South East Swindon Link March 2021

No 53 March 2021 GPS-tracked, door to door delivery to over 50,000 homes across Swindon with Est. overall readership of 125,000

Swindon

LINK Your Community Magazine

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South & East Edition

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FEATURES Check out our new features section page 23

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A day in the life on the coronavirus frontline p8

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Swindon needs The Oasis

By Group Editor Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

Late last year we all heard the terrible news that GLL had taken the decision not to reopen The Oasis Leisure Centre after lockdown.

Like a lot of things at the moment, it was the financial problems caused by the pandemic that put the final nail in the coffin.

We talk a lot in these pages about the importance of community and if there's one building that represents the modern community of Swindon it is The Oasis.

Every one of us has spent time there. We've gone to gigs there. We've worked out there. We've played squash there. But the thing we've done most of all at The Oasis is enjoy the amazing swimming pool with its slides, wave machine and toddlers area.

It is a place where the community has been coming together for decades to experience joy with our loved ones and our children.

And that is why we all need to do everything we can to make sure that this facility reopens as we definitely need a bit of joy when this lockdown is finally over.

This is why we are backing the Save Oasis Swindon campaign and you can find out all the details on page 6.

Group Editor and Owner: Jamie Hill Deputy Editor: Barrie Hudson

Restoration and transformation is ambitious parish council plan for Bowl and Queens Park Hothouse South Swindon Parish Council has unveiled plans to transform two of the town's most iconic locations.

It aims to renovate the Town Gardens Bowl and turn it into a successful 21st century entertainment venue, and restore the hothouse in Queens Park.

The Bowl, built in the 1930s in the Art Deco style popular during the era, is thought to be unlike any other surviving venue of its kind in the country.

A similar one survived in a Liverpool park until fairly recently but was demolished.

The hothouse at Queens Park was built in the 1960s and was in use until the 'Great Storm' of 1987 tore off its roof, leaving only the supporting pillars.

Cllr Neil Hopkins, who chairs the parish council's leisure and amenities committee, said: "The Parish Council took on the running of both Town Gardens and Queens Park in 2019 and we have been keen to make improvements to both parks.

"Our plans for both the Bowl and Hothouse would represent our biggest improvements yet and could be huge heritage regeneration projects for Swindon.

"Both iconic structures are in a poor state, requiring immediate repair to maintain their structural integrity. Both structures are integral to the story behind their respective parks with some listed status.

"We have engaged with an ADVERTISING Call 01793 644540 or email: advertising@swindonlink.com Closing date for April adverts and editorial: 12 March April edition published: 26 March

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Parish councillors Neil Hopkins and Jane Milner-Barry at the Bowl

events consultant who has said that with the right investment and marketing they represent a future revenue opportunity if refurbished correctly.

"Our next stage is to consult residents on our plans to see if they support them.

"Should these regeneration projects be supported we will then seek the proper permissions to do this work and we hope that we can deliver Phase 1 of both projects at the end of this year or beginning of next year.”

The plan for the Bowl includes extensive renovation of the historic building, the removal of garages at the back and the solving of drainage issues which currently cause problems for audiences in wet weather.

A key aspect of the plan is the creation of special facilities for spectators, referred to in the proposals as pods, which would make the Bowl far more

appealing to visitors.

There would also be improved facilities and access for performers, as the current ones are limited.

The plans for the Queens Park Hothouse include initially providing a covering of 'sails' above, alllowing the area below to be used as a cafe and gathering place. Later concepts in the plans include a clear lightweight roof harking back to the original hothouse.

Following the storm of 1987, the old Thamesdown Borough Council decided against a repair, leaving the concrete and brick columns and steel ring beams in situ as a feature and reminder of its former use, which also proved cheaper than full demolition.

Unfortunately, the remaining ring beams were not properly weather protected and in the intervening years they have deteriorated.

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Gruelling climb to support vulnerable young people in Swindon A team from Swindon will climb Europe's tallest peak for an organisation helping vulnerable young people in the town.

Don Bryden is the founder of BEST, which provides the young people it helps with mentoring through sports and other activities.

In August he will be joined

by BEST Operations Manager Craig Hiscock, boxing coach Paul Rogers and Don's son, Chris, on a gruelling guided ascent of Mont Blanc in the Alps.

The aim is to inspire young people, raise awareness of BEST and drum up support for the organisation from businesses and individuals.

Don is at pains to stress that he is funding the expedition personally, although the team would welcome extra outdoor gear and training.

He said: "The reason for doing it, quite simply, is that

From left: Paul Rogers, Don Bryden, Chris Bryden, Craig Hiscock

I want to stand on top of a mountain and shout out for the kids of Swindon.

"That is my first thought. I want to stand there and say, 'A 51-year-old man has climbed a mountain. You kids can climb anything. Anything can be achieved if you want to.'

Popular benches repaired

Parish councillors John Firmin, left, and Md Abdul Hamid at the refurbished County Ground Bench

Three popular Swindon benches have been replaced and refurbished by South Swindon Parish Council as part of their ongoing winter maintenance programme.

Two wooden benches at the Lawns, near to the steps and concrete pillars, were vandalised to the point of being no longer usable. These have been replaced with new wooden benches constructed by the parish council's in-house maintenance officers.

A metal bench near to the 4

County Ground Football Stadium, which was badly bent out of shape, has been completely refurbished, with parish maintenance officers straightening, welding and repainting the bench in Swindon Town FC red.

Leisure and Amenities Committee chair Cllr Neil Hopkins said: "The benches look really fantastic and I love the new metal bench painted in the football club’s colours.

"They will now be available to enjoy for years to come!”

"What we're hoping to do is encourage local businesses to support BEST financially.

I'm paying for this. This is not about asking businesses to pay for a jolly. I'm paying for it out of my pocket.

"But what we're asking for is businesses things like helping us

out with clothing, sports gear and training.

"It would be fantastic to have a set trainer to come and beat us up three times a week!

"We're happy to stand there on the top of the highest mountain and wave that company's flag or logo or whatever they've got."

"What we want to show everyone is that us oldies and a young bloke can do it, but the only way we can do it is by a team effort. You don't leave a man down."

The team expect to spend a total of eight days on the mountain.

BEST welcomes inquiries about its work and how people and organisations can help.

Don can be contacted on 07816 238194 and don. bryden@bestrust.co.uk, and Craig on 07487 727695.

The BEST website is www. bestrust.co.uk

Planting starts as refurbishment of pocket garden gathers pace Planting at the Swindon Road Pocket Garden has been started by South Swindon Parish Council.

The parish council’s gardeners at the Town Gardens have completed the planting and the plan is to make this area a sensory garden.

Last year the parish council started work to the pocket garden, initially clearing the area of rubbish and improving the brickwork which had fallen into disrepair.

This was followed by a refurbishing of the benches in the Pocket Garden.

The Pocket Garden originally opened in 1991.

A house once stood on most of the site but was demolished at some time between 1957 and 1967.

In the period between 1957/67 and 1991 the site was left abandoned until the garden idea was taken up.

Since being created by

Thamesdown Borough Council (the forerunner of Swindon Council) in 1991, the garden had become forgotten until now.

Parish Council In Bloom Working Party member Cllr Dave Griffiths, said: “The parish council is really proud of the work we have done to this area.

"It is a unique garden, being in the middle of a housing estate, and provides residents to have a chance to sit in a peaceful place in a built-up area."

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Swindon Link supports Save Oasis Swindon

By Group Editor Jamie Hill jamie@positive-media.co.uk

For me, and for thousands of others, The Oasis Leisure Centre evokes strong memories.

As a child there was nothing like that excitement as the wave machine came on or the adrenaline rush of going down the Great White chute for the 15th time in a row. By the time your colour banded time had finished you would be rushing to get dressed to go on the arcades whilst your parents had a coffee in the cafe.

Or watching live events there as a young man. Then as a father taking my children there and watching their faces light up with excitement as the iconic dome came into view.

For others the fitness aspects remained at the centre of their lives, the squash courts, the gym, and the main fitness hall.

So to hear that GLL had made the decision to not reopen it after lockdown was like a punch in the gut. This is why Swindon Link is throwing its weight behind the campaign to save The Oasis.

How can Swindon exist without The Oasis being at the centre of our lives? It is part of our cultural make-up and for a long time people would come from far and wide to visit the family entertainment venue. And even though GLL had in recent years made moves to get it away from being a family entertainment venue, getting rid of the ever popular arcade machines for one, the swimming pool remained as glorious as it had ever been.

And so, along comes a man who has used The Oasis for years - Neil Robinson.

32-year-old Neil, of Rodbourne, has used The Oasis for all of his life and when he heard of GLL's decision he decided to do something about it and created campaign group Save Oasis Swindon. And the father of one has been amazed 6 swindonlink.com n March 2021 SE March Master pages.indd 6

by the response.

He said: "This campaign has definitely captured the heart of the town and is definitely making waves. It just shows what this iconic building means to so many people and how empty Swindon would feel without it. One of the things I'm most proud of is that we've been able to get celebrity support from the likes of football legend and former Swindon player Chris Kamara, Mr Motivator and Olympic swimmers Rebecca Adlington, Sharon Davies, Stephanie Millward, and Jazz Carlin."

According to Swindon Borough Council, who have also expressed their support to save The Oasis, at the moment their hands are tied as far as the facility is concerned as the building still remains in the hands of the leaseholder GLL, and it is hoped it will soon be back in the hands of SevenCapital, the owners, who will then be able to work with the council to come up with a plan for its sustainable future.

Council leader David Renard said: "There is no question that we won’t fight to save this irreplaceable part of our community. The Oasis is more than 40 years old and, despite SevenCapital having spent millions of pounds over the last few years to keep it going, it still requires many more millions to bring it up to modern standards and provide a leisure offer that is sustainable in the long-term.

To put money into The Oasis to get it reopened as quickly as possible would be like pouring it down one of the swimming pool drains. We need a long-term plan.

"I would like to assure you that we are working hard behind the scenes with SevenCapital to come up with a solution which will safeguard the future of the Oasis for the next 40 years.

"At present GLL still has the lease and is responsible for

Neil Robinson

the operation and maintenance of the Oasis and I know that discussions are taking place to enable the lease to be surrendered back to SevenCapital in the very near future. When GLL surrender its lease, SevenCapital will be responsible for the Oasis."

One aspect that Mr Robinson is particularly worried about is the fact that with the building standing empty for three months, there are things that need doing right now to keep it from going into too much disrepair.

He said: "There are things that need urgent attention like the ventilation and heating systems.

They need to be switched back on, as condensation is already forming on the windows of the building. There are also roof leaks, and visible puddles inside.

I've walked around the site and it is a disgrace that it is being neglected.

"We can't let this happen and we have to keep applying

Legendary former Swindon footballer Chris Kamara made a special video message in support of the campaign speaking about how much The Oasis meant to him

pressure through the campaign to make sure that it doesn't."

According to the council, GLL has assured them that the building is being kept secure and as soon as SevenCapital have control of the building back the maintenance will be taken care of.

Neil added: "Losing The Oasis is a disaster for Swindon and we should all be doing everything we can to make sure it is saved."

For more information about Save Oasis Swindon visit www. facebook.com/saveoasisswindon

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Swindon firm's charitable arm marks 40 years and more than £20m in donations to many good causes

By Deputy Editor Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

The Openwork Foundation is celebrating 40 years of making a difference.

During that time the charitable arm of Swindonbased financial advice specialists Openwork has donated £20.8m and helped more than 476,000 vulnerable people.

Originally created in 1981 as part of Zurich Community Trust, The Openwork Foundation achieved independent charitable status in 2019, and organises the fundraising and community projects undertaken by the staff and advisers at Openwork, one of the UK’s largest and longest established financial advice and investment networks.

The money raised – which includes funds matched by the business to create a 50

percent uplift in donations – has enabled the foundation to make more than 1,500 grants to charities across the UK and overseas, supporting vulnerable children and young adults.

Sam Tesch, Openwork Foundation Manager, is full of praise for all those who have

helped with the efforts down the decades.

She said: “Every year we are blown away by the support the Openwork advisers and staff give to the foundation and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved in the past 40 years.

"Last year was particularly

challenging for everyone, and we definitely felt it as a charity.

"The generosity from the advisers and staff at Openwork has allowed us to continue to make a difference to the most vulnerable in our communities.

“While many events this year are still unable to go ahead as planned, we have a great calendar of virtual and individual activities for people to get involved with.

"I’d like to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone for their continued support and kindness.”

Regular monthly donations from Openwork Partners, advisers and staff are a major source of income each year and accounted for 70 percent of income last year as the covid-19 pandemic hit fundraising plans.

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Coronavirus news

A day in the life on the covid frontline Staff at the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are still working tirelessly to support patients with covid-19 in Swindon.

Dr Mark Juniper, a respiratory consultant at the hospital, has been working on the frontline throughout the pandemic and shares his thoughts during a typical shift: “It’s Saturday morning, I’ve just received a hand over covering the intensive care unit on a 13-hour shift. It feels like only a few moments ago that I was here before.

“Today I’m going to be working on the covid area of the ICU. We’ve had a couple of admissions in the last 24 hours.

"Once they come in it sometimes takes a few weeks for them to get better, so it’s very easy for ICU to fill up.

“We’ve got 13 patients in today and we’re running two units. The main unit is just like it would normally be at this time of year, yet we’ve got an extra area, an extra intensive Care Unit (ICU) and we’re stretching our staff.

"They all look tired, I feel tired, and it’s just hard work.

“I’ve just come out of the blue covid area on the respiratory ward, and I have seen a man about my age who we’re about to admit to intensive care because he quite likely needs to go on a ventilator.

“We’ve just moved another patient after putting him on a

ventilator and the hardest thing was hearing the patient on the phone to their family, and all the emotion locked up in that.

“The striking thing to me is the effect of covid on patients, on families and on the staff. In the intensive care unit, the patients that are conscious are scared.

"Some of the staff are finding it difficult to find the

energy but they still do the job professionally, brilliantly.”

Staff like Dr Juniper need everyone to continue to play their part in stopping the spread of coronavirus in Swindon.

Visit gov.uk/coronavirus for the latest guidance.

Let’s do it for our GWH.

Swindon's Director of Public Health answers vaccine questions The coronavirus (covid-19) vaccine is safe and effective and provides the best protection against coronavirus.

However misinformation around the vaccine is common, which in some cases is stopping some members of our community from choosing to get the vaccine.

Steve Maddern, Swindon Borough Council’s Director of Public Health, answers some commonly asked questions around the covid-19 vaccine below: How safe is the covid-19 vaccine?

The vaccines approved for use in the UK have met strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness set out by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products 8

Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Any coronavirus vaccine that is approved must go through all the clinical trials and safety checks all other licensed medicines go through. Other vaccines being developed will only be available on the NHS once they have been thoroughly tested to make sure they are safe and effective.

How effective is the vaccine?

The covid-19 vaccination will reduce the chance of you suffering from covid-19. The first dose of the vaccine will give you some protection but you need to have the two doses of the vaccine to give you longer lasting benefit.

Do the vaccines contain any animal products?

The approved covid-19 vaccines do not contain any animal products or egg.

I’ve already had my vaccine, do I still need to wear a mask or maintain social distancing?

There is a chance you might still get or spread coronavirus even if you have the vaccine.

This means it is important to continue to follow social distancing guidance, keep your hands clean and wear something that covers your nose and mouth in places where it's hard to stay away from other people unless medically exempt.

Are there any side effects to the vaccine that we should know about?

So far, millions of people have been given a covid-19 vaccine and reports of serious side effects, such as allergic reactions, have been very rare.

No long-term complications have been reported. Most side

effects of the covid-19 vaccine are mild and should not last longer than a week, such as a sore arm where the needle went in, feeling tired or a headache.

Can the vaccine give me covid-19?

No, none of the vaccines being used contain the live virus. The way they work is to deliver instructions that allow your body to make a protective response.

Where can I get more information?

Try the NHS www.nhs. uk/conditions/coronaviruscovid-19/coronavirusvaccination/coronavirusvaccine or our local Clinical Commissioning Group’s website bswccg.nhs.uk/news-events/ covid-19/covid-19-vaccination

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Aldi announces new Highworth store Aldi is to invest around £13m in new and upgraded stores across Wiltshire this year, creating about 90 jobs.

It confirmed that it expected to open new stores at Chippenham, Malmesbury and Highworth, and refurbish two existing ones in Swindon and Salisbury before the end of the year.

This investment is part of the supermarket’s long-term target to reach 1,200 stores in the UK by 2025. On average, Aldi is set to open more than one store a week this year.

Wiltshire Police proud to fly the rainbow flag of Pride

Wiltshire Police proudly raised a rainbow flag across its two main sites in recognition and celebration of LGBT+ people and culture.

The simple flag ceremony at force headquarters in Devizes marks the start of national LGBT+ History Month, held annually in February. The flag also flew at Gablecross in Swindon.

The force emphasised its strong commitment to the promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion, and to helping everybody to prevent discrimination.

Appeal against science park veto The chairman of the Wasdell Group has announced an appeal against the Swindon Borough Council planning committee of its bid to build a science park in the town.

The committee made its decision last August. Wasdell said in a statement: "The application for the Swindon Science Park included much-needed facilities for research and development and high-tech manufacturing, as well as facilities to meet Wasdell’s own requirements for growth."

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Council tax increase of nearly £6 for average homes The average Swindon household faces a monthly Council Tax increase of £5.91.

The figure represents an increase of 4.99 percent, which is the most the authority can impose without a public vote.

Cabinet Member responsible for Finance Cllr Russell Holland put the increase down to a lack of funding from central Government and the impact of the pandemic.

He said: "The situation we are in is in essence the situation that we've been in in previous years, in that we have a combination of a reduced grant from central Government and we have increased demand from vulnerable adults and children who need additional services.

"In respect of vulnerable adults this is largely driven by the fact that more people are living for longer with more complex health conditions, and as such there is increased

Social care provision for the vulnerable was one of the key factors highlighted by the council when it announced the increase

demand.

"The consequence of that is that there is more money required to provide those services, which in turn means that almost 80 percent of our budget is now spent on vulnerable adults and children.

"It is absolutely the right thing to do - to prioritise those people most in need."

Swindon Labour Group condemned the increase, with finance spokesperson Cllr

Kevin Small saying: "After the worst recession of any major economy and with the virus still not under control, families across Swindon are already worried about paying the bills.

"Now they’re being asked to pay an average of £93 more for a Band D property."

He added that Swindon people were paying more but receiving less, and called for the increase to be scrapped.

New walking trail for Swindon to be created A new trail for walkers is set to open in Swindon later this year.

The South Swindon Green Corridor is being developed

by South Swindon Parish Council, and runs for six miles through the parish, starting at Shaftesbury Lake in Park South and finishing at Cambria Bridge Play Area in central Swindon.

The route will run through Coate Water, along a trail from Broome Manor Lane to Pipers Way, past East Wichel, the Old Town Railway Line and canal.

As part of this project the parish council will be establishing way-markings, finger posts and information boards highlighting the nature people will be passing through.

South Swindon Parish Chair Chris Watts, who is also a parish councillor for Park South, where the trail starts, said: “This is a really exciting project by the Parish Council.

"Walking has become a bit

Parish council leader Chris Watts and Cllr Linda Kasmaty at a section of the trail

of a national pastime while the lockdown has been in place.

And even though the origins of this project came before covid it has been great to deliver it while people are so enthusiastic about walking.

"The trail will incorporate lots of nature and that is why we have called it the South Swindon Green Corridor. It will include waymarkings and finger posts, and we hope to include an online map so residents will

be able to view the trail on their phones.

"We will also be creating some information boards, too, to help inform people of the nature that is in front of them.

"At present we are currently undertaking work along the trail that runs from Broome Manor Lane to Pipers Way to make that area more accessible for longer periods of the year."

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Estate agency's helping hand for unpaid carers

Estate agency Perry Bishop has chosen Swindon Carers Centre as its charity partner of the year.

The collaboration will see a donation from every property sold go to support unpaid carers in the town.

Swindon Carers Centre is the first port of call for anyone living in Swindon carrying out an unpaid caring role for a family member, partner, or friend.

The charity aims to give carers the opportunity to live a fulfilling life alongside their caring role – helping them to look after themselves as well as others.

Perry Bishop opened in Swindon in September and is an award-winning property service with offices across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and now Wiltshire, and has been listed in Rightmove’s Best Estate Agent Guide for three years running.

Royal Wootton Bassett firm appointed as reseller for Tesla

Solar photovoltaic panels and solar battery supplier Tile Energy is celebrating becoming a certified reseller and Installer for Tesla Powerwall.

The Royal Wootton Bassett firm had to demonstrate to Tesla during an evaluation that it was able to meet Tesla’s exacting standards. MD Leke Alabi said: “Becoming Tesla Certified is a major accolade for us. The application process was rigorous but achieving Certified Installer status shows that people interested in renewable solar energy can place their trust in us."

In addition to making electric vehicles, Tesla manufactures Powerwalls, a battery system attached to homes which stores electricity from solar panels so it can provide power when the sun is not shining or in the event of a power cut.

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Are you prepared for the Census this month?

Households across Swindon will this month be asked to take part in Census 2021 alongside the rest of the country.

The census is a survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out in every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

This will be the first one run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

“A successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed,” Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said.

“This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and

new transport routes. That’s why it is so important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need them.”

Census day will be on 21 March but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity.

And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

In the meantime, if you are interested in finding out more, visit census.gov.uk

Get ready for the 2021 local elections

Local elections are being held on 6 May 2021 and plans are well underway to ensure they are as safe as possible. This year Swindon will see elections for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire, elections in 19 of the 20 Swindon Borough Council wards and elections in 18 Parish council areas.

The deadline to register to vote is 19 April 2021 and poll cards will start being sent out to residents towards the end of

March.

Polling stations will be made covid-secure, through measures such as hand sanitiser stations, a requirement to wear a face covering (unless exempt) and socially distanced queues but other voting options are available for residents who don’t wish to visit a polling station.

Postal or proxy votes are an easy and convenient way to cast your vote for those who may not want to or may not be

able to visit the polling station in person.

Any registered voter can apply for a postal vote before 5pm on 20 April 2021 and anyone who wants to register for a proxy vote (when someone votes on your behalf) should do so by 5pm on 27 April 2021.

Further information about voting options and how to register can be found on the council website at: www. swindon.gov.uk/postalvoting

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Gardens scheme reminds people of natural beauty around them The National Gardens Scheme hopes to welcome visitors to beautiful locations across Wiltshire this spring and summer.

The scheme opens private gardens throughout the country - including many within easy reach of Swindon - to the public.

However, it is cautioning visitors this year that all garden openings are subject to whichever covid restrictions are in place at the time.

Visitors are being advised that checking the scheme's website - ngs.org.uk - for notices of changes and possible cancellations is essential.

National Garden Scheme Ambassador Rachel de Thame said: “Gardens, gardening and being in a garden helps us get through some of the most challenging of life’s experiences.

"With 3,600 gardens

Kencot Gardens, Lechlade

registered to open in 2021, subject to covid restrictions, the National Garden Scheme is once again at the heart of providing wonderful garden experiences for thousands of people.”

Picking out some of the season’s highlights, Chief Executive George Plumptre said: “We were delighted that our gardens registered to open in 2021 in their usual numbers so have a total comparable to recent years. Even though the first few weeks are going to be challenging we look forward to welcoming visitors to the gardens later in the year."

Public input called for in shaping future Swindon parks strategy Members of the public are being encouraged to help shape a plan to enhance Swindon’s country parks over the next four years.

Swindon Borough Council is inviting local residents, park visitors and partners to take part in the development of Swindon’s first Country Parks Improvement Plan.

The vision to improve the borough’s country parks was approved by the council’s Cabinet in December.

A new waterside restaurant and café, a new accessible play area and a proposal to clean the iconic diving board have been identified as key priorities at Coate Water.

The council is keen to find out what people think about their favourite parks and what improvements they think could be made to them so they continue to be enjoyed by visitors for years to come.

The strategic improvement

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plan aims to turn the council’s country parks into viable and sustainable assets.

Residents and park users can contribute to the improvement plan by taking part in an online survey, which will ask for their views on Coate Water, Stanton Park, Mouldon Hill, Shaw Forest, Barbury Castle, Pentylands Country Park, and Lydiard Park.

The short survey will close on Sunday, 7 March.

Cllr Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for the borough’s country parks, said: “We have launched the survey so that local residents can have a direct say in how we can improve each of the country parks over the next four years.

This a genuine attempt to get people involved."

People can take part in the online survey by visiting www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ swindonparks/

Council praised by Ofsted for its support of vulnerable children Swindon Borough Council’s Children’s Services team has provided a good and effective service to vulnerable children and young people during the pandemic.

That is the view of Ofsted after five of Her Majesty’s Inspectors carried out a weeklong focused inspection of the department just before Christmas.

The visit came after Ofsted rated the department as ‘Good’ following a full twoweek inspection of services in July 2019.

In a letter published today - 1 February - inspectors described the council’s response to the pandemic as “comprehensive and timely”. They added that the council had ensured that services to children and families had continued to be effective.

Ofsted highlighted in the report that: “Decision-making is

timely and appropriate actions are taken to protect vulnerable children. Management oversight and the rationale for decision-making is well recorded.

"Thresholds for statutory action are appropriately applied, with managers and social workers demonstrating a clear understanding of risk.

“Effective leadership has ensured that the needs of children and families have been carefully considered and responded to during the covid-19 pandemic.

Vulnerable children have been identified, and schools and the local authority have worked closely together to encourage attendance.”

Ofsted also praised the work of social workers stating that the levels of contact between children, their families, carers and social workers, were carefully considered.

Spaces at much-praised nursery Spaces are available at North Star Nursery.

Based at Polaris House, the nursery prides itself on bring a friendly, nurturing place where children can learn life skills while having fun.

A spokesperson said: "North Star Nursery is a small 40 place nursery which has been established for 29 years in purpose-built facilities, in central Swindon and accessible to the railway station.

"We are pleased to announce that we have some new availability across the nursery.

"We have a highly trained team who have implemented a range of measures designed to protect and support the children, and their families against covid-19.

"Despite the recent challenges, our dedicated nursery team has managed to keep the fun and learning going.

"Our goal is to minimise the impact on children by creating a safe and supportive

environment which is sociable and inspiring.

"We recently had great fun with the snow in our large garden. Never missing an opportunity to make learning interesting, the children enjoyed making snow angels and conducting snowy experiments.

"We’re looking forward to celebrating upcoming events, with the opportunity to dress up as creative characters on World Book Day and making special gifts for Mother’s Day." The spokesperson added: "With an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ our Nursery offers a high standard of care, whilst also being great value for money."

The nursery can be contacted on 01793 411994, at info@ northstarnursery.co.uk and via www.northstarnursery.co.uk/ index.htm swindonlink.com n March 2021 13 19/02/2021 09:24

The Old Town Residents Association Column

Old Town Residents Association's AGM is open to all residents on 15 March via Zoom

By Judith Randell-Sly of Old Town Residents Association

It is now a year since we started living restricted lives and conducting our residents’ meeting on Zoom.

Hopefully, we might be able to meet in person sometime soon, but we have organised our AGM to be held on Monday 15 March, on Zoom at 7.30pm. Details for joining the meeting are on our Facebook page and you do not need to pay to join a Zoom meeting.

On the agenda will be discussion about the installation of EV (electric vehicle) charging points in the Eastcott area, the upgrading of the railway path and the litter issue, for which we would like to initiate a campaign.

Access points to railway footpath, running from Old Town to the west, are worn, muddy and not very safe and the surface of the path has become eroded in places. We

understand that there may be grant money available for improvements, including the introduction of hard surfaces at access points, so that they can be safely used by a wider range of people, including wheel chair users. However, your views are sought on the best ways of doing this without losing the character of the area and the path.

Much discussion has been generated on the subject of EV charging points in the residential streets in the Eastcott area. At present there is government grant money available to cover much of the cost and the points need to be available before people in the area can consider buying electric cars. However each charging bay would mean two less parking spaces in an area where there is already competition for spaces. One way to mitigate this might be to identify a few extra spaces which could be created, by

replacing some double yellow lines with single ones, thus enabling the spaces to be used for night time parking. Your help in identify possible sites would be welcomed. It is anticipated that around 12 spaces in total, in zones D and H would be converted into charging bays.

During the last year the amount of litter in our open spaces has increased considerably and there is a number of people who regularly go out litter picking.

We are very grateful to them, but they should not have to do this, if we all simply took our litter home with us, or put it in a bin. It is not just the untidiness, but the impact it has on the environment. Small animals get stuck in plastic bags and bottles and die and birds

use the material in their nests and consume bits of plastic.

People have been injured on vandalised steps on the Lawns and benches have been made unusable for people wanting to rest, although the Parish has now replaced these. Ideas for a campaign to take pride in our environment would be welcome at our AGM. Hopefully, by the time you read this we will be able to work on our gardens again and if you are interested in helping details of how to contact us are on our Facebook page, facebook.com/groups/ oldtownresidents

Capital Land Property Group purchase 212-acre site at Swindon's New Eastern Villages development Swindon-based Capital Land Property Group has completed the purchase of 212 acres of land at New Eastern Villages (NEV) Great Stall East, a significant step in the largest urban regeneration development in the UK. The next round of detailed planning is in progress and plans are for work to commence on the site in 2022. The Great Stall East development will be approximately 20% of the NEV development and is set to include 1,550 homes, a secondary school, a park and ride, and a sports hub.

Capital Land Chief Executive Jeremy Francis said: “The 14

recent acquisition is the culmination of several years of hard work and dedication by the Capital Land team. This major acquisition allows the company to establish the key components which will open up the way for the wider New Eastern Villages project.

"The investment by Capital Land represents a significant milestone in the company’s plans for the project at Great Stall East and underpins the commitment Capital Land are making to Swindon’s continued growth in these challenging times. Capital Land are working closely with Swindon Borough Council to ensure this much needed project is now

delivered.”

As Capital Land plans to play a central role in delivery of key infrastructure as well as having a continued influence over design and delivery of the scheme, the company will create hundreds of direct jobs themselves during the approximately 14-year construction period, as well as many indirect jobs in the construction and supply sectors.

New Eastern Villages (NEV) is the largest and most important urban regeneration development within the UK. Located to the East of Swindon it is positioned in the Wiltshire Countryside between the North Wessex Downs and

the Cotswolds. Identified in Swindon’s strategic growth area within the adopted Swindon Borough Local Plan 2026, it will comprise 8,000 -12,000 homes, a new District Centre, 40ha of employment and associated health, retail, education and leisure facilities.

The leader of Swindon Borough Council, Cllr David Renard, said: “Here, we are not just building houses but sustainable communities, ones that will have as much a stake in the future prosperity of Swindon as the rest of the town.

"In many ways, the NEV is the next big chapter in Swindon’s exciting story.”

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Pandemic grant helps Samaritans with vital work during lockdown A grant is helping the Samaritans train new volunteer listeners as it faces a more than 20 per cent increase in calls.

Swindon and District Samaritans has been awarded £3,500 from Wiltshire Community Foundation’s Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund to buy new headsets and carry out extra deep cleaning at its branch office in Swindon.

The money was donated to the fund by the Oakfield development, a new neighbourhood of 239 sustainable homes in east Swindon.

The community foundation’s fund has already raised £1.2m and distributed more than £1m through more than 200 grants to groups across the county.

The headsets will allow new volunteers to be mentored remotely while they gain experience of taking calls.

“The mentors listen into calls until the volunteers are ready

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to take their first step on their own,” said listening and publicity volunteer Maggie Gill.

“Typically, that was with an extra handset but obviously we can’t do that under distancing rules so the headsets have enabled the new volunteers to continue to have that important support while talking to callers.

"The grant has meant that we can take on new recruits and continue to increase the number of people who are there to listen to calls.”

Call for foster carers in Swindon Swindon Borough Council is appealing for foster carers.

A spokesperson said: "Foster carers make a huge difference to the lives of children and young people in Swindon.

"Often, support and guidance at the right time will set a child on a positive path through their life and open them up to experiences they never would have had otherwise.

"As a foster carer, you would care for children who can’t stay with their birth families, which can happen for a variety of reasons, making sure that their physical, emotional, educational and social needs are met.

"By fostering with Swindon Borough Council, you would become a valued member of the team, working together to offer children the best support and care to make a difference to their lives.

"Alongside our social workers, you would help the child keep in touch with their birth family and attend meetings to discuss

the child’s welfare and future plans.

"You may also help to move a child back to their birth family or to move to adopters or longterm foster carers."

The council offers extensive training for foster carers and promises to be there for them every step of the way.

The spokesperson added: "The team also work closely with you to see what type of fostering would work best for you and your family depending on your circumstances.

"The council is particularly looking for carers to offer support to teenagers to increase the number of these placements available locally, as well as carers for sibling groups to help keep siblings together."

Weekly information sessions are currently being held virtually by the Fostering Team.

Further information for all would-be foster carers can be found at www.swindon.gov.uk/ fostering

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Prospect Hospice still delivers during pandemic The Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t Prospect Hospice Chief stopped Prospect Hospice Executive from delivering its amazing Irene Watkins end-of-life care to patients and their families and loved ones.

It’s just meant that the hospice has been taking far more of its specialist services out into the community, and into people’s own homes.

And, says Prospect Hospice’s chief executive Irene Watkins, the feedback they’re getting from patients and families is that this new way of working is working very well indeed.

“We’ve always known that Prospect Hospice is so much more

than bricks and mortar,” says Irene, “but the past year has given us the opportunity to showcase that to the wonderful community that supports us. Covid-19 meant it was suddenly impossible to offer services like day therapy or family support at our Wroughton base.

"But by thinking out of the box, our colleagues soon devised new ways of supporting patients and families, whether in person in their homes or online. The phrase that I’ve begun to use is ‘Prospect without walls’. Because we are there, out in the community, where we now need to be.

"I’m so proud of how everyone has flexed to make sure that our community has been able to benefit from the expertise in specialist, end-of-life care which Prospect Hospice is well known for.”

It takes a special kind of person to be a Prospect Hospice nurse. Here Hayley Kenealy, a clinical nurse specialist with the charity, tells us what the role entails - and why she loves the job We normally see patients who are in the last year of their lives, so our work is palliative – that is relieving pain and discomfort – rather than curative. A clinical nurse specialist, or CNS, is a specialist in end-of-life care, rather than a generalist, and we work out in the community rather than at Prospect Hospice’s building in Wroughton.

We take referrals from GPs, district nurses, oncologists at the hospital and sometimes patients themselves. Because we are specialist practitioners – and also because we are an independent charity, rather than part of the NHS - we can provide a range of practical, medical and emotional support that is tailored to each individual patient and their loved ones. In any one day my colleagues and I may help control the symptoms of patients in their own homes, prescribe and administer pain relief, make breathing easier, offer them psychological and social support and help them deal with financial or legal matters too. We want every day these patients have left to be as good as it can possibly be.

Each patient is an individual with their own needs and wishes, and we go that extra mile to meet those if we possibly can.

One patient in Swindon was quite an independent and assertive lady who lived alone. I’d been caring for her quite some time, and on one visit I could see that something was upsetting her. She told me that she had a fear of spiders, and that she had seen a large spider scuttling across the carpet and had lain in bed, unable to do anything about it, knowing it was in the room but not where.

I live near Faringdon Park in Swindon, so next time I saw her I took a huge pile of conkers with me – spiders are said to dislike conkers, and I put them near the window and door to keep them out. She was very comforted by that.

As she became weaker, she began to tell me about things

Prospect Hospice belongs to the whole community. Around 70 per cent of its income comes from the generous donations and fund-raising efforts of people who live or work in Swindon and

Prospect Hospice nurse Hayley Kenealy

that she would never do again – kick leaves in autumn, feel the sand beneath her toes on a beach. She longed to go to the seaside and write her name in the sand, but she was too unwell to do that.

When I went on holiday to Bournemouth, I wrote her name using pebbles and seaweed on the beach, took a photo and turned it into a card for her. She kept that card among her important papers and I was so touched that my gesture had meant so much to her.

Sometimes when a patient dies, I’ll drive home and have a good blub. But it’s a great job. Communication is the most important part of it, and although it’s always sad when someone dies, I feel that I’m helping them have the best death they can have.

its surrounding area. It’s that generosity that enables Prospect Hospice to provide all the expert clinical, emotional and practical support that patients and their families so appreciate. swindonlink.com n March 2021

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Westcott play area next on the list for refurbishment programme

Parish council instals new bins to help tackle litter in South Swindon

South Swindon Parish Council has announced that its next play area refurbishment will be at Westcott Play Area off Turner Street.

It will be the 12th play area refurbishment the parish council has completed since being established in 2017.

The ongoing programme of refurbishments has ranged from extensive landscaping to providing new equipment including items specially chosen to ensure the play areas are as inclusive as possible.

Play areas given extensive makeovers range from long established ones to areas created in newer neighbourhoods in the area served by the council.

Central Ward parish councillors have welcomed the much-needed refurbishment at the Westcott Play Area.

Cllr Junab Ali said: “This play area refurbishment was something parish councillors in

South Swindon Parish Council has been installing new litter bins throughout the area it serves.

The council says it is committed to making sure everybody has ready access to a bin, meaning the risk of littering will be reduced although it stresses that this does not mean there is ever any excuse for littering.

The latest to be installed are at: - The junction of Hanbury Road and Knowsley Road in Park South - Collard Close Bus Stop in East Wichel - Magic Roundabout/ Shrivenham Road Junction - Quarry Road in Old Town - Greenham Walk Bus Stop on Marlow Avenue in East Walcot - Two Bins at the County Ground Open Space in the Town Centre Parish council vice-chair Cllr

Parish councillors Md Abdul Hamid, left, and Junab Ali

this area had been pushing for a while.

"Unfortunately, some of the equipment had to be decommissioned due to rotting of the timber frames used. The area also suffers from flooding due to it being on low land.

"It has been fantastic how many play areas the parish council has managed to refurbish.

"Last year we managed to refurbish Play Areas at GWR Park and at Cambria Bridge.

"This refurbishment is the icing on the cake for us and a remarkable transformation since the parish council took on play areas in 2017.”

Parish councillors Janine Howarth and Steve Allsopp with the new Hanbury Road litter bin

Janine Howarth explained the strategy.

“Keeping South Swindon tidy is a key part of what the parish council does," she said.

"Littering is never excusable but we hope that installing more bins and also increasing the size of the bins so they are not overflowing gives residents every chance to bin their rubbish.

"The parish council will continue to do all we can to keep South Swindon tidy.”

Wiltshire Air Ambulance's Cycling Challenge a huge success

Trainee Critical Care Paramedic Emma Thompson and Critical Care Paramedic Keith Mills completing miles

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Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s aircrew have successfully completed their Love Your Air Ambulance virtual cycling challenge to raise necessary funds for lifesaving equipment.

Pilots and paramedics from the charity were planning on cycling 654 miles virtually during a seven-day period, the equivalent of pedalling to 10 local hospitals twice. In the end, they cycled almost double that figure, a total of 1,191 miles, by the end of Valentine’s Day – all for the charity they love.

It was all geared at raising £5,182 to fund the purchase of a MEQU °M Warmer unit and accessories. The equipment can be used in emergencies to ensure injured patients receive the blood products carried by the crew at the required temperature quickly.

More than £7,200 was donated by members of the public, beating the target sum by more than £2,000.

Critical care paramedic and ground base manager Richard Miller says: “Not only did we smash the target we set for the number of miles we wanted to cycle, the funds raised have also exceeded all expectations and we can’t thank everyone who has donated enough for their kind generosity. We’ll now be able to purchase the portable blood and fluid warmers, along with all the associated accessories needed and some spares.”

Critical care paramedic James Hubbard even managed to rack up some miles in a full PPE suit.

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The Business Brief Pearce Funeral Services pivots to streaming in pandemic age John Pearce from Pearce Funeral Services in Swindon talks to us about streaming funerals online...

Planning a funeral during the covid-19 pandemic has brought significant changes.

One key point is that funeral numbers are limited. At the time of writing this, the current maximum people allowed to attend a funeral is 30, however always check with the venue because in some cases, this could be lower to allow for social distancing.

Because of the limit on numbers of people allowed to attend a funeral, many families are choosing to stream services online. Whilst this time last year, the very thought of streaming a funeral online would not have seemed so

necessary, it is now a lovely way to ensure that everyone who wants to pay their respects has the opportunity to do so – safe and secure in the comfort of their own home. It also means that wherever you are in the world, providing you have a secure internet connection, all of your friends and family can be present.

One family who were struggling to come to terms with how few people would actually be attending the ceremony recently streamed their dad’s funeral online and said how comforting it was to receive comments afterwards from people who had watched.

Do we think that watching a funeral online is the way forward? Who knows, but it certainly does have its place.

At Pearce Funeral Services, we offer families the option

to stream the ceremony via a unique password-protected website address specifically for that individual funeral. Ensuring that privacy and dignity is maintained, the service is also then recorded to be viewed, if required, at a later date.

01793 832 072 - www. pearcefuneralservices.co.uk

The beginning of 2021 sees the continuation of the recruitment drive at Awdry Bailey & Douglas Solicitors Awdry Bailey & Douglas Solicitors, one of Wiltshire’s leading law firms, has continued with its recruitment drive and has begun 2021 with a number of appointments across all areas of the firm.

This includes the recruitment of Commercial Solicitor, Rosanne Pitta-Browning (Chippenham), Commercial Solicitor, Gary Robson-Hemmings (Swindon), Commercial legal secretary Heather Welsh, Family Law secretary Christine Coote and a new Conveyancing legal secretary Deborah Carr Jones.

Rosanne joins ABD from a national firm in Bristol and specialises in Commercial Property.

She acts for landlords and tenants drafting and negotiating leases, licenses to assign/alter and rent deposit deeds. She can also assist clients with the sale and purchase of companies, business assets and commercial

properties and advises on potentially problematic restrictive covenants.

Gary is also a Commercial Property Solicitor and joins the firm after being based in the Thames Valley for over 20 years.

Not only is Gary a senior Solicitor, but he is also a Chartered Surveyor.

He has acted on the acquisition of a number of businesses including large corporate headquarters, warehouses and the sales and purchases of shops of all sizes and locations.

Alistair Everett, Managing Partner of Awdry Bailey and Douglas commented “Thanks to the dedication and commitment of all the fantastic people here at ABD and our remote working capabilities, we have been able to look after our clients efficiently and effectively with the minimum of disruption during the strangest

of years.

"Our flexibility and decisiveness has enabled us to meet an increased demand for our services, while keeping in touch with our clients, progressing their work and helping them achieve what needed to be done during the course of this pandemic.

"We are acutely aware that these are still very uncertain times, and this looks set to be the case this year too.

However, we are committed to providing excellent client service and are delighted to welcome a series of very talented individuals who share our passion.

"There are likely to be a number of challenges in the year ahead, but if you are an ambitious, proactive person who is passionate about providing exceptional client service we would very much like to hear from you.” www.awdrys.co.uk

Later life planning with Lionheart

Carterton-based Lionheart is a small and trusted later life planning firm which for 30 years has prided itself on good service and value.

Wills - Most people assume a will is to ensure our assets are passed to the people of our choice which is of course true. The hardship caused to our dependents if we die without a will is rarely considered but is equally important. A will also appoints guardians for young children.

Trusts - These are a way of ensuring the protection of the assets we have worked hard for all of our lives.

Prepaid Funeral Plans When we pass away one of the first expenses that has to be paid is our funeral. Costs have increased dramatically in recent years and are likely to do so in the future.

A funeral plan cost is at today’s price and will pay for the funeral whenever we pass away whatever the cost is so we will save money. It guarantees that our wishes will be carried out and more importantly ensures that those we leave behind do not have the stress of arranging the funeral at such a stressful time. We are agents for the main trusted providers and can select the most suitable.

Lifetime mortgages (Equity Release) - This is via companies having access to many lenders giving cost and type choices.

Probate - This is required when we die and often the family need assistance. We can help with this and can access favourable and fixed rate fees.

Advice and further information costs nothing.

Just give us a call on 01993 220281 or 07769 730616. swindonlink.com n March 2021

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The Politics Page

Looking after Swindon's wonderful open spaces cabinet supported our first ever country parks improvement plan, which aims to improve and enhance the many jewels in Swindon’s crown over the next few years.

The key focus of the strategy is about making our parks viable and sustainable assets using funding from grants, Section 106 contributions, and other funding sources. It is important we protect these green lungs for the benefits they bring to people’s health and wellbeing, especially during the current time.

The improvement plan has already identified a new waterside restaurant and café at Coate Water as a key priority and there are plans too to clean the diving board, which is such a striking feature at the entrance to the lake.

At the time of writing, the finishing touches are being made to the new equipment which is being installed in Lydiard’s children’s play area.

A £30,000 investment, which is sure to bring so much joy to young children from across Swindon.

In fact, that is why this improvement plan is so important. Our parks are there for everyone in the borough to enjoy and we want to hear what you think about them and how you would like to see them improved.

Swindon Link readers can contribute to the improvement plan by filling in an online survey, which will capture people’s views on all our country parks.

The survey is open until Sunday, 7 March so please tell us your views so we can use them to inform the wider strategy.

The survey is available at: www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/ swindonparks The investment in our parks is part of a wider plan to improve our open spaces and the biodiversity in our

Establishing Swindon’s New Walking Trail South Swindon Parish Council Chair Chirs Watt's monthly column Later this year Swindon is set to have its newest walking trail. The South Swindon Green Corridor is being developed by South Swindon Parish Council.

It runs for more than 5 miles through South Swindon Parish starting at Shaftesbury Lake in Park South and finishing at Cambria Bridge Play Area in Central Swindon.

The route will run from Shaftesbury Lake through Coate Water, along a trail from Broome Manor Lane to Pipers Way, through East Wichel, the Old Town Railway Line and Canal.

As part of this project the Parish Council will be introducing way-markings and information boards highlighting the surrounding nature people will be passing 22

through. The Parish Council’s three key aims for this trail is to ensure it is clearly marked, to explain what people see on the route and make it more accessible to more people. There is still a lot more work to do but we are excited about creating Swindon’s newest walking trail!

While the South Swindon Green Corridor Walking Trail is an exciting new project for the Parish Council our programme of Play Area refurbishments has been ongoing since we were first formed.

Back in 2017 several new Parish Councils were formed and took responsibility for the management of Play Areas. South Swindon Parish was one of those new Parish Councils and we were transferred 21 Play Areas to manage.

Many of the Play Areas we inherited

Swindon Borough Council leader David Renard

Words by Barrie Hudson

Swindon Borough Council Leader David Renard's monthly column The lockdowns we have been forced to endure as part of our efforts to suppress the spread of covid-19 have given many people a renewed appreciation for our parks and open spaces.

They are often a haven where you can escape the confines of your house and forget about the dark days of the pandemic.

Now whether you use them to exercise, to walk the dog or just as a place to get some fresh air, one thing is clear – we have some beautiful country parks within the borough and we need to cherish them.

Most of the time, it is Lydiard Park and Coate Water that grab the attention, but we are so lucky to have some hidden gems such as Stanton Park, Barbury Castle, Mouldon Hill, Shaw Forest and Pentylands Country Park.

In December, the council’s

communities. These include our Swindon Forest Meadow project, which aims to create wildflower meadows in partnership with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

We also aim to plant 350 hectares of trees through the Trees for Climate programme over the next few years. By investing and planting trees today we are creating the much-loved parks and open spaces of tomorrow.

Parish Chair Chris Watts and councillor Linda Kasmaty

were in a state of disrepair and were sadly quite depressing for our young people to enjoy.

Fast forward to 2021 and we are about to undergo our 12th Play Area refurbishment- this time at Westcott Play Area, off Turner Street. With each refurbishment we try to introduce more accessible equipment for children with disabilities and make the play equipment as enjoyable as possible for children.

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Words by Barrie Hudson

Wiltshire artist Bruce Munro was asked by the BBC to create one of his characteristic fields of light to commemorate lives lost to covid.

His installation of 1,000 lights near his Kilmington studio, intended to symbolise the spirits of those who died and the fact that they loved and were loved, was featured in television news reports.

The artist said: "It represents life, not death. Each of the stems represents a spirit of hope. The families who've lost loved ones need to know that people are thinking about them and caring about them.

"We need to look forward to a future when the pandemic has been beaten but not forget the lessons we have learned."

Bruce is known throughout the world for similiar installations. The road to his distinctive style began many years ago at Uluru, the sacred Australian site formerly known as Ayers Rock. He and his girlfriend lived in Australia at the time.

His idea while camping there in 1992 was of an artwork which would bloom at night like seeds responding to rain.

He said: "We'd been living over there for about eight years, just travelling all around in an old banger as one does when one is young, and one of our bucket list destinations was Uluru.

"That got into my head. I had studied painting and sculpture as a youngster and I had my sketchbook with me when I was travelling.

"I just wrote down this idea because the landscape seemed to be extremely powerful out there. You feel like there is an energy in the air and the ground."

On returning to Britain, Bruce completed a light installation for a prestigious department store which attracted the attention of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Later, Bruce put an installation in a field at his current home.

He said: "We didn't tell anybody. We were renovating our house here and I funnelled some of the funds instead of putting curtains and carpets in the house to being able to put an installation in our field.

"I don't know why, but I just had this need to do it.

"We didn't tell anybody but people sort of found out about it on their own. Word got around and I was a bit of lighthouse keeper for about a year."

Word spread somewhat further than the immediate neighbourhood.

Bruce has produced pieces all over the world, including the US, Japan and South Korea.

In 2016 he was invited back to Uluru by an indigenous organisation to create a field of light - 14 years after his initial inspiration there.

The work has been in place ever since.

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FEATURES

Lighting the way of hope for us all

Bruce Munro's fields of light - this Wiltshire installation commemorates those who have lost their lives to covid - have their origins in a visit to one of Australia's most sacred sites

Artist Bruce Munro

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Dancing Swindon sisters become an overnight TikTok sensation

Two teachers from Swindon’s Revolution Performing Arts have become social media stars with their version of the dance routine for new Harry Styles’ single Treat People With Kindness.

2021 festivals cancel events It was only a matter of time before the pandemic started biting into the Swindon area's summer festival season with two events having cancelled so far.

The organisers of the Lechlade Festival have announced that the 2021 event has been postponed until next year.

Festival director Jennie Rainsford said in a social media post: "As the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues both in the UK and globally, we have had to take the difficult decision to further postpone the planned 10th Lechlade Festival" The event is now planned for 27-29 May next year, with The Boomtown Rats and Alexandra Burke already confirmed. n

Sisters Jessi and Jade Carroll, who live in West Swindon, can normally be found teaching others to dance, but recently decided to replicate the dance routine of one of Jessi’s heroes, Harry Styles.

The video of them performing the routine in their back garden has currently had more than 1.3 million views.

Jessi, 23, said: “The-16-year old 1D fan in me just came out. Harry Styles plus dance is the dream combination. Jade and I learnt the choreography within a few hours of the video release.”

much of it. It was something to do, it was fun and kept us entertained during lockdown.

Jade, 28, worked with her and they practiced the routine in their garden before putting it on the social media platform Tik Tok.

"We went to bed and by the morning we couldn’t believe that the video had already been watched more than 200,000 times.”

Jade said: “We didn’t think

Jessi said: “We did not expect

Jade, left, and Jessi

it to get so many views/likes/ comments in such a short space of time. A lot of comments were people requesting a tutorial, so we recorded and uploaded some tutorial videos breaking down the choreography."

The Revolution Performing Arts website is www.revolutionpa. co.uk

Another postponement until next year is 2021's Royal International Air Tattoo. it was due to take place at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on July 16-18, but has now been cancelled by organisers, the RAF Charitable Trust Enterprises (RAFCTE), citing covid uncertainty. n

Poetry: Laughing through rhyme Poetry column with Maurice Spillane of Poetry Swindon

We need a laugh this month.

My friend, Stuart Lavis, sent me a video of Scottish poet, Walter McCorriscen, who won the “Worst Poet of the Year” award in 1979: Dear Sir, Never bite your fingernails It makes your fingers lumpy Never bite your fingernails Yours sincerely, Stumpy.

Walter was pure genius! But humour can also have its dark side. An unknown charlady wrote this in 1905: Here lies a poor woman who 24 swindonlink.com n March 2021 SE March Master pages.indd 24

was always tired, She lived in a house where help wasn’t hired: Her last words on earth were: ‘Dear friends, I am going To where there’s no cooking, or washing, or sewing, For everything there is exact to my wishes, For where they don’t eat, there’s no washing of dishes …’

Unfortunately, it was her suicide note. Virginia Woolf wrote that the inquest jury said she was mad, “which proves once more what it is to be a poet these days.” And still does!

The nonsense of “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll always makes me smile: ‘The time has come,’ the Walrus

said, ‘To talk of many things: Of shoes — and ships — and sealing-wax — Of cabbages — and kings — And why the sea is boiling hot — And whether pigs have wings …’

Everyone’s favourite humourist is Wendy Cope: Bloody men are like bloody buses You wait for about a year And as soon as one approaches your stop Two or three others appear.

You look at them flashing their indicators, Offering you a ride.

Walter McCorriscen

I’ll finish with McCorriscen: My wife was poorly, Walter, In fact, she’s so unsteady I’ve had to carry her doon the stairs To get my breakfast ready.

I’d better stop there! As there’s no live poetry in Swindon browse the Internet – start with Walter McCorriscen on YouTube. You’ll love him. www.mauricespillane.com

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MOTORING The Vauxhall Corsa has been around for almost 40 years and is the most popular car on the British roads.

Sad thing is that there is nothing really British about the Corsa, in fact there never was. Originally designed by the Germans, built in Spain and now owned by the French, the only thing remotely from the UK is the Vauxhall name, and that is likely to go in the near future.

It started life as a Vauxhall Nova in 1982 and as either a Nova or a Corsa it sold around 15 million in the UK and Europe.

The new model, and there have been four models before, is basically French with a Peugeot 208 body. But to be fair the new Corsa is a pretty good supermini, sharp to

26

Vauxhall Corsa : enduring popularity Leigh Robinson: Motoring writer

drive and has an excellent powertrain range.

It is not cheap with prices starting at £15,550 going through to the top of the range at £16,550.

The Corsa has a 1.2-litre 74bhp naturally-aspirated and 99bhp turbocharged petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel with 100bhp. An all-new six-

speed manual is available for all models, and an eight-speed automatic will be optional for the turbocharged petrol.

The top petrol model gives you 0-62mph in ten seconds for acceleration and a top speed of 120mph. The larger of the two petrols will be the biggest seller.

The bodyshell is 40kg lighter than the old model and 15kg has been saved by using Peugeot’s all-aluminium engines. A 5.5kg has been removed by revising the front seat designs and the use of an aluminium bonnet saves another 2.4kg. In total the new Corsa is more than 100kg lighter. Miles per gallon are around the 50 mark.

The Corsa handles well, probably due to the super light steering and this makes it far better than the previous model.

The rear space is a little tight and headroom is just okay. The boot has just over 300 litres of space which is a little bigger than before and there are new matrix-LED headlights which are great.

And there is an all-electric Corsa-e on the way.

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y

Arkell’s Brewery unveils new premium American Pale Ale; Voyager The beer is a premium 5% American style pale ale, created by Head Brewer Alex Arkell and his team. Originally launched in a select few pubs on draught in 2020, it's now been added to their bottled beer collection. It is available from their Grape & Grain Wine & Brewery Warehouse in 8 X 500ml bottles.

LINK

FOOD & DRINK

Commenting on the beer, Alex said: “After months of development, it has been sad not to have this served behind the bars of our pubs from the keg, but I am excited that we’re able to unveil Voyager in bottles during the remaining winter months; 5% alcohol should keep everyone warm over the chilly season.”

The brewers used a slower, gradual, low temperature fermentation for a softer bodied beer, then dry hopped with American Mosaic hop to build crisp flavours, subtle bitterness and a gentle floral, tropical mango fruit aroma.

The inspiration for the name Voyager was realised from the early story of John Arkell. Way back in the early 19th Century before John, founder of Arkell’s Brewery, had selected his picturesque site to realise his passion and build a brewery, he was a farmer by trade. Times were hard in British farming so he upped sticks and voyaged to the uninhabited plains of Canada to build a new farm and a new life.

In the brewery archive some fascinating letters were discovered written by John whilst in Canada, to his brother Thomas back home in England. “You can tell Polly that we live like two old, long-bearded and grave old bachelors.”

He also writes “The general tormentors, the mosquitoes continue their blunder on the human frame throughout the whole summer”.

These tormentors, the climate and numerous wild animals, as well as the fact that his fiancée preferred to live in England, eventually brought him home and the beautiful brewhouse soon followed.

Alex Arkell explained: “Voyager is a tribute to John Arkell’s adventurous spirit. We’ve used American hops as a nod to his time across the Atlantic, giving the pale ale a mango fruity kick.” www.grapeandgrainwarehouse.co.uk

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Swindon's missing cycling Links

CYCLING Cycling column with Becky Cox of Swindon Cycle Campaign

Lockdown has highlighted to all of us how much we value being able to go outside and explore – to get a breath of fresh air, listen to the birds and get some exercise.

But sometimes, it can be hard to know where to cycle if a lack of safe routes are available. Cycling UK, a charity working to promote cycling, want to make it easier to ride straight from your door to enjoy England’s fantastic countryside or just make a trip from A to B. They have created an interactive map to help us highlight to local authorities where missing links are. You can also view other people’s suggestions by zooming in to the map here: Missing Links (https://action.cyclinguk.org/ page/68755/action/1?ea.

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SPORT If the closing months of 2020 were ones to forget for all the wrong reasons, then the opening months of 2021 won't live long in the memory of many Swindon fans.

Both on and off the field Swindon appear to be heading in only one direction.

Backwards. Although it might seem like a lifetime ago, this time last year Swindon were top of league 2 and had a team that excited you.

Whereas now Swindon are dull and staring relegation back into league 2 in the face.

I'd say that the current crop are a shadow of the last. However I think that's too much of a compliment to this poor squad.

Many clubs are experiencing the pinch of the pandemic and 28

tracking.id=LP).

Often, opening up one short missing link can make the difference. It might be a track that isn’t open for cycling because it’s classed as a footpath, or a disused railway line that would form a great link between two towns (Highworth to Swindon!).

Perhaps it’s a boggy route that if resurfaced, could be useable all year round.

Using your local knowledge to highlight to the council and planners where these paths are could mean they are earmarked for improvement when some funding comes along and can be incorporated into future planning.

So much of our Public Rights of Way (PRoW) network is barely used since some of it is so poorly accessible.

Everyone should have safe and accessible places to

walk and cycle straight from their doorstep. Often public footpaths are narrow, overgrown and waterlogged.

For example, I recently saw that South Swindon Parish Council are doing works to improve the boggy path which runs from Broome Manor Lane to Pipers Way, something that will really help more people enjoy this little-known route.

Many of these paths do not look materially any different from bridleways or byways

It could be too late for town to avoid relegation Swindon are no exception.

The sale of one of Town's more lucrative assets, Diallang Jaiyesemi, on transfer deadline day highlighted the clubs financial struggles.

In a transfer window in which the Robins were looking to strengthen they arguably weakened by selling one of their best players. DJ scored four goals in a town shirt this season and was always one of the few shining lights in some dark times this season.

Swindon will undoubtedly miss his creativity, especially in a team that creates precious few chances. However according to Swindon chairman Lee Power the sale of Jaiyesemi was simply so that he could keep the club afloat until the end of

February. This makes you ask how much trouble are Swindon in?

On the pitch Swindon are most definitely in trouble. The points required for survival just aren't happening and the goals needed for those points are non existent.

John Sheridan has turned a Swindon side that scores goals but can't defend into a side that can't score and can't defend.

Sheridan has implemented an eyesore style of football that's not even getting results let alone looking as if it will produce a goal.

I genuinely believe that despite the league standing, the Town players are capable of playing a proper brand of

(which are legally accessible for people cycling and on horseback).

If improvements could be made to widen and clear more paths then not only could more people enjoy these routes by foot but by cycle too. Take a look at the Swindon Public Rights of Way map. I’m sure, like me, you’ll discover paths which you never knew existed just around the corner!

Visit swindon.gov.uk for more information.

Alfie Howlett: Swindon Town FC writer

football.

In my opinion the players aren't being coached properly and things must go back to basics. I don't believe that Swindon will survive with Sheridan at the helm.

But if they are to pull off an unlikely miracle then the gaffer must try and find a way to instil some confidence into his front players. Because goals win games and Swindon desperately need to win games.

Hopefully Spring will bring some hope to the County Ground.

However it's looking likely that it could be too late. But as is often the case with Swindon you never know.

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