed that the most important thing was for all users, volunteers anyone else with an interest to complete the on-line consultation. The survey for the consultation can be found at https://tinyurl.com/y7du448l

If there are any Davenports in the town who want to investigate their

Emails pertaining to the consultation should be sent to earlyhelpreview@leics.gov.uk The consultation closes on midnight Sunday 22nd April.

speaker is Wendy Freer and she will talk about the life of Ann Ayre Hely,

family history, we have a detailed family tree going back to Joseph Davenport 1710-1773. Please contact Pat Dixon on the above number.

Friends of Ashby Museum The next talk will take place on Wednesday March 14th at 2pm. The the Crimean war nurse who lived at Ravenstone. The cost is £3. Please book your place for what surely will be a popular talk. Looking well ahead on the 9th May the second annual talk will be on Leicestershire windmills.

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Coalville Furniture Superstore, 79 - 81 Belvoir Road, Coalville LE67 3PH (former Co-op department store) Tel: 01530 833311 Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday closed. Car park at rear.

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Why not cut me out and pin up on your fridge or notice board.

Ashby & Measham Clubs & Groups

Do you run a local community club or group in Ashby & Measham? Please send us your details to: communityeye@openboxpromotions.co.uk

Ashby Big Band

David - 01530 458706 07886194993 ashbybigband@aol.com www.ashbybigband.com -------------------------------------------------

Measham Karate Club

07761131043 meashamkarateclub@gmail.com www.meashamkarateclub.co.uk -------------------------------------------------

Ashby Art Club

01530 412116 www.ashbyartclub.org We meet on Monday evenings at 7pm. Smisby Village Hall, Main Street, Smisby, Ashby, LE65 2TY -------------------------------------------------

Ashby Civic Society

Margaret Mabey 01530 412410 kenward.ashby@gmail.com We meet on the 2nd Tuesday of the Month at 7:30pm at Heritage Centre, St. Helens Church, South Street, Ashby, LE65 1AA -------------------------------------------------

Measham Bowls Club

Denise Davidson - 07742 777461 denise_davidson1@sky.com

High Street, Measham, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE12 7HR -------------------------------------------------

Ashby Bowls Club

info@ashbybowlsclub.co.uk www.ashbybowlsclub.co.uk The Green, Bath Grounds, Ashby, LE65 1BJ -------------------------------------------------

Venture Theatre

Ken Ward - 01530 589268 www.ashbyventuretheatre.org.uk The Theatre is open on Monday evenings from 8.00pm for anyone interested in joining or having a look round, everyone welcome!

North Street, Ashby, LE65 1HS For ticket sales please call Ashby Tourist Office on 01530 411767.

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Ashby U3A

Anne Donegan - 01283 760348 secretary@ashbyu3a.co.uk Congregational Church, Kilwardby Street, Ashby, LE65 2FQ -------------------------------------------------

Ashby African Drummers

Kaye Gillanders - 0777 2281699 ashbydrummers@googlemail.com Check us out on Facebook.

We are a community based group and meet once a fortnight on a Wednesday from 7.30pm 9.30pm, at Moira Furnace, Furnace

Lane, Moira, Derbyshire, DE12 6AT. The first taster session is free and then usually £3.00 per session thereafter. We sometimes have guest teachers visit, so best to contact us prior to coming to secure a drum and check suitability. We welcome people of all ages and abilities although children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Ashby Croquet Club

Frank Bedford - 01530 467183 For retired professional and businessmen meets monthly in Ashby. We enjoy a pub lunch, speakers, a programme of outings and functions and each others company. The club welcomes new members.

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Ashby Writers’ Club

The Ashby Probus Club

Ashby & District Stroke Support Group

Pat - 01530 413723 A friendly group for stroke survivors and their carers. We meet alternate Tuesdays at Brown Court Ashby from 2pm-4pm. Meetings involve speakers, meal sout,and general chat.

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Ashby Meditation

Irene - 01530414290 www.tarakmc.org Its not too late to try our weekly classes on Thursdays 1st ,8th ,15th & 22nd March at 7.30 in Legion House, South Street, Ashby.

No need to book. Seating on chairs £6 per class.

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The Trinity Badminton Club

Secretary - 07801 700 664 The club is a small friendly club of average ability (non league) meeting Monday evenings at Holy Trinity Church Hall, off Kilwardby Street, Ashby from 7.30pm – 9.00pm. We play from Jan to May then Sept to Dec. New members always welcome.

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Ashby Chess Club

N Roberts - 01530 455957 Chess club open to adults and juniors. Juniors start at 6.15pm and Adults start at 7.15pm. Meets every Thursday at Ivanhoe Social Club, Wilfrid Place, off Bath Street, Ashby de la Zouch, LE65 2GW. ------------------------------------------------

Rupert - 01530 272833 www.ashbycroquetclub.org.uk The New Season starts on Sunday 26th March on our 3 lawns situated at Moira Miners Welfare DE12 6BP (opposite Conkers Waterside). We play on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Please phone or visit the website if you want more details.

New players always welcome.

-----------------------------------------------David Bell - 01530 413371 Ashby Writers’ Club meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 7.30pm-9.30pm at Congregational Church, Kilwardby St, Ashby LE65 2FQ. Membership: £10 per annum.

Visitors are welcome at a nominal fee of £4 per speaker meeting, £3 per comp/manuscript meeting (includes coffee or tea).

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National Forest Taekwon-do 07795 276302

www.nationalforesttaekwondo.co.uk

Clubs in Netherseal and Measham ------------------------------------------------

Ashby Allotments Association

www.ashbyallotments.org.uk Visit our website for more details.

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Measham Welfare Football Club

Paul - 0758 404 5318

enquires@meashamwelfarefc.com www.meashamwelfarefc.com

Or follow us on Facebook We are a FA Charter Club located at Measham Leisure Centre. Our aim is to offer boys and Girls of all ages and abilities, Long-term Football player development, in a safe and secure learning environment, with fun being at the forefront to everything we do. The club also runs to adult teams that play in the Leicestershire league.

Our open training sessions are: Girls Only Tuesday 5pm to 7pm Mixed Tuesday 6pm to 7pm (9 to 12 years). Mixed Friday 5pm to 6pm (5 to 8 years).

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Ashby Bridge club

Ann - 01530 458110 www.bridgewebs.com/ashby Held at Hood Park Leisure centre every week Monday and Thursday

evenings, Wednesday afternoons (all duplicate), Friday mornings social bridge. Aimed at all levels of bridge player. Friendly and welcoming.

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Measham Townswomen’s Guild

Noreen - 01530 271646 The Guild usually meet every second Monday in the month at Age Concern, High Street, Measham. The next Guild meeting will be held at 2:00pm on Monday 12th February 2018 and guests are welcome to come along to join in the friendship and fun.

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Age UK Measham

Hall in High St open 10am-12pm Monday-Friday. Drop in for tea, coffee,toast or just come for a chat.

Come with a friend or on your own and meet others. Very friendly.

Monthly lunch also available. We would love to see you ------------------------------------------------

Ashby Tennis Club

Chris Hawkins - 07801-312389 www.acltc.co.uk Ashby Tennis Club in South Street, Ashby, LE65 1BQ. Our members play all year round. Turn up and play, groups and coaching for all ages and abilities. New members always welcome.

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Table Tennis

Sue- 01530-587919 Local club invites new members, 50 years plus, for Monday session 2.00pm till 4.00pm at Swannington Village Hall commencing May. Cost £2.00 per session.

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Ashby & Coalville Lions Club

Lynda - 07735 407 637 We are group of men and women who meet at the Royal Hotel, Ashby on the 2nd Monday of the month at 7.30pm. There is also a social meeting towards the end of every month, when we meet together as friends. We raise funds through various events, and support a variety of charitable causes. Our biggest annual event takes place on a Monday morning in September, when we invite about 600 children from Special Schools to the Ashby Statutes Fair. If you are interested in helping your community, why not get in touch or come along to find out what we get up to?

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Locally Cloudy2Clear service the Ashby & Measham areas and manager Martyn Kemp agrees that this approach is a major factor in his success. ‘The truth is that it’s not just the personal satisfaction that I

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Growing Tasty Herbs

Chive

New shoots emerging, snowdrops and daffodils brightening the borders and the birds tweeting in the trees– Spring must be here at last Hooray! With the longer days and lighter nights I’m eager to step into my garden as often as I can. My seed packets are at the ready and my secateurs sharpened! One of the first task is to assess my herb patch to see what needs trimming back or renewing and deciding what to add for this season.

I love to cook & popping out and pick something to flavour a casserole, curry or sauce is a real treat. I tend to use the hardy evergreen herbs like Rosemary & Sage in the winter months & the softer perennial & tender herbs like Basil, Mint and Coriander in the spring & summer.

Mint

Sage

Many of the culinary herbs we use come from warmer climes so they need some loving care if they are going to survive and thrive in our cooler and wetter environment.

Most like a sunny spot with free draining soil. I added some horticultural grit to my clay-loam soil when I first prepared the patch to help rain water drain through and avoid root rot. Growing in terracotta pots can also be very

Bel Grierson

Garden Designer & Plantswoman

successful as they naturally drain well and can be filled with suitable free draining compost too.

Shrubby Herbs - e.g. Bay, Rosemary, Sage & Thyme. These I grow in containers so I can control their growth and give them really free draining soil. I tend to grow a Rosemary & Sage plant for about 3-4 years until it gets really woody then I start again with a fresh plant. These bushy herbs are perfect for slow cooked dishes like stews and roasted vegetables.

Hardy Perennial Herbs - Chives, Mint, Tarragon & Oregano for example will happily reappear each spring and provide handfuls of tasty soft leaves through until autumn. These are the herbs I use to flavour a dish towards the end of cooking to give a fresh zingy lift to the dish. They grow happily in my heavy soil, with a trim back & a handful of fertiliser in spring.

Every few years a lift and split them during spring, dividing them with a spade & replanting the fresh vigorous pieces.

Hardy Annual Herbs - Coriander, Rocket & Parsley are sown from seed in pots during the spring (or bought ready grown) & can then be planted in the herb bed belgriersondesign info@belgrierson.co.uk

alongside the perennials as long as they have a drink occasionally in the hottest summer months.

Although Parsley is actually a perennial I tend to start with new plants each year as they are prone to going to seed in their second year. With their tender leaves these annual herbs are best raw or added just before serving to preserve their flavour.

Tender Herbs Basil is wonderful with its hit of aniseed and is delicious with pasta or salad. I grow this from seed alongside my tomatoes in the green house so that it benefits from the heat of the greenhouse.

Lemon verbena is a slightly tender shrubby herb which smells amazing. The intense lemony fragrance is wonderful in a summer punch with strawberries.

I grow it in a terracotta pot on the patio and then move the pot in to the greenhouse for the winter.

So as soon as the rain stops & I can venture into my garden, the herb patch will be my first port of call. Next month I’ll be looking at Alpine plants and how to use them for a spring splash of colour.

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Steady Steps To Keep Over 65s Fit And On Their Feet A new rejuvenating exercise programme aimed to help over 65s develop strength and balance, and ultimately prevent falls, is being launched in North West Leicestershire.

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North West Leicestershire District Council (NWLDC) is working in partnership with West Leicestershire Clinical Commissioning Group, Leicester County Council and Leicester-Shire and Rutland Sport to establish the free Steady Steps programme over the next six months.

The scheme is designed to help anyone aged over 65 that has either previously fallen or might be worried about falling in the future.

The sessions are relaxed, fun and social, and fit in with NWLDC’s Independence Project. This is designed to help those at an increased risk of falls or who find themselves isolated.

The weekly programme takes place at the following locations and times: Measham Leisure Centre – Mondays, 1.30pm-3pm Castle Donington Methodist Church - Fridays, 10.30pm-noon Ibstock Palace – Wednesdays, 1.30pm-3pm Hugglescote doctors’ surgery - Fridays, 1pm-2.30pm There is no requirement to attend every session, and over 65s can come along at any time during the 24 weeks.

Kath is a North West Leicestershire resident that has benefitted from a similar programme in the past. She said: “I used to use a stick to get around, but following the exercise I no longer use the stick. Getting around day-to-day is much easier and I also enjoy the social interaction I get from attending the exercise. Being in a sheltered accommodation always made me feel isolated, but my social life is as active as ever.”

Councillor Alison Smith MBE, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for NWLDC, said: “We do have an aging population and there are pressures on our health services, so it’s important we adapt and put things in place to support our over 65s. This programme has a huge number of benefits, and as well as improving fitness, strength and balance it goes a long way towards tackling isolation and loneliness. The sessions are fun and relaxed so if you’re interested, or know a family member that would benefit, don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

Booking is essential by calling Christopher Mawbey on 01530 454785 or emailing christopher.mawbey@nwleicestershire.gov.uk

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14

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Member Of Parliament

County Councillor

M: 01530 417736 E: andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk

M: 07429055402 E: Sean.Sheahan@leics.gov.uk

Andrew Bridgen

The pressures on the National

significant notice of deferral,

news in recent weeks. Winter is

with only a few hours' notice, as

Health Service have been in the always a difficult time of year for

health services across the world, and I know that this year is no exception.

The winter preparations did begin earlier than ever before with the

Chancellor pledging £100 million investment in the spring budget to support A&E departments

throughout the country and a

further £337 million to support the NHS throughout the winter

rather than cancelling operations happened in previous years.

I will continue to feedback the concerns and experiences of

my constituents to the Health Ministerial team but it is also

important to take account of the

fact that the Commonwealth Fund in 2017 looked at health services around the world and found the

NHS to be the safest and the best in the world.

was pledged in December. Over

I was pleased to see the

local hospitals. This money has,

now have a Minister for loneliness.

£6 million of this went to our

amongst other achievements, helped the NHS open more

acute hospital beds since the

end of November, and install GP

streaming services in 91 per cent of A&E departments.

However whist this may help in

the short term, there are still many

long term issues to deal with in the NHS, and simply throwing more

money at them is not the answer. I

have spoken to many constituents

who work in the NHS and it is clear there are still issues in regards

to the discharge of patients and

transfer into social care. Short-term

measures have been introduced to support councils to manage adult

social care, which will deliver more than £7 billion extra spending

power to the system over the next

Government announce we will I believe that we all have a

responsibility at an individual,

family, and community level to

identify people with care needs such as loneliness, and provide

support to improve their health and wellbeing. It is estimated

that more than 9 million people in this Country feel always or

often feel lonely and since 2012, local authorities have been

expected to identify areas where older people suffer most acutely from loneliness to allow them to tackle the growing problem of social isolation and its harmful

effects. It is something we can all do something about and I look

forward to further Government plans and announcements to tackle this issue.

three years, whilst the Government

As I write this, the House of

into the development of a

details of the EU Withdrawal

will begin a public consultation

sustainable social care model for the long term.

It is incredibly unfortunate to see NHS England postpone non-urgent operations this

January. I understand that this

emergency action was taken by the NHS National Emergency Pressures Panel, following

sustained pressure on the NHS over Christmas. No urgent, or

cancer-related operations have

been deferred, and I believe the panel was right to give patients

Commons has voted on the final Bill which is the legislation to

enable a smooth exit from the

European Union. Despite saying they will respect the result and committing in their manifesto to support leaving the single

market and customs union, the Labour Party voted against the

Bill. The main principle of the Bill is to ensure there are no gaps in our laws once we leave and yet

again we have another example

of the Labour Party game playing and putting politics ahead of the national interest.

Sean Sheahan

Controlling Housing Growth In Measham The recent publication of the Local Plan by the District Council should make it easier to keep the amount of new houses in Measham within acceptable limits. The major site for new housing in Measham is off Burton Road, which has planning permission for 450 houses.

However, as I wrote last month, the development won’t go ahead as planned unless the Government can be persuaded to change its mind on the route of HS2.

In the Local Plan, a reserve site for 300 houses has been identified between Leicester Road and Ashby Road, which should only go ahead if the Burton Road site cannot be developed. I was concerned that the planners might have already written off the Burton Road site and plans for the Leicester Road / Ashby Road site would be rushed forward for approval.

If the Burton Road developers then managed to win their battle to get HS2 moved, a scenario could arise where both sites were developable, and Measham would get 750 new houses: far too many.

When the Local Plan was written, this set of circumstances could not have been anticipated.

I raised my concerns at a recent Planning Forum meeting and I was assured by senior planning officers that the wording of the Local Plan was robust enough to prevent this happening. Most importantly, the planners said they recognized the possibility that the Burton Road site could still be developed.

This strongly suggests that if an application for Leicester Road / Ashby Road came forward at this time, it would be recommended for refusal.

County Council Budget With cuts to Government grant and spiraling cost pressures, the County Council will be facing another tough budget in 2018/19. There will be political difficulties for the controlling Tory Administration, who will have to explain why services are being cut despite Council Tax being put up by 5.99%.

Part of the problem is selfinflicted. The County Council tried to keep Council Tax down for a few years, but in doing so, they froze the council base budget, making it harder to balance the books with each passing year.

But the bigger problem is the withdrawal of financial support from the Government, which is part of a never-ending austerity drive to balance public finances.

Yet long-term austerity is counter-productive. Reductions in social care services result in more people needing expensive medical care. Pay freezes reduce consumer spending and lack of investment in infrastructure dampens economic growth.

Elsewhere in the country, austerity is threatening to tip councils over the edge. Nearby Northamptonshire County Council’s situation is so bad, that it has been served with a legal notice by the Government not to embark on any new spending. At a recent meeting of Leicestershire’s Corporate Governance Committee, I found out that Leicestershire has £10 million of its reserves deposited with Northamptonshire. The council officers at the meeting were quick to assure me that Northamptonshire couldn’t actually go bankrupt, but these are such uncertain times, who knows what might happen.

Closer to home, North West Leicestershire District Council has published a Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) which identifies some potentially difficult times ahead over the next five years, due to reductions in Government grant and expected changes to business rates and new homes bonus.

The MTFS also reveals the cumulative effect of seven years of Council Tax freezes: the base budget has lost out by £3.16 million. Yet despite the potential difficulties ahead, the Tories who run the District Council are set on maintaining the Council Tax freeze for the period of the MTFS. I can understand a Council Tax freeze being used as a short term measure, but after seven consecutive years it has acquired the status of a flagship policy. To then enshrine it in a five-year plan when other sources of income are falling away is just not sustainable.

I think the District Council might soon find itself in the same boat as the County Council: year after year of Council Tax freezes, followed by a period where Council Tax goes up and services are cut in a desperate attempt to balance the books and avoid the embarrassing brush with insolvency which Northamptonshire is going through.

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15

Volunteer Drivers Needed

We need local volunteer car drivers to help people attend our Support Groups and Hope House in North West Leicestershire Can you spare a couple of hours once a week, fortnight or month?

We will arrange the journeys and offer expenses For more information please call 07935 800 658 or email info@hospicehope.org.uk info@hospicehope.org.uk www.hospicehope.org.uk Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation No.1169561