Plymouth Chronicle Central May 2023

Plymouth MP Luke Pollard launches ‘Homes Fit for Heroes’ campaign

Shadow Armed Forces Minister and Plymouth MP Luke Pollard has launched a campaign to begin tackling the poor state of military accommodation across the country.

Luke launched ‘Homes fit for Heroes’, a campaign that encourages service personnel and their families to submit their experiences to help Labour shape its plans for the next election.

Poor military housing is a key issue in the South West, where MOD data uncovered by Labour revealed that one in two of personnel in Devon live in the lowest grade of service accommodation.

Since being elected, Luke has consistently campaigned on defence housing issues in Plymouth, including his call for Stonehouse barracks to be refurbished so that all accommodation blocks have hot water and good heating.

It was recently revealed that personnel at Stonehouse barracks are routinely left without hot water or heating, where an average of one boiler was breaking down every day at the base. Luke says the Conservatives are ‘failing forces and their families in Plymouth on a daily basis.’   Labour has commissioned an independent review of defence accommodation, chaired by crossbench peer and former Head of the Civil Service, Lord Bob Kerslake.

health, housing and the armed forces.  Labour’s Homes Fit for Heroes

MAY TO SEPTEMBER:

campaign is compiling evidence on the state of military accommodation which will be submitted as evidence to review.

Personnel and their families can submit their views at https://labour.org.uk/ homesfitforheroes

Figures also obtained by Labour have revealed that out of a total of 47,894 service family accommodation properties there have been 24,536 reports of a lack of heating since April 2022.

Across the country, 4,360 personnel live in accommodation so poor that no rental charge is levied.

The latest MoD statistics reveal that 16,250 people left the armed forces in the year to October 2022, a 17.5% increase, while 30% fewer people joined up.

More than a quarter of tri-service personnel say the issues with accommodation provision increases their intention to leave service. Luke Pollard said:  “The Government is failing forces and their families in Plymouth on a daily basis.

“Across the south west service family accommodation is plagued by black mould, leaky roofs, broken boilers and long waits for repairs. Our forces and their families deserve better.

“For Labour, the defence of our nation begins at home. I want to hear directly from Forces and their families so that we can deliver the Homes Fit for Heroes they deserve.”

The commission will bring together experts from fields including

Luke Pollard MP is calling on service personnel and their families to submit their views and experiences of military accommodation as part of the Homes Fit for Heroes campaign

Supersmart Gillian setting her sights on a bright future

A Plymouth woman has received a prestigious award for her achievements working at a city firm of opticians.

Gillian Eddy, who works at the Specsavers store in Plymouth, received a Master Certificate from the Lord Mayor of the City of London at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Gillian was being recognised as one of only three apprentices in the country to achieve 100 per cent in their Level 2 exams.

The event was organised by the Master of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers in recognition of apprentices who achieved a distinction in their qualifications and have gone on to further optician training.

Gillian, 39, said: “This is a real honour. I genuinely wasn’t expecting it. Normally for the Master Certificate Scheme they choose one recipient, but this year three of us got 100 per cent, so they couldn’t choose between us.

“Everyone at Specsavers Plymouth has

been incredibly supportive. They’ve really encouraged me.”

The Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers is the oldest optical body in the world, having been founded nearly 400 years ago.

The Master Certificate Scheme encourages career progression in the skills and trades supported by City of London Livery Companies. In his address to those receiving certificates and prizes, the Lord Mayor noted that ‘Quality is not an accident’.

Nathan Burn, a director at Specsavers Plymouth, said: “We are extremely proud of Gillian and her achievements. She is a valuable member of our team, working with great care and insight with our patients.

“We always encourage our staff to carry on learning as they work, for the benefit of all the members of the public they will deal with over their future careers, and we are so pleased that Gillian’s hard work and commitment has been recognised in this way.”

Unique dye garden created

Academics and students specialising in textile design at Arts University Plymouth have created a new plant garden for natural dye as part of their project ‘Of the Ground’.

The project is developed in collaboration with National Trust Saltram, one of the South West’s most loved National Trust properties, and sited at Plymouth’s community farm, Poole Farm, based in Derriford Community Park.

The ‘Of the Ground’ project, which is supported by Research England’s Knowledge Exchange Funding and builds on a collaborative project initiated in 2022 by the arts university and National Trust Saltram as part of the Green Minds project, which is a partnership led by Plymouth City Council and co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, Urban Innovative Actions initiative.

BA (Hons) Textiles Design course leader and textile designer, Emma Gribble, came up with the idea for the project.

Closely supported in the planning and planting stages by technical demonstrator Fiona Lloyd, Emma led her students in work to establish a natural dye garden at Poole Farm, combining Arts University Plymouth’s commitment to teaching sustainable processes with the use of local heritageinformed planting.

The National Trust supported the project research and shared a planting list from

Saltram’s archives, containing details of species used in the creation of the house’s original garden. The use of heritage-inspired plants will create a colour palette firmly rooted in Saltram and its surrounding landscape.

The textile design students and academics, who will manage the dye garden on an ongoing basis, recently visited the garden to plant and sow seeds in preparation for Spring. They were joined by volunteers and staff from Poole Farm and the National Trust, with expert guidance on planting from Dr Martin Stott, head gardener at Saltram.

Planted in raised beds, the ‘Of the Ground’ dye garden will include a variety of plants such as woad, dyer’s coreopsis,

daffodils, weld, marigolds, tansy, and madder, all sourced by local suppliers in the South West. The selection of plants were chosen in consultation with natural dye plant experts Nature’s Rainbow and natural dye guru Jane Deane. The beds were designed and constructed by the staff and volunteers at Poole Farm, including an accessible bed for wheelchair users.

Emma Gribble said: “As international awareness grows of how harmful many synthetic dyes can be to the natural world, I believe strongly that educators working within the textile and fashion industries have a responsibility to lead the way in teaching students alternative dye methods that are more sustainable and less damaging to the environment.

“This new partnership with National Trust Saltram actively investigates this. The project tests on a small scale how Arts University Plymouth can lead the way in encouraging students and textile practitioners to make more balanced decisions by building knowledge and awareness about alternative dye methods.”

As the ‘Of the Ground’ dye garden matures through the seasons, it will become a permanent resource, available for all Arts University Plymouth students to use. The range of colours it produces will be specific and unique to the local landscape.

Pictured at Poole Farm (from left) Fiona Lloyd, Emma Gribble, Dr Martin Stott and Arts University Plymouth’s Tifaine Dickinson

Gillian Eddy receives the Master Certificate from the Lord Mayor of London

Out and About

Your guide to events in the local community and beyond

Send details of your event to info@ cornerstonevision.com and we will do our best to include them in Out and About. Unfortunately because of space limitations we are unable to publish details of regular meetings of groups and societies or similar organisations.

The Magic Box

Until Apr 22

A fully immersive theatre experience for babies and toddlers with beautiful characters, lighting, sound, bubbles and puppets at The Soapbox Theatre, Devonport Park. For details visit www.stiltskin.org.uk/ soapbox-childrens-theatre-devonport-box-office

Warchild Concert

Apr 23

Fundraising concert for Warchild charity organised by Jeanie Moore for the very last time. Featuring five wonderful musicians - Peter Fisher, violin, Judith Hall, flute, Margaret Fingerhut, piano, Peter Oxley and Nick Meier, guitar. Concert takes place at Stoke Damerel Church at 3pm. Doors open 2.30pm. Tickets at www. wegottickets.com/event/569252

Open day at Oreston Bowls Club

Apr 23

Go along and try your hand at outdoor bowling on Sunday at 1.30pm at Deans Cross Road, Plymstock. All are welcome and free equipment loan and tuition will be available. Please wear flat shoes without heels.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Forum

Apr 26

Sponsored by Plymouth Samaritans at the Restore Church in Milehouse from 10am to 2pm. The forum will provide the opportunity to bring together wellbeing hubs from across Plymouth and providers with a link to mental health issues. The event is being funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. The funding will also support a local gardening project for men with mental health issues.

Coronation Cream Tea

Apr 29

Visitor Centre, Ford Oark Cemetery from 2pm to 4pm. Tickets are selling fast so anyone wishing to attend should either visit the office during working hours 10am to 3.30pm or call 01752 665442 to book a ticket.

Spring Fayre

Apr 29

St Bureaux Parish Church Community Hall, Higher Street, St Budeaux from 11am to 2.30pm. Table top sales and refreshments. Admission 20p.

Hear Better ‘Mini’ Exhibition

May 4

Free hearing loss exhibition designed for individuals and hearing professionals to find out more about the latest technology and local support available to assist people with hearing loss in daily life. To be held at the Copthorne Hotel from 10.30am to 3pm. There will be an NHS Re-tube clinic and British Sign Language (BSL) Interpreter from 10.30am to 1pm. For more information contact Sensory Solutions, Improving Lives Plymouth 01752 201899.

Past Coronations Exhibition

May 7 to 18

Exhibition at the Visitor Centre, Ford Park Cemetery from 10.30am to 3.30pm on weekdays and 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Occasionally events can be cancelled through unavoidable circumstances so it is worth checking beforehand (tel. 01752 665442).

Eurovision Party

May 13

Plymouth Eurovision fans are in for a treat with the screening of the Eurovision Grand Final in Plymouth’s Guildhall - and the tickets are free thanks to funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. The event is being hosted by Plymouth Pride with support from Plymouth City Council. There will be a

Eurovision quiz and disco until 1am. For tickets sign up at www.campaigns.plymouthpride.co.uk/h/j/ B207258420CCF594

Set the Stage

May 13

Sounds Musical Theatre Company return to Devonport Playhouse with Set The Stage, a show stopping concert of songs from blockbuster movies and stage shows. Matinée 2.30pm or evening 7.30pm.Tickets from www.ticketsource.co.uk/sounds or phone 07395159955. Adults: £12, Over 65s £11, Under 16s £6. Check out Facebook or Instagram pages for more information about the company.

Britain’s Ocean City Running Festival

May 14

One of the South West’s most popular running events with half marathon, 10k and 5k distances as well as team challenges and Primary Schools Challenge. Enter now at www.runplymouth.co.uk

Dinosaurs in the Park

May 19 to June 11

An educational and enjoyable day for the family with 40 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs. Visitors can wind their way along the Dinosaur Trail, solve puzzles and even carry out some Jurassic dnetistry by brushing the teeth of the resident T-Rex. For tickets and information visit www.dinosaursinthepark

Spring Concert

May 19 and 20

Plymouth Musical Activities Club present Mac’s Musical Universe at the Devonport Playhouse. Go along to hear a variety of well-known songs about The Stars, The Sun and the Celestial. Tickets £7 on sale now. For tickets please text or call Carole Rowntree on 07926 029268.

Quiz Night and Pizza Supper

May 20

For teams of four at the Visitor Centre, Ford Park Cemetery starting at 7pm. Tickets cost £10 per person and booking is essential. Call 01752 665442 for details.

Plymouth Pirates Weekend

May 20 and 21

Swashbuckling fun for all the family around the Barbican, Sutton Harbour and waterfront. This popular event is one of the highlights of the year in Plymouth and draws thousands of people to the waterfront to enjoy the spectacle.

Strictly Come Dancing - The Professionals

May 24 and 25

A spectacular line-up of some of the world’s best professional dancers will be at Plymouth Pavilions with performances each night at 7.30pm and matinee

on Saturday at 2.30pm. For details visit www. strictlytheprofessionals.com

Flavour Fest

May 26 to 28

Foodie fans are in for a real treat this year as Flavour Fest returns to Plymouth city centre. It’s the South West’s largest free food and drink festival, with hundreds of local producers selling tasty treats and a chef stage with regional cookery stars showcasing their skills. Find out more on the Flavour Fest website at www.flavourfestsw.co.uk/

Big Bowls Bash

May 27

Oreston and District Bowls Club open day to support Bowls England when potential new members, both experienced players and beginners will be welcome. The event is at Deans Cross Road, Plymstock behind the children’s play area from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Phone Sue on 07708 370749 or Chris on 01752 941750 for further information.

The Browne House

June 1 and 2

Presented by Plymouth’s Theatre of Boom! at The Muse Theatre, Lipson Co-operative Academy and starring local legend Rick O’Shay as Mr Browne. Based on a true story, this little-known series of dark and chilling events takes place in the heart of Dartmoor. Tickets cost £11 and can be obtained through www. wegottickets.com or contact Katrina on 07596 545739.

Plymouth Motorshow

June 3 and 4

Annual two day car show at Plymstock Albion Oaks Rugby Club from 10am to 6pm is open to vintage, old classics and sport cars including high performance car rally vehicles, kit cars and modern cars of interest of all motor sport clubs and motor cycles. Children’s entertainment, a family fun dog show (courtesy of Paws4Proceeds) an assortment of live local bands, food and of course, bar. Overnight camping is available for vendors and car show entrants.

An Evening with Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards

Jun 11

The legendary ski jumper - the first and only competitor to represent Great Britain at the Winter Olympics is appearing at the Quad Theatre on the Marjon campus at 7.30pm. Tickets from www. comicalentertainment.com

Models and Railway Exhibition

Jun 17

Five model railway displays along with numerous built scale models kits including aircraft, sci-fi, ships and military vehicles. Plymouth Tothill Community Centre

from 10am to 4pm. Traders will also be selling railway and modelling items. Tombola during the event and hot and cold food on sale. Disabled access and plenty of parking. Entrance fee: adults £2, family £5 and concessions £1. Children under 12 free.

Table Top Sale

June 17

Trinity United Reformed Church, Hartley from 10am to 12 noon. Entry 20p. Light refreshments available. To book a table call Jill on 01752 249337.

Rehabilitation Triathlon

June 22

Hosted by the Royal Navy Recovery Centre Hasler on The Hoe. Over 200 participants from the UK Triservices and veterans will attend this event, along with International teams from the United States Marine Corps and Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. The swim will take place in the Tinside Lido and the cycle will consist of a time trial on rowing machines in a marquee positioned on the Hoe promenade. The allimportant Awards Ceremony will be held on the main stage on Plymouth Hoe.

Armed Forces Day

June 24

Plymouth Armed Forces Day, in association with Babcock, will be returning on Saturday June 24, with an exciting day for all the family to enjoy on Plymouth Hoe, and celebrate our military and all the great work they do. Armed Forces Day is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to come along and show their support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community from currently serving troops to reservists, veterans, cadets and their families. There will be activities for all the family to enjoy and get involved in, from exploring military vehicles and equipment, to tackling the Royal Marines obstacle course. Event starts at 10am and finishes at 10.30pm with a free evening concert.

How to Keep Going

June 30

Plymouth Samaritans annual literary event will be held at the Copthorne Hotel, Armada Way, Plymouth from 9am to 5pm. Entitled How to Keep Going, the event will be a day of inspirational speakers who will share their journeys through life’s challenges. Authors include Beth Greenaway, Jessica Harrington, Floyd Steadman OBE and Michelle Thomas. Tickets £25 can be obtained from janetasherriff@btinternet.com

Send details of your event to info@cornerstonevision. com and we will do our best to include them in Out and About. Unfortunately because of space limitations we are unable to publish details of regular meetings of groups and societies or similar organisations.

Plymouth’s popular Flavour Fest returns to the city centre in May

NEW ARCHDEACON OF PLYMOUTH IS ANNOUNCED

The new Archdeacon of Plymouth is the Rev’d Jane Bakker, who is currently Priest-in-Charge of a large parish in Southampton and was the former Area Dean.

Rev’d Bakker grew up in Cambridge and joined the RAF as an assistant Air Traffic Controller before working in accounts and becoming a management accountant.

She felt called to ordination soon after becoming a Christian and trained at Trinity College, Bristol, where she met her husband, Greg. She was ordained in 2001.

She said “I am most looking forward to getting to know the people of Plymouth Archdeaconry and discovering the joys and challenges of ministry in Devon. It is not an area I know well, and I will enjoy exploring the region.

“I find hope when I see small churches, sometimes in challenging circumstances, making a big impact in their local community. When the resilient and resourceful congregations gather around a renewed vision of God’s kingdom, then hope is irrepressible.  The message of Jesus is one of transformation. In the thousands of small changes that follow the movement of God’s spirit, hope grows.”

Jane succeeds the Ven. Nick Shutt, who is retiring at Easter.

She said that she was looking forward to working with churches in both urban and rural areas and across the spectrum of church traditions. “When churches respond to the needs of their community in imaginative ways, diversity and individuality emerge. The joy of being part of a broad church is that there is room for every expression of church – we are only limited by our imagination!”

The Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt. Rev’d James Grier, said “I am delighted that Jane is going to be the new Archdeacon of Plymouth and can’t wait to work with her as we partner in serving the people of Plymouth Archdeaconry.

“She brings a fantastic combination of pastoral, administrative and strategic gifts, along with great faith and enthusiasm, which are all essential for an archdeacon!

“I look forward to this new season of growing the kingdom in the wonderful west of Devon.”

Jane, who enjoys being “a serial crafter” in her spare time, plans to move to Devon in May.

She said “I like to walk with my dog Orla and my husband. We enjoy being by water, so we are looking forward to exploring Devon’s rivers and coastlines.”

Jane will be collated (licensed) as Archdeacon of Plymouth in a special service at St Eustachius church, Tavistock, on June 13 at 7pm.

She will be installed as a member of the College of Canons at Exeter Cathedral during Choral Evensong on June 27 at

Anyone is welcome to attend both

Costa manager Dawn in memorable trip to Vietnam

The manager of a Costa Coffee drive through in Plympton has spent five days in Vietnam in recognition of her fundraising efforts.

Dawn Cave, manager of the drive through in Gateway Retail Park off Plymouth Road, was one of 12 Costa Coffee team members from across the country who were chose to visit and experience the work done by the Costa Foundation in Vietnam to help support and educate coffee growing communities.

Dawn Cave

Dawn, 51, has been working for Costa Coffee for the past six years and is a passionate fundraiser for the Costa Foundation. She was recognised on behalf of her amazing team, who were the highest fundraising Costa Coffee store in 2022.

Collectively the store helped raise over £18,000 for the charity through climbing Snowdon, doing a sponsored ten-mile walk,

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to in-store fundraising with dress-up days, raffles and selling arts and crafts. Handpicked out of thousands of Costa Coffee team members, Dawn was recognised for the once in a lifetime opportunity.

During the five day visit to Vietnam Dawn and the group visited nursery schools in the Wake Lak province of Vietnam, meeting children, parents and teachers at schools

A charity at the heart of our community, supporting and inspiring people to improve their health and wellbeing

that have been built by the Costa Foundation over the past five years.

The group also attended the opening ceremonies of some of the newest schools to be built by the Costa Foundation across Vietnam.

The visits highlighted the difference that the charity is making to improve access to education for children across coffee growing regions.

Speaking about the trip, Dawn said: “Visiting Vietnam and seeing the amazing work of the Costa Foundation and meeting the children was an incredible experience. I feel truly privileged to have been chosen for this trip and to be able to see how our hard work over the years is helping children in Vietnam.

“I am proud to support the Costa Foundation which is making a positive contribution to coffee growing communities globally and this visit has inspired me to fundraise even more! From the trip to Vietnam, I have learnt that not every child has the same access to education that we may take for granted, and this needs to change. I am more motivated than ever to continue to raise money for the Costa Foundation to help all children have a fair chance at life by accessing the education they need to learn and grow.”

We are trialling this new support from Monday 11th April until 31st July 2023 and would urge you to get in contact.

Plymouth Community Assist (PCA) at the charity Improving Lives Plymouth is a free service to help Plymouth residents find information and support from voluntary and community groups and businesses in your local area.

Our aim is to allow people to live healthier more independent lives for longer by offering both preventative and complimentary services that work alongside the NHS and Adult Social Care. This could include conversations about accessing community group’s to combat isolation, maximising income, form filling, discussions about utility and food provision, long term health condition support, housing and where to gain free legal advice.

The PCA team are waiting to provide you with good quality information, advice, support and signposting that helps you to make informed decisions about your well-being, and will work with you to discuss the options available to find the best solution for you.

Your wellbeing request may feel small but if you need help and support with it give us a call…

The Costa Foundation was established in 2007, with the aim of improving the life chances of children in coffee growing communities by helping them access a safe, quality education. In Vietnam, children need to be able to speak Kinh, Vietnam’s national language, to access primary education. The Costa Foundation funds nursery schools in these remote areas to ensure children can learn Kinh from an early age and benefit from full schooling.

Over the last 16 years the Costa Foundation has supported 24 nursery schools in Vietnam, with a 100 per cent record of accomplishment of children leaving with the ability to speak Kinh.

In 2022 alone, they completed five new schools and ten schools’ expansions, with six new schools under construction across the world’s coffee growing regions. Additionally, two new programmes of work also started in Zambia and Ethiopia. For 2023, seven new schools are planned to be completed across Ethiopia, Colombia, and Peru, whilst adding extra facilities and expanding six schools across Uganda, Zambia, and Ethiopia.

John English, community manager at Costa Coffee, who also took part in the special visit said: “The Costa Foundation exists to help provide a safe and quality education for children in coffee growing communities. An amazing total of £1.2 million was raised for the charity in 2022, which was made up of a combination of corporate donations, donations from product sales, and in-store fundraising activities – such as Dawn’s.

Telephone – 01752 201898

Email - PCA@improvinglivesplymouth.org.uk

Complete an online referral at www.improvinglivesplymouth.org.uk/plymouth-community-assist

“We are honoured to have been able to acknowledge the achievements and hard work of our twelve Costa Coffee’s team members by taking them on an unforgettable trip to Vietnam, where they saw first-hand the difference that they, their stores and their communities are making.”

Dawn Cave (fourth from right) pictured during a visit to one of the schools supported by the Costa Foundation

Coffee growing

Mobile giant to recruit 250 new staff in Plymouth

EE, the UK’s biggest mobile network operator is planning to take on 250 more people to work at its centre in Plymouth this year.

The organisation will recruit the new staff in the city over the next six months as part of a drive by EE, part of BT Group, to boost staff numbers across its contact centres.

The roles will be based at the recently refurbished EE contact centre in Plymouth and will be added over the next six months covering service roles for the company.

The complete refit of the centre, located at Langage Business Park in, Plympton, was completed at the end of last year, creating a modern workspace for the 1,000 or so colleagues based there.

The refurbishment has resulted in new café and restaurant facilities, flexible workspaces, collaboration areas, and ‘relax and refuel’ spaces.

For more information on the available roles, please visit www.bt.com/careers

Starring role for Rick O’Shay in new production from the Theatre of Boom!

One of Plymouth’s newest theatre groups has announced details of its latest production.

Plymouth-based Theatre of Boom! was founded in 2021 and its first production was the sell-out ‘Field of Greens’ which was based on the days of administration and near closure of Plymouth Argyle.

Written by the legendary musician and Argyle fanatic Rick O’Shay ‘Field of Greens’ was presented over four nights at the Green Taverners Suite in March last year. Fans of the club were included in the cast, even though very few of them had any theatrical experience at all.

The production had come into being after Rick had met Vince Sutton for a general discussion about the play. Vince ended up as the director and Rick’s wife Katrina took of secretarial, P.A. and production duties.

‘Field of Greens’ was so successful that the group decided to continue as a theatre company and Theatre of Boom! was formed.

Rick said: “Our aim is to bring a theatrical experience to our audiences in which as much as possible has been created from within the company. Our work celebrates the depth of human imagination by engaging our audiences with high quality storytelling.

“Theatre of Boom! also curates’events to create dialogue between patrons and artists, furthering our connection to Plymouth and surrounding communities.”

The not for profit organisation aims to produce great plays utilising its artistic ensemble of actors, writers and stage crew.

Their brand-new production is called ‘The Browne House’ written by Vince Sutton and featuring Rick O’Shay as Mr Browne.

Based on a true story, this little-known series of dark and chilling events takes place in the heart of Dartmoor.

With this in mind the Theatre of Boom! wanted to put on at least one performance in the area it is connected with and have announced that on Sunday June 25 they will be at Yelverton Memorial Village Hall, Meavy Lane, Yelverton. The performance will start at 7.30pm with doors opening at 6.45pm.

The play will also be performed in The Muse Theatre, Lipson Co-Operative Academy, Bernice Terrace, Lipson, Plymouth. PL4 7PG on June 1 and 2. Tickets cost £11 and can be obtained now through www.wegottickets.com or contact Katrina on 07596 545739.

Anyone who would to join the company in any capacity or or back staff can contact them through their Facebook page or visit their website at www.theatreofboom. webador.co.uk. The company rehearses each Wednesday at Compton Methodist Church Hall, 2 Revel Road, Higher Compton, Plymouth at 7.15 pm.

Roarsome family fun with the dinosaurs in Central Park

Stomping into Plymouth this May half term, Dinosaurs in the Park features 40 lifesized animatronic dinosaurs and is sure to delight dino fans of all ages.

Transforming Central Park into a palaeontologist’s playground from May 19 to June 11, Dinosaurs in the Park offers an educational and enjoyable day out for the whole family.

Visitors can wind their way along the Dinosaur Trail, solve puzzles, and even carry out some Jurassic dentistry by brushing the teeth of the resident T-Rex.

With dinosaurs round every corner, the park will be filled with classic favourites such as the Stegosaurus, Triceratops and Velociraptor, as well as the lesser-known Dilophosaurus, Kentrosaurus and Hyparosauras.

Plus, there will be a guest appearance from real-life palaeontologist Dr Dean Lomax. There’s also a food court, fairground rides and trampolines to add to the fun.

After a successful debut year in 2022, Dinosaurs in the Park visits three fresh locations this year, premiering in Plymouth before visiting Cardiff and Manchester.

Created by the organisers of Dinosaur Encounters Mini Golf, the Bristol Christmas Markets and the popular Mojito Beach Bars, Dinosaurs in the Park is an ideal half-term day out.

Sven Schmidt, creator of Dinosaurs in the Park, said the event was inspired by the everpopular dinosaur craze. He added: “After the incredible success of last year’s Dinosaurs in the Park we can’t wait to welcome more families to this fun-filled attraction.”

For details visit www.dinosaursinthepark. co.uk

Bill’s marathon Sahara Desert fundraiser

A Plymouth man is running the ‘toughest race on earth’ to raise funds for Parkinson’s UK.

Bill Martin, 55, who lives in Mannamead, is taking part in the Marathon Des Sables where he will run over 250 km in seven days across the Sahara Desert while carrying everything he needs, including food and sleeping gear, in his backpack.

Setting himself a £10,000

fundraising target, Bill decided to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK as his father-in-law, John, was diagnosed with the condition 15 years ago.

Bill said: “John is 80 now and I’ve seen first hand how Parkinson’s has affected him over the years. Parkinson’s is a difficult condition to deal with, everyone experiences it differently and it’s progressive, meaning that it gets worse over time. It’s important to me to fundraise to help find a cure for this horrible condition.”

Bill has taken on marathons and ultramarathons in the past, but this will be his hardest challenge so far. To prepare for the Marathon De Sable, Bill has implemented a strict training programme, running at least 30 miles per week.

He said:  “The distances don’t phase me, I’m more worried about the heat and running in the sand. So, I’m working with a personal trainer on improving my strength, endurance, and preparing as much as possible for the race. I didn’t expect to enjoy the training as much as I am!”

Kirsty Berrigan and Rebecca Landolt, heads of Regional Fundraising at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We are so grateful to Bill for taking on this incredible challenge for Parkinson’s UK. With more than 40

potential symptoms, Parkinson’s can devastate lives. We’ve made huge breakthroughs in the last 50 years, but there is still no cure and current treatments are not good enough.

“We hope that this fundraising challenge inspires you to get involved with Parkinson’s UK. There are lots of ways for you to get involved and support us - from volunteering at

an event, to campaigning for better services. Without the generosity of people like you, our work would not be possible.”

To support Bill on his fundraising challenge, please visit www. justgiving.com/william-martin19

To find out how to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK visit parkinsons.org. uk/fundraising

or listen online at crossrhythms.co.uk/plymouth

Bill Martin in training for his Sahara fundraiser

Plymouth to host sailing world championship

Plymouth is to host a prestigious world sailing championship next year.

Britain’s Ocean City will be the venue for the 45th edition of the J/24 World Championship in 2025.

The Plym Yacht Club, Saltash Sailing Club and the UK J/24 Class Association will jointly run the event which will take place between September 6 and September 14 next year.

The event will be based on the Mount Batten peninsula, supported by Yacht Havens Group and the Port of Plymouth Sailing Association, with five days of racing planned south of Plymouth Sound.

Event co-director Sam Marshall said “We are absolutely delighted to have been given the privilege and honour of hosting the 2025 World Championship. J sailors across the country were gutted to not have the opportunity to race in the 2020 Worlds in Poole due to Covid, so to be able to host boats from around the world in the UK will be fantastic.

“The Port of Plymouth has had an active J/24 fleet for at least 30 years, and we are expecting some strong competition in the lead up to the event over the next three years.

“Events like SailGP have done a phenomenal job of showing what Plymouth

has to offer on the water, and we are sure that people will want to travel from across the world to get a chance to sail in the same waters that they have now seen on television with the likes of Ben Ainslie and Tom Slingsby.

“The J/24 is a brilliant boat because it is really quite accessible due to its size and relatively low cost.

“ Teams sail with between four and six people, so we are expecting to see a diverse selection of sailors from local amateurs to international professionals.

“We are anticipating over 50 boats, with about 500 people coming to Plymouth for the event over the week.

“ There will be spectator boats on the racecourse too, allowing the public and event partners to get up close with the action. The racing is seriously close and there will be plenty of spectacular boat-on-boat action for the racers and spectators alike. We can’t wait!”

The J/24 is the most popular keelboat in the world, with some 5,500 boats sailing worldwide, and although it was designed in 1977, still attracts large fleets internationally, including 20 that actively race in port at the host clubs Plymouth Yacht Club and Saltash Sailing Club.

Action from a J24 championship

Plymouth student’s challenging polar expedition

A Plymouth University student has taken part in a demanding polar expedition.

Sonia Evans, who is 20, joined a 28-strong team which spent two weeks training in the Arctic Circle before setting off on an eight day scientific expedition across the valleys of Svalbard, which is also known as Spitzbergen.

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. One of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, it’s known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra sheltering polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes.

The expedition was an important challenge for Sonia, who has dreams of becoming a polar researcher.

Along with the rest of the team she set off skiing: two hours on and 15 minutes off for the whole day until they reached their camp for the night.

Sonia said: “Here it would be the routine of setting up camp, taking scientific measurements, and boiling snow water to rehydrate meals and fill flasks before settling in to get some much-needed sleep. A similar routine was set for mornings.

“Our route took us into polar bear territory,

which meant we would have people on the lookout at all times. During the day we would all keep an eye out while skiing, and at night polar bear watch was on a rota. We were each assigned around 2hrs 30min a night each to

keep watch.

“My polar bear watches made up both my favourite and least favourite portions of the entire experience. Once woken, I would extract myself from my warm sleeping bag and as quietly as possible, so as to not wake my sleeping teammates, would dress into warm down outer clothing and attempt to exit the tent without stepping on anyone in the dark.

“Here I would meet the previous bear watcher and would exchange information on the surroundings, before being passed a flare gun, pen flares, the rota and a watch - before they would head off for some sleep.”

Thankfully the team did not encounter any polar bears during the expedition. Sarah said: “We have informed the Norwegian Polar institute that there were no polar bear sightings on our route – this will contribute towards their ongoing studies of polar bear distribution.

Sonia said that the team experienced drastic temperature fluctuations during the week, ranging from completely calm days to extremely windy days and whiteouts. The coldest recorded temperature was -25 degrees Centigrade and the warmest around 0 degrees Centigrade.

She added: “Other days were calm and the sky was filled with stars, satellites and on occasion, the Northern Lights would come out for us. The weather did fluctuate far more greatly than expected - something which is becoming more frequent as predicted by science due to increasing green-house gases in our atmosphere and resultant climate change.

“Overall it was a testing week with a real sense of achievement upon completion. There were many learnings across the week. For me, appreciating the practical difficulties of collecting simple sets data in extreme environments was a big one. The team are all looking forward to the next big scientific expedition.

“A massive thank you to everyone who has supported me on this expedition, it really has helped to make it all possible!”

Sonia, who is studying marine biology and oceanography at Plymouth University heard about the expedition from a friend, applied online and was selected after a weekend of demanding tests and challenges on Dartmoor.

The expedition was the brainchild of Princetown-based Jim McNeill, one of the world’s most experienced and respected explorers, who has clocked up over 35 years of exploring the world’s most remote and harshest environments.

Over 20 years ago Jim conceived the ‘Ice Warrior’ project with the idea of bringing the reality of global climate change to audiences around the globe.

Since then, he has trained over 400 people, conducted seven major expeditions and been cited in many scientific papers and leading publications.

Sonia in Plymouth and (right) in her Arctic gear

Rugged and remote terrain faced the expedition team

Plymouth performing arts students wow West End audiences

Gifted students from the local Stagecoach Performing Arts Plymouth have graced the iconic West End Shaftesbury Theatre.

The school travelled to London to perform and worked tremendously hard during rehearsals in what made for a spectacular event. As part of the show, the students performed a variety of renditions of world-famous songs and productions, including a combination of favourites from Back To The Future - The Musical.

On the night,families and friends alike were able to enjoy a plethora of performances by the Plymouth students who were joined by 15 other schools from across the country.

Stagecoach’s students have been able to perform at the iconic venue with many amazing performances over the years, and this was another enormous milestone for Stagecoach’s spring term. These showcases build on the students’ creativity, courage and skills that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

In the nearly 35 years since launching, Stagecoach Performing Arts has seen more than one million students unlock their creative potential, which they will value for their whole lives. Provided with the support and dedication of such an outstanding Principal network, the students learn so much more than how to sing, dance and act. Stagecoach helps them blossom into well-rounded individuals, ready to embrace life and all of its exciting opportunities. Stagecoach Performing Arts is also thrilled to be celebrating its 35-year anniversary next month.

The value of performing arts training extends far beyond the opportunities for professional performance features. Recent Stagecoach survey research highlighted the incredible positive

impacts the arts have on children’s happiness and creativity, with 85% of children citing singing and dancing with their peers as a major contributing factor to their happiness.

Almost half (41%) of the nation’s parents are concerned that their children are less happy growing up than their generation had been. Encouraging participation in the arts will have

undeniable benefits for the wellbeing of both children and parents.

With a network of over 55,000 students and more than 3000 extra-curricular Performing Arts Schools worldwide, Stagecoach aims to make a difference in its students’ lives by teaching Creative Courage for Life and many children have gone on to study and work in Performing Arts from

CITY CENTRE CHIROPODY IS THE FIRST CLINIC IN PLYMOUTH TO PROVIDE AN AWARD-WINNING DEVICE FOR WART AND VERRUCAE TREATMENT.

City Centre Chiropody (above Foot Solutions, 34 Royal Parade), is excited to announce the introduction of the award-winning Swift microwave treatment - delivering excellent results, backed by scientific research.

Using microwave therapy to target the skin lesion at its source, Swift is unlike any other treatment option on the market and has been widely received across the UK and global markets and is now reaping a 95% patient recommendation rate*.

Features of the Swift treatment include:

• With a few exceptions, most people with skin lesions would be able to have this treatment.

• No aftercare or recovery is required. In some cases, the treated area may feel sore but will not usually prevent the patient from undertaking their normal daily activities.

• On average, patients require 3 Swift verruca treatments, usually 15-minute appointments, over an eight-week period.

Free Your Feet, The Rest Will Follow.

Students from Stagecoach Performing Arts Plymouth on stage at the Shaftesbury Theatre

“With patient care being our number one priority, we are continually looking for ways to enhance our comprehensive patient offering and believe this latest investment is really something special.” said Andrew Scowcroft, Business Owner.

“Since its introduction in December 2022, we have experienced a rapid uptake in bookings and have already seen extremely positive outcomes for our patients.”

“We have positive feedback from our patients,” agreed Karen Watters, one of the team of Podiatrists, “each visit is quick, and effective for the majority of people so as a professional I prefer Swift to other treatments.” If you would like more information, please contact us.

City Centre Chiropody (Above Foot Solutions)

34 Royal Parade Plymouth

PL1 1 DU

01752 250900

info@citycentrechiropody.co.uk

www.citycentrechiropody.co.uk

*As reported in Swift’s UK Patient Feedback Survey.

blockbuster films to countless roles in local theatre productions.

Early Stages classes are available for children aged four to six and Main Stages classes take place for six to 18-year-olds every weekend during term time. For more information about Stagecoach Plymouth, visit www.stagecoach.co.uk/plymouth or call 03300 500101

Charity’s holiday lifeline for bereaved Forces families

Scotty’s Little Soldiers, the charity for bereaved military children and young people, have officially opened their seventh Scotty lodge for bereaved Forces families.

As well as offering a range of support to children and young people up to the age of 25, who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces, Scotty’s Little Soldiers provides respite breaks to give bereaved military families a chance to get away from their daily routines and make new happy memories together. Because the break is organised by Scotty’s, families naturally have conversations about their loved one who has died. It’s an opportunity to talk in a safe environment away from home.

The new lodge, based at Devon Cliffs in Exmouth, was unveiled in an opening ceremony attended by Scotty’s founder, Nikki Scott, the Palin family from Plymouth, who are supported by the charity, and representatives from Forces Support, who have generously funded the entire costs associated with the new lodge. The ceremony involved the cutting of a ribbon and a celebration with cake, balloons and a special visit from Haven’s mascots.

Breaks away

The Palin family have been supported by Scotty’s since 2013. Cpl Mark Palin was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2011, aged 33. He left behind his wife Carla and son Lennon, who was just one at the time. Their daughter, Ruby, was born a few months after his death. The Palins have benefited from a range of support from Scotty’s, including breaks away.

Lennon, who is now 13 years old, said: “To me, Scotty breaks mean having fun and enjoying yourself. Rather than being sat at home on the Xbox, we get to go out, do stuff and have a good time as a family.”

Eleven-year-old Ruby said: “Scotty’s is really special. It’s got a special place in my heart. You know if there are other people here from Scotty’s, you can relate to them.”

Their mum Carla added: “The new lodge is amazing. You get to have some time away from life and school and work and just come away and be a family and make great memories together. That’s really important to me because Lennon and Ruby weren’ t able to make any memories with their dad.”

Forces Support is a UK bereavement and veterans’ charity who have shown their dedication to Forces families by providing Scotty’s Little Soldiers with funding to cover the costs of the new lodge. They previously funded all Scotty’s respite breaks for the whole of 2021 and have continued their support by funding breaks for 100 bereaved military families each year from 2022 to 2024.

Scotty’s founder, Nikki, set up Scotty’s Little Soldiers in 2010 following the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, in Afghanistan. The first thing she wanted to do was to give bereaved military children the opportunity to go on a respite break.

This idea occurred to her on a family holiday nine months after her husband’s death, when she saw her son, Kai – who was five at the time –playing in the swimming pool and smile for the first time since his dad had died. Nikki wanted to give other bereaved Forces children the same opportunity to smile.

Nikki said: “As soon as I saw the positive impact a holiday had on my family, I wanted to provide breaks for other bereaved Forces families. Including our new lodge at Devon Cliffs, Scotty’s now has seven holiday homes, which means more bereaved military families can have that muchneeded break, spend some quality time together, have those really important conversations about their loved one and remember that it’s okay to smile. That’s what it’s all about.”

Nikki continued: “We are so grateful to Forces

Support for their incredible generosity which enables us to make a difference to the lives of children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.”

Scotty’s respite breaks take place all over the UK, with six more lodges located around UK Haven sites, including one other at Devon Cliffs, just a short walk from the brand-new lodge. Due to the number of families the charity supports, Scotty’s also provides breaks at Butlins, Alton Towers and Center Parcs.

So far this year, Scotty’s has supported over 600 bereaved children and young people, and the charity has a long-term goal of supporting 1000 bereaved military children and young people annually by 2030.

Scotty’s Little Soldiers provides relief from the effects of bereavement to children and young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. Services offered to Scotty’s members include access to child bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, personal education and learning assistance (including grants), and fun activities such as holiday respite breaks and group events. These are all designed to remind the children and young people supported by Scotty’s that they are not alone.

For more information on Scotty’s Little Soldiers, go to www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk For more information on Forces Support, go to www. forcessupport.org.uk

Plymouth mum Carla Palin pictured with her son Lennon and daughter Ruby at the new holiday lodge

Plymouth gets connected

Connect Plymouth is now up and running offering new, more sustainable ways to get around the city.

People got the chance at a special event at the Piazza to try out electric bikes and learn about how easy it will soon become to get from A to B using the greener forms of transport.

The event attracted plenty of people wanting to find out more about how the schemes work in practice, when the e-bikes will be ready to hire and to hear more about car clubs and e-chargers.

Docking stations have been popping up all over the city and when fully operational, Beryl Bikes will have a 500-strong fleet of electric bikes for hire from over 90 sites across the city.

There will be an additional 300 parking bays across the city with electric vehicle charge points provided by Wenea. The council has awarded a contract to Co Cars to run a fleet of electric car club vehicles within Plymouth.

Initially there will be 28 docking stations – or Beryl bays – with 125 bikes ready to ride and more due to come online throughout the rest of the year.

Kate Palmer, Beryl Scheme lead for Plymouth, said: “We’re extremely delighted to be launching our scheme in Plymouth, a city with a

clear and exciting vision to promote sustainable travel.

“Our e-bikes are a really fun and versatile way to travel and their extra power can really open up areas,

enabling riders to tackle hills and undertake longer journeys.

“They’re also great for commuting, allowing people to arrive at work clean and ready to go, and for

carrying heavier loads such as shopping.

“By swapping the car for an e-bike journey you’re not only boosting your own health and fitness, you’re also helping to reduce congestion and harmful carbon emissions, so why not give it a try.”

Nic Eversett, managing director of Co Cars said: “We’re passionate about creating less congested and polluted environments by offering alternatives to the private car. That’s why we’re delighted to partner with Plymouth City Council on this exciting project.

“Because our cars are shared, they are used far more efficiently – around 35 per cent of the time compared to just four per cent for private cars. Our members can also save thousands every year as they only pay for the time they drive plus mileage.

“Cars are bookable 24/7 by app from as little as half an hour to a few days. As well as Plymouth, they are also available from locations across the South West.”

Connect Plymouth is the new name for the network of facilities –which were formerly called mobility hubs. It is part of the Department of Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund, which aims to change people’s travel habits by making it as easy as possible for people to choose low carbon options to get about.

José Contreras, head of Wenea UK added: “Wenea is delighted to be part of Connect Plymouth, an initiative that vastly improves access to sustainable transport modes around the city.

“By delivering 150 chargers to Plymouth, supported by our userfriendly app, we are removing a critical barrier holding residents back from using electric vehicles. This will cut carbon emissions, improve air quality and create a more enjoyable transportation experience in Plymouth.”

In March 2020 the council received £51.2m capital funding from the Transforming Cities Fund. This builds upon the £7.6m previously awarded in 2019.

A fleet of 500 electric Beryl bikes will soon be available to hire in Plymouth

Co Cars have been awarded the contract to provide electric cars for hire in Plymouth

Trio team up with Nudge to celebrate Plymouth’s migrant communities

Three students from Arts University Plymouth and Nudge Community Builders have teamed up to celebrate Plymouth’s migrant communities with a public mural on Union Street.

BA (Hons) Photography students

Tamara Wojcik, Kira Sharples and Harriet Rawlings developed the idea of using photography to document immigration in their local community and their work was celebrated in an exhibition at Arts University Plymouth.

Global challenge themes are embedded across the curriculum of the arts university, in which every undergraduate student is asked to link their creativity to their families, communities and nation, developing new ways to create meaningful world impact through their work.

The three second-year undergraduate students were selecting a project to work on together and decided to combine their different areas of personal interest into a collaboration that could help members of their community. Kira has an interest in immigration, Tamara in migration and Harriet in fast fashion. These interests combined in a project to photograph migrants in Plymouth’s west end.

Start a new career in child and family social work

Tamara said: “Migration interests me because I was a migrant myself when I migrated from Poland 17 years ago.”

Kira said: “The commonality we noticed very early on with the artists that we liked, was the idea of not just photographing a community and moving on, but actually interacting with them and having that community properly part of the project.”

Arts University Plymouth BA (Hons) photography lecturer, Jon Blyth, put the team in touch with Nudge Community Builders and the collaboration blossomed from there.

Nudge encouraged the students to consult with social inclusion charity Plymouth Hope, who have worked extensively with migrants in the area.

“This led to a participatory art project that took place alongside conversations about what it’s like to be a migrant in the Stonehouse area. The project culminated in the creation of a stunning public mural at 140 Union Street, Plymouth, on the wall outside Sloggett & Son.

Tamara said: “The turnout was amazing on the day of the opening. There were so many discussions being had, people were honking their horns in encouragement, it was so special. I had so many people reach out to me online asking if their hand

prints could be added from all over the world.”

Since completing the mural, all three students now volunteer at Plymouth Hope, teaching children skills in photography. The trio said: “We are proud we have created

conversations across the city with the support of Nudge. This project has connected us to the city and connected the community more closely to people at Arts University Plymouth.”

Trevi launches Blossom Appeal

Local women’s charity, Trevi, has launched its Blossom Appeal to raise funds for a women-only accommodation service based in the centre of Plymouth for women affected by trauma and abuse.

The Blossom Women’s House Appeal was launched at a celebration event at The Box to mark Trevi’s 30th anniversary this year. The new facility will be for women with complex and multiple needs with the capacity to accommodate nine women across three floors. It will be a safe, contained, homely space with an enclosed back garden.

Blossom Women’s House will be the place where women can find some peace and security and take positive steps in their journey of recovery from trauma and abuse.

The accommodation is vital as there is a shortage of women-only accommodation in Plymouth. Countless projects, service interventions and commissioned research highlight how a lack of women-only accommodation is acting as a significant barrier to women moving forward in life.

Women are entering a revolving door in and out of accommodation, restricting their ability even to get a chance to address their trauma and understand how it manifests so that they can move forward in life.

Without this safe space, women are trapped or sofa surfing in unsafe perpetrators’ homes, sometimes locked into a world of drugs and substance misuse and at continuous and high risk of domestic and sexual violence.

While there is already a lot of incredible

work happening in Plymouth, Trevi wants to seize this opportunity to help to build capacity for women.

Trevi has now reached a critical time where vital funds are needed to ensure that women are given the best possible chance of exiting a life filled with trauma and abuse by allowing them to move into safe, 24/7 supported, women-only accommodation.

Hannah Shead, Trevi chief executive said: “This is Trevi’s biggest appeal to date and will significantly impact the lives of women affected by domestic abuse and violence. As we celebrate our 30th milestone, we couldn’t ask for a better start to what will be an exciting year!

“It’s important that Blossom feels homely and nurturing so that women are supported to heal, grow and thrive. For some women, Blossom will be the first place that they experience what a real home is like. With the help of our local community, we can ensure that Blossom is designed, decorated and furnished to be a warm, homely and welcoming space with thought put into all the finishing touches so that women feel valued and loved.”

The Blossom Appeal needs to raise £615,000 for Trevi to be able to purchase and refurbish the property. So far, Trevi has raised £405,000 from trusts, foundations, pledges and donors, leaving £210,000 to raise by December 2023.

Trevi want to work with community groups, businesses, funders and individuals to make this happen. For more information, visit www.trevi.org.uk/ blossom-appeal.

Graduates and people looking for a career change are being invited to ‘Step Up to Social Work’ and join Plymouth City Council’s Children’s Services team.

Step Up To Social Work is a 14-month, full-time, highly-rewarding training programme for talented graduates and career changers to become the next generation of child and family social workers.

It is designed for people who want to become a social worker, but do not have a degree in social work. Successful applicants train through a combination of academic study and hands on social work experience in a local authority, receiving support with training costs and a bursary of £19,833 over the duration of the programme. Applications are open now. Applicants eligible for the programme, which includes financial support alongside training, will be individuals with experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, families or adults, and who can demonstrate emotional resilience and potential for success.

Step Up To Social Work aims to attract applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds resulting in a workforce that represents the society that it serves.

Councillor Charlotte Carlyle, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Children and Young People said: “Our absolute priority is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in Plymouth, and our team of social workers play a vital role here in helping to support vulnerable children and their families.

“If you’re looking for a new career where you can really make a positive difference to people’s lives, please consider stepping up to social work and joining our passionate and determined Children’s Services team.”

Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho said:  “I’ve been truly inspired by the social workers that I’ve met. The passion and support they provide for children and families is a real testament to the profession and it is what makes it such a rewarding career. To attract more great social workers we’re helping councils, including Plymouth City Council, with recruitment and retention, along with better support for social workers with new early career development.”

The Step Up programme is backed by a £25 million investment by the Department for Education to support 700 individuals to enter the social work profession in local authorities across England in 2024.

This will be the eighth cohort of Step Up since 2010, since then the programme has successfully supported over 2,300 social workers to enter the profession across England.

For more information visit susw.eu-careers.pocketrecruiter.com/

Photography students Tamara Wojcik, Kira Sharples and Harriet Rawlings pictured with the eye-catching mural

The Blossom Appeal was launched at a special anniversary event at The Box

Andy McNeill has terminal cancer – but as an enthusiastic supporter of Clean Our Patch he took part in a charity litter pick to raise funds for the Brain Tumour Charity

Dad battling terminal cancer vows to raise awareness of brain tumours

Father of two Andy McNeill from Mutley has detected brain tumours during his many years as an optometrist – and now he is battling terminal cancer himself.

Andy’s first symptom struck in October last year when he experienced a sudden loss of function in his right side while warming up for a game of squash.

Suspecting a TIA (mini-stroke), Andy attended A&E and underwent an MRI, which revealed the cause of his symptoms: he had three brain tumours.

Biopsies revealed the tumours to be a multicentric glioblastoma multiform (GBM), an incurable cancer with a poor prognosis and, realistically, Andy said he will be doing well to see out 2023.

Treatment is aimed at giving the patient more time, but doesn’t cure it. Treatment started January 2023 with six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Andy is now entering a second cycle of treatments, which will consist of six months of chemotherapy for five days every four weeks.

From the moment of diagnosis, Andy said that he was going to use his diagnosis of terminal brain cancer to help increase society’s understanding and improve treatment for brain tumours.

As an optometrist Andy said he can see things from both patient and practitioner perspectives.

In his role, he has detected numerous brain and ocular tumours. Only a few years ago Andy referred a four-yearold girl for diagnosis of a suspected brain tumour. The MRI confirmed his suspicions: she was diagnosed in 2019, bur sadly passed away in 2021. The case deeply affected Andy.

Plymouth - Move More

Walking is free, you don’t need any special equipment, and it can have a positive impact on more than just your fitness.

Walks organised by One You Plymouth in partnership with Ramblers Wellbeing Walks are held all over the city on various days. All walks are designed to be short (30-90 minutes) and over easy ground, so they are ideal if you’ve never walked before. Everyone is welcome, so why not give it a try? You can find out more by contacting the Wellbeing Team on 01752 437177 or oneyou.plymouth@nhs.net.

Or visit the following website to find the latest details on the walks - https://www.oneyouplymouth.co.uk/.

Would you like to volunteer at one of our existing walks? Or perhaps you have an idea for your own wellbeing walk in Plymouth?

We’d love to hear from you.

Eleanor: I moved to Plymouth in 2020 and found these walks a wonderful way to find out more of Plymouth’s history, its beautiful well cared for parks and amazing kind and interesting people. There is always a lovely cafe to sit and chat at the end of the walk. A complete wellbeing experience!

Julie (walk leader): I know how important regular exercise, particularly a brisk walk is for physical health, such as blood pressure but also for mental health and several people in the group have attested to that. Often people who have come feeling low soon smile.

He said: “The situation also makes you live every day for the day, which is a great way to live life. The only thing that I know now which I didn’t before the diagnosis is what I’m likely to die of.

“Not a great revelation that I’m going to die – we all are, but we don’t like to think about it. It also puts your priorities in the correct order, putting friends and wider family way out on top. It is a surprisingly happy place to be,” said Andy.

Andy, who is 48, is the father of two boys, aged 11 and 14, and he is trying to use the time he’s been given to create positive memories for them whilst also trying to navigate the complexities of explaining to the boys what is likely to happen, being transparent without giving worst-case scenarios.

“I have touched base with Jeremiah’s Journey, the Plymouth charity that deals with childhood parental ill-health or parental bereavement and how to address it; they’ve sent me some literature to help me, but it’s not easy,” said Andy.

Andy, who is an enthusiastic litter picker with Clean Our Patch, has thrown himself into fundraising for the Brain Tumour Charity and completed a five-mile walk and litter pick in March. Andy was surrounded by friends, colleagues and was joined by many members of Clean Our Patch.

Clean Our Patch will be fundraising for the Brain Tumour Charity throughout 2023 and plan to organise a number of events. So far Andy has raised over £1000 for the charity and anyone who would like to donate can find details at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/andrew-mcneill4

move more

One You Plymouth, in partnership with Ramblers and other local organisations, run a number of walks across the city which are FREE to attend and cater for all abilities. Being active is really good for your body, mind and health. Why not join us for a walk? Just turn up at the meeting point and our experienced volunteers will lead the way.

ST JUDES walk, talk & Tea

Every Tuesday, 10:30am. Meet at St Judes church, Beaumont Road, PL4 9BK.

Victoria Park & Stonehouse Creek

Every 2nd Wednesday of the month, 10:30am. Meet at the Park cafe, PL1 5LZ.

CENTRAL PARK

Every 4th Wednesday of the month, 10:30am. Meet outside The Life Centre, PL2 3DG.

southway

Every Wednesday, 9am (term time only). Meet at Southway Youth & Community Cafe, Hendwell Close, PL6 6TB.

wembury

Every Wednesday, 10:30am. Meet at the car park at the end of Barton Close, Wembury, PL9 0LF.

tel: 01752 437177

email: oneyou.plymouth@nhs.net web: www.oneyouplymouth.co.uk/move-more/walking

PLYMOUTH

Andy McNeill

Photo by Free2bee Photography

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Honours awarded at the Arts University Plymouth’s first Graduation ceremony

The first cohort of students to formally graduate from Arts University Plymouth have celebrated their graduation with friends and family in a ceremony at Theatre Royal, alongside renowned artists and educators Kurt Jackson and Zowie Broach, who were awarded Honorary Fellowships.

The graduates, who completed their studies in the summer of 2022, come from a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses across art, design and media specialisms.

Contemporary artist and dedicated environmentalist Kurt Jackson is a familiar figure to students at the city’s arts university. His sculpture ‘The Plym Stone’, which was unveiled in the grounds of the Arts University Plymouth last year, is inspired by the geology of the immediate Plymouth area, featuring locally sourced limestone, granite and reclaimed glass.

Arts University Plymouth awarded an Honorary Fellowship to Kurt Jackson in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the arts, culture and environmentalism, both within the South West and on a national and international stage.

Designer and artist Zowie Broach is the Head of Programme for Fashion at the Royal College of Art (RCA). Zowie graduated from a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design at Arts University Plymouth in 1985. She first attracted attention for co-founding the avantgarde fashion label BOUDICCA in 1997, who

were the first independent British label to show during Couture Paris.

Former city student’s dream designer role with top eco fashion brand Lucy & Yak

Andrew Girdler, a former pre-degree student from Arts University Plymouth, has joined ethical clothing company Lucy & Yak as a graphic designer.

He studied at Arts University Plymouth’s campus for further education until completing his Extended Diploma in graphic design in 2015.

Lucy & Yak is an eco-conscious clothing company, with stores in Brighton, Bristol, Norwich and Nottingham and a significant global online presence. Founded by couple Lucy and Chris, and

named after their Volkswagen van Yak, the couple’s aim was to create eco-conscious, comfortable clothing using organic and recycled materials. Their bright and colourful patterned designs have become synonymous with the brand and since the launch of their dungarees in 2017, they now offer everything from loungewear and jumpsuits to bags, belts and hats.

Originally from Plymouth, and now based in Brighton, Andrew, aged 25, said: “I’d followed Lucy & Yak online for a few years and loved their branding, so when in 2020 they posted a graphic designer role on Instagram, I applied straight away. Due to the pandemic there was actually a two-year gap between my first conversations with the team and me actually joining. While it was a long time, I’m super glad I joined when I did. Those two years allowed me to learn so much more about design and motion graphics.

“I’d had experience working in the print, publishing and live music businesses, but had never worked for a fashion company before. There was plenty for me to catch up on in terms of digital marketing.

“My position as graphic designer means I work alongside our amazing lead designer Val, creating assets for marketing campaigns, communications, events, our digital platforms and clothing graphics. The job has pushed me to delve deeper into creative software and learning to work in a way that is more digitally focused than any of my previous roles. Every member of the team is super talented and supportive, it’s been the perfect

environment for me to grow as a designer.

“My advice to people trying to get into graphic design is start by making the kind of art you want to make, even if you’re not doing it professionally. Building up a portfolio of work is just as (if not more) important than having a strong CV.

“For me, creating work for myself or friends was a great excuse to practise and experiment, helping me build and present a more diverse portfolio which has come in handy! Secondly, reach out and email brands, companies, bands, whoever you love, telling them about yourself and your work, and why you want to work for them.

“People love it when they can tell you have a passion for their particular brand. ‘You don’t ask, you don’t get’ has been the most consistently useful advice in my life as a designer and musician – so try using it from time to time!”

Former Arts University Plymouth student Andrew Girdler

Arts University Plymouth awarded an

Honorary Fellowship to Zowie Broach in recognition of her outstanding contribution to fashion and to fashion design education.

Plymouth scientist takes the plunge for Swimathon

A Plymouth scientist is taking the plunge for his seventh consecutive Swimathon this year, in memory of one of his students who sadly died from cancer.

Dr David Jenkins, associate professor of Nanomaterials and Devices at the University of Plymouth, will swim five kilometres on May 14 at Plympton Pool to raise money for Cancer Research UK and the end of life charity Marie Curie. He is urging others to make a splash too by taking part in the world’s largest annual fundraising swim for the two much-loved causes. Swimathon takes place from May 12 to 14 at pools and venues across Devon and the UKincluding pools in Plymouth.

David, who is 62 and lives in Hooe, explained: “As someone who works in early detection, I know how important it is to spot the signs and symptoms of cancer early, but research needs to be funded and I am glad to do my part in raising awareness and funds for cancer research.

“I have researched various fields of cancer, including pancreatic and early onset gliomas, and understanding more about these diseases, such as lifestyle markers and using technology to spot the signs early, is important.

“One of my students, Ms Suad Al-Soeh, sadly died in her 30s from leukaemia. It was hoped she would have a bone marrow transplant but she died alone in hospital not long after her diagnosis.

“We all know someone with cancer or has been

through the disease, but funding is important for both Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie, in order to keep people living longer and with kinder treatment options.”

With a variety of distances available - from 400m up to 30.9k - the sponsored event offers a challenge for swimmers young and old, new and experienced.

People can participate individually or as part of a team. Any swimmers who can’t make one of the organised sessions can sign up to MySwimathon, which takes place from April 28 to May 21, and choose a time and venue that suits them.

David swims three times a week and enjoys the time he gets to practice his front crawl. He is hopeful that covering 200 lengths will take him around two hours and 20 minutes.

He added: “I enjoy the concentration that swimming allows me, it is just me and the chance to exercise both body and mind and that it’s a great form of exercise. As someone with Aspergers too, the chance to ‘switch my head off’ is glorious and keeps me swimming every week.”

By sharing his story he hopes to inspire people across Devon to get off the starting blocks and help support the charities close to his heart.

David is keen to emphasise that you don’t need to be a super swimmer to take part.

He added: “Swimathon is such a fun and simple way to encourage people to dip their toe in the water and get swimming. It really doesn’t matter

Local Lions Clubs join forces to provide humanitarian help

The Lions Clubs of Plymouth and Plymouth Tamar Lions Clubs collect unwanted spectacles from various locations throughout the city and surrounding area every year.

These are then sent to be to graded and refurbished in Poland’s capital of Warsaw and from there distributed for use in countries which are desperate for spectacles for needy people of all ages with sight problems.

Callington Lions Club frequently run transport to Poland and then onward to Ukraine with urgent supplies of clothing and food for the people of this war torn country. The club offered to take about 1800 pairs of used glasses in three boxes collected by Plymouth and Tamar Lions Clubs to Warsaw, thus saving additional transportation costs.

Cornwall & Devon ‘Sending love to Ukraine’ was set up by Darren Tait, the owner of a taxi firm in Callington and as a result of Callington Lions Club giving a helping hand, he joined the club! The latest trip to Poland took place in April at a cost of around £1200 to cover the cost of ferries, hotel and fuel – all funded by generous donations.

if you’re not the fittest or the fastest. I hope swimmers of all ages and abilities grab their caps and costumes to help thousands of families across the UK.

Swimathon has raised more than £55m for charity since it began in 1986. With rising energy costs putting some community pools at risk of closure, not only does the event support vital causes, £2.50 from the entry fee of everybody taking part at an official Swimathon venue is donated to help protect these pools for the future.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Devon, Alison Birkett, said: “Whether you supercharge your swim and take on the 30.9k challenge or 5k is more in your lane, with Swimathon there’s a distance to suit everyone. There are also lots of great benefits to taking part, not least the chance to enjoy the water while supporting people like David.

“One in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime, but all of us can support the research that will beat it. From proving the link between smoking and cancer, to laying the foundations for modern radiotherapy our scientists have been at the forefront of cancer research for 120 years. And we’re not stopping now. That’s why we’re urging swimmers to dive in, raise money and help us keep making new discoveries and breakthroughs. Together we will beat cancer.”

Marie Curie’s director of Community Fundraising, Jayne Waterhouse, said: “Swimathon is an iconic

event in the Marie Curie calendar and one we all look forward to every year. The exciting and inclusive challenge sees thousands of people take the plunge with sponsored swims up and down the country, whilst raising money to help Marie Curie support those affected by terminal illness.”

Sign up for Swimathon 2023 at swimathon.org

Support David’s Swimathon at www.justgiving. com/fundraising/davidjenkins2023

Helping hands needed at charity shop

The UK’s leading vet charity, PDSA, is calling on kind hearted people who want to make a difference in the local community to support its life-saving work by offering a helping hand at its Plympton.

The shop, located at 78 Ridgeway, helps to fund vital veterinary work across PDSA’s 48 Pet Hospitals – including Plymouth Pet Hospital – which cares for thousands of pets every year.

Shop Manager Susan Philp is urgently appealing for locals to volunteer some time at the store. She said: “The success of PDSA charity shops is all down to our amazing team of volunteers.

“We urgently need help from more local people to continue the life-changing work we do every day in our Pet Hospitals.‚

One of more than 100 PDSA shops in the UK, the Plympton team plays a pivotal role in helping to fund the Plymouth Pet

Hospital, which provides a lifeline to local pet owners who would otherwise struggle to afford veterinary treatment if their pet unexpectedly becomes ill or gets injured.

In 2022, the Plymouth Pet Hospital carried out over 16,000 consultations, 10,000 of which were face-to-face. The hospital costs more than £1.4 million a year to run.

“Volunteering for PDSA is not only rewarding, knowing you’ll be helping a brilliant cause, but it is also fun - you’ll get to meet new people and make some

friends along the way in a warm and supportive environment,” added Susan. “It also looks great on your CV and you’ll receive full training so no previous retail experience is required and we’ll reimburse your travel expenses so you’re not out of pocket.

“If you are an animal-lover who is aged 18 or over and would like to play a part in helping pets in need, we’d love to hear from you!”

There is a network of more than 3,000 devoted PDSA volunteers across the UK who save the charity over £4 million a year by dedicating their time to helping out. Volunteers can choose to spend as much or as little of their spare time to helping out as there is no minimum time commitment.

To find out more please contact Susan on 01752 283932 or pop into the shop. To apply online, please visit the Volunteering with PDSA page.

CHARITY IN ‘BUSTED BOILER’ APPEAL

Local animal charity Gables Dogs & Cats Home have found themselves in a sticky situation after one of their main boilers broke down beyond repair.

The boiler supplies all of the hot water for hand washing facilities, cleaning the animals’ food and water bowls and laundry machines. Hot water is essential to maintain good hygiene levels.

Gables currently has more than 100 unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats in their care, including some very vulnerable young and old. The cost of replacing the commercial boiler is £4,000. Gables is already suffering financially due to the cost of living crisis and their electricity bills have risen from £25,000 to £90,000 per year. They are now looking to their amazing supporters for any financial help they may be able to give.

Ruth Rickard, deputy manager, said: “We know times are hard for everyone at the moment and this breakdown couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“It is such a large amount of money to have to find so we are asking our wonderful supporters to donate just a pound or two so we can reach our goal. It doesn’t have to be a large donation to make a huge difference.”

Gables is a true non-euthanasia charity and believe in giving all their animals the best chance at having a normal life.

To contribute to ‘The Busted Boiler’ campaign call 01752 331602 or www.justgiving.com/campaign/ bustedboiler to donate online.

If Gables is lucky enough to raise more money than is needed it will go towards helping the animals in their care.

Making a splash: Plymouth Professor David Jenkins is taking part in Swimathon this May to raise funds for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie

Lions working together (from left) David Turvey and Phillip Greenwood of Lions Club of Plymouth and Maddie Harrison of Tamar Lions

In the article last month I wrote about Easter and the meaning of the festival as it was approaching. You’re probably reading this article after the event having had a little too much chocolate.

I wrote in the last piece about what Easter means to me. The Easter narrative of Jesus’ death on a cross and ultimate resurrection providing humanity with the way back to God and the way to a full life now and forever.

You will no doubt have your own opinion on this. It may be that you believe it as well and are in agreement. It may have been a reminder of a story you once knew as a child but has since lost its significance to you. Or quite simply you may believe it to be nothing more than a story. A myth of some kind which you have little time for.

Whatever your opinion, the reality is it means very little unless it means something to you personally.

The message of Easter and the narrative that it is possible to know God and live life with God present in your life has an impact if we can see it modelled by someone. It makes it more real and opens the possibility that it could be true for ourselves as well. Otherwise it is simply theoretical and seems too abstract to have real meaning.

In my role at Cross Rhythms Plymouth it is

What does it mean to you?

By Dave Simpson, Station Manager

my pleasure to present a show called Life Stories. The show profiles individuals for whom this story is very real and makes all the difference to their everyday lives. The interviews are always very honest and the guests share both the highs and lows of their lives and what their faith means to them.

As much as possible I try to interview local people from here in Plymouth.

Whatever your opinion on Easter I encourage you to listen to one of these Life Stories interviews and see what your opinion is then.

I recently spoke with Rob, a man who grew up in Reading, battled anxiety in school and went on to start a very successful business. Everything seemed perfect but he was not happy and needed drink and drugs daily to live the life he wanted. Believing he would never be happy he spiralled into deep depression until the God of the Easter message became very real to him and has changed his life ever since, bringing him to Whitleigh in Plymouth and a work serving the community there for some time.

Cross Rhythms Plymouth

You can hear his story at www.crplymouth.co.uk/ podcast/rob-fowler-life-stories.

Or maybe you’d prefer to listen to Jackie’s story. One in which she found faith which so changed her it led her on a lifelong journey of forgiveness from someone close who had wronged her in her younger days.

Her desire to forgive and find freedom, as motivated by her connection to God, would provide hope for the person she was forgiving as well as herself. Her story is online at www.crplymouth.co.uk/ podcast/jackie-yates-lifestories.

Then there are Kev and Reuben, a father and son pair who both recognise God as being the most important aspect of their lives. Kev has experienced God with him through relationship breakup and Reuben experiencing God as being the only one who could help him come sober from a drug taking habit that was spiralling out of control.

You can hear them both talk about their stories at www.crplymouth.co.uk/podcast/kevand-reuben-smith-life-stories.

We have so many more stories on the website like that. You can find all of them by visiting the Life Stories page in the Listen Again section of our website or simply be scanning this QR code:

Listen to Cross Rhythms Plymouth on 96.3FM or online at the new Cross Rhythms Plymouth website at www. crossrhythms.co.uk/plymouth

Thousands enjoy National Marine Park open weekend

Giant eels and King and Queen Neptune welcomed thousands of people to enjoy a fantastic free weekend at the National Marine Aquarium organised by the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park for the people of Plymouth as a thank you and to celebrate achievements over the past year.

Over 3,700 tickets were distributed to targeted community groups through the Marine Park Rangers and Gateway Hubs: Mount Batten Centre, Mount Edgcumbe, Plymouth Active and the National Marine Aquarium.

A further 2,900 tickets were won via a public ballot, which saw over 9,000 entrants in the lead up to the weekend.

The event was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Sue Dann and Roger Maslin, chief executive of the Ocean Conservation Trust. Guests were treated to a theatrical display led by the Barbican Theatre and lots of marine themed activities including face painting.

Stilt walkers, King and Queen Neptune, presided over their marine kingdom throughout the weekend, whilst visitors were encouraged to watch their favourite aquatic wildlife feast during punctuated feeding times.

Throughout the open weekend, the team behind Plymouth Sound National Marine Park were on hand to gather feedback from visitors as part of the public consultation to inform future plans.

To help promote sustainable travel to the event, Plymouth CityBus provided free bus rides for children with an accompanying fare-paying adult. Although the free service was aimed at those who were lucky enough to secure free tickets, others were able to use

the offer throughout the weekend to visit the wider National Marine Park.

Ahead of the open weekend, the Gateway Hubs – Mount Edgcumbe, National Marine Aquarium, Mount Batten Centre, and Plymouth Active, were each asked to nominate an individual who goes above and beyond at their organisation to become a winner of a golden ticket experience.

Each nominee was rewarded with a golden ticket to experience the snorkel at the aquarium activity at the National Marine Aquarium across the weekend.

Councillor Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for

Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport at Plymouth City Council said: “We are delighted that we could offer so many tickets for free, so that the people of Plymouth could enjoy time together learning about our National Marine Park. It was an exciting weekend for everyone involved.”

Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Tudor Evans, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for the people of Plymouth to play an instrumental part in the next five years of the National Marine Park.”

The Plymouth Sound National Marine Park Horizons Project has been made possible

thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, with £9.5 million funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The open weekend took place during National Lottery Open Week, which provides offers to National Lottery players as a thank you for their support helping to fund good causes.

Dave Simpson

The Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Pat Patel, Aquarium staff and National Marine Park volunteers at the start of the open weekend

Golden ticket winners John Baddick and Chris Wright snorkelling

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Tourism’s vital importance to Plymouth

TENNIS COURTS SET FOR ACE MAKEOVER

Tennis in Plymouth is set for a big boost thanks to a £143,000 investment across three locations.

Courts at Devonport Park, Hartley Park and Tothill Park, will all be getting brand new, Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) approved surfaces, brand new nets and posts, as well as improved access gates.

It is all part of a nationwide investment by the Government and LTA Tennis Foundation, delivered by the LTA, to refurbish public tennis courts across the country, and open up the sport to many more people.

All three sites will be refurbished at the same time with working hoping to start in April and finish by summer 2023.

Sir Gary Streeter MP visited the National Trust’s Saltram estate to show his support for English Tourism Week.

Coordinated by VisitEngland English Tourism Week is an annual celebration of the tourism industry, highlighting its importance to local economies and promoting the innovation, quality and range of products and services on offer to encourage more domestic breaks.

Sir Gary Streeter said: “The Saltram estate is a jewel in the crown for the whole of Plymouth and South West Devon.

“With its combination of a fascinating historic home and acres beautiful woodland and parkland, it is easy to see why Saltram receives in excess of

one million visitors each year. It was good to visit today and hear of the Saltram team’s exciting plans for the future.”

Amanda Lumley, chief executive of Destination Plymouth added: “Tourism and the wider visitor economy is hugely important not only to Plymouth but also the wider Devon and SW region. In the city it supports just under 8,000 jobs with 5.2 million visitors annually making an economic impact of over £337 million.

“English Tourism Week is a great opportunity to celebrate our amazing people, heritage, culture and experiences and it is great to be here today showcasing Saltram House with Sir Gary Streeter MP and the National Trust team.”

When they reopen they will be run in a similar way to the Central Park and West Hoe courts using the Clubspark online booking system. An annual pass costs £40 for the whole household, with as many bookings as wanted for the whole year across all council courts. Alternatively, people can pay and play for the reduced price of £6 a time. Concessionary prices will also be available.

The income generated will support the costs of maintenance ensuring a high-quality offer across the city for the public to enjoy for the long-term.

In addition, the council will also work with the LTA to deliver a range of activity across the sites including weekly organised free park tennis sessions for all ages, playing levels and experience where equipment is provided.

Councillor Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport, said: “I’m really pleased to secure this investment and improve the tennis facilities across the city for everyone to enjoy.

“I look forward to seeing people of all ages using the improved courts later this year.”

Julie Porter, chief operating officer at the LTA, said: “We are delighted to be working with Plymouth City Council to improve their park tennis facilities and provide more opportunities for anyone to pick up a racket and get active.

“This investment is part of the UK Government and LTA’s Parks Tennis Project, and will mean that courts will be available for people to use for years to come. We will also be working closely with Plymouth City Council to ensure that the local community have a range of accessible opportunities to get on court, and open up our sport to many more people.”

The improvements are mainly funded from a £95,000 grant from the LTA. The Council are contributing £48,000 from section 106 funding.

Devonport Park, Hartley Park and Tothill Park will all be out of action while they are refurbished with regular users able to play Central Park and West Hoe instead.

All courts and sessions at all sites will be available to book online via the Plymouth Parks Tennis booking platform www.plymouth.gov.uk/ park-tennis-plymouth or via the LTA Court Booking Portal.

Tourism boost: pictured from left Jez McDermott from Saltram, Cllr Rebecca Smith, Sir Gary Streeter MP, Lydia Rys from Saltram and Amanda Lumley from Destination Plymouth

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Clean Our Patch founders celebrate the fifth anniversary of community service

Clean Our Patch founders El Clarke and Ash Samuels have had good reason to celebrate in recent weeks.

In March they celebrated the fifth anniversary of their community interest company with their annual awards ceremony and that was just a few weeks after they had been invited to London by Keep Britain Tidy to attend the launch of the 2023 Great British Spring Clean campaign at the House of Commons.

During their visit Plymouth MP Luke Pollard gave the pair a tour of the House of Commons.

Speaking about the fifth anniversary El said: “Reflecting on how far we’ve come in the last five years is quite amazing. We have had and still have the privilege of working and collaborating with so many amazing people, groups and organisations that there are too many

to mention - however, you all know who you are.

“We have educated thousands of children and possibly adultshopefully teaching ways to manage waste and challenge littering in a safe way.

Ash added: “We are truly honoured to know and work with each and everybody who picks with Clean Our Patch.”

The annual awards included the following:

Young Volunteer of the YearJoshua Birch; Teen Volunteer of the Year - Lee Allchurch; Hardcore Litter Picker of the Year - Alexandra Armstrong; Community Impact Awards - the Cattedown Team and Leigh Mainstone and Estover Team; Team of the Year - Annemarie and Douglas Kerr of the Ham Team; Community Engagement AwardSue Brain; Volunteers of the Year

- Sally Matthews and Lee Tierney; Outstanding Individual Achievement

- Madeleine Shaw from Plympton. Andy McNeill, Clean Our Patch’s Ambassador for Murley who is being treated for terminal brain cancer has chosen the Brain Tumour Charity as the charity which Clean Our Patch will support in 2023.

El said: “He is a truly amazing human so please keep an eye out for upcoming fundraisers as we want to raise as much as we can this year.”

Ash added:”We also want to say a massive thank you to Helping Hands Environmental Litter Pickers - the people who create the pickers we all know and love - for sponsoring the annual awards event.

“Thank you to everyone who was able to join us and to everyone who supports us with the litter mission. This is only possible with the help of each and every one of you.”

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El Clarke and Ash Samuels pictured at the launch of the Great British Spring Clean in London

Coronation on big screen in the Barbican

Plymouth residents are being invited to come together to watch the King’s Coronation ceremony and concert in May.

The events are to be shown on a big screen in the Barbican so people can enjoy the historic occasion with others, thanks to help with the screening costs from the Department of Culture Media and Sports and the UK Government.

Following ‘The King’s Procession’ from Buckingham Palace on Saturday May 6, the Coronation of His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen Consort will take place at Westminster Abbey.

The procession and service will be shown on a big screen on The Parade, which has proven to be a popular location for live events.

On Coronation day there will be a party atmosphere on Quay Square and Southside Street (which will be closed), with charity stalls and stands, roving entertainment, children’s activities and a street party zone with tables and chairs for people to share food and picnics.

The stage on The Parade will see community performances and live acts wrapped around the screening of the coronation events.

On Sunday May 7 there will be entertainment on the stage, with live bands from midday until the live screening of the Coronation Concert taking place at Windsor Castle.

The following weekend the City Council will team up with Plymouth Pride CIC to stage a free screening of the Eurovision Song Contest finals at the Guildhall.

More information on King’s Coronation events in Plymouth can be found at www.visitplymouth.co.uk/coronation

New cameras to crack down on fly- tipping

Fly-tipping in service lanes is set to be targeted by the introduction of new mobile cameras.

A number of city service lanes have long been blighted by environmental criminals and while Plymouth City Council is able to investigate each case of fly-tipping, often the perpetrators are not found.

Now, though, thanks to a successful funding through to DEFRA’s Fly-Tipping Intervention Grant, new equipment will be available to help with keeping the streets clean.

Not only will the cameras deter fly-tipping in the first place but they will also help catch the criminals red-handed.

While the council already owns and operates a number of mobile cameras, this funding will go towards five new cameras which will be deployed to hot spot areas.

Fly-tipping carries a fixed penalty notice charge of £400 which if not paid often results in a summons to court and a much higher fine.

In the first two months of 2023, nearly 50 penalties were given out for littering in back lanes while a further 13 were issued for flytipping.

Councillor Bill Wakeham, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Street Scene, said: “Residents with rear service lanes have for too long had to put up with fly-tippers.

“They’ve had enough and we’ve had enough so I’m delighted that this grant will help us to deter fly-tipping in the first instance but also ensure that the small minority who do not take responsibility for their waste are suitable punished.”

Freedom of the City for sporting heroes

Two Plymouth sporting heroes have been recognised for their commitment to sport at a special meeting of Plymouth City Council – awarding them Freedom of the City.

Endurance swimmer, Lewis Pugh OIG, and English cricketer, Heather Knight OBE, have been awarded Honorary Freedom of the City, the highest honour the city can bestow.

It is awarded to ‘persons of distinction’ who have shown exceptional service or achievement. It recognises those who have provided ‘eminent services’ to Plymouth and gone the extra mile to enhance the city’s reputation or improve the lives of people less able to help themselves.

Lewis Pugh, who was born in Plymouth, is an endurance swimmer and ocean advocate.

Dubbed the ‘Sir Edmund Hillary of swimming’, he is the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world, and he frequently swims in vulnerable ecosystems to draw attention to their plight.

He is best known for undertaking the first swim across the North Pole in 2007, to highlight the melting of sea ice in the Arctic. In 2013 he was appointed as the UN Patrol of the Oceans. Lewis is also the first

Ambassador for Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, actively encouraging the public to take an

active interest in our oceans.

Heather Knight is the captain of the England women’s cricket team and won the World Cup in 2019. She attended Plymstock School and played club cricket for Plymstock Cricket Club, attending training sessions when she was just eight years old.

Councillor Sue Dann, Lord Mayor of Plymouth, said: “Plymouth has been supporting and cheering on Lewis and Heather for a number of years. Lewis not only has an incredible record of sporting achievement, but

we are proud that he is the first Ambassador for our National Marine Park.

“He is a strong advocate for our great city, working to make sure we are doing the right thing to help protect the marine environment to ensure the good health and wellbeing of those who use the National Marine Park and for the ecosystems within Plymouth Sound. He is immensely proud of our rich maritime heritage and campaigns for it to be protected.

“Heather is also a phenomenal role model for sporting excellence. She is an incredible talent and captivated the nation when she led the England women’s cricket team to their fabulous World Cup win in 2017. She strives to raise the profile of women in sport – inspiring a new generation of female athletes who want to follow in her footsteps.

“By awarding both of them the Freedom of the City honour, it is Plymouth’s way of showing them just how proud we all are.”

Lewis Pugh said:“I am so fortunate to have spent some of my formative years growing up in Plymouth. It was a crucial part of my journey to becoming an endurance swimmer and ocean advocate. Thank you, Plymouth, for helping shape me into who I am today.”

Smiles all round for dental improvement programme

Children across Plymouth are receiving tooth brushing lessons and oral health packs to help them keep their mouths healthy, thanks to funding from Plymouth councillors.

The ‘Open Wide Step Inside’ programme, run by Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise CIC, is available to all Year 2 pupils in Plymouth primary schools.

As part of the programme schoolchildren enjoy a 45-minute interactive session in school where they learn how to take care of their teeth and maintain healthy mouths with the help of an animated film.

Councillors from nearly every ward in the city contributed funds from their community grant allocation to ensure that every child that takes part in the programme this year is given an oral health pack to take home. Some councillors were unable to support the programme as their community grants had already been committed to other projects, so the additional funding required

is being provided by Plymouth City Council’s Child Poverty Cabinet Advisory Group.

The oral health packs include a toothbrush, toothpaste, timer, sticker and storybook, giving children all the tools they need to put their learning into practice and help protect their teeth.

A key priority in Plymouth’s Child Poverty Action Plan for 2022 to 2025 is to continue the oral health improvement programme for children. This scheme has helped 1,610 children so far this school year, with the potential to support up to 2,500 in total.

Councillor Rebecca Smith, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Homes and Communities and Chair of the Child Poverty Cabinet Advisory Group, said: “Taking good care of our teeth is vital to help prevent dental issues – and other wider health problems - in the future, so these sessions offer an incredibly important life lesson and will be especially useful to children who may have missed routine dental appointments during the pandemic.

“I would like to express my thanks to my 43 fellow councillors who have generously supported this programme with their community grants in order to help hundreds of children across Plymouth look after their teeth.”

Karen Burn, oral health educator and Dental Outreach Team lead for Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise said “Being able to offer this programme to Plymouth primary schools is a privilege. Teaching oral health education to primary age children is the key to reducing the number of children being admitted into hospital to have teeth removed under general anaesthetic.

“Having the support of the Plymouth City Councillors has made this programme more impactful meaning every school who takes up the offer is contributing to better oral health for our children.”

For further information about the programme please contact dentaloutreach@plymouth.ac.uk

TOP YOUNG DANCE COMPANY IS COMING TO PLYMOUTH

The National Youth Dance Company’s 10th anniversary tour is visiting Plymouth this summer.

The country’s flagship company for young dancers, which is run by Sadler’s Wells, will visit The House in Plymouth on July 15 with their new work Novacene, choreographed by guest artistic director and Sadler’s Wells associate artist Wayne McGregor.

During the dancers’ time with NYDC, they are offered a unique insight into the dance profession, living and working closely together as a company, alongside staff and the artistic team.

The year-long experience within the company provides members with the

necessary skills and techniques to find career opportunities and raise aspirations, self-esteem and confidence. The dancers are mentored during four intensive residencies in school holidays to create and rehearse the new piece. With 35 dancers, aged between 16 and 24 years old, hailing from 19 towns, cities and villages across England it’s a nationwide company.

Over the last 10 years NYDC has worked with over 6,000 young people through workshops and projects across the country. Over 300 young people have joined the company, creating 10 full length dance productions by internationally renowned choreographers. For more information visit www.nydc.co.uk

Heather Knight

Lewis Pugh pictured with Lord Mayor Cllr Sue Dann

Celebrating the success of over 500 young people helped by Skills Launchpad Plymouth

Two years into delivery, the team behind Skills Launchpad Plymouth, the city’s onestop-shop for skills, training, education, careers and jobs, held a celebration event to mark the impact of the first Youth Hub Plymouth contract.

This successful and innovative collaboration, led by Plymouth City Council in alignment with Department for Work and Pensions, established a brand new service through the Youth Hub to offer targeted support for young people aged 16-24 years, including those with additional needs.

The celebration event was hosted within Skills Launchpad Plymouth’s physical home at Barclays Plymouth, where the team acknowledged the young people engaging as members of the Youth Hub who have shone for their resilience and determination, as well as celebrating key individuals from the city-wide partnership who champion support for young people.

Reflecting on what has been achieved during the initial two year contract, Jo Lacy, Skills Launchpad manager said: “The Youth Hub is a core offer for the Skills Launchpad Plymouth service, supporting 16 to 24-year-olds to access local opportunities, whatever their circumstances. Our work is made possible by an amazing city-wide partnership, co-investment by DWP and support from Barclays Plymouth, and at this stage in our journey we are celebrating that we have engaged with 541 young people, with 74 per cent of them moving into a positive outcome.

“Our Youth Hub coordinator, Rhianne, is dedicated to providing tailored one to one support for every young person who becomes a member with us, and through ‘joining the dots’, we now see impressive outcomes in transitions, including 261 young people going into employment, 208 into training and education, and 288 into preemployability or mental health support.

“Of these successes, we are delighted to note that a large proportion of these young people taking their next steps are care experienced, young adult carers, young parents, have special

educational needs or disabilities, or have experience of the youth justice system.

“Over the past two years, we continued to expand our offer, hosting events and workshops ranging from recruitment events to CV sessions, weekly job shops and more. We’re excited to confirm that we will be continuing to offer support to young people, particularly those who are more vulnerable, as funding from the DWP is supporting a Youth Hub 2 contract.”

Lynne McBain, Plymouth Partnership manager at Department for Work and Pensions said: “We are delighted to have worked with Plymouth City Council to deliver the Plymouth Youth Hub for the past two years, supporting young people aged 1624 with skills, training, education, careers and jobs.

“Having DWP work coaches working alongside the Youth Hub Coordinator and key city stakeholders across Plymouth means we can offer comprehensive services and tailored experiences, tapping into the support and knowledge available to support our customers.

“The relaxed Youth Hub environment really works well for our customers, especially those who feel nervous about attending appointments, and we have achieved some great outcomes supporting our customers into work.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the launch of Youth Hub 2 in April 2023.”

During the celebration, Youth Hub Plymouth members were acknowledged for determination, ambition, progression, resilience and altruism. Congratulations went to Aden Webb, Amy Moth Hughes, Tiegan Ross, Leah Dickinson-Black and Elizabeth Macilraith.

Praise was also given to DWP work coaches, the Prince’s Trust and Care Journeys, for their significant contributions.

Anyone looking for support in the city can access the services of Skills Launchpad Plymouth for free, either via access to the resources on the website at www.skillslaunchpadplym.co.uk or by signing up to become a member to access one to one support.

HUNDREDS OF HOMES SET FOR ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS

A vast swathe of social housing in Plymouth will receive significant energy improvements after Plymouth City Council was successful in bidding for a government grant.

In all, 725 homes across the city will benefit from more than £7 million of investment from the latest wave of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF). The award is part of £778m of funding across England to ensure thousands of social homes are upgraded to reach an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C-Rating.

Properties will benefit from a range of measures including external wall insulation, cavity insulation and double glazing. Selected properties will also see solar panels and air source heat pumps fitted. These improvements are anticipated to make meaningful contributions towards reducing energy costs, strengthening Plymouth’s green economy, improving housing quality, regenerating some of our most deprived neighbourhoods, and helping Plymouth reach net zero by 2030.

Building on good work the consortium approach which is currently delivering improvements to 83 homes as part of Wave 1 of SHDF, the Plymouth City Council will once again join forces with Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) and LiveWest to deliver these works.

The council will administer the funds whilst PCH

and LiveWest will be responsible for delivery of the work to the homes they own and manage in the city, match-funding the grants from their own funds.

PCH is the largest social housing association in Plymouth with 16,000 homes, and will receive £5.6 million in grant funding and contribute a further £8.6 million to ensure 600 of its homes across Plymouth benefit from energy upgrades over the next two years.

LiveWest meanwhile, will retrofit 125 homes, receive £1.5 million and contribute a further £1.8 million from their own funds.

It means that between government funding and the money contributed from PCH and LiveWest, over £17.4 million will be committed to the project.

Cllr Rebecca Smith, Cabinet Member for Homes and Communities, said: “Upgrading these homes to the best energy efficiency will mean to such to so many people and so I’m grateful for the funding we’ve managed to obtain.

“Once again, though, partnership working with friends and colleagues at PCH and LiveWest has been key and helped delivered positive change for the people of Plymouth.”

Cllr James Stoneman, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Governance added: “This announcement is warmly welcomed. A key action of our Climate Emergency Action Plan is to scale

up the delivery of projects that reduce emissions, including retrofits to our housing stock.Buildings are one of our largest contributors of carbon emissions and therefore this funding will be key to helping the council reach its 2030 net zero target.”

John Clark, chief executive of Plymouth Community Homes, said: “It’s fantastic news we have secured £5.6m of funding which we will match-fund ourselves. This will help us to make 600 of our social homes in Plymouth more energy efficient, which will in turn help our tenants to reduce their energy bills and keep their homes warm, dry and comfortable, as well as reducing carbon emissions.

Suzanne Brown, executive director of Operations for LiveWest, said: “This funding will enable us continue working with our consortium partners and expand on our valuable SHDF Wave 1 investment in neighbourhoods such as Barne Barton, where Wave 1 delivery is well underway.

“Over the next two years The SHDF, alongside our own LiveWest investment, will help us undertake a range of building improvement works to a further 125 homes across Plymouth.

“Not only will this investment benefit our customer’s with more efficient homes, but we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with our partners to progress the growth of Green Skills in Plymouth and across the region as a whole.”

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Young people and Skills Launchpad Plymouth representatives celebrate their success

All set for Armed Forces Day

Plymouth’s spectacular Armed Forces Day returns to Plymouth Hoe this summer with an epic programme of events, activities and entertainment.

The exciting line-up was revealed at a launch event marking 100 days until Armed Forces Day on June 24. It will include music, pageantry, fly pasts, exciting service displays, service charities and fun for all the family. The launch was hosted by 29 Commando Regiment RA at the Royal Citadel.

Lieutenant Colonel Kieran Phillips, Royal Artillery Commanding Officer, presented the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Sue Dann, with the Armed Forces Day flag. Members from Babcock, Plymouth City Council and representatives from each Military Service, veterans, cadets and Military Kids Club Heroes also attended.

The launch saw members of 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery abseil down the walls of The Royal Citadel, carrying the Armed Forces Day flag and title sponsors Babcock’s flag.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Sue Dann, jumped at the opportunity to bravely abseil down the 70ft high Citadel wall.

The flags were passed to the 47 Commando (Raiding Group) Royal Marines, who flew them from their Offshore Raiding Craft (ORCs) in a thrilling on-water display. The ORCs travelled at high speed in an arrowhead formation across Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.

Plymouth Armed Forces Day is a celebration and a chance to show support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, which is expected to see over 40,000 people will flock to Plymouth Hoe, to enjoy the family-fun event.

This year’s line-up will see audiences wowed by the all-day arena and stage programme, interactive displays, military vehicles and equipment, demonstrations and parades. There will also be a flyover of iconic aircraft over Plymouth Sound before heading on to Cornwall who are hosting the national celebration this year.

Councillor Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Sport at Plymouth City Council, said: “Armed Forces Day is not only a brilliant day out, filled with fun activities for the whole family to enjoy, but also a hugely important opportunity for the people of Plymouth to show support to our Military, reservists, veterans, cadets and their

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families, thanking them for the great work they do.

“It is also great to see the spotlight on the Southwest this year, when celebrating this significant day; with the national event being hosted in Falmouth. It brings a great opportunity for our communities to come together to celebrate and show our continued support to our Armed Forces.”

Lt Col Kieran Phillips said: “I’m delighted that we can launch this year’s Plymouth Armed Forces Day with the magnificent Royal Citadel as our backdrop – this has been home to Gunners for over 300 years and to the Commando Gunners for the last 60. It is a great opportunity for us to continue to play our part in the Plymouth community that means so much to.

“This Plymouth Armed Forces Day will be just as spectacular as those that have gone before; and is a brilliant annual moment for us, our families and our veterans to come together with our wider Plymouth family.”

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Lord Mayor Cllr Sue Dann pictured with officials and military representatives

Lord Mayor Cllr Sue Dann bravely abseiled down the Citadel wall