Birstall Post (453) April 2021 by The Birstall Post

Tesco os staff No. 453 abused

the Birstall p t Y O U R

C O M M U N I T Y

APRIL 2021

N E W S P A P E R

www.birstallpost.co.uk

Bananas about baking

A WOMAN fought with staff at Birstall’s Tesco supermarket, spat at them and shouted racial abuse when she was challenged about shoplifting. Jodie Marie Skelton (33) also wiped her blood on a shop worker after cutting herself in the struggle, reports Leicestershire Live. Skelton, of Martin Avenue, Mountsorrel, appeared at Leicester Crown Court in March and admitted to three counts of racially aggravated assault upon Tesco Express employees and shoplifting goods of an unknown value on December 21, 2020. She also admitted being in breach of two suspended sentences for having a bladed article and shoplifting in April 2020, and taking cannabis into prison

GIRLGUIDING BIRSTALL hosted a virtual family bake-along event in March, a finale to their Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations. Thanks to support from the team at the Co-op supermarket in Birstall, 46 families were involved, all

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Electrician ALL STARS & DYNAMO CRICKET in Birstall Asian Sports CC will be running All Stars Cricket and Dynamo Cricket this summer from School Lane playing field, Birstall. Both initiatives are official ECB programmes for girls and boys run by certified ECB accredited coaches. All Stars Cricket is for 5-8 year olds to introduce cricket in a fun game based manner. Dynamo Cricket is the latest ECB initiative for 8-11 year olds and is game based.

with members from all sections of Girlguiding Birstall. They were provided with free FairTrade ingredients through the Coop’s Community Fund to collectively make Banana Bread loaf over Zoom, with the Continued on page 2

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Mectric Pics: Olivia Jackson from 1st Birstall Rainbows licking out her bowl; holding cooked banana bread is Anaya Parmar from 2nd Guides - she came joint first nn the quiz!

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2 Baking continued from page 1

Tesco continued from page 1

expert guidance of Janice Cook, a former volunteer with Girlguiding. They also provided a selection of Co-op own brand Fair Trade chocolate for tasting as part of a FairTrade Quiz that families took part in while the cake was cooking, as well as prizes for the winning families. In addition, local Ranger and Young Leader Shannon Riley delivered an Easter Cupcake decorating demonstration to give girls some inspiration for future baking projects. Lisa Smith, mum of Daisy (a member of 2nd Birstall Rainbows), said: “The whole loaf was demolished by the family. Daisy was super proud of herself and there was a huge smile on her face when she saw how much her brothers loved her baking.” Adrian Walker, Member Pioneer for the Co-op in Birstall and Groby, said: “The aim of the event was to get members of the Birstall Co-op store involved in the local community, include youngsters who have become "stir-crazy" due to lockdown, encourage colleagues to volunteer time to help in the community, educate youngsters in a new skill for life; cookery.” He added: “It was lovely to see the families enjoying themselves through the generosity of the Co-op.” “We’ve had some lovely feedback from the girls,” said Gemma Jeffs and Hollie Davison, Girlguiding Birstall District Commissioners. “Many said they thoroughly enjoyed the event and the beautiful banana loaf it gave them at the end. This pandemic has forced us to find different ways to engage our members, but every cloud has a silver lining and interestingly this is the largest amount of girls we’ve had cooking at one time due to the small size of the kitchen in our usual meeting place! “We want to say a huge thank you to Kalpesh, the Store Manager at the Co-op, and Adrian for helping us to apply to the Community Fund and secure the funding to allow our members to participate in this event.” For further information on how to join Girlguiding, visit www.girlguiding.org.uk/interested

when visiting an inmate. Skelton visited the Sibson Road store accompanied by a male who distracted staff while Skelton put items into a bag. When challenged and asked to return the items, she threw them on the floor, pushed a member of staff who tried to detain her and grabbed him by the throat while hitting out and shouting racial abuse. Cutting herself in the struggle, she wiped her blood on a shop worker’s hand, saying: “I’ve got AIDS.” The incident lasted 15 to 20 minutes. Skelton was jailed for 41 weeks and banned from every Tesco store in England and Wales for two years.

Pics: (top) Daisy Smith from 2nd Birstall Rainbows; (inset) Shannon Riley (Ranger and Young Leader) giving cupcake decorating demonstration; (bottom) Lydia Goodfellow from 2nd Brownies

A FULL meeting of Birstall Parish Council was held on March 8. It was reported that the Parish Council has obtained two amounts of £20,000 from Covid-19 government grant schemes. £20,000 will be put towards new play equipment on the School Lane playing field, and the other £20,000 will be put aside for Birstall Gala 2022 (there will be no gala in 2021). The Edith Murphy Foundation has made a donation of £5000 towards play equipment, giving a total of £55,000 for play equipment in the 2021/22 budget (£25,000 from grants and £30,000 from council funds). The cricket season starts on April 24, and it was agreed to prepare the football pitches for games on April 4 and 11 before the cricket starts. It was reported that virtual council meetings are set to end from May 7, but that an extension is being sought to this date as it is considered by many to be impractical. It was agreed to wait until June 21 before offering parish rooms for hire to the public. The council has obtained a free English elm tree from Goscote nurseries. It will be named the Covid Elm, in commemoration of the pandemic and planted on the Edith Murphy car park near the memorial bench. It was agreed that the 2021 annual parish meeting be a virtual one and that it be held on Wednesday, April 21 at 6pm.

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THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

TERRY ALLEN

Parish Council notes

Swans get help finding a new home YOUNG SWANS reared at the Hallam Fields ponds have been kept safe by members of the public and Julie from Watermead Swans. Once they are a few months old and able to look after themselves, it’s normal for the parents to chase their cygnets away. They normally join the first flock of swans they encounter, but before finding a new home, the Hallam Fields swans are at risk of getting on the nearby A6 or A46 and walking, where they are a danger to themselves and traffic. They can also end up in residential back gardens. Julie from Watermead Swans said it can be mayhem as the cygnets are driven away. “They walk down the dual carriageway of the A6/A46 and cross it. They also go on all the side roads or in people’s gardens. I'd put up notices with contact numbers for people to ring the minute it happened and told them to ring the Police if they got on the roads. “Some really caring people at Hallam Fields were fantastic. They went down to help keep an eye on the situation and acted the minute they were driven off. I was there within a few minutes. We managed to stop four of the five walking down the roads. The other sadly left early one morning and was seen trying to cross the A6 and later standing on a roundabout. Fingers crossed it got to safety ok. “The cygnets are free to fly where they

own lake, they will get chased off. It's a very busy time for me.” Julie added: “Can I also say a very big 'Thank You' to Birstall Pet Supplies on Sibson Road for their ongoing collecting of £1 coins and donations for swan vet bills for me. That's really nice of them." Main pic: Julie rescuing one of the cygnets from a back garden on Saltersgate Drive

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“You see the unusual, but fantastic, sight of the parent with their newly hatched cygnets and last want. Some of them will join the flock of swans where they will grow up. The older ones will enjoy looking after them. It's always a lovely sight to see them helping them fly around. They will then meet a partner and normally breed when they are at least two years old. “I've seen one this morning on King Lear’s Lake with its new adult swan friends. There were at least two on the Mammoth Lake, and they both gave me little head greetings to say hello. “Not all swans drive their young away. We have a lovely pair at Watermead who let them stay while they have next years lot.

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years too! “The cygnets are not accepted everywhere, though. If they get onto the territory of a breeding pair with their

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Birstall pop-up cycle lanes to be removed

THE POP-UP cycle scheme on the A6 in Birstall will be removed in May. The County Council scheme was introduced in 2020 when the government released emergency funding to local authorities across England to promote cycling and walking, reducing reliance on public transport during the pandemic. The County Council was awarded a total of £335,000. The county says that following “engagement from residents and road users... and analysis of the use of the measures”, the council will: Remove the temporary cycle lanes Reinstate right turns and central hatched areas Remove the temporary signalised crossing Reinstate pedestrian islands and widen them where possible Implement a permanent 30mph speed limit, subject to consultation Cllr Trevor Pendleton, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The Emergency Active Travel Fund we received from the government was in-

Pic: the pop-up cycle lane on the A6

tended to be for temporary measures to help encourage and support the increase of active and sustainable travel experienced during the lockdown. “We appreciate the public’s feedback on this scheme and will continue to work closely with them to support safer walking and cycling in Leicestershire. As

part of our commitment to sustainable travel, we will be consulting on the implementation of a permanent 30mph speed limit on the A6. We will keep residents informed as details of the consultation, and any works on the A6, are confirmed.” Two other temporary schemes were

installed by the County Council, on the A47 Hinckley Road and on Kettering Road, Market Harborough. These schemes will be retained, with the temporary traffic signals made permanent and additional safety measures installed, including dropped curbs, additional signage, and adjustments to road markings. In August 2020, the county council submitted a bid to the government for a cycle scheme from Birstall to Loughborough along the A6, including off-road cycle lanes. It was offered £900,000, less than half the amount bid for, and chose to decline the offer due to the financial risk of topping up the funding itself. The county has decided to develop an evidence-based cycling and walking strategy to maximise opportunities when bidding for government funding in the future. A final draft is expected this summer.

Trespass warning THE GREAT CENTRAL Railway has issued a warning about trespassing on the railway line.

A BIRSTALL couple will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary in March. Ray (90) and Gill Merry (86) of Denegate Avenue were married on

March 31, 1956, at Saint Michael and All Angels Church, Melton Road, Belgrave. They watched their first house on Denegate Avenue, which cost them £1400, being built. They brought up three children, Karen

Susan and Adrian, who all went through Birstall schools. The couple plan on holding a celebration of their anniversary in June, when Ray will be 91 years old. Pics: Ray & Gill Merry today and on their wedding day

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

Celebrating 65 years together

A GCR spokesperson said: “The Directors of the Great Central Railway, which runs between Loughborough, through Quorn, Swithland, Rothley to Birstall, would like to remind all nearby residents, walkers, sightseers, hikers etc that the railway is in constant use and, even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic has continued to operate with live test trains some of which are permitted to travel at high speeds. “As such, the railway is not to be used by the public for their convenience, as the area must at all times be considered dangerous. It is also against the law to access the premises for recreation, apart from public crossings, and all such transgressions will be considered trespass. “There have been a number of recent examples where our staff have had to confront joggers and walkers who appear not to understand how incredibly dangerous it is to enter any part of the railway not sanctioned for public access.”

Running around the edge of Birstall HOW BIG is Birstall? This is the question that members of Birstall Running Club sought to answer in February, as their monthly challenge was to run the perimeter of our village. The challenge was devised by Scott Brownlow, Birstall coaching team and challenge master, who initiated the original 7.5-mile route, which covers the through-roads of Birstall. He said: “We wanted a challenge that was inclusive to all within the club and would keep people focused during February. We specifically wanted a challenge that was tough, that members could do alone or in pairs but wholly within the village, to comply with lockdown restrictions. So, we set a challenge to run the complete perimeter of Birstall, a distance of 7.5 miles. To be inclusive, the challenge could be met in a variety of ways. We expected the experienced runners to do it in one go while, for newer members, they were able to do it in two halves, north and south, or indeed in shorter increments.” Over 60 members took on the challenge. Some ran it clockwise, others preferred anticlockwise - and some ran it in a variety of different ways, making this an inclusive challenge for all abilities. The challenge was extended by running buddy Andy Collins who suggested the cul-de-sac version, which added another 5 miles! Ladies captain Elisa Whittlestone ran the route over a dozen times during February - covering over 90 miles. It wasn't long before people were running the route twice, firstly one way then immediately after in reverse (15 miles). This led to a healthy debate

Pic: the 7.5-mile perimeter of Birstall

Pic: Jackie Ward

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about which was the toughest direction. Jeanette Douglas (who lives on the perimeter route) ran every permutation of the challenge - north, south, east, west, and the complete route both clock-

wise and anti-clockwise - for the full house award (55 miles). Chris and James completed the fastest complete circuit and are the current record holders (7.64 miles in 51mins

19secs). And a special mention goes to Scott Kimberlin, who ran it four times in one day as part of a five-day 150-mile ultra event. Scott said: “It’s estimated that the runners covered almost 750 miles, and there was a slight preference that clockwise was the easier of the two directions, but it was far from unanimous. “We all won a bar of chocolate for our efforts which made it all worthwhile, but for most of us, we decided we'd give the perimeter a well-earned rest, at least for March!” For more info on the running club, visit their website: birstallrc.org.uk

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National day of reflection MANY PEOPLE paused at noon on Tuesday, March 23, to mark the national minute’s silence to remember those who have died in the pandemic. Since last March, there have been 12,000 Covid-19 cases in Charnwood, and more than 300 people in the borough have sadly lost their lives. A plan has already been unveiled for a lasting memorial in Loughborough to mark the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on local communities. The Hope Bell, revealed by the Loughborough Town Deal Board, would commemorate the lives lost to Covid-19, honour key workers who have helped battle the pandemic and be a symbol of hope for the future. Cllr Jonathan Morgan, Leader of Charnwood Borough Council, said: “The past year has been one of great sadness but also inspiration. Too many people have lost their lives, but many more could also have died without our fantastic NHS and care workers. “Key workers have also risen to the challenge and kept critical services operating so we could remain at home. “Our communities have also inspired

us by pulling together in a time of national crisis to look after each other. “Staff and members of this Council have worked hard to support residents and businesses, and we said at the start of the pandemic that we would stand by our communities. We have done exactly that, and we will continue to do so.” Rosie Rollings is a co-founder of the Helping Our Community Birstall Facebook group, set up within days of the first lockdown to support the community. She said: “As we reach the end of a year that will make the history books, we as a community group have achieved so much. The most outstanding memory will be the way the community embraced each other. Friendships have been made, neighbours who barely knew each other are on first name terms. When help was needed in the community, people’s generosity has been amazing. I would like to thank each and every member of the community group and scrubs group for their participation. Special thanks to Shreekant Raivadera, who printed enough leaflets for every house in Birstall. That enabled the community group to get up and running so quickly. Shreekant also paid for the patterns for scrubs that got the scrubs

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group going.” Edward Argar, MP for Charnwood and Minister of State for Health, said: “I sincerely hope the lasting legacy of the past year will not be of the pain and sacrifice endured, but rather the revitalised sense of community spirit in Charnwood, and right across the country, that has helped and inspired us all, showing the true strength of our towns, villages, and communities.” Ann Marshall, chair of Birstall Parish Council, said: “Community spirit and teamwork have been the two most important factors in getting Birstall residents through the national lockdowns. “Groups, individuals and local businesses stepped up willingly to provide help and support to those who needed it. “Led by our clerk and staff team, Birstall Parish Council made the necessary adjustments so that our Council could function as normal as possible, within government guidelines, and be available to assist Birstall residents and external partners when called upon. “Our parish council got to grips with virtual meetings so that council business could be continued. “We are proud to say that in unprecedented circumstances, Birstall responded. Our fervent hope is that in 2021 life can return to some sort of normality and that we can come together to enjoy family and much-missed community events and activities.”

Council tax increase CHARNWOOD BOROUGH Council has raised its share of the Council Tax by 3.6%. The increase will see the annual charge for an average Band D property rise by £4.56 to £131.08 from April 1, 2021. The increase was agreed at full Council on Monday February 22. At the meeting 36 councillors were in favour of the increase, 14 were against and there were two abstentions. Council tax pays for a range of services provided by Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue and the parish council where you live (or Charnwood Borough Council for people in Loughborough). The Charnwood element accounts for less than 10 per cent of the total bill. The May issue of

THE BIRSTALL POST will be published on Apr 30. The copy deadline is Apr 16.

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THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

Awards for services to Scouting THREE BIRSTALL men have been recognised with awards for the “outstanding contribution” they have made to Scouting. Bear Grylls, the Chief Scout, and the county commissioner made the awards of ‘Chief Scout’s commendation for good service’ to Keith Torrance and Nick Bryan, and the ‘Award for Merit’ to Nicholas Farnham. All have roles with Birstall Scouts. Nicholas Farnham said: “I feel pleased and honoured to receive my Medal of Merit for outstanding contribution from Leicestershire scouting association and I couldn’t have done it without Birstall Scout Group executive committee, its leaders and helpers who volunteer their time to make Birstall Scout Group a joy to be at, and of course its young members who make me laugh on a constant basis and make it a joy to volunteer.” He added: “It all started back in 2004 when myself and my family moved

stall Scout Group for 15 years and is now a member of the group’s executive committee. He said: “I was a Cub and Scout in Hugglescote, so know at first hand the good work that the Scout Movement did and does. Although there are more specialist choices for youngsters now, with its emphasis on developing confidence, sense of adventure and outdoor skills, I think Scouting still provides the best all-round benefit to youngsters. The real heroes are, of course, the leaders and their assistants. They are the ones who plan and deliver

Pic: Nicholas Farnham

into the village of Birstall. My wife was already in Scouting and was attending a different Scout group, but unfortunately, it had to close, so she volunteered to join Birstall Scout Group. I volunteered to help in 2006 at a gang show to help celebrate 75 years of scouting in Birstall, I was hooked on Scouting and it was part of an evil plan organised by Group Scout Leader at the time, Vic Dolby. My first role was to be an assistant Cub leader, and I thoroughly enjoyed my role with all the activities, camps and laughter. In June 2014 I took over the role of Group Scout Leader from Vic Dolby, who retired and left Birstall Scout Group in a fantastic position for me to take over. Throughout the years I’ve been Group Scout Leader, we have been going from strength to strength with extra sections, camps away, trips to Switzerland, improving our numbers and celebrating our 90th year in scouting in Birstall.” Keith Torrance was chairman of Bir-

Pic: Chief Scout Bear Grylls

Pic: Nick Bryan

group scout leader at the time, asked me if I would do the treasurer's job as the current treasurer wished to retire. I rashly said yes, and although the job has grown somewhat, I am still here 14 years later. The executive committee and all the unit leaders are brilliant, so it doesn't make it a chore, in fact, it is quite rewarding to help out in this way.” If you would like to be an adult volunteer, even in a small way, then please contact Birstall Scouts via email Birstall53rd@outlook.com

Pic: Keith Torrance

evening events, camps and other experiences. However, I’m pleased to have played my smaller part in the back office, including 15 years as Chairman. I was persuaded to join the committee when I came back to Leicestershire in the 1990s and my son joined Birstall Cubs, and haven’t regretted it. I’m delighted to have received this recognition from the Chief Scout, Bear Grylls.” Nick Bryan said: “I started helping the scouts in 2007 when Vic Dolby, the

Advice on keeping your dog safe

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

BIRSTALL PCSO Cody Taylor gives Police advice on keeping your dog secure: I am aware that the theft of dogs has been on the rise recently and is causing extreme anxiety to the dog owners. As a dog owner myself, I can fully sympathise with all of you. Below are some prevention tips to try and reduce the number of dog thefts around currently. 1. Make sure they are aware and be wary of strangers. Be on your guard if someone approaches you and is admiring your canine friend. 2. Vary your walking patterns and change the routes and times, so you are not creating a pattern for potential dog thieves to monitor. 3. Don’t leave them tied up outside anywhere that they would be unattended. 4. Don’t leave them outside in the garden for a lengthy time, but also make sure you are checking on them regularly and making sure you can see them in your view.

5. Ensure your garden is secure with a gated approach. Some places are advising you to get a bell on the gate that will alert the owners to someone in the garden. 6. Don’t leave your dog(s) in the car unattended, even if it is just for a couple of minutes. 7. Make sure your dog is microchipped and always has a collar on, as this can help with tracking your beloved pet if it happened to be stolen.

Our dogs are part of our family and our beloved pets, so I understand everyone's anxiety concerning these issues. Please let me know if you need anything from me or would like to have a chat about the concerns, and I will see what I can do to help you and your canine feel safer. My details are: cody.taylor6128@leicestershire.pnn.po lice.uk or 0797 6306629 if you want to have a chat. The Birstall Police Beat office is located by the nursery by Sibson Road Car Park (Robert Dickinson Building). If you need anything and can see a light on in the office then there should be an officer in there if you need to speak to anyone. PCSO 6128 Taylor, Birstall Police Team.

Council vacancies ANYONE WISHING to become a member of Birstall Parish Council can nominate themselves, as an election has been called for the four vacancies on the council. If there are more than four candidates, an election will be held on Thursday May 6. If there are four or less candidates, all will automatically become councillors without a contest. Nomination papers may be obtained by email from electoral.services@charnwood.gov.uk. They must be returned by 4pm on April 8. For details about what parish councillors do and who is eligible, details can be found at Birstall Parish Council’s website.

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APRIL 2021 Visit our website at: www.villagewatch.co.uk and join our Group on Facebook

Not So Healthy Options We are still entitled to basic healthcare when visiting countries in the EU. The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) has been replaced by the UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) that you can get FREE from: www.gov.uk/global‐health‐insurance‐card Making the application is easy, but if you search online for ‘GHIC’ you will get a list of sites that make money by charging you a fee simply to forward your details to the free NHS site. They are just the latest examples of copycat websites that operate in this manner. Government services are either free or have fixed charges. Copycat sites simply add their own fee for doing nothing more than you can easily do yourself. To find genuine links to official services always go first to: www.gov.uk

Our 2020 Accounts The full set of accounts is available to view on our website at: www.villagewatch.co.uk/acounts2020 Income for the year was some £800 less than in 2019, mainly because the initial Covid‐19 lockdown occurred just as our annual membership subscription collection got underway. Our Advice Shop has remained closed since then, so there has been no income from sales. Against that, we have have not purchased any new stock. The primary areas of expenditure were the continued publication of Village Watch News and the production and distribution of Membership Cards. Postage and stationery costs were higher than in previous years.

Even More About Scams

The Birstall and Wanlip Neighbourhood Beat 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

We are in a position to continue our limited activities for the time being without further income but will have to consider how we can best collect Membership subscriptions as things return to normal. The Membership Cards issued last year will continue to remain valid despite showing an expiry date of March this year.

Our Watch Phone 0756 2422 756 Our Watch phone is an Advice Line and general means of contacting us. It is located in the home of one of our volunteers but connects directly to our voicemail. It does not ring and is not answered directly. We do our best to monitor messages once a day and get back to callers as quickly as possible. Members ring us for advice if they are concerned about something or to tell us about an incident. We are glad to hear from them and to offer what assistance we can. The information can be passed on to warn others to be on the alert. However, from time‐to‐time we have messages left that should have gone directly to the Police. They are about suspicious behaviour or even crimes that have been committed. By the time we have retrieved the message and passed it on, it is usually too late for anything useful to be done. If you want to report something quickly to the Police then please do so by dialling 101. If you see a crime in progress or somebody in danger then dial 999 immediately. If you just have general concerns or are worried about something unusual that you think is suspicious, then we are always pleased to hear from you and pass on information, as long as some delay is not important.

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

We have to learn to live with and protect ourselves from scams. They are on the increase as the criminals think up better ways to trick us. We and many other organisations regularly circulate warnings about the latest scam to be reported. They are described in detail because the fraudsters are good at what they do. Once it is clear that their latest trick has been widely publicised and is no longer working very well, they switch to a new one. Most of the time this is just an earlier scam in a new form. They hope that people warned about, say, an Amazon scam will be less wary about the same trick claiming to be from another company. The best way to protect yourself from being conned is to be very wary of anything unexpected, especially when it involves personal details or your money. It could be a phone call, an email, a text message, an old fashioned letter or a doorstep caller etc. Whatever it is, do not trust it until you are absolutely sure it is genuine. The criminals may threaten you with dire consequences, such as arrest and imprisonment or a visit from bailiffs, if you do not comply with their instructions. But just ask yourself how many people do you know who have suffered such a fate without having had plenty of warning in advance? The cost of allowing yourself to be panicked into doing something unwise can be very high. The cost, if any, of being cautious about a genuine contact, will always be very much less. Always ask yourself the very simple question: IF YOU DON’T KNOW THEM, HOW CAN YOU TRUST THEM?

News from Birstall’s schools I HAVE to give a wry smile whenever I hear someone say that schools are open again: they never closed! [writes Shreekant Raivadera, Chair of Governors at the Cedars Academy]. On-site provision has been available to children of keyworkers and those considered vulnerable throughout this pandemic, and teaching has continued online. If anything, school staff have been working twice as hard as normal, juggling in-person teaching with online teaching and balancing assessment, engagement, planning and their own family lives. Exams Exams were, of course, cancelled soon after Lockdown 3.0 was announced and OfQual, the government agency that decides how students will be assessed, ran a quick consultation on what should happen next. This is a very brief summary of what we currently understand: Students will be awarded grades based on teachers’ assessments. Those assessments will be based on evidence such as coursework, classwork, homework, and mocks. Grades will come down to evidence. To determine the grade each student should receive, teachers must assess their students’ performance, only on what content has been delivered to them. Teachers can use evidence of a student’s performance throughout the course to inform their judgement. Teachers should determine the grades as late in the academic year as is practi-

Levels, BTECs, CTECs, etc – unless a cable, and not confined to a defined course requires an exam to prove profeswindow, to enable teaching to continue sional competence, then those exams for as long as possible. will be run in a COVID-secure manner. Schools and colleges should use a All results are due to be submitted on broad range of evidence across the June 18, which gives teachers 16 weeks taught content to determine the grades before submitting the grades to the exam to gather all the evidence required. Results will be announced on August boards. 10 for A-Levels, BTECs and equivalent Exam boards will provide a package of support materials to include questions, qualifications and August 12 for GCSE and associated/equivalent qualifications. mark schemes, data about how students There will then be a two-week wintypically performed in individual quesdow for appeals before university places tions and exemplar materials, as well as are allocated, avoiding the mess of 2020. advice for teachers about content coverAppeals will be free and via exam boards, age, topic selection, marking and maknot via teachers, which is very positive. ing grading judgements. This will be based on past questions and will include Students will appeal to the school, and the school will check that its process a proportion of previously unpublished has been followed and provide the eviquestions for every subject. dence to the exam board. Teachers will be able to use the supThis is still a massive task for teachport materials immediately following ers, but the clarity and consistency is publication and until the deadline for good news! the submission of grades. Beyond Teaching and Learning Use of these exam board support materials is not compulsory; they will be A quick follow up to last month’s part of the range of evidence teachers reference to the non-academic activities could use to determine the grade. that the schools have put on through the The above applies to all GCSEs, Apandemic, most of which are designed to help students become well-rounded citizens, which included a virtual pantomime and a ‘Masked Singer’ contest. Well, this year Cedars Academy has been running a friendly challenge with its sister school in Anstey, Martin High School. Students at both schools were offered a ‘menu’ of tasks to choose from, HELP CONTINUES to be offered, ranging from doing an impression of a and information shared, by the character from a Shakespeare play to a Helping Our Community Birstall full talent performance, recorded and submitted to the judges. There were also Facebook group, reports coKahoot quizzes, virtual treasure hunts, founder of the group, Rosie Rollbake-off challenges and a massive list of ings: other options. Each task has been given The groups have continued offering a difficulty rating and earns points for support, although requests are lessening the respective school. Staff have even as people are being supported by neighrecorded a series of ‘TED Talk’ style bours. We continue to fetch prescrippresentations, including, “Starting a rock tions and share info about vaccinations. band”, “Wrestling and WWE”, “The The community group is focusing on universe is cool” and “The Ford Capri”. businesses that are hoping to reopen on trying to support the non-essential retail Students earn points for their school for April 12. The community has come toevery talk they watch – and some of the gether so effectively it would be great to see our local retail used more. We envis- talks look fascinating even without the lure of points! age the group will continue to be a From the Lionheart Academies Trust place to share information and offer An external review of the Trust’s govsupport. ernance was carried out by the ConfederThe scrubs group has continued supporting the NICU Children’s HDU and ation of School Trusts (CST) in January-March 2021. The review found rainbows by making quilts for cots and many strengths, including a strong track incubators. The scrubs team have also record for school improvement, with all been raising funds for Jade’s Retreat by schools, that have been judged by Ofsted making and selling homemade items since joining, found to be either good or from bags, quilts and animals. outstanding. This is particularly comWe are looking at making bunting. If anyone has any suitable fabric we would mendable when taking into considerabe very grateful. The group has helped a tion that the Trust has sponsored some lot of people fill some very lonely hours, schools with a high level of need for improvement. The review also identified and we hope this will continue.

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

Group’s help & support

Pics: the Masked Singer contest at the Cedars Academy

some areas on which the Trust should focus for the next 3-5 years. These included a committee structure that would allow the Trust board to focus on strategy and long-term planning, and to consider how best to ensure that the strong, shared vision and ethos of the Trust is fully understood by parents and the wider community by the use of shared language while continuing to celebrate the individual identity of each school and its community. Thank you all for your continued support.

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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

Thanks I would like to thank the two young men who came to my assistance after I fell heavily at the Birstall Co-op car park on Thursday, February 11. It was only with their help that I was able to continue and was so grateful for their kindness and patience in aiding a bruised but recovering senior citizen. Name & address supplied

David Alcock

Work together We are all looking forward to the return to normal life, but as we go back to our old routines, we will notice the noise of traffic and miss the cleaner air that we have grown used to. With the Broadnook and Ashton Green Road housing developments in the planning, the work to build these sites and the subsequent traffic from them will only result in greater noise and air pollution. It is for this reason that we need to ensure that the Borough and County Councils work together to make sure that they and developers do all they can to reduce these. This can be done by making sure the road surfacing is improved, buy installing grass and tree banks and to ensure that sufficient public transport links are available. If these opportunities are taken, it will reduce the impact felt by these develContinued on page 11

CHARNWOOD LABOUR selects their Birstall Candidate for the County Council Elections on May 6th 2021 Hi there, I am Julie Palmer and am delighted to announce that I have been selected to stand for the Labour Party this May. I have lived in Birstall for over eighteen years and have raised my son here. You may well remember me from the Borough Elections in May 2019 when I stood as a candidate. I have been heavily involved with the campaigns to get an extra GP surgery and a leisure centre for Birstall, and with the partially successful campaign to prevent the closure of over 60 Sure Start Centres in Leicestershire. Living here, I appreciate Birstall’s open spaces, local shops and amenities. I teach biology in further education and use the cycle network through Watermead Park to get to work in the city. I might even deliver your copy of the Birstall Post to your house as I am one of their volunteer ‘paper-people’! As your councillor, I want to help to build a fairer local economy by encouraging local businesses and building community wealth so that our residents, especially our young people, have good quality sustainable jobs for the future. I am also interested in promoting environmental initiatives for the region: greening the area, planting more trees and cutting air and noise pollution from roads. Similarly, better, more affordable, accessible, community-run public transport needs to be promoted and more vehicle-free cycle routes would also benefit our communities,

allowing people to choose safer and greener alternatives to the car. I also want our communities to have more of a daily say in how they are run and would encourage co-operatively run projects around food-growing, renewable energy, and care services for the very young and elderly members of our communities, supporting people to help themselves and others. I hope you’ve found this interesting and that you will give me your support. If you want to contact me about local issues that concern you, please do so at: juliemaypalmer@hotmail.com. Stay safe.

Promoted by Nigel Ball of 91, Cropston Road,Anstey, LE7 7BQ on behalf of Julie Palmer of 16, Rosetree Avenue, Birstall, Leicestershire, LE4 4LS

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

The family of Thomas David Alcock (Dave) of Windmill Avenue, Birstall wish to thank friends, neighbours and St

James Church Mothers Union for the cards and floral tributes following the death of a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. In the midst of sadness we are uplifted by the generosity and warmth of a caring community in our village. Bless you all. Sheila Alcock

opments and help to create a cleaner and more peaceful area in and around Birstall. If not taken, then the inevitable increase and impact of noise and air pollution on our daily lives will only get worse. Rob Hewson

Monday Group

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

I’m sure, like me, you are missing our Monday Group; the friends we have made over the years; the fun we share; the speakers, holiday slide shows, music and the coffee/chat evenings, coffee mornings in people’s homes – not to mention the special meals and outings which are organised for us. As a committee, we doubt whether we will be able to meet as a group before the end of June, but it is good that we can keep in touch with telephone calls, texts and notelet cards, etc. I hope that you are all managing to get through these very strange times when we haven’t been able to meet with family and friends. The Coffee Shop, Lunch Club and other groups that meet at Church are missing this opportunity to socialise. We look forward to when the restrictions are lifted, and we can all get back to some sort of normality. Although things will be different for quite a while: we will need to continue to care for each other by obeying instructions and wearing face coverings etc. Our Chairperson, Chris Tilford and the Committee will aim to get back to our weekly meetings in September – the date to be confirmed - and most likely, we will start with just having coffee/chat evenings. I’m sure we will all have quite

a few ‘stories’ to tell about our times in Lockdowns. The Committee is waiting patiently to start organising speakers and outings etc. As the weather warms up and we can see the sunshine and the buds blooming (and the grass which needs cutting), we can get out and about a bit more and hopefully meet in gardens – so we have a lot to look forward to. A few jokes from my Grandsons: Q. How do you count cows? A. Use a COWculator! Q. Why does 6 not like 7? A. Because 7, 8, 9! Q. What did one dinner plate say to the other dinner plate? A. Dinner’s on me! So, until we meet again - stay safe and positive! Love and best wishes from The Monday Group Committee

Letter I am seriously going off MacDonalds, they are the source of constant litter eyesores that seem to be ignored. It becomes the norm, most people seem to walk past it, not at all concerned. The last couple of days, for example, I see the tall cups coffee etc, some lids /straw's attached, carelessly tossed anywhere, the most annoying area being Watermead. Also, there are cars, mostly at night, driving down Meadow Lane to the free parking areas to eat and drink and whatever else they do, but when they leave, it seems that the custom is to chuck it all out the car window. I see people who pick this up the next morning quietly cursing. Surely the council could have some traffic control over this

to stop these cars from getting down here in the evening after dark. OK, one more, I was at the Thurmaston shopping area and went by the McDonalds - all around there's rubbish from them.. seems to be ignored. Name and address supplied.

Progress report In the September issue of the Birstall Post, it was reported that the Parish Council had voted to consider ways it can improve, especially with regards to listening to the residents' views. In the six months since then I haven’t seen anything, so it would be nice if we could have a progress report. Also, I understand that since setting the 2021/21 precept increase at 5% the Parish Council has subsequently received Covid support grants of some £40,000. How have these been allocated and, bearing in mind what was reported last September, what steps were taken to seek the opinions of the residents? Name and address supplied

Fines It was very interesting to read about the fixed penalty notices being issued by the police. My question is, do these people pay the fines? Or do they give another excuse to get away with it? Curious resident

Appalled I am appalled at the small minority of dog owners who think it is acceptable to fling their used dog poo bags into the

trees or undergrowth. Particularly bad is the area at the side of the footpath from Hallam Fields towards the college. I suspect it is the same person doing it on a daily basis. Honestly, is it really too much trouble for you to carry it to the nearest bin or take it home. You cannot call yourself an animal lover when you are endangering wildlife in this manner. Absolutely Disgusted

The May issue of

THE BIRSTALL POST will be published on Apr 30. The copy deadline is Apr 16.

Weekend trains THE GREAT Central Railway resumes its regular passenger train service from April 17. Four steam-hauled trains will operate on Saturdays and Sundays and selected weekdays until May 16, when the timetable will be extended further as Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed. All trains depart from Quorn & Woodhouse, then travel to Leicester North and back. The Butler Henderson café will be open for refreshments.

Continued from page 10

NHW news

& crime report Another Pleasure Denied Online fraud is costing us hundreds of millions of pounds every year and is a very serious issue. Despite continual warnings to be alert and never to respond to unexpected messages or phone calls that ask for sensitive details or money, many people still fall victim to fraud. Scam phone calls are a common method used to steal our money. They usually claim to be from Microsoft or an internet provider, informing us that there is something wrong with our computer or internet connection that has to be put right. Our advice is always to ring off immediately. It is sometimes tempting to pretend to go along with them to see how long it is before they realise what you are doing. After all, you are not paying for the call, and while you are wasting their time, they are not scamming someone else. This is not recommended but has become an amusing pastime for some people. Because they are working to a script, the caller often carries on regardless, no matter what you tell them. When I was told that there was a major issue with my Windows system, I replied that there had to be a mistake. My windows were double-glazed and only installed a few months before. Another time I told them that my computer was quite an old model that I had bought in 1938. On both occasions, I was ignored and the scammer simply carried on. Calls from a real person are becoming less common, being replaced by recorded messages deliberately designed to cause alarm. They prompt you to press a key on your phone to cancel an order or stop a payment. Doing so then connects you to a real person who tries to scam you. You can, of course, play games with them as well. However, there is a big catch. By pressing the key, you unwittingly make a new call to a premium-rate number (one that begins with 09), and your amusement could cost you a £7 connection fee and then £5 per minute, most of which goes directly to the

Noticeboard all details printed free Birstall Royal British Legion would like to welcome back all old and new Members on Mon May 17. In the meantime please stay safe As of April 14, there will be a weekly Wednesday market in the car park (previously held at The White Horse). Come along and support your local community

scammer. So, our advice now is even stronger: Always ring off the moment you suspect a call is not genuine Never press a key in response to a recording On the rare and unlikely occasion that you might miss a genuine call, the consequences will never be as bad as getting robbed by criminals. Please keep safe and well. From Ed Chambers, Birstall & Wanlip NHW

March Priorities During March we will carry on focusing our patrols around the Hallam Fields Estate as we have continued to receive some calls about vehicles parking up and causing problems on the industrial estate, as well as some calls about young people engaging in ASB in the area around Starling Close. We have also had some reports about an off-road motorbike being ridden around on the grassed area adjacent to the Hallam Fields Primary School and are keen to try and identify the rider of this bike. If you have any information as to who is using this motorbike, please let us know by either calling 101 or contacting us via our website at www.leics.Police.uk Please also ensure you are up to date with the latest guidance regarding the coronavirus rules as these are constantly changing & we are starting to receive numerous calls about people breaching them. Crime Update We had a total of 32 crimes recorded on the Birstall & Wanlip Beat during February. The vast majority of these were assault offences (with a total of 13) however 3 separate domestic incidents accounted for 7 of these offences, as multiple people had been assaulted at each. We have also had 6 reports of crimi-

nal damage (2 of which were reports of vehicles being damaged), 2 house burglaries, 2 thefts from vehicles, 2 ‘other’ thefts, 2 fraud offences, 1 cycle theft, 1 drug offence and 1 Public Order Offence. We have also had 1 sexual offence reported to us this month & one ‘weapons possession’ offence reported. For further crime information please visit: www.police.uk/leicestershire/NL60/ Crime Prevention Advice As mentioned in the ‘crime update’ section above, we’ve had 2 fraud offences reported this month. One involved the victim being contacted by phone and told her bank account had been compromised & that she needed to transfer a large sum of money to a ‘safe account’, the other involved the victim being told that there was an issue with her phone line & that she needed to give the caller access to her computer to resolve the issue. Once access was gained, money has been taken out of her bank account without her permission. Unfortunately, scammers are using ever more ingenious ways to steal our money & throughout the ‘lockdown’ internet & phone scams have been rife. Some simple tips can help & stop you from becoming a victim: 1) Ensure your anti-virus software is up to date & working correctly. 2) Never give your bank account, credit card or debit card details to people who contact you out of the blue claiming to be from either the Police, your bank or a utility company. 3) Don’t follow links on emails unless you’re sure they are genuine. These can contain viruses that can access the information on your computer, giving the fraudsters access to your passwords & bank account details. Events We are still unable to hold any traditional ’beat surgeries’, however as mentioned in our last newsletter we intend to conduct some street consultation events. We will aim to be going door to

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door to ask people about their views on what issues we should be concentrating on: Remember, you can also 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 and only takes a few minutes to sign up. Sign up now at:www.neighbourhoodlink.co.uk From Sgt Bird: I am the new dedicated neighbourhood Sergeant for Birstall & Wanlip and look forward to spending some time in the village and meeting people. I have been a Police officer for 22 years with previous experience as a beat officer my-self and hope to bring my many experiences of Policing to the role. I am keen to start hearing about what the people of Birstall and Wanlip would like to see from their local Police and how we can all work together to tackle any identified issues. I would like to help make Birstall and Wanlip a safe and enjoyable place for people to live, and I am always happy to hear from anyone about any concerns they may have. I will make myself available to the people of the villages as much as I can and strive to be open and honest from the outset regarding the work done and results achieved by the Police and partners. From PC D Jaeckels During February the beat team have been out patrolling the areas where you have told us Anti-Social Behaviour has been happening & we have also been following up numerous reports about people breaching the coronavirus rules by having gatherings at their homes, or by allegedly opening up businesses which should remain closed. Please continue to abide by the rules for the benefit of all—we have been given some dates as to when the ‘lockdown measures’ are to be eased and so hopefully we should all be getting back to some kind of normality soon. For the latest rules and guidance, please visit the Government website: www.gov.uk/coronavirus where full details can be found. Thank you.

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THE BIRSTALL POST will be published on Apr 30. The copy deadline is Apr 16.

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

Patients fund new emergency care unit PEOPLE IN need of emergency hospital care across Leicestershire & Rutland will benefit from shorter waiting times and more efficient care thanks to the opening of the new Same Day Emergency Care unit (SDEC) at Glenfield Hospital. Funded entirely through generous donations to Leicester Hospitals Charity by grateful patients and their loved ones, the brand new SDEC was officially opened on Monday March 29 at Glenfield Hospital. The opening of the £409,000 project marks a major development in how patients will receive emergency care, as low-risk patients will be seen faster, receive an immediate diagnosis and a treatment plan before being discharged the same day. Consultant Respiratory Physician and clinical lead on the project, Dr Daniela Cristea-Nicoara, says the new SDEC unit will improve care for patients, free up hospital beds and help make better use of staff expertise. She said: “The new SDEC unit will redirect low-risk patients who present to the Clinical decision unit from the Emergency Department or the 111 NHS service to receive high-quality same-day emergency care, rather than admitting them to hospital and putting them in a bed.” She added: “This is all about improving the quality of care for patients and the ‘flow’ of patients through the hospital. It means more rapid assessments for these patients, so they don’t have extend-

Pic: the new emergency care unit at Glenfield hospital

ed waits at the Emergency Department, they can be diagnosed almost immediately by a multidisciplinary team made up of doctors or other trained cardio-respiratory clinical staff. Then they get a treatment plan and can go home in a matter of hours.” Work on the project was temporarily halted due to the clinical challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic but resumed shortly after following the efforts of the clinical staff involved in the project. “We realised ‘wait a second, we have to keep going with this project,’ because having an operational SDEC unit would help so much during really difficult times like these,” explains Dr Daniela Cristea-Nicoara. “So we resumed work on it, and while it’s been a challenging year, we have

finally reached a point where we can open the new unit, which is incredibly satisfying. “For staff, the new SDEC is really beneficial, especially under the current pandemic. This will help to release beds, means patients can be out of the hospital faster and helps to reduce the risk of overcrowding in these important areas.” The project was funded entirely through donations to Leicester Hospitals Charity by donors grateful for the care they received. The charity’s Head of Fundraising, Claire Campbell, hailed the opening of the new SDEC as a moment of celebration for everyone involved. “We are absolutely thrilled to see the new SDEC becoming fully operational and are deeply proud that Leicester Hospitals Charity has been able to fund this important project in its entirety,” says Claire.

“We have been blown away by the outpouring of support for our hospitals during this pandemic, but seeing the SDEC unit opening after work was originally halted is a true story of teamwork from the general public and our colleagues on the front line making this still happen despite the hardship of the pandemic. “This achievement, so close to the anniversary of the start of the lockdown, is entirely down to the generosity of patients and their family and friends who have chosen to give a gift out of pure gratitude to our amazing hospital staff. I’d like to offer our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed, particularly during this uncertain period”. The new SDEC is located near the South entrance of Glenfield Hospital and is expected to be fully operational from Monday March 29. Anyone who would like to make a donation to help support similar improvements to Leicester’s Hospitals can do so online at LHCharity.org.uk or by calling 0116 258 8709.

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THE WEDNESDAY market stalls at the White Horse pub will be moving to the car park of the Royal British Legion from April 7, as the pub reopens on April 12.

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THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

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Pic: Olive Foy with the money she has raised for the NHS

Portas and Daughter will be continuing with their fruit and vegetable market, which also includes local honey and free-range eggs. The market has an extensive range of traditional products as well as more exotic items. Neil, the fresh fish man, will be there from 9.30-11.30am. Real Refills will have all the plastic-free dry cupboard and eco cleaning items, and there will also be guest stalls each week. The bread from Milners, the desserts from Norths of Rothley and the pies

from Lewins in Sileby will no longer be available as these businesses will now be busy servicing their trade clients. Ten-year-old Olive Foy sold over 250 brownies she baked herself at the weekly market, raising over £230 for the NHS. Mum Charlotte said: “Thank you to everyone who supported her and a very warm thank you to everyone who has supported the 'Stalls at the Horse' during this latest lockdown. We look forward to welcoming you back for a bite to eat or drink or two very soon.”

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Birstall couple married 65 years A BIRSTALL couple who moved to the village in 1962 celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on March 24. Thomas (87) and Sheila Ward (85)

met at the Shirebrook Elite ballroom in 1954 and were married two years later. Tom was a miner, and then moved to Leicester to become an engineer at the British United Shoe Corporation on Melton Road.

Sheila worked at Thorn lighting and Lewis’ department store, in the Wedgewood section. The couple had four children, and have six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Pub reopens for outside service THE WHITE Horse in Birstall will reopen on April 12 for outside table service, drinks and dining. “We are so excited to be opening the doors again,” said Charlotte Foy from

the White Horse. “There are three covered seating areas to accommodate guests in case of the odd bit of inclement weather, some of the areas will be booking only, and

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others will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.” She added: “We have been busy with a complete renovation of the men's and ladies' toilets, which has seen the rooms go back to bare brick, through three layers of tiles taking it back probably to before the 1950's! The women's facilities have been relocated into the old men's space and now benefits from three toilet cubicles. It is hoped the swap won't cause too much confusion!”

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Litter cleared SECTIONS OF the A6 and A46 are set to be cleared of litter between March 29 and April 25, say Charnwood Borough Council.

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A rolling lane closure will be in place while cleaning is carried out and may cause delays on the A6 between Loughborough and Birstall, and the A46 between Syston and Anstey.

The May issue of

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Leicestershire County Council is encouraging people to apply for its SHIRE environmental grants, which are available until the end of June. One group that has benefitted from the grants already is Burbage Parish Council who used the money to plant hedges in popular green spaces to create new habitats for native animal species. Species including hazel, hawthorn, rowan, dog rose, blackthorn and pussy willow have been planted at Britannia Road Recreation Ground and Far Lash open space, together with native trees including oak and silver birch, as part of the ongoing biodiversity project. As extra encouragement, bird and bat boxes, including ones designed for barn and tawny owls, have been put up in safe places across the parish. Burbage Parish Council Estates Officer, Andy Harrison, said: “Together, these carefully managed habitats will offer food and shelter to a wide range of creatures, from insects and amphibians to birds and small mammals, and will allow for the natural introduction of a greater variety of wild plants, increasing the richness of flora and fauna for all to enjoy.” Blake Pain, Leicestershire County Council deputy leader and cabinet member for the environment, said: “The Shire Environment Grant enables community groups and organisations to make fantastic environmental changes, and helps Leicestershire towards its goal of becoming a net-zero carbon emissions place to live by 2045. Everyone can play their part in achieving this goal, and I would encourage more groups to apply for a grant." The deadline to apply for a grant is Friday June 25, find out more and apply: email environmentgrant@leics.gov.uk. The grant will only be available for projects where the main beneficiaries are residents of Leicestershire county and should help reduce the amount of household waste or greenhouse gas emissions within communities, improve biodiversity or support sustainable green spaces. A simplified application process is also available for smaller grants of up to £300.

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

RESIDENTS ARE being reminded they can apply for environmental grants worth up to £3,000 to support local projects which help the environment and reduce household waste in the county.

Birstall drug raid POLICE RAIDED a home in Birstall on March 10, recovering a quantity of drugs and other property. One individual was also arrested at the scene, reported locally as being Wanlip Avenue. Police said they were responding to information, supplied by a resident, of drug dealing and were executing a search warrant.

Taking part in World Book day ON WORLD Book Day, babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers at Half Pints Childcare on Loughborough Road got into the spirit. They dressed up as their favourite storybook characters, including Anna, Bob the Builder and P J Mask. A spokesperson said: “We enjoyed sharing the stories the children brought in, and we did a variety of activities around stories, making very hungry caterpillars with pompoms, acting out Goldilocks and the three bears and making our own Elmer’s with lots of colours. “Every book we read to our children in our setting and at home extends vocabulary, imagination, and helps them make sense of the world around them, and more importantly, leads to their future academic success.”

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

Pics: Children at Half Pints dressed up for World Book Day

Pic: drugs and a mobile phone recovered from a house in Birstall

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A Nordic walk around the park THE MINISTRY of Nordic Walks Community Group has been providing Nordic walking lessons and leading Nordic walks around the Birstall area over the past four years.

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One of the volunteer Nordic Walk Leaders, Jane, has local knowledge of the area and its history and, up until the pandemic, provided a weekly walk around different parts of Watermead Park on Friday mornings. She said: “The group cannot wait to get going again in 2021 and is looking for new recruits to take advantage of early-bird discounts on a range of Nordic Walking beginner lessons, aimed at those returning to exercise, those wanting to get fitter and stronger and those

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wanting to add new skills whilst walking, as well as just coming along on the wonderful local Nordic walks themselves. “All you need are a comfortable pair of walking shoes/trainers and suitable outdoor clothing as the special Nordic walking poles will be provided at each session.” Please contact the group either at ministryofnordicwalks@gmail.com or on 07502 576764 for further information or to register your interest. Nordic walking has been shown not only to burn more calories and fat (as well as tone the body better) than walking but also to be very beneficial to the heart and lungs. Due to the use of the poles, less strain is put on knee and hip joints, making it a perfect exercise for those suffering from problems in those areas or recovering from sporting injuries. The social nature of the activity also leads to better brain function, keeps you motivated and provides better mental well-being. Most walks are charged between £2.50 to £4 and include the hire of Nordic walking poles. They will be offering some free taster sessions during April, as well as Zoom talks on the benefits of Nordic walking, so contact the group at ministryofnordicwalks@gmail.com to find out more and book your place.

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Spokesman Dave Wheeler reports: As our name suggests, we are the “go-to” Ramblers group for the city of Leicester and its outlying conurbations radiating out to maybe a dozen miles from the centre. Beyond this, other local ramblers groups operate in the larger market towns around the county. Like all recreational pursuits and sports, we have been effectively grounded since spring last year aside from a brief hiatus in high summer where we were able to offer a limited programme before Covid-19 started to accelerate again in the autumn. Now with the Government expressing some confidence in a return to near normality hopefully by May/June, it's a good time to think about the wide range of walking opportunities that we will be looking to reintroduce when allowed. Here in Leicester and District Ramblers, we are very welcoming of newcomers, and if you book in with us, you can try us out two or maybe three times before you would be invited to sign up. There is a very modest annual membership, which means you are not merely able to walk with ourselves but with all Ramblers group within the UK! Once we do start, you will find that we walk five days a week as follows: Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – A short morning walk, up to 6 miles with optional lunch (once pubs reopen under guidelines) Thursday All Day Walks, up to 13 miles, usually with optional pub meal as per above Saturdays – All Day Walks, once restrictions upon local travel are lifted, these will resume in The Derbyshire Dales and Peak District, Staffordshire and the Cotswolds Sunday All Day Walks, up to 13 miles and all within Leicestershire. There is usually an option to “retire” to a Pub/Coffee Shop at lunch, again when government guidelines permit! Monthly Sunday “Coach Rambles”. These are generally on the third Sunday of the month and offers a full day out! While we still have to wait at least a couple of months for restrictions to lift we are positively excited with the expectation of our 2021 programme getting, if a little belatedly, underway! If you would like any more information about any aspect of our activities or indeed are interested in joining one or another of our future walks please drop a line to me Dave Wheeler, Publicity Secretary, Leicester & District Ramblers at David_wheeler320@hotmail.com

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

LEICESTER AND District Ramblers are looking forward to restarting their group walks and are inviting readers to join them.

Ashton Green: second phase starts WORK has started on the second phase of house building at Ashton Green, Beaumont Leys, west of Birstall. Leicester City Council has contracted Kier Living to lead development on the next parcel of housing development at Ashton Green – a major project to create a community of up to 3,000 new homes, along with community and health facilities, employment land and retail. Kier Living will deliver 307 family homes, including affordable housing, on a 37-acre site off Bevan Road, on the eastern edge of the scheme between Beaumont Leys and Thurcaston. It will include a range of two to fivebedroomed properties, designed to meet the environmental standards required for Ashton Green as a sustainable development. It will also include around 13 acres of open space, sustainable drainage solutions and protected wildlife corridors. Work will initially involve around eight weeks of preparatory and access works to create temporary access to the site from Bevan Road and Churchbell Way. Construction of the first homes is expected to begin by mid-spring, and Kier hopes to market the new homes for sale from Summer 2021. Kier Living’s involvement follows the completion of the first phase of house building, which saw 101 new properties built by Morris Homes. Alongside this, work on a £10million highway infrastructure scheme to unlock further development land at Ashton Green is underway. This follows a successful bid by the City Council for a share of the government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund; it aims to help unlock potential for new housing development. The highways work – which is being carried out by Galliford Try under con-

tract to the city council – is due to be completed by autumn 2021 and will open up access to three further parcels of land for future housing development. City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Ashton Green is an essential part of the city’s commitment to building the 30,000 new homes needed in Leicester over the next ten to fifteen years, and it will make a huge contribution to local economic growth." Leicester City Council is the principal landowner and promoter of the Ashton Green development, a mixed-use urban extension on a 320-acre greenfield site. Up to 30 per cent of the new homes built at Ashton Green will be affordable homes; for rent and shared ownership.

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Club’s safe return to running WREAKE RUNNERS are looking forward to being able to run together again as a club from April. “We have been working on our plans to ensure group running can come back safely and successfully,” said Chairman Daniel Gadsby. “We know that some people may have concerns which we want to alleviate, but we are confident we can get our group nights going again within the current restrictions.” Wreake Runners offer weekly club nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the Sports Pavillion in Syston and fortnightly track nights at Ratcliffe College.

In addition to being a safe and secure area, the track is floodlit. “It’s a brilliant facility for speedwork and training sessions,” said Daniel. Members are encouraged to walk, run or cycle to the meeting point, and there is no car-sharing, unless with a member of your bubble. Other rules are in place, and it is recommended that all members bring hand sanitisers and wear face-masks when not running. Runners can make use of the space at Memorial Park and Ratcliffe College to form socially distanced groups for briefing sessions. Group runs have been postponed since November, and competitive racing has been on hold since March 2020.

The club is looking forward to June 21, when full club nights and competitions can return to normal. Daniel said: “We all love social running, but it’s great to be able to compete again, especially in the Leicestershire Road Running League. “Sessions are only available to members at this time, and the club welcomes members of all abilities. So, what are you waiting for? There’s never been a better time to join Wreake Runners!” wreakerunners.co.uk facebook.com /wreakerunners instagram.com/wreake_runners Pic: Wreake runners in Bradgate Park

Painting in a pandemic MEMBERS OF Birstall & District Art Society have been sketching together over Whatsapp. Spokeswoman Nuala Carr reflects on the last year, and looks forward to 2021: This past year has been challenging for everyone and we have all missed being able to meet with family members and friends and to take part in the hobbies and activities we took pretty much for granted before the pandemic struck. During those brief few weeks when restrictions were relaxed, members of the Birstall and District Art Society (BADAS for short) managed to meet for painting sessions outside at various villages and venues around Birstall and Leicester. We went to Thrussington and Rearsby Villages, to the Rothley Steam Railway Station, to the Pumping Station on Abbey Lane among others and it was wonderful to see familiar faces. A ‘Whatsapp’ Sketching Group was created and we set ourselves a different painting challenge every few weeks. Some wonderful work was produced. The best thing that happened during lockdown was that the husband of one of our members completely redesigned our website, which has a new, easy to remember name, www.badas.uk Please take a look at it, it’s great! You can see what we have been up to over the last year, and what we hope to do for the future. Look at the Gallery Page to see the great work that has been

Try bowls this April A BOWLS club is inviting new people to come and try the sport as it prepares to reopen in April. A spokesperson for Saint Margaret’s Bowls club on Birstall Road said: “At long last, it is beginning to look like a gradual return to normality for the sport of bowls. We generally start playing in April, subject of course to suitable weather. This year's return to the game will be staged in accordance with Government guidelines as regards social distancing.

“After all that enforced isolation, people are looking forward to the resumption of social activities. Bowls has always been a very social game and a great way of meeting people while at the same time taking a little light exercise in the fresh air. Our club has a great reputation for welcoming new bowlers. We do not charge anyone who wants to give bowls a try, all equipment is provided, and coaching is available.” Contact Carolyn or John on 2675947 for further information. Pic: A scene at St Margaret's Bowls Club

produced. Our Annual Exhibition at the Birstall Village Hall is still booked for Saturday and Sunday November 6 & 7, 2021 and we look forward to seeing you there. For further information, please contact the Secretary at: bandd-sec@hotmail.com

Gunns’ welcome CARL GUNNS is looking forward to reopening his boxing gym on Birstall Road on April 12. Carl was interviewed by Rachel Burden on BBC Radio Five‘s breakfast show about the gym and his plans for the future, the day after Boris Johnson announced the roadmap out of lockdown on February 22. Carl said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the kids again, I hope to welcome some of them back but I don’t think it will ever be the way it was. I’ve been going now for 20 years, and I’d like people to know the gym is still there.”

Annual meeting BIRSTALL PARISH Council’s Annual Parish Meeting will be a virtual one this year, and residents are invited to ‘attend’. The Annual Parish Meeting is not a formal Council meeting, but it is an opportunity for the Parish Council to invite the residents of Birstall and the press to hear reports from the Chair of Birstall Parish Council and from invited external partners: Leicestershire Constabulary, Charnwood Borough Councillors for Birstall, your Leicestershire County Councillor, and Birstall & Wanlip Neighbourhood Watch. The remainder of the meeting is set aside for the residents of Birstall to express their opinions on what the Council is doing, and to offer suggestions for future consideration by the Parish Council. “It is your meeting, and the Parish councillors would be pleased to see and hear from you on the night,” said Parish Clerk Sue Coulson. Look out for the notices on the notice boards and on the Parish Council’s website: www.birstallparishcouncil.org.uk The agenda will have a link to enable you to join the meeting via Zoom, on Wednesday, 21 April 2021 at 6pm Should you require any further information or assistance, please telephone the Council Offices: 0116 267 6191 or email the Clerk: admin@birstallpc.org.uk

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

News from the churches WITH THE arrival of Spring, perhaps wreaths, jams and hand-made bags and we can emulate Mole, from The Wind aprons for their chosen charity Dementia in the Willows, and say, “Hang UK- Admiral Nurses. So, all in all, it’s spring-cleaning!”, and scrabble and been a year in lockdown, but a busy, busy year. scratch our way upwards until our At the time of writing, we are still snouts come into the sunlight. without a rector, but by the time you We have been confined for so long, read this, we could have finally appointbut, like Mole, there has been much activity underground, which is now burst- ed our next rector. Interviews took place at the end of March, so watch this ing forth. space to discover who will lead us over The 9.30am communion service at St the coming years. James the Great, Birstall is back again, A happy Easter to you all, from the and a monthly communion service has Anglican churches of Birstall and Wanlip. been reintroduced at Our Lady and St To contact a churchwarden; 07570 Nicholas, Wanlip. Wanlip continues to offer Evening Prayer at 6pm on Sundays, 198810. Website; www.birstall.org and open for private prayer every Email: stjames.birstall@btconnect.com Wednesday, 3 – 4pm, all socially disFrom the parish churches, St James the tanced and masked! Services remain Great, Birstall, and Our Lady & St Nicolas, accessible online. Wanlip Old Nick’s Coffee Shop, unable as yet to open, is still active. Julie has respond- Methodists Keeping In Touch A lot of effort has been put into keeped to symptoms of “cake withdrawal”, and is treating sufferers by baking cakes ing friends ‘in touch’ during a year that for them, in return for a small donation. we have been in lockdown and ordinary So far, £144 has been raised for Leices- services of worship each Sunday have been suspended. The Sunday Club have ter Hospitals NHS Charities. Items are been kept in touch via ‘WhatsApp’, but already being collected for this year’s being young and ‘computer savvy’ they Shoebox appeal by the “Link to Hope” can manage this method of keeping in charity. Last Christmas, we contributed touch. to the 20,000 boxes that were sent to Over 50 households of the Birstall various destinations in Eastern Europe, congregation do not have computer despite the difficulties presented by Covaccess, and so each week the notice id. sheet, a letter from Rev Paula, details of Members of the church are also supmidweek Zoom services in the Circuit, porting the work of Save the Children and, most importantly, the Order of the who are doing much valuable work, including providing aid for those in Syria Sunday Morning Zoom service (readings, hymns, prayers are all printed out in full suffering from 10 years of civil war. with a brief reflection on the bible readAlthough not being able to meet as ing for those who are unable to join in usual, the Mother’s Union has not been resting on its laurels during this time; its the Zoom service). All this and other material is copied, stapled and delivered many gifted members have been making by hand. Often, there are 14 sheets in and selling cakes, pies, Christmas

Energy savings

THE BIRSTALL POST APR 2021

LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY Council “We are proud to be a green council, has saved hundreds of thousands and we continue to concentrate our efforts on reducing carbon by using of pounds in recent years by rerenewable or zero-carbon energy ducing energy consumption generation wherever possible. In rethroughout its buildings, using a cent years we have made big savings variety of energy-efficient meas- on our gas and electricity bills, and ures such as installing solar pan- we continue to make huge strides in our journey to become carbon neutral els and LED lighting. The next targets are to make a 30to-50 per cent further reduction in energy consumption from council buildings, compared with last year, along with a 50 per cent increase in onsite renewable or zero-carbon energy generation. Among the projects planned for the next year are increasing the number of solar panels and LED lighting at County Hall, introducing solar panels and electric vehicle chargers at Snibston Colliery Park and investigating low carbon heating solutions at other councilowned properties. It is also hoped to install large scale energy generation schemes such as solar farms on council land. Councillor Byron Rhodes, cabinet member for strategic property, said:

by 2030.” Key energy-saving projects have seen solar panels installed at numerous buildings owned by the authority, including Beaumanor Hall, Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, Enderby Adult Learning Centre and Loughborough Family and Wellbeing Centre. LED lighting upgrades were also delivered at many council properties, and 25 electric vehicle chargers installed at places including County Hall, highways depots and Coalville Business Centre. Schools, academies, tenants and developers will also be encouraged to implement low carbon solutions. Since the first carbon targets were set in 2008, County Council greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon, have reduced by 67 per cent.

this weekly distribution. These many members and friends are part of another 50 households that do have computer access and so do receive the “weekly distribution” via an email. It is a real ‘team effort’ to get the weekly distribution out, and all are grateful to the team who gather the information, print it out (or email the content) and deliver around Birstall and Rothley. Easter Cross Outside Methodist Church Usually, on Good Friday the Easter walk of witness takes place along Sibson Road, an event shared with friends from both the Anglican & Catholic communities. This year, due to the lockdown rules, that walk cannot take place. The Cross will be placed outside the Church on Good Friday, with prayers being said. On Easter Saturday, the cross will be decorated with flowers to celebrate the Risen Christ on Easter Sunday. It will remain in place for a few more days, and anyone is welcome to add flowers either on Saturday or in the following few days. Harrison Road Church in Belgrave Many Birstall families whose older relations used to live in Belgrave will be very familiar with this huge Methodist church. Indeed, most Birstall residents will have passed it often as it sits prominently at the junction of Gypsy Lane, Marfitt Street and Harrison Road. Sadly, after almost 120 years, it is not going to reopen when the lockdowns are eased.

preacher, serving for twenty-seven years in Liverpool. The final hymn is by William Vernon Higham (1926-2016), a recent hymnwriter known to members of BIBC. He was a minister in Cardiff for a number of years. His ‘See Christ the Victor raised’ incorporates many of the aspects found in the hymns mentioned above: the power of the Risen Jesus (“He is the Lord of all”); His substitution for believers and that they should rely solely on Him (“Our guilt he bears … ye sinners now, and look to Christ alone”) and the enduring assurance of so doing (“The living Christ on mercy’s wing grants peace to me”). If you would like to discuss any of the points mentioned by these hymnwriters, then please contact us via our website (http://www.birstallbaptistchurch.org.uk) or by phoning 0116 2214883. From Birstall Independent Baptist Church

HELLO EVERYONE, as I write, today is 12 months since we began our first lockdown in the UK. We have all been in the same storm, but different boats, and have experienced the pandemic differently. The Bible says: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those From Birstall Methodist Church in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.2 Cor 1:2-4 Looking to Holy Week (2) I have found that prayer always changLast month we considered the centrales things, so a prayer for you: ity of Good Friday for the Christian, but Father, thank you for your faithfulthis event is nothing without the momenness, thank you for your everlasting love, tous event of the Resurrection on Easter thank you for never leaving us this year. Day (remembered on April 4 this year). We pray for those in our world who Jesus died to settle all (including the redemption of believers and their recon- mourn the loss of loved ones - those ciliation with God; the defeat of the devil who have faced deep trauma and sadness - the poor of our world - those and bringing glory to God) and rose imprisoned for faith - those who are from the dead to prove that all was setbroken - Lord in your mercy, be their tled. comfort Resurrection or Easter Sunday We pray for Leicestershire - for those As to be expected with such an imporwho have spent a year in lockdown tant event, there are numerous hymns those who have struggled in their mental on this topic. Re-telling what happened health - those who live with fear and on that first Sunday morning is Edmond anxiety - those who desperately need Budry’s ‘Thine be the glory, risen, conhelp - Lord in your mercy, be their comquering Son, Endless is the victory Thou fort o’er death hast won ’, including the We pray for everyone in Birstall - for angels rolling away the stone from the those who have faced great tests and tomb (so that the disciples could see walked through real challenge - Lord in that it was now empty); the Lord greetyour mercy, be their comfort ing the visiting women and a reference Father, we trust you - Jesus we love to ‘doubting Thomas’. you - Spirit we need you - All that we It has a strong note of joy and triare we give to you - Amen umph. On April 18 we return to in-person Budry (1854-1932) was born in services in Leicestershire and have eight Vevey (Switzerland) and ministered as a services to choose from, with one of our pastor there for thirty years. services also being live-streamed on The blessing for believers of a Saviour YouTube every week at 11am. who is triumphant and who “lives eterDue to capacity limitations, we are nally to save” is the sentiment of ‘I know still unable to meet in the Birstall Village that my Redeemer lives’ by Samuel MedHall, but we will bring an update later in ley (1738-1799). It is a personal view the year. and the believer is reminded that Jesus The Church is alive, and if we can “still pleads for me above”, and that “He support you with prayer, food, a doorlives, my kind, wise, constant Friend, step visit or phone call, please get in who still will keep me to the end.” Medtouch either through the church office ley was a rebel as a youngster and decid0116 2558672 or ed to join the Navy for adventure. After admin@trinitylifechurch.org.uk being wounded in a battle and seeing www.trinitylifechurch.org.uk prayer for healing answered, together From Trinity Life Church with his grandfather’s teaching, he was converted in 1760 and soon became a

Birstall BAG’s cancer corner Cancer Signs and Symptoms Last month Birstall BAGs outlined the impact the COVID Pandemic has had on cancer services, and we described NHS England’s response which we hope reassured people. As we crawl out of the pandemic and seek to return to our pre-Covid-19 lives, Birstall BAGs would like to describe the signs and symptoms of cancer and emphasise how important it is to seek medical attention if you are concerned. Not reacting to your concerns about signs and symptoms, avoiding medical attention can lead to cancers being more advanced, possibly less treatable or less responsive to treatment. Here are the signs and symptoms that NHS England advice you to contact your GP surgery about: Coughing, chest pain and breathlessness - Contact a GP if you've had a cough for three weeks or more. Symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain may also be a sign of a condition such as pneumonia. Speak to a GP straight away if you have these types of symptoms. Changes in bowel habits- Speak to a GP if you've noticed these changes and it's lasted for more than a few weeks: blood in your poo diarrhoea or constipation for no obvious reason a feeling of not having fully emptied your bowels after going to the toilet pain in your stomach or back passage (anus) Bloating - Speak to a GP if you've had bloating for three weeks or more.

Lump and bumps - Speak to a GP if you notice a lump in your breast or if you have a lump that's rapidly increasing in size elsewhere on your body. Unexplained weight loss - You should also speak to a GP if you've lost a lot of weight over the last couple of months that cannot be explained by changes to your diet, exercise or stress. Bleeding-you should also speak to a GP if you have any unexplained bleeding, such as: blood in your urine bleeding between periods bleeding from your bottom blood when you cough blood in your vomit Moles Speak to a GP if you have a mole that: changes shape or looks uneven changes colour, gets darker or has more than two colours starts itching, crusting, flaking or bleeding gets larger or more raised from the skin For more information:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cancer/sy mptoms/ Cancer services want to reassure the public that they are open and running and ready to respond to all referrals received in a timely manner. 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

School’s new science block completed THE CEDARS Academy’s new Science Block is now complete, with students in all years at the Birstall secondary school now making full use of the facilities. The modern new building, located next to the old youth centre, has an array of purpose-built science labs, classrooms and study spaces, including nine laboratories across a 1200sqm floor plan. It also features a BMS system, LED lighting, and a Heat Recovery System. Interserve Ltd was awarded the contract, and the build started in July 2019. The project is part of the wider ongoing developments to renovate the school,

Second Covid-19 vaccination PATIENTS WAITING for their second Covid-19 vaccination have been given clarification from the Patient Participation Group for Birstall Medical Centre in Whiles Lane. Edmund Chambers, the Group’s Chairman, said: “The second dose will be administered on the same site as the

first but there are different appointment processes for those vaccinated in Loughborough and those vaccinated in Birstall. “Each patient who received their first vaccination at the Community Vaccination Centre in Loughborough will receive a letter, at the appropriate time, inviting them to telephone the surgery, where the Receptionist will then be able to book their second appointment at the Centre.

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“Each patient who received their first vaccination at the Whiles Lane Surgery will be contacted by them directly, at the appropriate time, and given their second appointment at the surgery.” These arrangements are now underway and a number of people have already received their second doses. Edmund said: “However, the additional calls, including many general enquiries about vaccination dates, have placed extra demands on the system and telephone waiting times ‘on hold’ have become much longer than anybody would like. Patients are asked not to ring about vaccinations until asked to do so and then not before 10.30 am, in order to leave the receptionists free to deal with patients requiring urgent appointments with a doctor.” He added: “The staff are doing their best to offer a good service in these difficult times, while also having to deal with this extra demand. Please do not blame them if things do not always go as smoothly as you, and they, would like.”

which has already undergone extensive work in recent years since joining the Lionheart Academies Trust in 2015. Interserve started work on the school with the renovation of the main building and the sports hall. The overall plan is to relocate the science accommodation within the new building, then relocate the remaining accommodation including music, food technology, IT and catering into the underutilise Stonehill site. The old Longslade main building, on the northern edge of the site, will be demolished and the site soft landscaped. Laura Sanchez, Executive Headteacher of The Cedars Academy, said: “We strongly believe our young people deserve to be inspired by their surroundings, and that innovative spaces which are fully equipped for their needs will lead to innovative thinking. We're proud of the work being done at The Cedars Academy, and we know that our learners will equally share in our excitement, particularly our new Year 7 in September, who will also be able to fully enjoy the new facilities.” The Cedars Academy is an 11-19 co-educational school, rated Good, by OFSTED and is part of the Lionheart Academies Trust, a family of 11 schools based in and around Leicestershire. Pic: (top) the new science block at the Cedars Academy

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