Plymouth Chronicle East April 2023

This Easter at Bridging the Tamar:

Monday

Wednesday 12th April 10am

Wednesday 12th April 2pm

Friday 14th April 10 am

Work under way on new development of Plymstock homes

Work has started on the construction of 10 brand new, sustainable homes in Plymstock.

The spacious two, three and four bedroomed properties are being built on site of the former Morley Youth Centre, off Broadland Gardens.

The new development will see the direct delivery of new homes by the council for the first time this century.

Heated with modern, energy-efficient technology, to help achieve low carbon living, particular attention has been paid to their design, so that they are adaptable and sustainable.

All of the homes will be available for sale on the open market, with work expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Councillor Rebecca Smith, Cabinet member for Housing and Communities, said: “I’m delighted to see work begin on this fantastic scheme.

“Direct delivery is the logical next step in our ambition to build the homes Plymouth really needs and I hope that that Broadland Gardens will be able to set the standard for what is to come.

“Now, more than ever, it is essential that the homes we build respond to the climate emergency. These houses will be entirely gas free, heated by air-source heat pumps, powered by solar panels and with electric vehicle charging as standard.

“These will be homes fit for the future and I can’t wait to see them complete.”

Local contractors Classic Builders have been

selected for the build following a competitive tender process.

Director Fred Bennetton said: “We’re proud to be working with Plymouth City Council to build these important new properties. Everyone at Classic Builders is committed to creating long-term legacies for each of our projects –especially those in our home city.

“To achieve this, we’re employing Plymouth based tradespeople and supply chain partners to share the project’s economic opportunities and create a lasting sense of local pride.”

This development is funded through the council’s Plan for Homes Investment Fund. Upon completion, the funding, plus any surplus or profit from the sale of the homes, will be repaid, back into Plan for Homes for the provision of housing elsewhere in the city.

The One Public Estate Team has worked with the council and provided funding for upfront costs to unlock the land and bring forward homes as part of the Brownfield Land Release Fund. This has enabled the council to accelerate the release of land for new homes, meeting local needs.

Paul Britton, regional programme manager for the South West, said: “It’s really positive that this site is now able to provide much needed homes in Plymouth and we look forward to working with the

council on future schemes of this nature”.

Since the council transferred its housing stock to Plymouth Community Homes in 2009, the council have played a strategic role in the market by helping and enabling housing to be built by partners and developers through the Plan for Homes.

This new venture will see the council plan, design and build homes directly itself. The development will provide a range of two, three and four bedroom family homes and are currently for sale through local estate agent Lang Town and Country.

For more details visit www.langtownandcountry. com/new-homes-for-sale/broadland-green

Appeal

to save the Plymstock Community Forum

The Plymstock Forum is in danger of closing down and a special meeting has been called on Tuesday March 28 at 2pm at the Plymstock Community Centre in Memory Lane.

Brian Steele chairman of the Forum has said that the Forum committee are standing down and despite this, would like to see the organisation continue.

Over many years the Plymstock Forum has held regular meetings to discuss local issues which have included a wide range of speakers. In addition the Forum has until recently, organised the popular Plymstock Festival and most recently organised the creation and installation of the Plymstock tapestries located in Plymstock library.

Brian Steele commented that they would like to see the Forum continue and are calling the meeting to specifically obtain support.

Winner! 2020 Best New Private Dental Practice – SW England

Plymouths new family-run

dental practice based in Elburton

After moving back to the area where she grew up Dr Roxanna Smith decided to set her sights on creating a dental practice with a difference – offering high quality service at a fair price. Here at elburton dental we want our patients to receive the treatment that’s right for them, clearly discussing the options available so that you can make the choice of treatment that suits you best After all, they are your teeth!

We offer a wide range of treatments and are taking on new patients right now

You can register with us online at www.elburton.dental or give us a call on 01752 310000

”Best experience in years for a dentist visit. Friendly, informative and confidence inspiring. Thankyou” - Paul G.

Artist’s impression of how Broadland Gardens will look when complete

Councillor Rebecca Smith joins Classic Builders director Fred Bennetton on site at Broadland Gardens as works begin

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 Marsha Head Concert

Mar 23

Part of Jeannie Moore’s 29th International Concert Series at Stoke Damerel Church at 3pm. Programme to include Passacaglia, Siciliana and Innocence Lost. Tickets £15 on the door and from www.wegottickets. com/event/568327

Plymouth Area Police Choir Concert

Mar 23

St Eustachius Church, Tavistock at 7.30pm supporting Police Force Museum and the choir. Tickets £12 via PAPC or Museum web sites, bookshop next to Church, on the door or through choir members.

Richard III Society Events

Mar 25 and Apr 15

On March the Devon & Cornwall branch of the Richard III Society will present a talk by two of its members on the Coronation of King Richard III. On April 15 there will be a visual presentation of past Coronations, starting with King Edgar.Both meetings will be held in the Chapel at Ford Park Cemetery at 1 p.m. Parking is free and anyone interested in medieval history is invited to attend. Further information if needed can be obtained by phoning the secretary on 01752 31685.

Plymouth Harbour Half

Mar 26

Join the Plymouth Harbour Half for a scenic running experience from Yelverton, following the former railway lines through Plym Woods, back to Saltram, and finishing up around the picturesque harbour. Jump on a coach to the heart of Dartmoor and enjoy the breathtaking views overlooking Plymouth, as you end up back on the Barbican. Details www. phrdevonmind.com

Plymouth Philharmonic Choir

Mar 26

The choir presents Dvorak’s Stabat Mater in Plymouth Guildhall at 7.30 pm. Tickets £20 in advance or £22 on the door, students and U16s £5. Tickets from www.wegottickets.com †or the choir ticket manager 07949 311030. For more information, please visit plymouthphilchoir.org

Sir Joshua Reynolds Choir

Mar 28

Easter concert ‘Be Thou My Vision’ featuring well loved music for Passiontide at Ridgeway Methodist Church, Plympton at 7.30pm. Retiring collection in aid of Shelterbox.

Plymstock Forum

Mar 28

Special meeting at the Community Centre, Memory Lane, Plymstock at 2pm to discuss the future of the group. Details from Brian Steele on 0777 3568003.

Charity concert

Mar 31

Plymouth Area Police Choir join forces with the Girls Night Out Choir at St Bartholomew’s Church, Yealmpton at 7.30pm. Raising funds for local Scouts attending the World Scout Jamboree in South Korea. Tickets £7.50, £5 under 18. Contact Richard 07775603189/Bob 07970846992

Dinomania Tour 2023

Apr 1 and 2

Dinomania is a fun filled five star interactive dinosaur show hosted by YMCA Plymouth at Honickknowle. Two sessions per day at 11am and 3pm with only 300 tickets available per session. Join Ranger Chris and his dinosaurs as seen on BGT 2022! The award

winning Youtube Rangers from Dinomania will teach you all about these amazing creatures. Dinosaurs will roam around the crowd in the UK’s most interactive dinosaur show. Tickets at www.dinomania.co.uk/ events/dinomania-tour-plymouth.php

Spring Fayre and Plant Sale

Apr 1

Visitor Centre, Ford Park Cemetery from 11am to 2.30pm. Details 01752 665442.

Magical Bones: Soulful Magic

Apr 2

Magician Magical Bones brings his show to The Quad Theatre on the Marjon campus at 7.30pm. Britain’s Got Talent finalist takes to the road with awe-inspiring and high energy magic. Tickets from www.tickettailor. com/events/comicalentertainment/784365

Sir Joshua Reynolds Choir

Apr 4

Easter concert ‘Be Thou My Vision’ featuring well loved music for Passiontide at Holy Cross Church, Newton Ferrers at 7.30pm. Tickets £7 on the door in aid of church funds.

Plymouth Careers Fair

Apr 5

Free event at the New Continental Hotel 10am to 2pm provides opportunity for job seekers to meet local and national employers face-to-face and apply directly for hundreds of available vacancies. attendees can expect to find a wide range of roles and opportunities, including entry-level positions, management roles, apprenticeships, graduate positions, franchise opportunities, part-time and full-time positions, flexible working options, and even work-from-home jobs.Details at www.ukcareersfair. com/event/plymouth-careers-fair

Plymouth Eco Market

Apr 8

Interactive sustainable event hosted at Devonport Guildhall from 10am to 3pm. Over 30 local businesses will be providing craft workshops, yoga, meditation and massages. Plus two local food suppliers and everything included in the day is sustainable and vegan.

Spring Concert

Apr 14

South-west based chamber choir Levowan XII will present an evening of beautiful choral music at St Peter’s Church, Wyndham Square at 7.30pm. The programme features the premiere performance of the full and completed ’Requiem’ by Hugh Walkington, one of their own very talented members. The programme also takes the audience on a discovery of

contemporary choral music from across Europe and the USA. FREE entry with a retiring collection. Levowan XII performs regularly at St Peter’s where the bright acoustics provide the perfect listening experience for their audiences. The choir has a large repertoire and enjoys singing classical works and discovering new music to share with others. For more information, visit www.levowan.co.uk

Francis Rossi - Tunes & Chat

Apr 14

Status Quo legend Francis Rossi is taking up his acoustic guitar to bring a selection of well-known hits and some previously not-performed-live-before tunes at The Quad Theatre on the Marjon University campus at 7.30pm. It’ll be a unique evening in which Francis will reprise fan favourites from a remarkable 50+ year career. Expect original-style, acoustic versions of Quo classics, threaded together with chat in this music based evening. VIP packages are available for those wishing to meet Francis before the show. Tickets at www.comicalentertainment.com

Model Railway Exhibition

Apr 15 and 16

Organised by Saltash Rotary Club at the restored Saltash Station Building – Isambard House – by kind permission of Saltash Town Council. There will be five 00 scale model layouts, pictures from local artists, Brunel Heritage talks, crafts trade stand and a ride-on loco provided by Plym Valley Railway. Admission is free with refreshments available. For ease of parking a shuttle bus provided by Community Enterprise PL12 will run hourly from Saltash Leisure Centre to Isambard House and return. Details at www. saltashrotary.org

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 Tuesdays and Thursdays and 12.30pm to 3.30pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Occasionally events can be cancelled through unavoidable circumstances on Tuesdays and Thursdays so it is worth checking beforehand (tel. 01752 665442).

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

Plymouth Pirates Weekend

May 20 and 21

Swashbuckling fun for all th 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

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

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.

Strictly Come Dancing - the Professionals returns to Plymouth Pavilions in May

South West

The Home and Garden Maintenance Team

A busy mum found a whole new career path thanks to the training on offer at Plymouth City Council’s adult learning service, On Course South West.

Maggie Graham had four small children and wanted to both support her children’s learning as well as improve her employability. In 2008 she signed up for the Children’s Care and Development Level 2 course with On Course South West, which gave her the confidence to be a volunteer at a school, become a school Governor and complete more training.

She then became the Parent Support Advisor at the school and continued to train, undertaking Level 3 qualifications that helped her become the Chair for Whitleigh Big Local.

Maggie was offered a Family Learning Tutor post at On Course South West and then began working to support mums and babies at Trevi, including a secondment to run a house for women who had fled domestic abuse, homelessness, or had alcohol and drugs dependencies. In May 2021, Maggie returned to On Course as a Learning Advisor, and she now enjoys teaching courses covering a range of topics such as crafts and wellbeing, cooking, floristry, foraging, and budgeting.

Maggie said: “I would recommend On Course South West to everyone, as we are a nurturing service, making sure we support our learners to fully reach their goal and visions. It gave me the confidence to want to learn more, train more and even work for them.”

Councillor Charlotte Carlyle, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Children and Young People said: “This is an absolutely brilliant success story. The hugely varied courses on offer at On Course South West mean there’s something for everyone, whether you’re simply looking to get creative and try something new, or want to upskill and develop yourself by gaining qualifications that will lead to exciting new job opportunities, just like Maggie has done.”

Mark Trewin, Principal of On Course South West added: “Maggie is a perfect example of how the training and support at On Course South West can really change someone’s life. We are here to help people progress, upskill or simply start a new hobby. We are small and friendly, courses are flexible and most of them are free! We also offer bespoke courses to employers to support them with CPD and opportunities for lifelong learning. We are delighted Maggie chose to come and work for us and is now here to support our current learners.”

To discover more about courses on offer, On Course South West visit www. oncoursesouthwest.co.uk

Busy Plymouth mum changed her life with On Course

Stagecoach to introduce service changes across Plympton, Plymstock and Sherford

Bus operator Stagecoach is introducing a number of timetable changes across its network from April 2 - affecting services in Plympton and Plymstock, as well as Sherford.

New service 1A from Sherford to George Park & Ride via the city centre and Derriford Hospital will increase the frequency of buses from Sherford and the City Centre from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes, providing an additional journey opportunity every hour and a new direct link between Sherford and Derriford Hospital.

Service 1A will operate every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and during the evening and on Sunday and public holidays, every 60 minutes between Sherford and the City Centre only.

Services 1 and 1A combined will continue to provide a service up to every 10 minutes between the City Centre and George Park and Ride via Derriford Hospital. The new service will replace short journeys on Service 1 between Plymouth City Centre and George Park and Ride and Service 2/2A between Plymouth City Centre and Sherford. Service 2 (Saltash to Mount Batten via

City Centre) will continue to operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every 60 minutes in the evening and on Sunday and public holidays between Mount Batten and Saltash via City Centre. Service 2A (Saltash to Sherford via City Centre) will be revised to operate between the City Centre and Saltash only, operating every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime and every 60 minutes during the evening and on Sunday and Public Holidays.

The current section of route between

Sherford and the City Centre will be served by new Service 1A, which will provide an enhanced level of service.

Changes are being introduced to the route of Services 4A and 4B, (City Centre to Plymstock via Saltram Meadow) designed to reduce delays caused by inconsiderate parking and unsuitable roads. In Plymstock, Service 4A and 4B will operate more direct routes, the 4A via Mount Batten Way and no longer serving Stanborough Road, Dunstone Drive and Under Lane while the 4B will operate via Broadway East, Dunstone Drive and Springfield Road and no longer serving Southernway and Stentaway Drive. In addition, Service 4B will no longer serve Nightingale Close due to extremely low passenger demand.

To coincide with the opening of the Forder Valley Link Road, the route of Service 52 (Plympton to Derriford Hospital) will be amended from April 2.

It will serve Coypool Park and Ride and then operate via the Forder Valley Link Road to Derriford Hospital and no longer serve Leigham and Estover.

This route change will provide a new direct

link between Coypool Park and Ride and Derriford Hospital.

The Service X38 (Plymouth to Exeter via Buckfastleigh) route within Plymouth will be amended to operate via Elburton and Sherford using Billacombe Road, Elburton Road and Hercules Road, and no longer operating via the A374. The new route will provide a number of new journey opportunities.

Service GOLD (Plymouth to Paignton via Totnes) route within Plymouth will be amended to operate via Elburton and Sherford using Billacombe Road, Elburton Road and Hercules Road, and no longer operating via the A374. This will provide a number of new journey opportunities.

Full details of all the network timetable changes can be found at www.stagecoachbus. com

Time called for last time at popular Plympton pub

Last orders has been called for the final time at one of Plympton’s most historic pubs.

Gareth and Nina Hughes-Williams took over the running of The George Inn in Ridgeway in October 2018 with high hopes, but just over a year later were to suffer a big setback with the outbreak of Coronavirus. That coupled with the current cost of living crisis and dramatically increased utilities bills has proved to be a doubly whammy.

In a statement on the Inn’s Facebook page the couple announced: “It is with a very heavy heart that we write this message. Last night we closed our doors at The George Inn for the final time.

“Unfortunately we never fully recovered from the pandemic and now with the cost of living crisis our trade has decreased substantially but our overheads have massively increased meaning our business is no longer viable hence we have had to close with immediate effect.

“We would like to thank all of our customers and guests who have supported us since we took over in October 2018. Most importantly we would like to say a special thank you to all of our wonderful staff past and present (some of whom have become good friends) for your constant hard work and unwavering support and loyalty, especially in the last three years which at times has not been an easy ride! We will miss you all hugely.”

Hundreds of people took to social media to pass on their thanks and good wishes to the couple.

(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)

BASICS volunteer doctors thanked by grateful patient

A Plymouth man who suffered a fall at home and was treated by volunteers from BASICS Devon was so impressed with the response that he is now raising funds for the charity organisation.

The team from BASICS were first on the scene responding to the emergency at Barrington Sowden’s home in Milehouse. They found him injured and unable to move on the floor.

Barrington explained what happened: “I spent 14 years in the Royal Navy and was an active member of the then Devonport Field Gun Crew where I sustained a back injury in 1978, which meant I had to be medically discharged from the Navy in 1986.

“I have continued to have major back problems since and underwent my first back surgery in 1995. At the beginning of 2022 I noticed

loss of power in my right leg and in November I fell down the stairs.”

Dr Tony Golding-Cook and paramedic Conor Colby responded to the call out, whilst on duty in the BASICS Devon rapid response vehicle.

Barrington recalls those moments: “I called the ambulance, and this was my first contact with BASICS Devon as they came to my aid in a matter of minutes.

“I was so taken by their professionalism and caring attitude that I wanted to know more about the service which they explained while we waited for the ambulance. At the same time they informed me that they would remain with me until the ambulance arrived, no matter how long that was.’

The BASICS Devon volunteers were able to administer vital pain relief to get Barrington up off the floor and feel more comfortable.

“I felt at that moment that I wanted to do something for this voluntary

organisation, so I decided there and then that as the chairman of the Kingsmen Harmony Club, I would choose BASICS Devon as my charity and we are now in the planning process for a concert in September of this year.”

Amie Bull, fundraising manager of BASICS Devon was also out observing that day. She said: “As soon as we arrived at Barrington’s house, the doctors just wanted to establish what had happened, how he felt and most of all to relieve his pain. He is such a lovely man and a pleasure to talk to whilst we waited for the ambulance

Free parking boost for Plympton & Plymstock

to arrive.”

Dr Golding-Cook said: “We are just so glad we could be there for Barrington. We are thrilled that he wants to support us and are really excited about the concert. He is clearly a talented musician and we cannot wait to share all the details with our supporters.”

The concert will be held in September 2023 and details once bookings are open, will be shared on Kingsmen - Barbershop Harmony Chorus - Kingsbridge, BASICS Devon social media and at www.basicsdevon.org.uk/events

Free parking at the Ridgeway and Broadway short-stay car parks will be increased from two to three hours, to help support local businesses in the area.

New terminals have been installed in short-stay district car parks to help ensure that free spaces continue to be available for shoppers and support local businesses.

The new terminals are in response to concerns that some people are overstaying their ‘free time’ allocation and in some cases staying all day. The terminals will simply ensure that people check-in when they arrive and leave at their allotted time.  This will ensure a regular turnover of spaces.

Following a review of the short stay car parks, Plymouth City Council has decided to increase the free allocation by one hour at the Ridgeway short-stay in Plympton and Broadway short-stay in Plymstock.

Councillor Mark Shayer, Cabinet Member for Finance and Economy for Plymouth City Council, said: “We have already reiterated our commitment to protecting free parking. We know that it is vital to our local high streets and businesses.

PLYMSTOCK Plymstock Community Centre

Monday at 5pm and 7pm with Bethan 07814 682898

Monday at 8am and 9:30am with 07494754493 Lauren

Wednesday at 4pm, 5.30pm & 7pm with Richard 07828 773047

ELBURTON Elburton Village Hall

Thursday at 5.30pm and 7pm with Rich 07828 773047

Friday at 9am and 10.45am with Rich 07828 773047

SHERFORD Sherford Community Hub, Hercules Road

Friday at 4.30pm and 6pm with Jayne 07974 642634

PLYMPTON St Peters Lutheran Church (Larkham Lane)

Thursday

at 9am with Lesley 07717 721392

Thursday at 3.30pm, 5pm and 6.30pm with Debbie 07547 673997

Friday at 9am and 10.30am with Debbie 07547 673997

Saturday at 8.30am and 10am with June 07865 090812

“Whilst there have been a number of rumours that we plan to scrap the free parking allocations, that is simply not the case. In fact, in these two thriving business communities we are increasing the time to respond to requests from local shoppers, businesses and visitors who have indicated they need a little more time.”

The new parking terminals, which will enable people to check in and activate their free parking, have been installed in all district short-stay car parks and will be live by April 2023.

Signs will be placed in each car park to let drivers know when the terminals are due be activated and we will be writing to nearby businesses to let them know what is happening and when.

Parking officers will also be on hand when the system goes live in each car park to help explain the new arrangements.

Barrington Sowden pictured with Dr Tony Golding-Cook

CHILDREN IN KENYA WILL RECEIVE AN EDUCATION THANKS TO SISTERS

Two young sisters from Oreston cooked up a fantastic fund raising effort to help children in Kenya.

Sisters Maggie and Ivy Pearce, aged eight and four, made a splash with their charity bake sale on Sunday March 5.

Their Nanny had told them about a family friend Revd Roger Carter who has, for the past 20 years, worked tirelessly for the people of Kisumu, Kenya with the Wilderness Trust Ministries. They wanted to know how they could help.

They learned that a donation of just £7 would send a child to school for a whole year. So Maggie had the idea to put on a bake sale to raise some money, hoping to be able to help one or two children get an education.

The girls spent a whole afternoon baking

and then set up a stall on their driveway on Sunday morning. Their Mum, Laura, posted about it on the village Facebook page and waited.

Within minutes the generous residents of Oreston were there, queueing for their cake, donations in hand. The girls had such a good response, they sold all of their cakes and raised an amazing £135.90 within an hour!

Friends, family and neighbours were still wanting to donate after hearing about the sale, so the girls and their Mum set up a GoFundMe page.

At the time of going to press the girls’ fund had increased to £270, all for the children of Kisumu to get an education. It means 38 children can now go to school for a year

Youth Ambassador in coffee bar fundraiser for Jeremiah’s Journey

Plympton’s Youth Ambassador, Bel Winsor-Maloney, has raised over £500 for child bereavement charity Jeremiah’s Journey.

Bel, along with family and friends, ran the Harewood House Coffee Bar between 27 February and 3 March, selling snacks and beverages, staging a raffle and operating a bric-a-brac stall. There was also a visit from the Jeremiah bear and the fruits of the week’s collective labours enabled a final sum of £552.81 to be raised for the charity.

ID

thanks to the girls and all of the donors.

The Wilderness Trust Ministries was established by the Revd Roger Carter in 1999 to improve the life of children in Kisumu by helping with education, health and housing. The charity’s motto is ‘Together we can make a difference.’ It is run purely by unpaid volunteers which enables the charity to spend every single penny raised on projects rather than administration.

A huge well done to Maggie and Ivy on their fundraising success which will make a big difference for the children in Kenya.

To help raise more funds for the charity visit gofund.me/b7a838e9.

For more information on the charity visit www.wildernesstrustministries.com

Plymouth residents who will be 18-years-old by May 4 are encouraged to register to vote now and make sure they have eligible photo ID in time for this year’s local election.

With the deadline to register only a few weeks away on April 17, Plymouth City Council is encouraging all those eligible to vote to make sure that they take the opportunity to have their say in the election.

Registration is quick and easy and can be done online at www.plymouth.gov.uk/registervote and only takes a few minutes.

When registering, applicants can also apply for a postal vote. This means that during an election they will automatically be sent a ballot paper, so they can vote via post, avoiding the need to go to a polling station.

Bel is now nearing the end of her year in office and the search is on to find a successor who will take office towards the end of April, at the same time the new Stannator of Plympton is invested into office.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the role of Youth Ambassador should contact Pauline Kadoche via e-mail at plymptoncommunitycouncil@ gmail.com for an information sheet and application form.

(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)

SALTRAM ROTARY RAISING FUNDS FOR GOOD CAUSES

The colletion took place at Ben’s Farm Shop at Yealmpton and raised £1,327. A spokesman for Saltram Rotary said: “Thank you to Ben’s and all those who gave so generously to the collection.” Saltram Rotary have also presented a cheque

for £1,750 to Plymouth Children in Need from the collections taken over the Christmas period. Rotary Clubs across the UK continue to help and support for people and communities in need. Anyone interested in helping raise funds for charitable causes both internationally should contact their local Rotary Club.

Details and more information can be found at www.rotary.org

Once registered applicants will be placed onto the electoral register – which means they won’t need to register again, unless moving house.

In addition, unlike parliamentary elections, students living in Plymouth, studying away from home, can register to vote in local elections in both their home town as well as Plymouth.

Tracey Lee, Returning Officer for Plymouth, said: “There are thousands of students and young adults in Plymouth that aren’t registered to vote, but care about our great city and want the opportunity to shape its future. We don’t want them to miss out. Their views are important.

“Registering to vote is quick, easy and has a number of benefits – not only can you take part in the democratic process, but it will also help with future credit checks. Helping with mortgages, loans or even a mobile phone contract.”

Those registered to vote, and plan to cast their ballot in person, will also have to show eligible photographic ID at polling stations from May. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a full or provisional UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass and a blue badge. Unfortunately, student ID is NOT an accepted form of ID.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can nregister for a postal vote by April 18, or can apply for free Voter Authority Certificate online at www.gov.uk/ apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificateor by completing a paper form which is available from the Council. The deadline to apply for this ID is April 25

First time voters encouraged to register as soon as possible –and sort out

Maggie busy making cakes

Ivy all set for the sale

Members of Plympton Tennis Club meet Jeremiah Bear during the mascot’s visit to the Harewood House Coffee Bar

Members of Saltram Rotary Club have collected over £1,300 for Shelter Box’s work in Turkey after the devastating earthquake.

Saltram Rotary members collecting for Shelter Box

Presentation of cheque to Plymouth Children in Need

ANDREW WARD is managing director and sales director of Ability Bathe, a family-run independent bathroom installation company which was founded by Andrew and his wife in 2012.

Andrew has owned and run a complete bathroom supply and installation company for 25 years, fitting all types of bathrooms and wet rooms in the North of England. Since expanding into the South West, Andrew – together with a small team of employees – has specialised in installing and fitting not just bathrooms, but also walk-in showers and wet rooms.

Let Ability Bathe make your life easier. It is small enough to be very personal and approachable, and large enough to have the experience to complete a wide range of bathroom installations quickly and successfully to a very high standard.

Andrew personally goes out to the initial consultation, paying great attention to detail and customer requirements. On commencement, he again attends and personally sets up the installation, running through all points raised with his employees, who will do the hands-on installation.

Then he spends the final finishing hours at the customer’s home to make sure the customer is happy with the installation quality and service. Ability Bathe’s motto is: “A bath to shower in 48 hours”

Andrew says: “We make the promise that we don’t come to you until our previous job is complete and we will not leave you until yours is complete”.

Ability Bathe offers home appointments up to 8pm; for a free, no-obligation quotation call 07711 184309.

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Ground-breaking £21m upgrade for Brickfields

A ground-breaking agreement will see more than £21 million invested in the under-utilised Brickfields site in Devonport to provide a permanent home for the Plymouth Argyle Academy.

Plymouth Argyle, the Argyle Community Trust, Plymouth City Council, Plymouth Albion RFC and Devonport Community Leisure Ltd (DCLL) have struck a deal which will see £21m invested in rejuvenating Brickfields with a focus on community health, wellbeing, and raising aspirations.

As part of the plans, Argyle will provide multi-million pound investment towards the project, which will see wholesale redevelopment of Brickfields to install top class facilities for the Argyle Academy, including a covered pitch and other amenities which are of the standard required to apply for Category 2 status in the future.

Further detail on the site’s future layout will be revealed in due course, but the initial agreement operates on the principle that the Academy centre will include:

• An improved suite of playing pitches including three grass football pitches, and replacing an existing grass rugby training pitch with a new 3G pitch

• A new purpose-built Academy building, including classrooms for scholars, office space for Academy staff, changing rooms, a gym, and a parents’ lounge

• A new floodlit 3G football pitch to replace a poor condition (currently closed) hockey pitch

• A new, covered 3G football pitch

• Conversion of the existing 60m x 40m rubber crumb pitch to two PlayZones exclusively for public use

• Better site access, public realm and parking

• Opening up the site for community paths

The site will also become the permanent home of the Argyle Women’s first-team.

Andrew Parkinson, chief executive and trustee of the Argyle Community Trust said: “This is a significant milestone in the club’s proud history, and provides great excitement for the future of Argyle, with the prospect of a

For the club’s part, the £11m investment will be provided by existing shareholders, with a further £7.3m coming via the Argyle Community Trust through sport and community development grant funding.

The remaining investment will be provided by Plymouth City Council, funded by savings made on the site by handing management responsibility to Argyle. The council will retain ownership of the site, leasing it to the parties involved on a long, nominal rent, similar to the arrangement currently in place at Harper’s Park, where Argyle’s firstteam train.

The extensive schedule of works is due to begin at Brickfields early in 2024, subject to necessary approval.

permanent academy base taking us one step further in our strategic vision to see the club attract, retain and develop the region’s best young talent.

“Regenerating the site to provide firstclass facilities for our Academy and other elite sports addresses a need, not only for Argyle, but other stakeholders, including Plymouth Albion RFC. “The proposal will also provide significant benefit for the Devonport community, allowing the Argyle Community Trust to use redeveloped facilities to manage a thriving community hub, providing members of the public with access, support, and equipment to reduce health inequalities and promote wellbeing.”

The wide-ranging offering will significantly exceed what is presently available for the community at Brickfields, including education and employment programmes, adult education, wellbeing support, a dedicated space for youth services, a soft play centre, new, affordable gym, and a community café.

Councillor Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport at Plymouth City Council, said: “This is an extraordinary deal that will unlock millions of pounds of investment to provide incredible facilities to nurture talent in this city as well as expand the offer to local people.

“We have been talking extensively to the people who use Brickfields, as well as groups and individuals in Devonport, about what facilities and activities they want to see. At the moment the entire site is not being used as well as it should be.

“We have a plan for sport that the city’s clubs and organisations helped create and this proposal really fits the bill. Together we are working to increase participation –opening up opportunities get more people involved in sports and physical activity.

“But this is also about pride; locating the Argyle Academy in Brickfields strengthens the links between the city and Argyle, as well as creating a sense of aspiration for the young people living nearby. We will not see a deal of this scale for many years to come.”

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“This is an extraordinary deal that will unlock millions of pounds of investment to provide incredible facilities to nurture talent in this city as well as expand the offer to local people”

COUNCILLOR PAT PATEL

Makeover for city’s Civic Square

Work has now started on improvements to the historic Civic Square in Plymouth’s city centre.

The Grade II listed Park and Garden is getting a makeover to showcase some of its existing heritage features as well as reinstate some of the paving patterns that were part of its original design.

The scheme has been developed with Historic England funding under the High Street Heritage Action Zone, and will see the previous ‘Bow Tie’ tessellated paving patterns reintroduced in the south of the square, made from granite blocks. Planters will also have a makeover, with worn and damaged copings replaced and new ornamental planting and improved grass within the landscaped islands.  The copings around the main pond will be restored back to the original concrete, removing years of paint.

Seating will be repaired and relocated and

the cobbles around the circular benches will be tidied up. A section of narrow path outside the Council House will be widened. The work, which will include preparing the ground before new granite is laid, is expected to take around 10 weeks to complete.

Councillor Jonathan Drean, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “The square is a Grade II registered park and garden and is important to our heritage. It currently looks a little tired and we are delighted that Historic England are able to support us with this scheme.“

“Geoffrey Jellicoe was one of this country’s greatest landscape gardeners in his time and he designed this public square as part of the civic layout of Plymouth planned by the city architect H J W Stirling and based on Patrick Abercrombie and J Paton Watson’s post-war plan for Plymouth of 1943.

“It is unique and part of the Plymouth and this country’s post-war history. It’s fair to say

that importance is currently a bit lost. We hope these measures will help us showcase it.”

Simon Hickman from Historic England, said: “We are excited by the return of the tessellated paving to the Civic Square, which is based on the original designs. The square’s famous architect, Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe, called for ‘dignity and frivolity’ in the original design of the square, and that’s what we’re hoping these plans will restore.”

The scheme is a more streamlined version of the original proposals unveiled in 2021. The current work is the first phase of the scheme and a second phase is planned for improvements specifically aimed at making the square more to attractive for walkers and cyclists.

The Civic Square scheme is not part of the Armada Way proposals. The café kiosk is not affected by the works, which are being carried out by Morgan Sindall.

Could you deliver the Plymouth Chronicle?

SOUNDS MUSICAL THEATRE PREPARE FOR THEIR SPRING SHOW

Sounds Musical Theatre Company are all set to return to the Devonport Playhouse to perform their annual spring concert review

‘Set the Stage’ showcasing well known songs from stage and movie hits.

The award winning company has a long history of popular performances spanning well over 100 years with few interruptions in their show schedule. Only two World Wars and the pandemic put rehearsals on ice. Sounds Musical are now rehearsing for ‘Set the Stage’ an innovative compilation of well-known songs from stage and screen with

Charlotte Pascoe as director and performer.

This is her first role as director with the company. She said: “It’s has been a fantastic experience so far putting together this review, making the most of our members’ talents. As a group we are working collectively to put together something special for all audiences, young and not so young, exploring such fantastic music.”

‘Set the Stage’ is on May 13 with performances at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

The review also features an innovative whole ensemble song and dance routine from

Maternity services at Derriford Hospital need improvement, say CQC

The maternity service at Derriford Hospital has seen its Care Quality Commission rating drop from good to requires improvement, following an inspection in September.

The inspection was carried out as part of CQC’s national maternity services inspection programme.

The inspection found women and babies were not always receiving standards of care they have a right to expect in Derriford Hospital’s maternity service, which is run by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

While Derriford Hospital’s maternity service is now rated requires improvement, ratings for the trust and hospital overall are unchanged following this inspection. Both remain requires improvement overall.

Director of maternity services, Sue Wilkins said: “The Care Quality Commission visited our maternity services in September 2022 as part of their national maternity inspection programme.

“This programme aims to give the inspectors an up-to-date view of hospital maternity care and help them understand what is working well to support learning and improvement at a local and national level.

“They have rated maternity services at Derriford Hospital as ‘Requires Improvement’. This represents a reduction from the previous rating of ‘Good’ that our maternity service held.

“However, the CQC noted good practice, in particular that they saw staff were doing their best to provide good care and keep people safe, and people could access the service when they needed it.

“They also reported finding good collaboration between staff for the benefit of parents and babies, that staff managed infection risks well and were committed to driving improvement.

“The CQC’s principal concerns were around the service not having enough staff, risk assessment of people when attending maternity triage and risks of documentation being incomplete before the implementation of a new IT system.”

She said she was confident when the CQC next visit, Derriford will assure them that it is are a ‘Good’ service because a number of things had changed since the September 2022 visit.”

This has included the addition of 14 more midwives in part and confirmation of funding for 16 more colleagues in the coming months.

Plans for implementing a risk assessment system for women coming into triage were not fully formed but are now.

This is due to be implemented in the next few weeks, along with a new IT system later in the summer.

She said that these two factors would address many of the CQC’s concerns.

She added: “Our staff work extremely hard to provide good care to families and will continue to do this, with the improvements described above either now already made or about to be in the coming weeks.

“We always welcome feedback and comments from families using our maternity service and use their feedback to help drive a process of continual improvement.”

A Chorus Line, choreographed by Victoria Lambden. Claire Anderson has provided invaluable musical accompaniment for six years and once more takes on the role of musical director.

The company are now looking forward to ’business as usual‘ continuing their rich history in Plymouth’s amateur music scene. Their website and Facebook page Sounds Musical Theatre Company provides more information. Tickets for Set the Stage can be obtained from www.ticketsource.co.uk or by calling 07395159955

Double surprise for President Bob

Plympton Gardeners Association

President Bob Shaw got a double surprise when he turned up for the group’s regular monthly meeting in March.

Bob has performed many roles in the Association over the years and also took on the horticultural maintenance of the circular planters in Ridgeway, bringing them back from being glorified ash trays into a visually pleasing sight and adding much welcome colour to the pedestrianised part of the shopping district.

Now though Bob has decided to step down from his various committee roles. In appreciation of his efforts over many years the PGA presented him with a bird table and Stannator of Plympton Arno Bessel turned up to present him with a bottle of Pusser’s Gunpowder Rum and an engraved glass on behalf of Plympton Community Council.

(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)

Photo:  Laurie B Film and Photography

One of the city centre’s most prominent buildings is next in line for a facelift.

The landlords of Pearl Assurance House on the corner of Armada Way and Royal Parade have been offered a grant of up to £49,900 towards the cost of cleaning the façade of this imposing 1950s building as well as carrying out repair work.

Scaffolding has already gone up and the cleaning work will start in the next few weeks. The upper floors are being cleaned across a total of 14 shop frontages. The grant offer relates to all floors of the building facing onto Armada Way, Royal Parade and Courtenay Street.

Decades of grime and dirt, together with algae will be cleaned off revealing the light Portland Stone that was widely used in the post-war rebuild of the city centre.

The spring clean is part of Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) for Plymouth. So far, it has funded work to facades across 16 frontages on Old Town Street and New George Street and provided £86,000 to repair The Athenaeum, where work is expected to start next week.

The Council’s role has been as the lead partner to Historic England, to negotiate with property owners, process grant applications, issue the grant offers and to monitor work on site.Both the Pearl Assurance building and Dingles were built as cornerstones to Armada Way, and were designed to reflect the height and scale of the nearby Plymouth Guildhall. The Pearl Assurance building is more decorative than Dingles, with embellished columns and carved stonework.

Councillor Mark Shayer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance said: “It’s so good to see the brightness, clean lines, and stone shine out like it did 50 years ago when I first came to

the city. A spring clean on a mammoth scale and hugely welcomed. “The difference these projects are making is huge. They are totally transforming the stunning buildings that make Plymouth’s City Centre unique. It’s been really popular with our residents and businesses.”

Simon Hickman, Principal Inspector of Historic Buildings at Historic England South West said “Pearl Assurance House is one of Plymouth City Centre’s key buildings, marking one edge of the Civic Square.

“The corner of the Pearl Assurance building matches the corner of Dingles (now House of Fraser) opposite, and Thomas Tait, one of the architects of Sydney Harbour Bridge, was involved in its design. Getting it cleaned and repaired will show that it’s a landmark to be proud of.”

Chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre

Company Steve Hughes said: “It is great to see these historic buildings get a facelift and combined with all the other improvements is good news for the city centre and our businesses.”

The Plymouth City Centre High Street Heritage Action Zone programme – ‘Reinvigorating the Abercrombie Estate’ – is a four-year programme celebrating, enhancing and adapting the city centre’s post-war heritage and making it a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work and spend time.

The Heritage Action Zone project is managed by Plymouth City Council and Plymouth Culture, with support from The Box and Plymouth Octopus Project.  It’s part of a £95 million governmentfunded programme which is being delivered by Historic England to unlock the potential of 60 different high streets across the country.

New shine for Pearl Assurance building PLYMOUTH NAMED AS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST UNDERRATED TRAVEL DESTINATIONS

Plymouth has been named as one of the most underrated travel destinations in the world by a global media and hospitality company.

Plymouth ranks seventh out of a 14-strong list of destinations and is the only one in the UK in the global list rated by Time Out’s local expert editors and writers. Other destinations include locations in Mongolia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Australia, Vermont, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Ireland and Zimbabwe.

Jonathan Drean named as Lord Mayor Designate

Plymouth’s next Lord Mayor will be Councillor Jonathan Drean, following the recommendation of the Lord Mayor Selection Committee.

The recommendation will be put forward at the next Full Council meeting in March before it is fully agreed.

Councillor Drean is the Cabinet Member for Transport and Joint Chair of Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, a member of the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority and was first elected to represent the Budshead Ward in Plymouth in 2007. He also served as the Deputy Lord Mayor in 2009 to 2010.

Jonathan was born in Portsmouth and moved to Plymouth in 1969. His Father the late Tom Drean MBE was in the Royal Navy, and was also Deputy Lord Mayor during May 1987 to May 1988. For many years Jonathan worked in the aviation Industry, having started his career in 1978 at the Plymouth Airport, where he worked for Brymon Airways, and was later based at Heathrow Airport for 28 years.

He has worked with local residents and traders in the city on various improvement schemes, and also with many local transport companies to help improve their services within the city, such as rail, long distance coaches, continental ferries and various arrival gateways into the city.

Jonathan is married to Geraldine, who also works in the travel industry. Their Christian faith is very important to them and they attend and support their local church together.

The list aims to inspire travellers to discover places which ‘pack a punch in terms of food, culture, and experiences’ but are often overlooked.

Time Out’s UK Editor, Huw Oliver, explained why Plymouth was selected. He said: “Plymouth doesn’t cross a lot of people’s minds when it comes to planning a seaside getaway or a city break, but it should: you get two for the price of one here.

“It’s got culture in spades, with The Box

offering world-class exhibitions in a beautiful setting and the Market Hall dazzling with its ‘immersive art dome’.

And that’s not to mention all the amazing food and drink, from classic fish and chips to England’s oldest gin distillery, plus quite possibly the UK’s best outdoor pool in the Tinside Lido.

“It offers an idyllic weekend away, right on the stunning Devon coast, and best of all, you’ll likely have a lot of it to yourself.”

As well as the official duties, Jonathan is looking forward to meeting many local voluntary charities and organisations, faith groups and supporting their fund raising events like flower festivals and the PMAC, a Youth Musical Group for nine to 18 Year olds, where Jonathan first attended a concert with his father in 1987, and in 2009 when he was Deputy Lord Mayor.

Councillor Drean said: “It is a huge honour to be asked to be the Lord Mayor Designate. I am looking forward to meeting and representing as many citizens, organisations, and charities of Plymouth during the year of office.

“Connecting with the people of Plymouth, the local communities, organisations and civic engagements is something that I am really passionate about and being elected as the Lord Mayor of Plymouth will reflect just this.”

Sherford Life

Resurrection is a great storyline – but it’s even better when it happens in real life!

A month or two ago I wrote about all the exciting films coming out in the cinema this year. How many great stories feature resurrection as a theme, or even as the climactic decisive moment? You get fantasy stories like Harry Potter, sci-fi stories like The Matrix, and even children’s classics like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But resurrection is also all around us. You get a glimpse of it as the plants that have died back over Winter shoot back into life in Spring. Sometimes you get a sense of something like resurrection as a few new players and a new manager make all the difference to the fortunes of a struggling football team. (Are you ready to watch Argyle in the Championship again next season?!) And occasionally you get a sense of resurrection as a run-down area of town is given a ‘new lease of life’ with some much-needed investment. Perhaps you’ve lived in a place like that? Perhaps you do now?

As I’m sure you know, Plymouth’s story is one of being destroyed and then rebuilt from the ashes. We got hit awfully hard in the Blitz in 1940-1941, and much of the centre of town in particular was flattened.

Plymstock Matters with Councillor

Positive news from Saltram Meadow

Easter will soon be upon us, but before we start buying Easter eggs and planning for the long weekend, here’s a little update for you.

The month started with a site visit to see the new homes at Saltram Meadow with the Plymouth City Council Planning team. We walked all round the neighbourhood and talked about plans for the next phase of homes and the exciting plans for the Market Square (finally!)

Visits like this allow me to build relationships with the team at Persimmon which makes it easier to raise issue on behalf of the local community there. Plans for the all important Market Square, play park and supermarket will be published soon... watch this space!

on the property ladder but to stay close to their family, have asked me about.

The good news is that there will be more one and two bed apartments coming forward in the coming months as part of the Market Square development. If you’d like to register your interest, you can email Jane Cartwright and get added to their ‘Coming soon...’ email list to be kept updated - jane.cartwright@ persimmonhomes.com

I recently had one of my routine meetings with the local Police team. It was a really useful catch up with Inspector Nicholls, PC Large, PCSO Bob and Special Constable Mel (and some new recruits to the city’s Police force in the car park as we left!).

Rebecca Smith

increase locally. The team are keen to see this too.

The key issues of road safety, antisocial drivers, issues with a minority of young people and the ongoing use of nitros oxide at Jennycliff were top of the agenda, along with other issues that were raised directly with me.

pleased the council have announced this extension.

Radford Councillors are lobbying for Dean Cross to be free all day on Saturdays so local sports clubs can hold their fixtures without any issues.

I’m also just sorting out the issue of grit bins on the estate and will update on that in due course. In the meantime, I also raised the issue of the need for one and two bed properties in Plymstock - something which local young adults, keen to get

By Revd Tom Brassil

When I worked at St. Andrew’s Church in the centre of town I heard the story of the night they were hit. The roof was destroyed, and there was structural damage to the building. But the bulk of the structure was just about OK. The next morning, as the staff went to inspect the damage, they found a wooden board left in the doorway, painted with the word: RESURGAM. It’s a Latin word, meaning, ‘I shall rise again.’ Sure enough, with dedication and investment and time, St. Andrew’s Church did indeed ‘rise again.’

Today the word RESURGAM is etched into the stone above the doorway as a permanent reminder.

And it’s not just a permanent reminder of the church’s story; it’s a permanent reminder of another resurrection story that lies at the heart of what the church believes.

We all know the Easter story: that Jesus, claiming to be the Son of God, was executed on a Roman cross. But for centuries since, his followers have claimed not only that he died for us, but that he didn’t stay dead – he was resurrected on the first Easter Sunday. Is that believable? Is that even possible? If you’re wondering that, Easter is a great time to find out! Here’s a quick starter: did you know that historians record that almost every one of Jesus’ first followers went to their deaths because they refused to stop declaring that Jesus was alive? Somehow I don’t think they would willingly die for a lie. And what if it’s true? Then it changes everything! Want to know more? Find a local church, or read Is Easter Unbelievable? by Rebecca McLaughlin.

Alternatively, for more on why I believe in the resurrection, send me a message at tom@sherfordchurch.net

It was good to hear that the new Chief Constable, Will Kerr, is passionate about Neighbourhood Policing and is keen it increases its profile in the Force. I’m hoping this means we’ll get more police visibility in Plymstock and as a result, see people’s confidence in the police

I’m aware there has been some antisocial behaviour in recent weeks in certain spots across Plymstock. The plea, as always, is firstly, please please report online when there are incidents so the Police can build up and picture of what is going on: www. devon-cornwall.police.uk/contact and secondly, do you know where your children or teenagers are of an evening?

Our local push to extend the free parking at The Broadway (and my Conservative colleagues efforts with the Ridgeway too) from two hours to three hours was successful and will be implemented when the new machines to register your car for free parking are activated.

We heard from many that this extension to three hours is vital for local businesses and community groups.

We agreed with you and have worked behind the scenes to make the case and get this sorted. Really

Work continues behind the scenes to secure a flagship Post Office at Plymstock Broadway. The Post Office have downgraded the offer to a Post Office Local but local MP, Sir Gary Streeter, myself and my councillor colleagues are fighting against this and remain committed to seeing a new branch open. It is not something we can control directly but we are doing all within our power to get the best outcome for you.

Finally, it was great to see so many local community groups attend the POP Octopus Project drop-in at Plymstock Library which I highlighted last month. I popped along with my Ward colleague, Cllr Kathy Watkin. Who doesn’t want to make the most of expert help to support and enhance your work?!

Do contact them directly if you missed the event - more info on www.plymouthoctopus.org.

As ever, drop me a line if I can help with anything on rebecca.smith@ plymouth.gov.uk and check out my Facebook and Instagram on @ PlymouthRebecca.

Site meeting at Saltram Meadow

Meeting with the local police team

Chocolates and the meaning of life

By Dave Simpson, Station Manager Cross Rhythms Plymouth

Allegedly we’re approaching spring time although it doesn’t seem like anyone has told the weather! As I write this March is well under way but the temperatures are still as cold as midwinter.

It feels somewhat ironic as my last article reflected on the significant changes that take place in Spring. Perhaps it is much warmer and more seasonal as you are reading this.

One of the major markers of Spring time is the long Easter weekend. For those in school this is accompanied by the Easter school holidays and for almost all of us we enjoy more than our fill of chocolates. Chocolate and Easter are synonymous in our culture. As my daughter grows older we especially love doing an Easter egg hunt with her. Placing the eggs for her to excitedly discover later is a real joy of parenting. Informing her that she can’t eat them all at once is somewhat less enjoyable for all involved.

My daughter is three years old so as you can imagine we don’t try to hide the small Easter eggs in especially difficult

places. Most are obvious and are found in a matter of moments but, as I’m sure is the case for many of you, we still manage to find some months later.

My daughter actually managed to find one when we were out in Central Park around late Spring last year. She had been happily playing in some grass when she turned to me and said ‘Daddy, I found an egg’. I didn’t believe her as she had been saying this line almost on repeat since her own Easter egg hunt.

Although this time she had really found one laid by a rock. Though it was wrapped well in foil, this being a number of weeks after Easter itself, I wasn’t going to let her eat it. A decision which didn’t go down too well with her.

No one else had unearthed this treasure but because my daughter was expecting to find Easter eggs around every corner she somehow managed to find it.

International nurses reunited at Derriford after two years apart

A mother and daughter who previously worked as nurses at a private hospital in the Philippines have both started new lives in Plymouth - thanks to University Hospital Plymouth’s international recruitment programme.

Maria Christine Abrenica, who is known as Chris, 53, was the first to move to the UK in February of 2020 after being a nurse for 15 years in the Philippines. During her interview, she was given a list of trusts that had vacancies and she chose Plymouth.

Chris, said: “I knew very little about the UK, I only knew about London, but when I was given the choices I was drawn to how serene Plymouth looked and I really liked the lighthouse!”

Two years later in December 2022, her eldest daughter, Marie Danielle, 33, made the move to Plymouth to work alongside her mother. Despite having other choices, Danielle decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps by coming to Plymouth, she said: “I decided I wanted to reconnect with my mum, I missed her and her cooking”.

Now the pair both work as nurses on different wards, with Chris working with elderly patients on Marlborough and Danielle working on the Bracken ward.

They reflected on working for a public health sector opposed to a private hospital in the Philippines with Danielle saying: “We definitely feel a deeper connection with our patients in the UK, in the Philippines it felt

like ‘just a job’, but it is much more personal here”.

Chris added: “We have found the people in England are very polite, it has been a really welcome change”.

Working for the NHS has allowed Chris to gain some independence of her own and hopefully inspire her other children to do so. She said: “My other children are grown up now and taking their own paths in life. I wanted to be secure in my own life and follow my own ambitions, as well as being able to provide the ‘little wants’ in life for my children, not just their needs”.

Both Chris and Danielle have settled into the environment at Derriford. For Chris, working here has fulfilled her own wants: “I feel so lucky to be on my ward, I wanted to have a good relationship with my co-workers and patients, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have that”

The duo are incredibly thankful for the support that they received from the International Recruitment team, and the opportunity to work in the UK. They said: “Although the exams were extremely hard, choosing to work in England was worth it, and the International Recruitment team were fantastic to us”.

Above all, both mother and daughter are happy to be reunited and living their shared goal. They said: “We have always been so close, so being apart for two years was hard, but now we are back together our bond is stronger than ever.”

In our daily lives we all too easily lose sight of what is out there to be found.

If we’re honest with ourselves I think in some way or another we’re all searching.

Not necessarily searching for Easter eggs but searching for purpose, for our identity and value, for real tangible meaning in our lives.

In my personal search for these things Easter means a great deal. The message of the Easter tradition is that of God coming to Earth as the person of Jesus Christ and dying the death of a criminal on a cross and 3 days later being resurrected back to life.

This article doesn’t afford me the word count to fully elaborate on the significance of all of that. You will have to do some searching of your own!

What I will say though is that in my experience this is more than a story. I believe it. I believe that God created me,

loves me and took all my brokenness, pain, mistakes and frailty on the cross so that I may know and be fully known by God. I believe He was raised to life three days later to prove I have a hope of life beyond death as well.

I believe all of this is true for you too.

The message of Easter isn’t merely a story to hold on to but an invitation to walk with God every day. To live a meaningful life with Him in which, if you’ll let Him, he will transform, heal and change you. He’ll enable you to love yourself and those around you well.

As I have searched this is what I know I have found.

Now by all means, please disagree with me as much as you like. That is the beauty of the freedom we enjoy.

However, even if you disagree I would encourage you to go searching yourself. Just like my daughter in the park, you never know what you might find.

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

Dave Simpson

Nurses Danielle (left) and Chris

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New operating theatres will reduce the waiting list for orthopaedic operations

People in need of orthopaedic surgery will benefit from increased theatre capacity at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

Patients, including those waiting for knee and hip replacements, shoulder replacements and spinal fusion, have experienced long waits due to limited theatre capacity and the demand for emergency surgery.

But three new theatres will help to restore orthopaedic activity and bring waiting lists down. This will take the total number of theatres at Derriford Hospital to 35, and a further 24 beds will be ringfenced to support the new theatres.

The modern theatres will meet the longer term complex elective orthopaedic demand from across Devon and Cornwall. Located next to the existing Intensive Care and High Dependency Units, they will be suitable for the most complex patients.

Mark Brinsden, orthopaedic consultant at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, said: “Reducing waiting times and providing sufficient local capacity to meet demand will ensure all residents in the Plymouth footprint and surrounding areas have equitable, local, sustainable access to care.”

John Finn, Director of Commissioning Urgent & Elective Care for NHS Devon, said: “This is great news for our patients here in Devon. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge

impact on our waiting lists and we know that causes people additional pain and anxiety.  These new theatres are one of a number of initiatives we have to reduce the time people wait for their treatment.”

The new theatres will also help patients in need of emergency trauma surgery. As

A BLOOMING GOOD EFFORT BRIGHTENS UP THE RIDGEWAY

The circular plant tubs in Plympton Ridgeway are now a picture of spring colour after an initiative by Plympton Gardeners Association.

A total of 90 members of the Association turned out to Harewood House in March for their regular monthly meeting which saw the climax of the Association’s daffodil competition. This is a fun competition for members of Plympton Gardeners. In September last year members were given five daffodil bulbs, a numbered plant pot and a small bag of soil and were left to nurture their bulbs into growth and bring them along to the March meeting to be judged.

Out of 40 distributed, 34 actually came back in bloom to be judged with Roy Rogers being declared the winner.

The members then left the pots of daffodils behind for them to be planted in the Ridgeway planters the following afternoon, now giving a very spring-like up look to the pedestrianised area of Ridgeway.

the major trauma centre for the south west peninsula, University Hospitals Plymouth has high emergency and trauma attendances  up to 40 patients per week - restricting the availability of theatre sessions.

The first patients will be treated in the new theatres in autumn 2023.

The Plympton Gardeners Association are now preparing for their annual Spring Show in Harewood House on Saturday March 18 which will be formally opened at 1.30pm by Lord Mayor Cllr Sue Dann.

(Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast)

Computerised visualisation of the new operating theatre

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Preparations for The Coronation

Plymouth residents are being encouraged to start planning community celebrations for the King’s Coronation bank holiday weekend in May.

The Coronation will see people across the UK come together to celebrate and the national programme will include the procession and service at Westminster Abbey on May 6, a ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ across the country on May 7 (with a concert taking place in Windsor in the evening), and ‘The Big Help Out’ community activity on the bank holiday, Monday May 8.

Street parties are a great way of celebrating the event together and Plymouth City Council is making them easier to organise by lifting the fees for street closure orders between May 6 and 8.

Guidance for residents on how to organise a street party can be found on the Visit Plymouth website at www.visitplymouth.co.uk.

Another way for communities and neighbours to come together is by taking part in The Coronation Big Lunch, on May 7. Information on how to get involved is on the Coronation Big Lunch website at www.edenprojectcommunities. com/the-big-lunch

LIGHTING UP CENTRAL PARK

Twenty new street lamps have been installed in Central Park.

The new lamp columns have been put up along paths through the park from Outland Road, running between the putting green and the playground before crossing onto Jubilee Row down towards Barn Park corner.

It means there will be a well-lit east to west route across the city’s biggest park as well as the existing north south route for walkers, strollers, joggers, skaters, pram pushers and cyclists.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Councillor Jonathan Drean said: “Central Park is hugely popular and we want people to feel safe. While spring is around the corner, it still gets dark fairly early. We hope these lights will encourage more people to walk or cycle across the park.

“Our Active Travel programme is all about small measures that can make a big difference to get more people walking and wheeling instead of driving. What better way to do this than by investing in street lights in Central Park?”

Councillor Rebecca Smith, chair of Plymouth’s Violence Against Women and Girls Commission added: “Members of the VAWG Commission were very keen to ensure this popular park was better lit to help people feel safer. It’s great to see this has now happened – especially more lights near the clock tower, which we raised as a particular issue.

The lights are LED and to help mitigate the impact of light on nocturnal species, two bat boxes are being installed.

This project cost £117,000, with £95,000 from the Government’s Active Travel Fund which is designed to help Plymouth’s walking and cycling network be more connected, direct, safe, comfortable and attractive. The remainder comes from the Central Park improvement budget.

Western Power are finalising the project and the lights now come on at dusk.

Plymouth to host Europe’s first-ever Undokai event

Barbican Theatre has announced that Plymouth is hosting the UK and European premiere of the Future Undokai Project, which will be known as Plymouth Undokai 2023, with events and games running across the Spring.

The project will culminate in two weekends of games at the end of April, including the final ‘Plymouth’ version of events taking place at Brickfields Sports Centre.

The Future Undokai Project is a  groundbreaking Japanese initiative exploring the future of intergenerational community sports and how communities might design new multi-player physical games. And Plymouth is home to it’s UK and European premiere!

The Plymouth Undokai project is all about bringing people together to have fun and play games. Participants will get to play traditional Undokai games - similar to what might be played at a school sports day, fair or carnival but with a twist and a bit of tech mixed in - and also create and play brand new games just for Plymouth!

Creating and playing your own games that fuse traditional sports with future tech is a unique aspect of Undokai and organisers can’t wait for Plymouth to get involved.

There will be two main ways of taking part in the Plymouth Undokai:

As a Player - someone who plays the traditional games and the new games made in Plymouth (for ages 8-88). This is ideal for:

• People who want to have fun and play games

• People who like mixing with lots of different people

• People who really enjoy sports day at school

• People who like beach or park games

• Groups such as football clubs, scouts, guides, cubs, brownies, boys brigade, girls brigade, young carers, home school groups, Duke of Edinburgh groups.

As a DeveloPlayer - someone who helps cocreate the new games and events in Plymouth and then joins in with the players to play them!  This is ideal for:

• Community Leaders

• Dancers/choreographers/movement artists

• Sports Coaches

• Teachers

• Students

• Tech whizz kids

• Gamers

Plymouth Undokai will take place over two weeks in April with three main ways to get involved:

PLAY IT: JAPANESE STYLE

April 15 and 16 at YMCA Centre in Honicknowle  Play traditional undokai games designed and

led by the team from the Undokai Association who are coming over from Japan. They’ll include games such as tug of war, relay races, long rope jumping, centipede racing and more fun activities. They will also mix in a little bit of tech in the afternoon! For: ages 8-88. Tickets: pay what you decide; on sale now at barbicantheatre.co.uk

DEVELOP IT: CO-CREATE THE PLYMOUTH GAMES

April 21 at University of Plyouth and April 22 and 23 at Brickfields Sport Centre  As a DeveloPlayer people get to rewrite the rule book! This is a seriously cool opportunity for them to design and create a new series of games with the Undokai Association team from Japan while they are in Plymouth. Students and leaders from University of Plymouth’s Arts Institute and i-DAT who are working on Games Design and Games & Experience Design, will be on hand to incorporate their innovations and tech ideas into the games as well. Then on the final day 200 people will be at the centre to play the games created by the DeveloPlayers.

April 21 at University of Plymouth - an ideas lab where all particpants will meet and run through ideas and maybe do a few testers.

April 22 Brickfields Sport Centre - the main DeveloPlayer day. Get stuck in and co-create six to eight games for people of all ages and abilities to play the day after. It’s a hackathon with a twist!

April 23 at Brickfields Sport Centre - PLAY IT

Plymouth style. The final day of Plymouth Undokai when 200 people will come together to play the games developed over the two previous days  For ages 10+ Tickets: Tickets: pay what you decide; on sale now at barbicantheatre.co.uk

PLAY IT: PLYMOUTH STYLE

April 23 at Brickfields Sports Centre

Get into teams and play the new games developed in the DeveloPlayer sessions and be the first ever players to try them out! It’s going to be so much fun and is as much about taking part as winning (although there will be medals and awards at the end of course!)

For: ages 8-88. Tickets: pay what you decide; on sale now at barbicantheatre. co.uk

Plymouth Undokai is hopefully the first annual event. In Japan, there are 70,000 Undokai events a year - with 10 million people taking part.

Laura Kriefman, chief executive and artistic director, Barbican Theatre, Plymouth said:  “Why can’t we, as a city, invent our own sports? Imagine inventing, here in Plymouth, the next ‘football’ or ‘curling’! I am so excited to be able to bring this amazing project to our city and see what games Plymothians want to make, to play together. We have our fingers crossed that this is the first year of many for Plymouth Undokai. I look forward to the laughter and the amazing games we invent.“

A number of taster ‘play days’ have been in held in communities across the city in January, February and March (at University Of Plymouth, Keyham and Devonport) in the lead up to the main events in April when teams from Future Undokai Association in Japan will be in Plymouth. Barbican Theatre will also be holding a conference and conversations event at Plymouth University as part of Plymouth Undokai (more information on the conference to be published shortly).

Participants who took part in one of the taster sessions

New Employer Hub launched to support Plymouth businesses

Led by Plymouth City Council, Skills Launchpad Plymouth has unveiled a new online Employer Hub designed to bring together localised solutions to help address recruitment, employment, workforce skills and training challenges.

Aimed at helping local small to medium sized companies as well as offering additional support for larger businesses, the Employer Hub provides advice, guidance, and access to information setting out clear options to help employers better navigate the complex skills, training and employment landscape.

During the launch event held at Boringdon Park Golf Club, business leaders firmly endorsed the value and benefits of the new Employer Hub service.

Jonathan Keable, Leader of Plymouth’s Federation of Small Businesses said: “We really understand that local employers are struggling with significant skills gaps and skills shortages which is impacting on their ability to attract, recruit and retain people with the right skills.

“So launching the Employer Hub could not have come at a better time. I have been championing the Employer Hub development as we recognise particularly for our smaller employers, that understanding this complex and every changing skills and employment landscape is hard, and you don’t know what you don’t know!

“Through city-wide partnership working, we have co-designed this new online resource, aimed at helping local employers, of all sizes and sectors, to tap into a full menu of recruitment solutions and support, and impartial information, advice and guidance for all things skills and training relating to the city and regional opportunities.”

Paul Turner, chair of Plymouth’s Employment and Skills Board, and Human Resources director

at Princess Yachts said: “This new online go to, one-stop-shop will help businesses to get better informed, to navigate more options and help to connect with the right people and organisations locally.

“The city’s Skills Plan ‘Skills 4 Plymouth’ sets the ambition to deliver a responsive, single skills system that meets the needs of local employers, and where local people across all ages and communities can access skills, jobs and support for career progression right on their doorstep.

“In response we have delivered and are developing ‘Skills Launchpad Plymouth’ which we consider to be a key enabler. I am delighted that the Employer Hub is now live and encourage local businesses to access and find out more.”

Councillor Charlotte Carlyle, Cabinet member for Education, Skills and Children and Young People said: “Building on the huge success of Skills Launchpad Plymouth’s Youth Hub and Adult Hub which support our local residents to connect with opportunities for skills, training, education, careers and jobs, I am really impressed that local employers are now able to tap into such a wealth of localised information, advice and guidance to better address their recruitment, skills and training needs.”

The Employer Hub is funded by the Interreg FCE C-Care project, delivered by The Plymouth Charter supporting Skills Launchpad Plymouth. For more information visit www. skillslaunchpadplym.co.uk/employer-hub.

Interactive signs highlighting plastic pollution issues go live in Plymouth

The Environment Agency is on a mission to tackle plastic pollution with the launch of interactive ‘Source to Sea’ posters across Plymouth.

Residents and visitors can now scan poster QR codes at multiple locations to find out how single-use avoidable plastic items - like nappies, packets, wet wipes and sanitary products - impact marine life when incorrectly flushed down the toilet or discarded in the open environment.

The eye-catching posters, which can be found on railings, bollards and lamp posts at the Barbican Waterfront and Hoe, University of Plymouth Hospital (inside only), city centre, and Mutley and Saltash Passage areas, enable people to have text message mobile phone chats about plastic types, the journey of plastic through drains and rivers, and their impacts on ocean health.

There is also an engaging quiz and opportunity to share opinions on plastic pollution.

Environment Agency plastics and sustainability team project lead Lucy Smith said: “Every year over 12 million tonnes of plastic enters the world’s ocean from land, rivers and marine activities. And around 967kg of plastic waste has been removed from Plymouth in recent months according to our

partner database, thanks to community-led litter pickers.

“With the help of these interactive posters, we hope to clampdown on poor waste disposal habits by encouraging people to think how the health of our planet is shaped by our actions.

“It can be really confusing knowing what type of waste goes where. We hope this project will engage people in a fun way and help break down complicated issues into straightforward action. Every individual can play a part in ocean health, and every positive action counts.”

The initiative is one of many projects

being funded by the three year cross channel Interreg Preventing Plastic Pollution project - a partnership of 18 organisations, including Plymouth City Council, Westcountry Rivers Trust and the University of Plymouth - which aims to identify and target plastic hotspots, embed behaviour change in local communities and businesses, and implement effective solutions and alternatives.

The posters encourage people to properly dispose of their waste and step up daily avoidable plastic habits by following the waste hierarchy - avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle.

The posters will be in place for 12 months, after which the interactions will be evaluated to help inform future initiatives to prevent plastic pollution. The project builds on Environment Agency goals and commitments outlined in its five year plan to create better places for people, wildlife and the environment.

As a regulator, the Environment Agency prevents waste plastic entering the environment by cracking down on waste crime and poor waste management. As an influencer, its ambition is to promote better environmental practices that result in a reduction of plastic waste.

Pictured at the Employer Hub launch (from left) Paul Turner, human resources director at Princess Yachts and Chair of Plymouth’s Employment and Skills Board, Emma Hewitt, Skills Lead at Plymouth City Council, Frances Brennan, Plymouth Charter, Cllr Carlyle, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills, Children and Young People and Jonathan Keable, Leader Plymouth Federation of Small Businesses

NHS Devon accused of ‘dithering’ over funding for new West End health hub

Plymouth City Council is calling on NHS Devon to stop dithering and get the West End Health hub built – before the fixed price from the contractor expires.

Council Leader Richard Bingley and Leader of the Opposition Councillor Tudor Evans have written a joint letter to the chair of Devon’s Integrated Care System, Sarah Wollaston, urging them to get on with the build of the scheme which would be a game changer for the health and wellbeing of Plymouth residents.

Councillor Bingley said: “Plymouth has massive health service delivery issues and we need to proceed to building the West End Health Hub.

“We know finances are tight but have looked at the figures and are prepared to take out a loan to pay for the build, if NHS Devon can pay it back.

“We are in this strange situation where the council has done everything it possibly can to make this project happen. The full business case has been approved, it’s got full planning permission, we’ve cleared the site and have secured five dentist chairs with confirmed funding from NHS England.

“We fully understand the need for NHS Devon to balance its books, but we firmly believe that a failure to fund this now is counterintuitive – saving pennies and wasting pounds.

“Health prevention and early intervention has to be at the heart of tackling the systemic problems in the NHS and the health hub is critical to turning this around.”

The facility was intended to form a key part of a

strategy to help address Plymouth’s long standing health inequalities, support a pressurised primary care system, improve prevention and out of hospital services and reduce pressure on Derriford Hospital.

The hub is due to be built in Stonehouse, which is one of the most deprived wards in the south west. Life expectancy is 7.5 years lower than the national average; health outcomes are poorer; more cardiovascular and heart disease are found in younger people than elsewhere.

Emergency department attendances are 18 per cent higher for this ward than the Plymouth average, diabetes is 16 per cent higher and

alcohol related acute admissions are 6.9 per 1000 population, compared to the Plymouth average is 1.9 out of 1000. Overall, the city has significantly worse performance than the rest of England.

Councillor Tudor Evans said: “We know of areas in Devon where the need is less, yet funding is available to them – is NHS Devon favouring those who know how to use the system and leaving behind those who don’t or won’t? There are people of Plymouth who cannot get a GP appointment, who cannot get an NHS dentist and who are being put at unnecessary risk due to the lack of patient care and prevention services.

“Over to you NHS Devon. We know there are demands across the region – but this Devon’s biggest city, it is home to the largest hospital which is stretched beyond belief with no relief in sight.

“There’s too much dithering, drift and delay; we are on a fixed build price from the contractor – but there is a deadline. We have an answer right here, ready to go.”

There remains significant health disparities with the city’s Public Health grant allocation 74th out of 152 areas, despite being ranked 52nd most deprived. Plymouth lost out on a significant amount of funding when the primary care governance was overhauled and the Primary Care Trust merged with the Clinical Commissioning Group. As a result it has been acknowledged and agreed that Plymouth would receive further funding of £15 million. To date only £5m has been received. The council is currently pushing for full disclosure on the status of the fair shares money.

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Councillors Bingley and Evans on the site of the proposed health hub