Crowds expected to pour in for duck race

THE 13TH Annual White Horse Duck Race, which is supporting Birstall United Juniors Football club this year, is almost upon us.

The event is at 12noon on Mayday Monday May 1, at the White Horse pub on White Horse Lane, and along the riverbank from the pub to Whiles Lane. The main beneficiary is the junior football club, but there will also be many stalls, games and activities, organised by other local community groups. So far, there will be a penalty shootout and tuck shop, a toy tombola, a cake stall, sweet stall, hook-a-duck, bottle tombola, duck memorabilia and duck crafts, to name those confirmed so far.

The duck race itself will begin at 2pm, and Webster the Duck mascot will be there to start the race.

Charlotte Foy of the White Horse said: “It’s a real community event and with so many groups taking part, it will spread some of the fundraising into the wider community.”

Those involved along with Birstall

United Juniors football club are Girlguiding Birstall, The WI, the Birstall community group ‘Pay it Forward’, The Mia Moo charity, The local Boys’ Brigade and the Sea Cadets. Hallam Fields and Riverside PTAs have committed to holding stalls. The funds their stalls raise will go directly to their own charities. Katie’s

Continued from page 8 cialist traders and demonstrations.

Refreshments will be available. Plenty of free parking

For further information please contact John on 07948419664 or email systonmodelrailway@gmx.co.uk. www.systonmrs.org.uk

Characters will also be at the event with some of her princesses and superheroes. Paddle Plus will be along to help with the event and, weather permitting, will be showing off their skills and doing some stunts on the river.

Ducks for the race are now on sale at The White Horse, Unique Hairdressing on Front Street and Brunchies Café for face-to-face sales. The Pay it Forward community group will also be selling ducks virtually via their Facebook page.

Webster the Duck will also be out and about visiting Hallam Fields, Riverside and Highcliffe primary schools and will also be down to have a kickabout at Birstall United

Football Club, as well as a visit to sell ducks outside the Co-op. Check out the White Horse Facebook for more information.

Prizes are already starting to come in for the lucky Duck Race winners, with £100 as the first prize, as well as vouchers for popular family activities East Street Lanes, Caddy Shakers and treetop golf already on the prize list, with many more to be added soon.

Any donations of prizes or cakes, teddies or other items for stalls would still be welcome - contact Charlotte at the White Horse on 0116 2671038 and leave a message.

Birstall United is one of the biggest junior football clubs in Leicestershire, with over 20 teams and 300 players. It is a non-profit organisation providing fun, safe, enjoyable football for boys and girls from four to 18 years of age.

Steve Carr, Birstall United Juniors secretary, said: “Birstall United Juniors is honoured and excited to be chosen this year to be the nominated charity by the White Horse Pub for its fundraising at the annual duck race. The money raised will be invested in some new updates, much-needed line marking equipment, and ground maintenance equipment to ensure our pitches remain top class.”

Visit our website at: www.villagewatch.co.uk

The Future of Your Watch is at a Critical Point

The Covid pandemic seriously interrupted our operation during the lockdown when we lost a number of our key Volunteers for a variety of reasons. Attempts to recruit replacements have been unsuccessful and the workload of running the Watch now falls upon a very small group of people.

This is not a viable situation and we have reached the stage when it seems likely that we shall have to wind up the Watch. This would be a great loss to our villages but without new Volunteers to take over its administration, we have no alternative.

In a last attempt to prevent this, we are holding a Special General Meeting, to which ALL RESIDENTS ARE INVITED.

The level of interest this attracts and offers of practical support that are forthcoming will determine whether the Watch can continue to operate.

Thursday, 20th April at 7.45 pm in the Birstall Methodist Church Hall

Wanlip Lane, Birstall, LE4 4JS

If you have thoughts or questions that you would like to discuss in advance, please email us at: watch@villagewatch.co.uk

Postcode Lottery Scam Letters

If you receive a letter with the news that you have won thousands of pounds in the People’s Postcode Lottery, it is very important to take time to check that you are not being targeted by a scammer.

This scam letter has the People’s Postcode Lottery logo and branding. It claims that your postcode has been randomly selected as a winner from the electoral roll database. There are clues that show that this is a scam.

It says that your 'win' is part of a ‘special programme’ that awards money from previously unclaimed prizes. It uses this fictitious story to justify why you do not need to be a registered player who has bought entries into the draw. The letter comes from a London‐based address that is not listed on the People’s Postcode Lottery website.

You are asked to contact a named person at a made‐up financial services company – examples include Coral & Reed Financial Services and Ultimate Financial Services but other names are also used. A quick search on Companies House reveals that none of these companies actually exist.

The letter tells you to phone to claim your prize. This is when the scammer will ask you to provide personal details, that will almost certainly include your bank account information. They will then use it to steal your money.

The real People’s Postcode Lottery has confirmed that these letters are not from them and that no such ‘special programme’ exists.

Genuine winning postcodes can be checked on its website that is updated daily.

www.postcodelottery.co.uk

Royal Mail provides several methods that you can use to report scam letters like these. It uses the information that you provide to investigate their source and take the necessary action to prevent them in the future.

Go to: personal.help.royalmail.com and enter ‘report scam mail’ into the search box.

Speeding Traffic

Speeding traffic is a regular concern raised by local residents with both the Watch and the Police. Our Beat Officers conduct regular speed checks on the busier roads in the area but, among their many other duties, their time is limited.

Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership also monitors traffic behaviour and there is a lot of information and advice about the issue on its website: www.speedorsafety.com

Dangerous Dogs

The number of dog attacks recorded by the Police in England and Wales has risen by over a third in recent years. This an issue of concern because, unfortunately, the injuries caused can be serious and in rare cases result in death. Small children are particularly vulnerable.

Of course, dangerous dogs are only a very small proportion of all the pet and working dogs in the country and the vast majority present no danger to the public. Part of the problem, though, appears to be that some puppies, acquired during the pandemic, did not have very much experience of mixing with strangers from outside their homes during the lockdown.

Caring and responsible owners know that their pets are friendly but strangers may not be so sure if a dog runs up to them off the lead. People, especially children, who may have a bad experience in the past with a less well‐controlled animal, can easily become very alarmed and distressed.

Please keep this in mind when walking your dogs in public and keep them on their leads where the by‐laws require it.

Our Local Police Beat Team produces a monthly Newsletter with news of crime and other local issues. You can read it in full each month on our website: www.villagewatch.co.uk/police ble to revive the operation, all attempts to recruit replacements have proved unsuccessful. The workload now falls upon a very small group of active volunteers who have not been able to provide the necessary support to our network of coordinators and their neighbours.