Birstall Post (447) October 2020

the Birstall post Y O U R

C O M M U N I T Y

OCTOBER 2020

N E W S P A P E R

www.birstallpost.co.uk

No. 447

660 homes & new school planned 611 new homes 660 new homes & 1200 place secondary school

HARROWG AT

E DR

GREENGATE LANE

Woman found on road TWO TEENAGERS, one from Birstall, have been charged with kidnap and other offences after a woman was found lying seriously injured on the A6 carriageway.

Rocco Sansome (18) of Wanlip Lane, Birstall, has been charged with kidnap and possession of a class B drug.

Chay Bowskill (19) of Empingham Drive, Syston, has been charged with kidnap, grievous bodily harm and criminal damage.

Officers shut the northbound lane between Mountsorrel and Loughborough at around 10.45am. The southbound lanes were shut later to allow an air ambulance to land. The woman was taken to the Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham.

The Police have issued an appeal for motorists to get in touch if they have dash-cam footage or saw the woman in the road.

660 NEW homes and a 1200 place secondary school are planned for an area of open space off Greengate Lane.

Leicester City Council has identified the 48 ha site for development in its draft local plan, which was put out for public consultation on September 14.

You can make your views known on the plan until December 7, when the consultation period ends.

A further plot of land, 4.86 ha next to the 17th tee on Birstall golf course has

Pics: Sites near Birstall identified for development in the Leicester Local Plan

[3000 homes].”

The draft local plan says the timeframe for the development is 2023 for the school, 6 to 15 years for the housing and 6 to 10 years for the employment land.

The plan also identifies land south of Thurcaston for 611 new homes.

The draft local plan covers the PARK RD period 2019– 2036 and states that 29,104 homes will be built in Leicester, with 30% affordable housing on greenfield sites.

Birstall’s Borough Councillors and 53 new County Cllr are urging residents to homes take part in the consultation process.

Group spokesman Cllr Roy Rollings said: “Birstall and Wanlip residents may have wondered why they received details about the emerging Local Plan which is being produced Birstall

by Leicester City Council. Leicester Golf Club City Council are proposing to allocate land for development on the outskirts of Birstall, including on STATION RD Birstall Golf Course and land at the top of Greengate Lane. It is vital Leicester City Council hear from residents of Birstall and Wanlip as been identified as employment land, it part of this consultation process. This is has no highways access and is currently a strategic document and now is the agricultural land. Other parts of this time for us to influence the direction of field have been identified for employit. Please do take a look at the documenment land as part of the Ashton Green tation you have received and respond if development. you wish to do so. More information is 53 new homes are planned for a 2.78 available online.” ha site behind Park Road, adjacent to The plan also identifies three other the railway. The site is currently a part sites for development: of Birstall golf course.

• Land west of Anstey Lane The draft plan states: “the allocation • Western golf course leads to the loss of green wedge but is • Land at Leicester General Hospital. outweighed by the strategic opportunity The consultation is available online at of the two sites, as a natural extension of consultations.leicester.gov.uk. It includes the already approved and partially delivthe draft Local Plan and details of all ered main Ashton Green development proposed sites for potential development

across the city, as well as an interactive map that sets out all the sites in detail.

People can click on the sites and make individual comments on them.

City mayor Peter Soulsby said: “A Local Plan is something every local authority has to have in place, by law. It covers the way we plan to develop the city over the next 15 years. Without such a plan, it would be harder for us to protect wildlife and our built heritage, make plans for a greener and healthier city, or effectively accommodate the growing needs of our city.

“We know that we have a number of challenges ahead – not least the climate emergency and our responsibility to protect our environment for future generations. That is why our new Local Plan is more important than ever.

“We originally prepared to consult on the draft Local Plan back in March, but the coronavirus lockdown caused us to postpone. We’re now ready to launch our comprehensive consultation, which will run from today [Monday, September 14] until December 7, to give people plenty of time to comment.”

Face-to-face meetings for people to give their views are not possible at this stage, due to coronavirus. However, people are invited to comment online and can look at copies of the Local Plan in city libraries, the majority of which have now been reopened.

All the comments and suggestions received will be considered before a final version of the plan is produced for further consultation.

The plan will then be used to inform planning policy and decisions in the city.

To take part in the consultation, visit https://consultations.leicester.gov.uk/

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Pop-up cycle lanes removed next year THE POP-UP cycle lanes on the A6 in Birstall will be in place for a further 6–9 months, say the County Council.

county hall that in 6 to 9 months this temporary scheme will be completely removed and the road reinstated exactly how it was before. I am pleased about that but think the scheme has been an absolute waste of money.”

The government’s emergency active travel funding aims to create an environment that is “safe for both walking and cycling” and to “promote cycling as a replacement for journeys previously made by public transport”.

In a letter to local transport authority officers, Robert Furness, from the Department of Transport, said: “Active travel allows people to get around while

maintaining social distance and will have an essential role to play in helping us avoid overcrowding on the public transport systems as we begin to open up parts of our economy. We have a window of opportunity to act now to embed walking and cycling as part of new longterm commuting habits and reap the associated health, air quality and congestion benefits.”

The government allocated £250 million to the fund.

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THE BIRSTALL POST will be published on Oct 31.

The copy deadline is Oct 16.

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The measures were put in place by the County after it made a successful bid for money from the governments Emergency Active Travel Fund. This funding is being made available in two tranches: the first is for temporary schemes, the second for permanent measures.

In a response to an enquiry made by Birstall Parish Council, Laura Shepherd at Leicestershire County Council said: “Leicestershire County Council has submitted a bid for the emergency active travel tranche two funding to enable us to deliver more permanent measures to encourage active travel such as off-road cycling facilities. We expect an announcement in September and if successful, we will be running a full consultation with all stakeholders including residents, the Parish Council and County Councillors in the autumn. Please note that the tranche two schemes will be different altogether to tranche one and it will not be a case Pic: the pop-up cycle lane on the A6, Birstall of simply making the temporary measures, as now implemented, permanent, Post: “We are awaiting a decision from they will also be subject to a full consul- the government on whether we have tation. been successful in our bid for further “It is likely that the tranche one tempo- funding. We will be undertaking a full rary scheme will be in place for 6–9 consultation with residents and members months until the tranche two schemes on any proposals shortly after the ancan be delivered, but during this time nouncement.” we will continually monitor and review The County says restricted timescales measures to ensure they are fit for purset by the government meant there pose and make any adjustments deemed wasn’t any time to consult the public on necessary. We will be monitoring cycle the temporary scheme implemented in lane usage, traffic flows, queues, pedesAugust. trian movements, air quality and the Birstall’s County Councillor Iain Bentimpact on side roads throughout this ley objected to the pop-up cycle lanes as period.” soon as they were announced. He said: Trevor Pendleton, cabinet member for “I have been assured during a meeting at Highways and Transport, told the Birstall

Students return to school in Birstall BIRSTALL’S SCHOOLS welcomed back students in September.

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

Shreekant Raivadera, Chair of Governors at the Cedars Academy, reports: The school staff have enjoyed having our learners back on site. They have been fantastic, showing genuine kindness and maturity in dealing with a new way of working.

We’re aware that some parents and residents have had issues at the start and end of school days. The measures we put in place at each school aimed to make it as safe as possible for pupils to enter and leave the site. We’ve asked parents to be mindful of residents but we’re all dealing with the ‘new normal’ so we’ll review our measures as needed and thank parents and residents alike for sharing their feedback with us.

At the start of term, each school spent time ensuring that all learners are aware of the changes and processes needed to ensure that the school runs smoothly and safely.

At Cedars, there has been an introduction to an entirely new way of working with our learners, with a focus on being kind and respectful, working hard and taking responsibility. Students have been presented with the dual challenges of unfamiliar Covid-19 related routines and our increasingly high expectations and, they have risen to these challenges magnificently as we knew they would.

Teaching and learning reviews have largely been virtual, while visits by experts from the Lionheart trust have focused on re-establishing the ethos of each school, covering behaviour, with the idea that a positive environment makes it much easier for learning to be effective.

Across the trust, the younger pupils have been very engaged with the new approach and seemed to be enjoying lessons. The older years groups at are taking a little longer to get their heads around the new way of learning and staff are working hard to help them.

The primary schools had a very positive return with pupils regularly proclaiming, “It’s great being back at school”, albeit mostly because they’re seeing their friends again. Feedback from parents is that their children want to come to school to learn as it was boring being at home.

Pics: (above) 6th form students at the Cedars Academy are welcomed at the start of term; (below) a year 7 classroom

Staff have been helping the children build up their stamina, it seems months of lockdown has it made it tricky to sustain a full day of learning!

The heads are reporting that pupil year groups like having their own spaces, with especially the year 11s feeling that removing the pressure of being the oldest in school has helped them settle in quickly.

Curriculum Staff are working with students to identify and address any gaps in knowledge and detailed curriculum plans are in place.

The Lionheart Trust’s on-line learning platform will continue to be developed and used to support learning outside the classroom, for example through the setting of tasks for homework and the uploading of key pieces of work. The primary schools are not setting 'homework' but have set up a 'home learning file’ for each year group.

Should a child fall ill or need to self-isolate for a period of time, the school will ensure that suitable work is set through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they do not fall behind with the learning of their class.

Chromebooks We’ve had three very kind offers from private individuals in Birstall to sponsor

a Chromebook for a child in Birstall, we’re very grateful for any support on this important initiative.

A quick reminder: students without access to the internet and/or a device are significantly disadvantaged – whether education is delivered fully online or if students are on-site.

The Lionheart Academies trust has identified learners for whom lack of device or internet is the reason for them not engaging with online learning and considers this disadvantaged group a high priority.

The Trust has therefore invested over £250,000 to provide these students with the tools they need to learn. We are now fundraising to help cover some of that cost and appeal to any individuals or businesses who may be able to sponsor a Chromebook for £225. Please contact me by email Shreekant.raivadera@lionhearttrust.org.

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GCSE Results The Government has announced that it will not publish any school or college level educational performance data based on tests, assessments or exams for 2020, however, we’re very pleased to report really positive results for our GCSE students this year.

Learners have gone on to their next steps in education successfully and Cedars Academy results were considerably improved from last year (as were most schools).

You may have been personally involved with the rollercoaster ride of exam results, but thankfully the final decision was to rely on teacher assessment rather than the algorithm.

Staff were asked, back in March, to create the Centre Assessment Grades based on how well a student was likely to do, on a day in which health, emotional issues etc, didn’t get in the way of them performing. Schools have worked really hard to improve results year on year, and we were happy with the results.

Beyond GCSE results, parents may be interested in a measure called “Progress 8”, which aims to measure the progress of secondary pupils across a selected set of 8 subjects from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school.

The range of this measure is -1 to +1 and Cedars Academy is now at 0.25, which shows that pupils achieve higher than the national average.

All Cedars Martin Sixth Form 2020 graduates have gone on to higher/further education or training and the sixth form is off to a great start in 2020 with XX students starting their A-level courses.

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Keep calm and carry on baking

donations: Silly Prices, Amy Harrison graphic designer, also to Brakes, Creed, Trust Inns, and Dominic of Norths of Rothley, all White Horse suppliers, and to the children who took part in the colouring competition.

Special thanks also to the judging panel, Janet Vaughn and Kath Jones from the Birstall WI, previous winners Katie Morsli, Stephen, Xander and Rueben Lewin, Cat and Charlotte Hanlon, James,

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

THE FLOUR dusting has settled on 2020's Great Birstall Bake Off, and with 43 entries and a great array of prizes up for grabs, it was all a great success, raising £1200 for Macmillan Cancer Support.

One of the organisers, Rebecca Kay, said: “We didn’t know what to expect this year, but we were overwhelmed by the amazing entries and the amount of money raised in this difficult year.”

Most categories were well supported, with both genders and all ages competing for the most prestigious prize in Birstall's bakery calendar. The judging panel says they were astounded by the selection, in particular the ‘Under 16’ entries which were more creative than ever.

But the Bake Off competition was only the start, with all the enOrganisers Charlotte tries being sold Foy & Beccy Kay to raise money for the Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Largest Coffee Morning.

The cakes were sold on the morning of Sunday, September 20 at the White Horse in Birstall. Good weather enabled the organisers to host the event outside in the pub garden.

Rebecca said: “The Covid situation did not dampen the enthusiastic turnout and many customers booked a table. We had a system in place to make sure there was social distancing and there wasn’t a queue in front of the cake. The coffee and cake flew out and so far £1200 was raised- a truly staggering figure.”

The raffle stand had excellent prizes from some of the Horse’s key suppliers: there was a gin tour and glasses from local producer Burleighs and a bottle of North 42 gin, also from Leicester. St Martins' coffee roasters also donated a hamper of their products and bottles from Matthew Clark and boxes of chocolates too from Makro and the Co-op. from Macmillan, White Horse Vouchers Suppliers also provided most of the and of course the much-coveted winners' winners' prizes of family boxes of bisrosettes. cuits and bottles of prosecco. The winThe organisers send their thanks to ners also received mugs or water bottles the following for their contributions and

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Olive and Maple Foy, Phil Craxford, Amy Moore and Zoe White, Chef at the White Horse, of course following WI guidelines for appearance, texture and flavour.

Lastly, the organisers Charlotte Foy and Beccy Kay would like to say a huge thank you to everybody who took part, those who generously donated their baking and to everyone who came on Sunday to eat cake and raise this tremendous amount for Macmillan.

Watch this space and our Facebook page for details of 2021's Great Birstall Bake Off, but until then - keep baking!

Winners’ List and their entries: Cupcake / Traybake – Evie and Lola Fletcher –Mint Aero Rocky road Best Decorated – Liana Condello – Leaf and berry chocolate cake Best Under 16 – Maya Hernandez – Buzy Bee Lemon Cake Best Cake – Katie Bateman – Thank you NHS Rainbow Cake Best Biscuit – Reggie Sutton- Strawberry, Lemon and Chocolate Macarons Best Bread – Andrew Gardner – North East Loaf Best ‘Free From’ – Sophie Kordewicz – Vegan coconut Cake with Rum frosting Best Savoury – Anna Beams – Cheese Straws Sweet Pastry – Cat Hanlon – Chocolate tart Birstall’s Best Baker – John Tointon – Was honoured for his continual support of the Bake Off over many years and excellent entries in 2020 He received a large bottle of Bells whisky, and White Horse Vouchers.

Lianna Condello

Pic: Judges Janet Vaughan, Kath Jones & Phil Craxford

Santa fun run John Tointon

Evie & Lola Fletcher

LOUGHBOROUGH ROTARY Club has organised a Santa Fun Run & Walk in the town for the last fifteen years.

An event is not possible this year, so the club is planning an 'Alternative' Santa Fun Run, where people will sign up and get a Santa suit and set themselves a challenge, to raise much-needed funds for a charity of their choice.

Linda Thompson, Virtual Chairperson of the 'Alternative' Santa Fun Run, said: “Everything is different this year!

Take part in our ‘Alternative’ Santa Fun Run in 2020, by setting yourself a challenge over the twelve days of Christmas, and raise much-need-

ed funds for your favourite charity. Sign up on www.santa-fun-run.co.uk, put on your Santa suit, and start making a difference! Even your dog can participate in his/her best ‘Santa paws’ outfit, and win a prize at the same time.”

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GP practices open for routine care

Reduce waste and refill plastic bottles

THE NHS is urging patients to continue accessing GP services, even though some practices may appear to look closed.

YOU CAN reduce plastic usage by choosing to refill your plastic containers when they are empty.

Practices are fully open for patients with symptoms and conditions requiring medical care. However, due to changes in place to protect patients and NHS staff during the pandemic, patients need to phone their practice or go online to book an appointment to be treated over the phone, via a video link or to be seen by a doctor or nurse in person if necessary. Often pharmacists can give quick and helpful advice and treatment which might be more convenient.

Parents of sick children should also seek advice and treatment by phoning their GP practice in the first instance, NHS111 or in the case of an emergency, by accessing emergency services.

Anybody concerned that they may have possible symptoms of cancer must call their GP practice so that they can be checked out. Doctor Nil Sanganee, a GP in Leicestershire said: “Your GP practice

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“Since the pandemic, we have been working in different ways, taking precautions to protect patients and our staff.

“Whilst some patients are continuing to be treated remotely, others still have to attend their practice in person for emergency and non-emergency services.

“Due to these changes practices may appear to be quieter or even look closed, but we are fully open for our patients “In particular, if you have noticed possible symptoms associated with cancer, please call your practice to discuss these. Women due cervical screening will be contacted to book an appointment and I urge them to do so.

“Some of you may be experiencing delays in getting through to your practice due to the volume of patients phoning in. We would like to thank you for your patience and ask that you bear with us so that we can continue to provide you with the care you need.

“We have taken measures at all Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland practices, including use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and social distancing and we’d like to assure patients that it is safe to attend your practice with an appointment.”

Patients should access GP services by phoning their practice or checking their practice website for further information on how to access care. Patients will be triaged on the telephone or via video link by a health professional and in some cases if necessary, patients will be asked to attend their practice. Patients should not attend their practice without an appointment.

People who need to access urgent care services or a Minor Injury Unit should also book an appointment through NHS 111, rather than walk-in.

This will ensure that they can access the best possible services whilst protecting themselves and others.

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THE BIRSTALL POST will be published on Oct 31.

The copy deadline is Oct 16.

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Parish Council notes A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council was held via Zoom on September 14.

It was reported that the county council had responded to the parish council’s letter about the temporary pop-up cycle scheme. The county says it will monitor the scheme which will be left in place for six to nine months. A second tranche of government funding is available and the county says it will conduct a full public consultation before introducing any permanent measures utilising that funding.

It was agreed to wait for the future public consultation before taking any further action.

The council agreed in principle to assist with the organisation of a Remembrance event at the War Memorial this November after it was notified by Charnwood that the Royal British Legion’s guidance to its branches nationwide was that local branches should not organise events this year due to Covid-19.

Councillors considered the proposal from Councillor Jeff Green, passed at the August meeting, that the council set up a working party to consider ways it could improve, and new ideas and new ways of working.

Working parties must have a minimum of three councillors, they are not subject to the strict rules of a formal council meeting and cannot make decisions, but can put forward recommendations to the full council.

It was agreed that Councillor Keith Hampton draws up the terms of refer-

ence for a working party and that any councillor can volunteer to participate.

Councillor Hampton said: “The most important thing is that we maintain an open dialogue and that people feel comfortable about contributing and feel they can join and leave [the working party] as they please.”

The council has received three Freedom of Information requests in June from the same individual. They were not happy with the responses and requested an internal review, which was undertaken. The requestor was not satisfied with the internal review responses and indicated they would complain to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

The clerk’s report states that dealing with the FOI requests had cost the council 42 office hours.

It was agreed, having taken advice from the council’s data protection officer, that the council refer itself to the ICO for a free audit of its FOI arrangements.

Parish clerk Sue Coulson said she would welcome an audit as it would show if the council is doing things right or if any improvements were needed.

The council considered requests received from local groups for funding and grant aid. It was agreed to award £1000 to Acorn under-fives for outdoor space, £300 to Gunns’ Gym for equipment, £200 to the Birstall & Wanlip WI, £600 to the Diabetes self-help group and £600 to Birstall Playgroup for Children with Special Needs.

The next meeting will take place on Zoom on October 12.

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

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Group’s thanks and support

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THE HELPING our Community and the Birstall NHS Scrubs groups have continued to support our community and the local hospitals.

Group co-founder Rosie Rollings reports: Many hours have been spent tracking down some of the forgotten key workers in our community. Following a generous donation from funds raised for key work-

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of many more quilts and items. Another project was to make mammogram gowns for Glenfield Breast Care unit in pretty floral prints. The work of both groups will continue to inform and engage the community and be there if we should face further restrictions. A huge thank you to Naz for her generosity, to all the ladies sewing for UHLs and members of both groups for the continued support.

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Hit & run: man hurt The car was reported to have been driven away from the scene following the collision.

Two men aged 18 and 22 have been arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and have Police were called to the incident been released on police bail pending just after 4pm on Tuesday, September 8 further enquiries. which involved a white Fiat 500 car and Detective Sergeant Tom Brenton a pedestrian. said: “Despite these arrests, we would East Midlands Ambulance Service like to continue to appeal to anyone was also in attendance and the pedestri- who has any information in relation to an, a man in his 30s, was taken to the collision or the vehicle and has not hospital with serious injuries. He has yet spoken to us to make contact. since been discharged.

“If you have any dashcam footage from the area, you should also check this and get in touch.”

Anyone with any information should contact 101 quoting incident 386 of September 8.

Pic: a man was injured on Greengate Lane

TWO MEN have been arrested after a man was left with serious injuries following a nonstop collision in Greengate Lane, Birstall.

Pic: Birstall postal workers received thank-you chocolates

ers by Nazrin Began we were able to reward our refuse collectors, street cleaners and all of our posties.

They have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic. All of the recipients were thrilled to receive a small gift.

Sometimes we forget how a little gesture can mean so much to someone doing their daily work during these difficult times. The photos were shared on the community page and attracted many positive and grateful comments.

Scrubs The Birstall NHS scrubs team have distributed over 200 limited edition Rainbow scrubs to our local hospitals and Rainbows children’s hospice. The group wanted the scrubs to be distributed and worn as soon as possible, so opted out of the presentation scheme.

They are pleased to be receiving pictures of grateful recipients.

Quilts We have made over 200 quilts for NICU Children’s HDU and other areas.

We appealed for donations towards purchasing wadding and the community responded, enabling us to purchase 100 meters of wadding to enable the making

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

1 - 4 - ALL Luke Rames The community group has also helped to promote Luke Rames with his fundraising for his expedition to Ecuador.

Many adoptions have taken place of Luke’s homemade grass heads. They have been so popular and raised muchneeded funds.

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YOUR SAY...

The Birstall Post welcomes your views and opinions on any subject. Letters, which must include your name and address, (though not necessarily for publication) can be posted to: The Birstall Post, Unit 109, Greenacres, The Sidings, Leicester LE4 3BR, or email: editor@birstallpost.co.uk

Cycle lane I’m not sure why residents are surprised with the ‘temporary’ works being carried out on the A6 complete with promises that they are only temporary.

In another life down south, we had a nice new by-pass put in (it was expected in the 1930s) and the D of T together with the county council thought it would be a good idea to ‘enhance’ six market towns to take advantage of the reduction in traffic that by-passes were supposed to provide. So student highway engineers were let loose on six towns with the promise that if required, the changes would be removed.

Our market town had a bunch that had no idea about reading OS maps and didn’t realise than the main A41 London to Birmingham went through the Chiltern Hills which means bumps either side.

Their best ideas were called ‘pedestrian facilities’ which turned out to be pinch points on bus routes where the buses had to let ongoing traffic come down the hill while the buses stopped. Most hills were steep and some even had bends so that vehicles going up could see about 50 yards beyond.

Needless to say, these were some of their best ideas so we dispatched one of our councillors down to another market town in Cornwall. They were the first to get changes done and nicked all the money! The other five still have to put up with the ‘experiments’.

So don’t be surprised if the temporary works remain permanent with just minor changes as and when funds are available.

As the cycle facilities are installed, it would have been a good idea to educate the public and children in particular regarding the wearing of helmets together with the use of warnings when flying along, particularly in Watermead and passing unsuspecting walkers. The footpaths are still not actually cycle tracks unless marked as such.

I notice the government have twigged the problem regarding ‘parking’ on pavements somehow but I will not hold my breath regarding actually enforcing the current law.

Norman Cutting, Wanlip

Rare sighting I wish to report the sighting of a lesser spotted blue-capped cyclist on the pop-up lane of the A6 yesterday, cars had stopped, people were out with binoculars, some waving flags, as this rare almost extinct bird flew down his private road back to his nest.

At last the elderly, some with sticks, and the young mums with pushchairs and toddlers by the hand could understand the reason for the removal of the central safety island in the middle of the A6 which everyone used when crossing to the bus stop into Leicester.

When the entry of this sighting is posted in the Guinness Book of Records, as it surely will be, perhaps a footnote should be added detailing the cost to life and limb which the protection of this rare species has cost, not to mention the closure to traffic of several well-used village roads.

Another note should be added as to the inanity of the person or ‘body’ who gave permission for this thoughtless and totally unnecessary, expensive piece of destruction, without reference to the Parish Council, local MP, or the people of Birstall, who would have told them exactly what they thought of the idea.

Name and address supplied

Wings Appeal For those who may not know, Birstall has had a branch of the RAF Association for over forty years and is always ready to welcome new members. Regrettably, at the moment all activities are on hold, for reasons we all know, which means especially that we are unable to collect on the streets for the annual Wings Appeal (you may have seen us or the ATC at the Co-op for instance in previous years) in what is the 80th anniversary year of the Battle of Britain. The public is extremely generous when we make these collections and many like to stop for a chat. It is amazing how many have served in the RAF or who have a relative who has, or is indeed currently serving!

All money collected is used for welfare work amongst former and serving members of the RAF and although we collect all year round, the main effort is always centred around 15 September, Battle of Britain Day. I know times are difficult for everyone, but if there are those of you who would still like to make a donation, we have set up a JustGiving page which can be accessed at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/R AFABirstallBranchWingsAppeal Rest assured that all contributions

Noticeboard all details printed free Signs of an abusive relationship You may be: • in fear of your partner or family member • controlled by your partner or family member • constantly belittled Where to get help If you live in the city of Leicester, Leicestershire or Rutland and you think you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse or sexual violence, you can contact United Against Violence and Abuse (UAVA) Text only support: 07715 994 962 Phone advice line: 0808 802 0028 The advice line is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday.

It’s free, confidential and hidden from bills.

The police work closely with UAVA to make sure that victims receive the help and support they need

Birstall Food Hub Food to last a few days for anyone on benefits or low wages.

During lockdown we are no longer able to open on Tuesdays.

Please phone or text your details (name and how many of you) to 07305 093791 or email birstallfoodhub@gmail.com by Sunday evening. We will then arrange a delivery on the Monday will be gratefully received.

Many thanks and stay safe.

Charlie Bellamy Hon Secretary Birstall (Leicester) Branch RAF Association

Swans

Thank you to the Birstall Post and its readers and all who helped raise money for the swans. It was really nice of you to help them.

The total collected was £1222.

Sima is still being treated for lead poisoning. He has perked up and we hope he comes home soon.

Thank you so much to the Swan Centre helping him.

Julie, Watermead Swans justgiving/julie-watermead-swans

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

8

(Birstall or Wanlip only).

If you’d like to support us, there is a trolley at the back door of the Co-op in Birstall for any donations – only non-perishable food items and toiletries please – no fresh produce – or contact us on the above phone no. or email address.

Anxious or feeling low?

Let’s Talk – Wellbeing provides mental health support for people aged 16 and over who are suffering with anxi ty, depression and other similar difficulties across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

It offers free talking therapies for common mental health problems all of which can be accessed online.

Anyone can access the Let’s Talk – Wellbeing service by registering online here: www.letstalkwellbeing.co.uk and selecting the area you live in.

Alternatively you can register by calling the service directly: If you’re registered with a GP practice in Leicestershire or Rutland call 01509 561100.

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THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

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Promoting local shops A CAMPAIGN has been launched to highlight safe local high streets

there is nothing wrong with that.

“Shoppers also need to play a part by not only visiting the local high streets but by making sure they follow the guidance on social distancing, regular hand washing and wearing a face covering if they can in shops.”

As part of the Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign the Council will be adding more signage to shopping areas, highlighting what businesses are doing to

Shop Safe, Shop Local – that’s the message from Charnwood Borough Council and its partners as they call on people to support their local high streets and reassure them that significant steps have been taken to ensure visitors are safe when shopping in the borough.

Cllr Shona Rattray, the Council’s lead member for business support, said: “Our high streets in Charnwood need your support more than ever.

“They have been hit hard in recent months and as we continue to emerge from the pandemic we need to help them as much as we can so the Council and its partners will be issuing a rallying call to get out there and Shop Safe, Shop Local.

“We will be highlighting what we have done and are doing to make Pic: Birstall Borough Cllr Shona Rattray high streets safe places. We will also be shining a spotlight on the local busilook after customers and staff and renesses who have also had to rapidly minding people of the latest advice and adapt to operate in a Covid-19 world to guidance on shopping safely. look after their customers and staff.

The campaign is borough-wide as “We are very much in this together.

Charnwood has many shopping areas “I would encourage people to support including in Loughborough, Shepshed, the Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign by Thurmaston, Syston, Birstall, Anstey, making the effort to visit their local Quorn, Mountsorrel, Barrow upon Soar stores and see what they have to offer. and Newtown Linford. All will feature in “The pandemic has helped remind us the Shop Safe, Shop Local spotlight. that we can live life more locally and It follows the Council’s successful

Charnwood inBusiness campaign which featured more than 150 businesses who took the opportunity of a free advert in the local media as well as being showcased on the Council’s digital channels.

The campaign aimed to help companies connect with customers.

The Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign is funded thanks to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund which is support by the European Regional Development Fund.

The campaign is also being supported

by Love Loughborough. Lisa Brown, Love Loughborough manager, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign.

“There are a host of fantastic businesses out there who have adapted amazingly well to the new world we operate in and we would like to make sure people know how safe our high streets are.

Nothing is more important than everyone’s health and safety but we also need to look after the local economy and that can start by making sure people feel comfortable in their local high streets.

You can Shop Safe, Shop Local in Charnwood.”

The Council and Love Loughborough have also worked together to issued guidance and support to local businesses for both safeguarding their staff and ensuring customer safety.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.charnwood.gov.uk/shopsafeshoplocal

9

10

OCTOBER 2020 Visit our website at: www.villagewatch.co.uk and join our Group on Facebook

Still Uncertain Times

They Never Give Up

Several of our Coordinators have asked when we will be getting back to our normal Newsletter deliveries and we were beginning to look at possible options that could achieve this when restrictions were lifted further.

However, at the time of writing, new restrictions have been imposed and we are being warned that the situation could get even worse as we go into winter.

When we were forced to cancel the April delivery we had already printed the edition for that month and it has since gone for recycling. We do not want to be in that position again and do not want our Coordinators to put themselves at any unnecessary risk.

We are fortunate to be able to publish Village Watch News in the Birstall Post and will continue to do so for the time being.

Meanwhile, we would like to re‐assure all our Coordinators that we have not forgotten you and the valuable contribution you make to keeping our villages safer places in which to live. You are an important link in the chain and have been the source of a lot of useful information about things happening in your location that we regularly pass on to the Police.

Please stay as active as you can in keeping Neighbourhood Watch effective in your street but do not put yourself at risk and continue to stay safe.

One of our Members has reported that they received an email, allegedly from their bank, advising them of changes made to their online banking arrangements. It warned them that if they had not requested these changes, they should contact the bank immediately.

They were surprised, since they do not use online banking, and realised that it had to be a scam.

In the battle to safeguard customers from fraud, banks and building societies now send email or text messages whenever changes are made to online banking details. This alerts the customer, so that if something occurs that they did not authorise, they can take immediate action.

Of course, scammers have now turned this to their advantage.

The message reported to us included a link to a website made to look as if from the bank but actually controlled by the scammer. It would certainly ask for log‐in details and PINs, probably under the cynical guise of a ‘security check’.

Genuine messages of this kind will ask you to make contact by phoning a number you have acquired independently and that you can be sure is genuine.

This could be the number you regularly use for your telephone banking or that is on the website you use for online banking.

It is a good idea to check and make a note of these details in your own time, so that you have them to hand if you ever need them in an emergency.

Residents have been receiving phone calls offering free boiler replacements under a government‐funded scheme.

There is such a scheme but it is only available to a limited number of people who meet specific criteria.

These calls are simply a way of misleading people into signing a commercial agreement to have their boiler replaced with the assurance that they can then claim back the cost from the government or local council. It is only when they try to do so, having already paid in full, that they discover they are not eligible.

If you are contacted in this manner, be extremely cautious.

Never sign up to any deal simply on the word of a persuasive salesperson. Check with the local council if you think you may be eligible for assistance from them. If you are, you will, almost certainly, have to get their agreement in advance before you can have any work done.

For more information about what grants and assistance may be available, go to the government website: www.gov.uk/improve‐energy‐efficiency

Thanks to the Public Birstall had two burglaries in August, close to each other and only minutes apart, when car keys were taken and used to steal cars from the drives.

The Police appealed for information from the public and, as a result, they were able to trace the vehicles. Five people have been arrested and charged with burglary and theft.

If you see anything suspicious, no matter how trivial it may seem to you, it is worth reporting it in case it adds to a bigger picture the Police may already have.

Burglaries While there are instances of people being attacked in their own homes by burglars, they are thankfully very rare.

The vast majority of domestic burglaries occur when the home is empty. It is not surprising, therefore, that the number of reported burglaries has gone down during the lock‐down period.

We are now at a stage where people are beginning to return to work and the number of homes left empty during the day is increasing. This coincides with the nights drawing in and the clocks going back at the end of October.

An empty home and darkness is the combination burglars like best and they too will be keen to get back to work.

Now is the time to give your security its annual MOT. • Are all your doors and windows, patio doors especially, fitted with security locks that are operating properly?

• Are your garden fences and gates in good order (the majority of break‐ins occur at the rear of the property)?

• Does your burglar alarm work properly or does it need servicing?

• Do you leave your car keys on display where they can be stolen or cloned electronically from outside?

• Have you hidden away or locked in a safe valuable items like jewellery and passports?

• Do you have an up‐to‐date list of serial numbers of valuable items?

• Most importantly, have you got out of the routine of checking that everything is secure and operating properly every time you leave your home empty?

A little time and effort now can save a lot of heartache later.

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

Free Boiler Replacement

11

Important Contact Details As we report regularly, scammers use phone calls, emails and messages in their attempts to defraud people of their hard‐earned cash. Their intention is to panic potential victims into revealing their financial details, such as account details, passwords, PINs etc.

Contact details given in the messages are cleverly faked to look as if they are from your genuine service provider. They cynically request your details as part of their ‘security process’.

The best advice is always to treat unexpected contact of this kind with the deepest suspicion. No genuine organisation, such as the Police, HMRC, TV Licensing etc., will ever threaten you with arrest or prosecution the first time you hear from them. If your bank, building society or credit card provider is suspicious about a transaction on your account, they will simply block it and then check with you.

As people become more aware of these scams, the criminals become more devious and their messages become more convincing. A recipient may be rightly suspicious but still have a niggling doubt that it might be genuine after all. Then the advice is to contact the organisation it claims to be from

using contact details you have from a trusted source. NEVER use the details or links given in the suspicious message.

Part of the scammer’s plan is to panic people into doing something in the heat of the moment. Finding the correct phone numbers or email addresses at such a time may not be that easy. It is a good idea to make a list of the contact details of your service providers at a time you are not under pressure, so that they are there when you need them.

Many people nowadays keep all their important contact information on their smartphones and this is very convenient; but what happens if it is lost or stolen?

Make sure that you back‐up this information on a regular basis, so that it is not lost forever. You can do this to your cloud account or by printing out a paper copy.

This will not be immediately accessible when you are away from home without your phone, so carrying a paper copy, kept separately from your phone, is also a good idea. It should include your bank’s contact details, in case your cards or other sensitive documents also go missing.

A little forward planning can save an awful lot of stress if the worst ever comes to the worst.

Passwords

Membership Cards

The Covid‐19 crisis has led to many people who have had little interest or need to do so in the past, now finding themselves using the internet and its online services.

Inevitably, they have had to set up passwords to access their new accounts, often with little guidance on how to do so safely. Having to remember them easily and the number needed quickly increasing, has led to inexperienced users making some very basic errors.

There are some simple rules that should ALWAYS be followed: • Never use passwords that others can easily guess, such as your nickname, your pet’s name or your date of birth.

• Do not use, by itself, any word as it appears in dictionaries.

When the lock down began in March, we were in the process of collecting our annual subscription envelopes and issuing Membership Cards.

Like everything else, that relatively smooth operation was rudely interrupted but not before we had managed to deliver over a thousand cards to our Coordinators.

Our main delivery route, the Parish Council Office, was closed and we asked our Coordinators to hold on to any envelopes in their possession for the time being. We resumed collection in July and have now issued a further five hundred or so cards.

These have been sent by post to the relevant Coordinators.

However, we have made it clear that we do not expect them to deliver them to their members unless they are confident it is safe to do so.

•

Never use the same password for more than one account.

• Always use a mixture of small and capital letters, numbers and symbols, e.g. (+,=$!?.

If you write them down, keep your list secure and out of sight.

One way is to use an old printed book and writing them in the inside margins of subsequent pages. Then all you have to remember is the page where your list starts and not to generously lend it to a friend!

There is a lot more guidance about creating and using passwords on our website: www.villagewatch.co.uk/passwords

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

Local Police News The Birstall and Wanlip Neighbourhood Team produces a monthly Newsletter written by our Beat Officer, Dave Jaeckels. It contains news about recent crime in our villages, crime prevention advice and other information about the Team’s activities.

You can read it in full each month on our website:

www.villagewatch.co.uk/police

Flu Jabs Flu is an infection that can be just as serious as the Covid‐19 virus for some people and, as winter approaches, will place additional strain on the NHS just when it does not need it.

The 2020 vaccination programme is now underway and vulnerable groups, especially the elderly, should check with their GP surgery or local pharmacy if they have not been contacted already.

Contacting Birstall and Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch watch@villagewatch.co.uk 0756 2422 756 Calls go to our answering service but we always try to reply within 24 hours. Please remember to leave your number.

c/o Birstall Parish Council Council Office, Birstall Road, Birstall, Leicester, LE4 4DH

Thank you to Birstall Parish Council for continuing to support the Watch — www.birstallparishcouncil.org.uk © Published by Birstall and Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch — 0756 2422 756 — watch@villagewatch.co.uk

NHW news

& crime report Where do we go from here?

When the Watch, like the rest of the country, suspended most of its activities last March, we hoped that we would be getting back to normal in a relatively short time.

This, clearly, was not to be and we have to give some thought to how we can adapt to the longer period of uncertainty.

We were required to hold our Annual General Meeting in April to elect the committee and officers for 2020-21 but had to postpone it. There is still no way that we can organise a public meeting open to all and the organisation of something similar online presents a number of difficulties. However, it is an issue that we should address.

Some of our activities have continued.

Publishing the newsletter in various forms, moderating our Facebook page, processing subscription envelopes and issuing membership cards, keeping our website up-to-date, monitoring the Watch phone and email address, are among those that it has been possible to do while social distancing and self-isolating.

They have, however, fallen to just a few people. This is not sustainable in the longer term.

The established route of communication with our volunteer coordinators had to be suspended and has been replaced, when appropriate, by using Royal Mail.

However, the high cost of postage means that this can only be used infrequently.

Architectural plans

drawn & submitted for planning permission & building regulations approval Tel: 0116 4105060 / 07974807111 E: info@amlidesign.co.uk W: www.amlidesign.co.uk

David Ives Bsc(Hons) MCIOB FCABE C.Build E. Chartered & Accredited

Our treasurer has advised that he will have to give up the post in the next few months because of health issues and we are seeking somebody to replace him.

Indeed, we are always looking for people with new ideas and energy to join us.

The challenge is to adapt the Watch to operate effectively in the new circumstances. Your fresh thinking, ideas and skills would be very welcome.

Please send us an email to: watch@villagewatch.co.uk or leave a message on our answerphone and we will get back to you: 0756 2422 756 Please continue to keep safe.

Ed Chambers

Committee Chairman Priorities During September the beat team will be focusing on conducting patrols in the area around Meadow Lane as we have had reports of drug use, Anti-Social behaviour and more recently a report of a robbery in this area. This robbery occurred on August 26 and resulted in a young male having his pedal cycle stolen from him, although thankfully he was not harmed during the incident. We are currently completing enquiries concerning this incident and are reviewing CCTV footage in the area to identify the people responsible. If anyone has any information with regards to this robbery, please contact us on 101 or via the Leicestershire Police website quoting crime reference 20000446559.

Crime Update In August we had 39 recordable crimes reported to us, which is down from 45 in July. We had 12 Public Order offences reported (the vast majority of these relate to arguments between neighbours, however, due to the way we record offences these are classified under the ‘Public Order’ heading), 6 reports of assault, 5 reports of criminal damage (including 2 reports of damage to motor vehicle), 4 thefts from vehicles, 3 ‘other’ thefts, 3 house burglaries, 3 drugs offences, 2 reports of robbery and 1 non-dwelling burglary.

Concerning the house burglaries that were reported, I am pleased to report that three people have already been arrested and charged in relation to two of these with a fourth person being arrested and released under investigation whilst further enquiries are conducted. A suspect has also been identified in relation to the non-dwelling burglary, however as yet no arrests have been made concerning this incident.

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of the venues that we have used in the past are either still not open or are difficult to make Covid-safe. Our intention, however, is to conduct some ‘street consultations’ over the coming weeks and we will advertise these via our Charnwood Police twitter account or Neighbourhood Link.

In the meantime, you can stay in touch with your beat team by contacting us via phone, email or through the Leicestershire Police website. Neighbourhood Link is also a free and easy way of finding out what is happening on the beat and what the Police are doing in your area. It is free, only takes a few minutes to sign up and you can choose what you receive information about. You can also complete a survey about what matters to you and what issues you would like us to concentrate on. Sign up now at:www.neighbourhoodlink.co.uk You can also follow us on twitter at @CharnwoodPolice Crime Prevention Advice As stated in the ‘Priorities’ section above, we had a report of a robbery in Meadow Lane on August 26 and we also had another report of a robbery on Loughborough Road on August 20 in which the victim had money stolen from him. Thankfully reports of robbery in Birstall are extremely rare, however, when they do happen they can cause great distress and leave the victims fearful to go out. Some simple ideas can help prevent you from being targeted: 1) Try not to go out walking alone after dark, and if you must do, stick to well-lit roads rather than cutting down alleyways or through wooded areas etc.

2) Do not walk along talking on your phone and advertising it to others.

3) Be aware of your surroundings and if you feel uncomfortable passing large groups of people consider going a different way or finding somewhere safe and calling a friend to get them to come & meet you.

A message from Sgt Kilsby I have recently taken over as the Sergeant covering Birstall and I am looking forward to meeting local residents and tackling any concerns you may have.

You have a fantastic team of dedicated beat officers who will work tirelessly to resolve any problems and work with the community. Please feel free to contact me directly and also follow us on social media: @CharnwoodPolice The beat team have been dealing with a number of neighbour disputes this month and have been working with both Charnwood Borough Council and other housing providers in order to resolve these. Unfortunately, the ‘lock-down’ period seems to have caused tension between many households which has resulted in neighbours falling out with one another—if you are having problems with your neighbours please try to resolve these amicably or seek help and advice before things breakdown completely, as it is much harder to solve these problems when the relationship is completely fractured.

The beat team have also been out delivering leaflets concerning thefts from vehicles due to a slight rise in the number of these this month and we have also been out arresting people for failing to adhere to their court bail conditions.

For further crime information please visit: www.police.uk/leicestershire/NL60/ Sgt 1724 Kilsby PC 1759 Jaeckels PCSO 6611 Butler PCSO 6128 Taylor

Council’s energy switching scheme RESIDENTS IN Charnwood can now reduce their carbon footprint and save on their energy bills with ‘Charnwood Big Switch’.

The Council’s energy switching partner iChoosr has introduced new rules which mean only suppliers offering 100% renewable electricity tariffs can take part in auctions.

Charnwood Big Switch was launched last year to help residents change energy suppliers with ease and get a better deal. More than 200 residents have now registered for the scheme since it launched and those who switched in May saved an average of £247 each on their bills.

Cllr Paul Mercer, lead member for housing, said: “It’s been great to see so many residents saving money on their energy bills since the scheme launched. Switching suppliers can be daunting and Charnwood Big Switch helps people change suppliers with ease and save money on their bills.

“As a council, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint, so we were pleased to see that 100% renewable electricity tariffs have been introduced through the scheme. This is in line with council-owned and managed sites which are also supplied by renewable electricity. It means residents will now be helping the environment as well as saving money on their bills.

“There is no commitment to switch so I would encourage people to register to see what they could save before deciding to go ahead.”

Council sites such as Southfields offices, Loughborough Town Hall and Charnwood Museum are supplied by renewable electricity.

Charnwood Big Switch is delivered by the Council and iChoosr, an independent specialist provider in collective energy switching.

Collective switching gives people the opportunity to pay less for their energy. Residents can switch electric or dual fuel and can choose to have paper bills or to manage their accounts online. iChoosr hold three auctions a year and energy suppliers compete to provide the lowest priced tariff in the auction.

Residents can register for their interest in the scheme for free and the next energy auction will take place on October 19, 2020 For more information about Charnwood Big Switch and to register, visit https://www.charnwood.gov.uk/charnw oodbigswitch

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

12

Wildflower scheme BIRSTALL AND Mountsorrel Parish Council have signed up for a scheme to encourage wildflowers to grow on grass verges.

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

A total of 12 parish councils in the county are working with Leicestershire County Council to improve the biodiversity of their roadsides by creating wildflower verges.

The county council’s verge initiative aims to improve biodiversity and encourage wildlife, by leaving wildflowers to flourish on roadside verges across Leicestershire. The initiative forms part of the council’s wider work to tackle climate change and commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

Residents interested in joining the wildflower verge scheme can contact the team on ETDSpecialProjects@leics.gov.uk Trevor Pendleton, county council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “We take our climate and environmental responsibilities seriously. These new, more natural verges will encourage the growth of a range of wildflowers and provide habitats for wildlife to thrive.

We are really pleased that parishes are willing to try out this new way of managing our roadways and want to improve the biodiversity of their communities. We hope to work with many more parishes on this initiative in the future As well the wildflower initiative the county council has changed the management of rural verges between towns and villages. This year marked the largest reduction in the areas of rural verges the county council have cut, all to allow wildflowers to thrive and encourage pollinators.

Mr Pendleton added: “Our priority will always be the safest possible use of our Leicestershire roads, there will always be verges that need to be cut in order to ensure the grass does not impede the vision of drivers.”

“If anyone in Leicestershire believes an area of road is being cut that does not need to be I urge them to discuss with their parish council the possibility of a wildflower verge.”

The majority of highway verges are the responsibility of the county council, some are privately owned, and some are managed by contractors on behalf of the council.

The Parish Councils participating in the scheme: Birstall Mountsorrel Broughton Astley Sileby Thurlaston Sheepy Magna Barkby and Barkbythorpe Great Easton Hallaton Fleckney Thurnby Kirby Muxloe

Pick your Halloween pumpkin BROOKLEA NURSEY is offering its first-ever ‘Pick Your Own Pumpkin’ weekends, a family day out picking pumpkins of all shapes, colours and sizes.

Pumpkin picking is open weekends from October 10 and pumpkins can also be bought from the nursery shop daily.

Owner Nathan Proud said: “This year has tested us all but the nation has continued and because of the lockdown, has discovered a love of gardening.

“Our gardens have really become an oasis to escape to and have proven to help improve our physical and mental health during such uncertain times.

“I am so proud of our little team, we have had to cope with the stresses of sudden change and are adapting every day to keep everyone safe when visiting the nursery.

We want to thank all of our customers whose continued support and pa-

Pic: Brooklea Nursery, Rothley

tience means more to us than ever before and gives us a reason to keep on going no matter what trials we face.”

The nursery grows and stocks an

extensive range of trees, shrubs, perennials, seasonal bedding, hanging baskets and everything you need to grow your own fruit and veg.

Plans for Leicester’s New Walk A NEW five-year plan to further preserve and enhance the historic character of Leicester’s New Walk area has been published by the City Council.

The New Walk Conservation Area Management Plan sets out a range of actions and policies that will help further protect the historic buildings and improve open space in and around Leicester’s popular Grade II-listed Georgian promenade.

As part of the new plan, Leicester City Council will invest in improvements to the street scene and pocket parks in the area. It will also introduce new protections under planning law to help preserve the unique character of the New Walk Conservation Area.

Work is already underway to refurbish New Walk’s distinctive wrought iron lamp columns, with a unique Victorian example having been reinstated outside Leicester Museum and Art Gallery this week.

The plan includes decorative iron fencing, seating and bollards refurbished and repaired as well as works to improve the three main open spaces on New Walk – Museum Square, De Montfort Square and The Oval – to make them more welcoming to visitors.

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At Museum Square, the existing paths will be resurfaced and seating will be improved. There will also be improvements to planting in the surrounding beds to provide year-round interest.

New trees have been planted at De Montfort Square and The Oval and proposals are being developed for improved planting, new footpaths and better access.

Signage will also be improved to raise awareness of the New Walk Conservation Area.

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Covid cup final winners A VERY different type of season ended with success for the clubs 2ndXI against Shepshed in the Covid Cup Final.

A superb 114 from club stalwart Ian Bartlett and a last-wicket stand of over 40 between Dillon Edwards and Jack Wright enabled the team to reach 275 in their 40 overs. They then dismissed the opposition for 151. The league was split into small divisions of six teams playing each other once with the top four going into play-offs. Four victories with one match rained off meant the team finished top of their group and a semi-final against Appleby Magna. Jon Gaydon made 100 not out as the team won by over 200 runs.

However, there was disappointment for the 1stXI who also qualified for the semi-final but had to forfeit their match due to not being able to find a pitch to

Santa’s tour Pic: Birstall’s winning 2nd XI team

play the game on following the decision

by Birstall Parish Council not to allow cricket on the School Lane playing fields.

At least some cricket was possible

this year and we all hope that come April 2021 things will be back to some sort of normality.

From Birstall Village Cricket Club

Navigate Birstall labyrinth A LABYRINTH has been created in a lawn beside St James’ church.

Gill Chester explains: A labyrinth – what’s one of those? And is there one in Birstall?

Firstly, a labyrinth is not a maze. A maze has many dead ends. It’s possible to get lost in it. A labyrinth, on the other hand, has only one path to the centre and back out. The path twists and turns back on itself many times before reachalongside the labyrinth making some ing the centre. Once at the centre, there suggestions about how to walk it. There is only one way back out, and you can't will also be some more information on get lost! the church website (www.birstall.org).

Labyrinth walking is an ancient practice used by many different faiths for spiritual centring, contemplation, and The November issue of prayer. The journey through it is a slow THE BIRSTALL POST walk that quietens the mind. This can will be published on Oct 31. help to focus the mind on a particular The copy deadline is Oct 16. question, idea, reflection or prayer. It takes the walker on a unique journey. It can symbolize aspects of their journey through life.

It can be a life-changing experience.

Is there one in Birstall? We hope there will be by the time you are reading this! There is a ‘lawn’ to the side of St. James’ Church on Church Hill, in Birstall. A SCALED-BACK Remembrance event will take place in Birstall Towards the end of September a group of local people, mostly from ‘Nearer’, this November. will be creating a labyrinth, mown into The parade, service and act of Rethe grass. membrance at the War Memorial is We intend to have a poster displayed organised each year by the Birstall branch of the Royal British Legion.

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Royal British Legion has issued national guidance to all its branches that Coronavirus (Covid-19) positive they should not take on this role this cases, September 14-20 year.

Birstall: 5 Birstall Parish Council has agreed to Rothley & Mountsorrel: 15 enter discussions with Charnwood BorNumber of deaths involving Covidough Council to organise a small event 19 between 1 March and 31 July this November. It is anticipated that the 2020 usual church service at Saint James will not take place. There will be an act of Birstall: 18 Remembrance at the wall memorial and Mountsorrel & Rothley: 3 Source: ONS wreath-laying.

Remembrance in Birstall

Covid-19

In normal times there will also be leaflets that can be used and that people can take away.

We hope that this will become a sacred space. A place where people, of any faith, or none at all, can walk and think or pray, finding peace, direction, solutions – whatever is needed. It could also be an important place to work through what has happened due to Covid-19 since March, to work out where we are now, and to step into the future with hope.

We hope and pray that it may become a special place for the people of Birstall. nearergroup@gmail.com

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WREAKE VALLEY Rotary Club’s Christmas sleigh will be on tour locally during December.

A club spokesman said: “Santa Claus will obey social distancing rules this year and will be raising funds for mainly local charities.

“Please do come out to say hello when you see him. As always we thank you for your support.”

Full details of his planned routes will appear in early December on www.wreakevalleyrotary.org.uk

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THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

14

News from the churches THE GOOD news is that things are tions of Psalm 137 recently, the psalm starting to happen in our churches! that asks the question ‘How shall we Even though we are socially (which sing the Lord’s song in a strange land’?” means quite anti-socially) distanced in Church Finances the pews, the church at St James is alAt the recent finance meeting (also most as full as it can be at the moment, via Zoom) concern was expressed at the for the Sunday service at 9.30am, and at state of the Church’s finances. Despite Our Lady & St Nicolas at 6pm. two one-off large donations (for which We are dutifully signing in, using Birstall Methodist Church is very gratehand sanitiser and following direction ful), the church was £600 in deficit at arrows into and out of the churches. For the end of its accounting year (August those who cannot come to church for 31). Many friends who give to the any reason, there is a Zoomed service church have not done so, as there are from Wanlip every Sunday evening, and limited opportunities to give coins and for those who would like prayer, in their notes at present. Any sums of money, home or garden, please contact Kerry large or small can be transferred into Emmett on 0116 319 4736, who will be the Birstall Methodist Church’s account pleased to help you. sort code 56 00 55, account number The Leicestershire Historic Churches 34060553. If you have any questions Trust’s, fund-raising event took place in regarding financial contributions contact September, and both of our churches Tony Moore 2676207 or 07885985141 were open for visitors on that day, social- or email mooretony@btinternet.com ly distanced of course. A number of us Mystery Photos & Mystery Books will be visiting St Theresa’s for their A few weeks ago two carrier bags of celebration of the Feast of St Theresa on books were left outside the door of the October 1, with a Mass and light refresh- church, we have no idea who left them ments to follow. The joining of our or even why they had been left. However, churches in Birstall and Wanlip for any inside one of the books were two photooccasion is always a cause to celebrate. graphs. The church is keen to return The bad news is that coronavirus still these personal photographs (and the has the upper hand, and all may change! books if they were left by mistake).

From the Parish churches of St James the Please contact Paula to reclaim these Great, Birstall, and Our Lady & St Nicolas, photos (tel 2673960).

Wanlip.

From Birstall Methodist Church

Methodist Church open at last The church on Wanlip Lane has been closed since ‘Lockdown’ but, finally, a service of Methodist Worship was held on Sunday, September 20. However, unusually, the worship was not open to all due to the Covid situation. It was open experimentally mainly for those members of the congregation who had been unable to share in the ‘on line Zoom’ services.

The service was streamed live, using the ‘Zoom’ facility.

The restrictions for the congregation were considerable. To attend, it was necessary to book a seat (they are very limited). Once seated you cannot move to speak to someone else, even after the end of the service. You cannot sing, and, of course, need to wear a mask throughout. Our minister Rev Paula Hunt writes (in part of her longer weekly letter “It's clear that we will not be getting back to the old way of doing things any time soon - and it might feel somehow “wrong” at first to be wearing masks in church, not singing, and not able to chat over coffee afterwards. It will certainly be strange, and I’ve heard several varia-

Thanksgiving This is the time of year when we would normally be holding our Harvest Thanksgiving service. It is an opportunity to thank the Lord for His blessings to us in all areas of life, not simply the gathered food harvest.

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the sailing in September 1620 of the ‘Mayflower’, taking the Pilgrim Fathers to form the settlement of Plymouth, Massachusetts. They were a group of Puritans from Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, who had earlier fled to Leiden in the Netherlands to escape persecution at home. Arriving in December, with insufficient food and facing a harsh winter, they were helped by a Native American to survive and had produced a small harvest by 1621 and their service to thank God for keeping them is the basis of the annual Thanksgiving Holiday held in the USA (November) and Canada (October) today.

Two hymns we regularly sing at harvest time include ‘We plough the fields and scatter’ and ‘Come, ye thankful people come’. The first of these originated in Germany, being some verses taken

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from a longer poem written in 1782 by therefore with real sadness that we are 15 Matthias Claudius, the son of a Lutheran unable to use the wonderful Birstall pastor, depicting the celebration of harVillage Hall at this time. We are grateful vest in a farmhouse. A period of severe for the Birstall Parish Council doing all illness in his thirties had brought him they can for us, but at this time the hall back to his Christian faith. The translais simply not big enough for us to meet tion we normally sing was made in the safely.

19th century by Jane Montgomery CampTherefore, for a period of time, we bell, originally for the children in the have merged two of our campuses and school attached to her father’s parish in TLC Birstall and TLC Beaumont Leys have Paddington, London. formed TLC North meeting at Beaumont The second hymn was written by Leys School, Anstey Lane. There will be Henry Alford, who was born in London an 11am service with the option to run a in 1810. He dedicated himself to the 9.30am service in addition, as required.

Lord Jesus Christ at 15 and he became People from Loughborough, Birstall, one of the most gifted men of his day: Mountsorrel, Beaumont Leys and the poet, eloquent preacher, lecturer, paintsurrounding areas will be gathering er, musician (composing music and together. being able to build an organ and play it), Our services will last just under an writer of some 50 books and a noted hour and contain a mixture of live conBible-scholar. tent and items to watch on the screen.

After a number of church appointThere has been a lot of thought and ments in the Church of England, he care to ensure your safety. We will be became Dean of Canterbury and died in following social distancing guidelines 1871. with one-way systems throughout the He was a man of strong faith and, as building and everyone will be required a preacher, always sought to point his to wear a face mask. We will be seating hearers heavenward, which is why only people in households so please arrive at the first stanza of this hymn deals with least 10 minutes early to be seated. the earthly harvest, the other three porIt will be a little different but it will tray the spiritual harvest of precious be a joy to be together again in this way souls when the Lord comes for the final and God is still able to do great things judgement and will take His people to amongst us. We are also offering safe the final harvest-home (heaven). and fun children’s work for primary If you would like to know more aged children and a group for young about this ‘final harvest’, then please people. Again, all have been carefully contact us. planned within government guidelines.

At the time of writing, it is still not To request a seat go to our website clear when we will be able to resume www.trinitylifechurch.org.uk and click Sunday services at The Cedars, so please on the simple form to book. check with our website Join hundreds of people who have (http://www.birstallbaptistchurch.org.uk) already returned to TLC Campuses or phone us on 0116 2214883 for uparound Leicestershire. to-date information.

We will continue to have small groups From Birstall Independent Baptist meeting in Birstall and if you need a visit Church or food or some support simply call 0116 2558672 or email HELLO EVERYBODY! What a strange admin@trinitylifechurch.org.uk season we are living through.

From David and Susan Hind, Senior Pastors Trinity Life Church We have taken comfort from God’s promise in the Old Testament book of Hosea…. ‘I will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope” Hosea 2:15 NIV Achor was a place of trouble and gloom and yet the Father’s heart was to turn that place of trouble and gloom into a door of hope.

This is still the promise of God for PLANS FOR a railway museum your life. Let His hope fill your heart today! at the GCR’s Leicester North Trinity Life Church meets in many station have been delayed by buildings in the city and county and as Covid-19. we have begun to open our services The plans include a museum, staagain we have had to ensure that the tion and conference/education centre buildings we use are large enough to in one enclosed area. offer social distancing, breakout space The building will cost £7 million and separate children’s rooms. It is and will be delivered by the GCR, the County Council and Leicester City The Midlands Co-Operative Council.

Shortly before lockdown, Leicester Sports & Social Club City Council completed the environBirstall Road mental and archaeological survey of The ideal venue for for the proposed site at Birstall and these are now the subject of an intense Weddings • Parties review of costs.

Christenings etc The GCR says it expects a signifiLarge Function Room with use of Kitchen cant update before the year-end.

Separate bar for that quiet moment Plans for a major National Railway Car Park with CCTV coverage Museum on the site had to be Disabled facilities scrapped in December 2017 when the Mid Week Functions taken Heritage Lottery Foundation reversed Give us a call at Birstall Rd on its decision to award £9.5 million of 2674059 or 07586 255566 lottery money to the project. birstallcoop@outlook.com

GCR museum

Birstall BAG’s cancer corner Cancer Tests and Investigations When you are referred to a hospital there are a variety of tests and investigations you may be advised to have. These tests are everyday, routine occurrences in the hospital but for you, they may be anything but. If you have not been to hospital before the thought of having them done can be very worrying and frightening. Birstall BAGs would like to describe a few of the common tests used in diagnostic services.

X-rays An x-ray is a test that uses small doses of radiation to take pictures of the inside of your body. They are a good way to look at bones and can show changes caused by cancer or other medical conditions.

X-rays can also show changes in other organs, such as the lungs.

You have x-rays in the imaging department of the hospital, taken by a radiographer.

Ultrasound scan An ultrasound scan is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to create a picture of a part of the inside of your body.

The ultrasound scanner has a microphone that gives off sound waves. The sound waves bounce off the organs inside your body, and the microphone picks them up. The microphone links to a computer that turns the sound waves into a picture on the screen.

Ultrasound scans are completely painless. You usually have them in the hospital x-ray department by a sonographer.

MRI scan An MRI is a type of scan that creates pictures using magnetism and radio waves. MRI scans produce pictures from angles all around the body and shows

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flexible tube which has a tiny camera and light on the end of it.

There are many types of endoscopes up soft tissues very clearly. and the doctor uses these to look inside MRI stands for magnetic resonance different parts of the body. The name of imaging. the test you have will depend on which They take between 15 and 90 minutes. part of the body the doctor is looking at.

Colonoscopy Mammogram A colonoscopy looks at the whole of A mammogram is an x-ray of your the inside of the large bowel. breasts. X-rays use high energy rays to A doctor or nurse (endoscopist) uses take pictures of the inside of your body. a flexible tube called a colonoscope. The People have mammograms: tube has a small light and camera to check for cancer if you have breast at one end. The endoscopist symptoms - this is called a diagnostic puts the tube into your mammogram back passage and passas part of the breast cancer screening es it along the bowel. programme They can see pictures You might have a mammogram if you of the inside of your have: bowel on a TV monitor. a new lump or thickening in your Sometimes they will breast or armpit take tissue samples a change in size, shape or feel of (biopsies). your breast Bone scan skin changes in the breast such as A bone scan shows up changes puckering, dimpling, a rash or redness or abnormalities in the bones. It is also of the skin called: fluid leaking from the nipple in a a radionuclide scan woman who isn’t pregnant or breastfeedbone scintigraphy ing nuclear medicine bone scan changes in the position of the nipple A bone scan can look at a particular You may have this test alongside other joint or bone. In cancer, it is more usutests, such as a breast examination and al to scan the whole body. breast ultrasound in a one-stop clinic.

A large camera (called a gamma You might also have a biopsy. camera) scans you and picks up radioacHaving a breast examination, a scan tivity. or mammogram, and a biopsy is known You have the scan in either the medi- as a triple assessment. cal physics, nuclear medicine or x-ray The mammogram itself only takes a department at the hospital. The scan can few minutes. But you are usually in the take between 30 to 60 minutes, but clinic longer, especially if you have other you'll be at the hospital for several hours. tests.

If there are changes on the scan they CT scan may be called hot spots. These are not A CT scan is a test that uses x-rays always cancer. Bone changes can hapand a computer to create detailed picpen for other reasons like arthritis. You tures of the inside of your body. It takes might need to have a CT scan to know pictures from different angles. The comexactly where these abnormal areas are. puter puts them together to make a Endoscopy three dimensional (3D) image.

An endoscopy is a test that looks CT (or CAT) stands for computed inside the body. The endoscope is a long (axial) tomography.

You usually have a CT scan in the x-ray (radiology) department as an outNOT SELF” patient. A radiographer operates the “SERVICE scanner. The whole appointment can take up to an hour and a half depending on which part of your body they are scanning.

Help us in our work helping PET scan others less fortunate than PET scans are a type of test that creourselves ate 3 dimensional (3D) pictures of the inside of your body. PET stands for posiAll gifts and donations gladly tron emission tomography. accepted at the The PET scan uses a mildly radioactive drug to show up areas of your body ROYAL BRITISH LEGION where cells are more active than normal.

19 FRONT STREET • BIRSTALL It's used to help diagnose some condior Ring 2674817 tions including cancer. It can also help to find out where and whether cancer has spread. You’ll usually have a PET scan in the radiology or nuclear medicine department as an outpatient. These scanners tend to be only in the major cancer hospitals. So you might have to travel to another hospital to have one.

A radiographer operates the scanner.

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Blood tests Blood tests can: check your general health, including how well your liver and kidneys are working check numbers of blood cells help diagnose cancer and other conditions Your blood sample is sent to the laboratory. Specialist technicians and doctors look at your sample under a microscope.

They can see the different types of cells and can count the different blood cells. They can also test for different kinds of chemicals and proteins in the blood.

We hope you have found this interesting. Please remember there are various information services available to you if you would like to discuss anything you have read and you can always ask a member of your health care team.

For local support and information about cancer services please contact:University Hospitals of Leicester Cancer Information Centre on 0116 258 6189 For more information on the funds Birstall BAGs have raised, the projects we support and forthcoming events see www.birstallbags.co.uk or look us up on Facebook or email birstallbags@hotmail.co.uk

THE BIRSTALL POST YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Unit 109, Greenacres, The Sidings, Leicester LE4 3BR Editor: Mr Jerry Jackson Editorial/Advertising

0116 4422067 Correspondence, news etc can be emailed or handed in at our office: Unit 109, Greenacres, The Sidings Leicester LE4 3BR,

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Planning P/20/1711/2: 12 Villier Drive Birstall LE4 3NZ Single storey rear and side extension P/20/1708/2: 80 Blenheim Road Birstall Leicestershire LE4 4FL The erection of a single storey rear extension extending beyond the rear wall of the original house by 6m, with a maximum height of 3m, and height to the eaves of 3m.

P/20/1698/2: 50 Paget Avenue Birstall Leicestershire LE4 4HX Retrospective application for a garden room P/20/1683/2: 40 Woodgate Drive Birstall LE4 3JW single storey rear / side extension only P/20/1626/2: 41 The Crossways Birstall LE4 4ED Proposed canopy to front, two storey side & rear extensions and single storey rear extension (revised scheme, P/20/1115/2 refers) P/20/1599/2: 52 Park Road Birstall LE4 3AU Erection of two storey rear and single storey side & rear extensions to dwelling.

P/20/1562/2: 76 Curzon Avenue Birstall Leicestershire LE4 4AD First floor rear bedroom extension, extending 2.9m from rear of original dwelling P/20/1567/2: 27 Cliffe Road Birstall Leicestershire LE4 3AE Certificate of lawful development (proposed) for changing of garage door to bi-fold door and creation of access ramp to garage P/20/1521/2: 21 Beechfield Avenue Birstall LE4 4DB Two storey extension to side/rear and single storey extension to rear of dwelling

THE BIRSTALL POST OCT 2020

16