The Plymouth Chronicle Plympton & Plymstock November 2020

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Plympton & Plymstock

November 2020

Woodside Animal Welfare Trust has made an urgent appeal for financial support See page 14

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COVID UPDATE See inside for news and information from Plymouth City Council Pages 2 and 3

Vital work and support of St Luke’s Hospice highlighted by tragic passing of young father page 27

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Building hope for heroes

Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer - in his role as Minister for Defence People and Veterans - visited the Sherford Skills Training Centre to meet former Armed Services personnel who are learning now construction industry skills

• Story and photos page 15

2 November 2020

2 November 2020

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Rise in COVID-19 cases is a wake-up call for Plymouth

By Ruth Harrell Director of Public Health for Plymouth It’s been a hard year but we cannot afford to become complacent now. We are seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases in Plymouth, like the rest of the country.

Although levels have been relatively low to date, we can only keep our city safe if everyone does their bit.

Social media has been alive with talk about the pandemic, but not all the information is reliable.

There have been some reports on suggesting that testing for the virus that causes COVID-19 is also picking up on different viruses. This is totally incorrect.

Testing relies on presence of specific DNA patterns, unique to the coronavirus causing COVID-19.

The common cold cannot be picked up in the test, as its DNA is different. If a test for COVID-19 is positive, then it can only be responding to COVID-19, not a common cold, or flu, or indeed any other coronavirus other than COVID-19.

Testing is an essential tool to control the spread when used with self-isolation.

Whether you have tested positive, have symptoms or have been in contact with COVID-19, self-isolation is vital.

Understandably it can present a hard choice for some. There is now some financial help available for those who need it through the NHS Test and Trace Support Payment scheme.

One of the worst aspects of COVID-19 is we can pass it on without even knowing we have it. Keeping our distance, wearing a face covering and washing hands reduce our chances of being infected. We may be tired of these reminders, but they

really are our best defence against the virus at the moment.

If we stay away from others, the virus has nowhere to go and wearing a mask keeps those tiny droplets in your breath away from other people. Though masks may feel a little uncomfortable, it does not actually restrict oxygen supply and most of us can wear a mask; and the more of us that do, the more we can protect each other, including those who really are unable to do so.

More information about wearing masks can be found on the British Lung Foundation website at www.blf.org.uk which includes tips on anxiety caused by wearing masks such as trying it out in a low stress environment (such as at home) and trying different types of face coverings.

So stay well, protect others and keep Plymouth safe.

Dr Ruth Harrell, Director of Public Health

Helping businesses keep you safe when you are out Public protection officers from the City Council have been out and about giving advice to pubs and other businesses on complying with the new measures to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

They’ve been visiting premises in and around Mutley and North Hill as well as in Devonport and Stoke.

The overwhelming majority of pubs, bars and restaurants complied with the new rules which include offering table service only and closing at 10pm.

The Council team is also talking to a number of takeaways to make sure they are clear that customers are not allowed to linger in or around the premises after 10pm.

Businesses are doing brilliantly to adjust

Councillor Tudor Evans Leader of Plymouth City Council We understand how frustrating it is for people who are having problems in booking a coronavirus test.

This is why we have been pressing the Government to resolve the issue, which we are told is due to a lack of capacity in the national laboratories that process the tests.

If you’ve had a problem, let us know by emailing us at Covid19TestFeedback@plymouth.gov.uk. We are using the examples we receive to keep pushing the Government for urgent action on this.

In the meantime we have worked with our local health colleagues to make sure that essential tests are available, particularly in settings such as schools.

We have also helped secure a new test centre in the city centre, which will be easier for many people to get to than the regional testing centre in Derriford.

As the number of COVID-19 cases rises nationally and we see figures in Plymouth increase too, ensuring people get tested if they have symptoms is a key part of the drive to stop the virus spreading.

So please self-isolate and get test if you have symptoms, or if a public health professional ask you to. That way, you’ll protect your loved ones and help keep our city safe.

to this strange situation and helping their customers get used to these new rules.

It’s not easy for them or for their staff to tell people to go home and we can all do our bit to help them.

When going out, please remember: • It’s against the law to socialise in groups of six or more, either indoors or out • You must wear a face covering when taking a bus or taxi • Use the NHS COVID-19 app to check in when arriving at pubs, restaurants and other venues that are now required by law to record your details for Test and Trace • Wear a face covering until you are seated • Keep up social distancing at all times • Go home at 10pm.

When you should and shouldn’t get a test It is vital that anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus immediately self-isolates and arranges a test.

There is high demand for coronavirus tests at the moment so it is important that you only book one if you have symptoms or are told to by the Council or the Test and Trace Service.

Otherwise you could be making it more difficult for someone who needs a test to get one.

You should book a test if you have a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or if you’ve lost your sense of smell or taste or it’s changed.

This means you should not get a test if: • you live with someone who has coronavirus • you’ve had close contact with someone who has coronavirus • you’ve come to the UK from a high risk country • you’re planning to leave the country • your employer or school has asked you to get a test If you have symptoms and have problems booking a test in Plymouth this is likely to be due to a national issue with capacity in the

laboratories that process the tests.

This has led to some people being offered tests some distance away from where they live.

If you are trying to book a test and are not offered one at a local centre, the advice is to keep trying until more tests are made available by the Test and Trace service.

To ensure that tests are available for those

that need them, please only book a test if you meet the criteria.

You can check the latest information about tests and coronavirus in Plymouth on the City Council’s COVID-19 website at www.plymouth. gov.uk/covid-19 The website includes information about the number of coronavirus cases in Plymouth and advice on how to stay safe.

November 2020

@PlymChronicle

COVID-19: A chance to test your knowledge of how to stay safe So you think you’re acting safely? Got a handle on COVID19 risks? Know what’s real and what’s not?

Many of us have been really careful about COVID-19 precautions, but with cases on the rise, it’s time to test your knowledge and check you’re doing it right!

1. How often do you: a) Wash your hands frequently, regardless of what you’ve been doing b) Use hand sanitiser when you’ve come inside or left a building? c) Wash your hands when you remember, or when they get dirty?

You’re doing it correctly if your answer is a). You should wash them when entering or leaving a building. If you can’t use soap and water, which is best, carry a hand sanitiser, and use it frequently. And a quick rinse is not enough – thorough hand washing takes at least 20 seconds or two rounds of Happy Birthday! Don’t forget the backs of your hands too, and avoid touching your face if you can – it’s the easiest way to spread infection.

2.It’s your turn to pick up the children from school. It’s a lovely day and you’ve got there a bit early. There’s a crowd of parents gathered by the gate. You’d like to join them, but they seem to be too close and are not wearing masks. Do you: a) Go and join them, and put aside any worries about COVID-19 as they don’t look ill b) Go and join them – but wear your face covering and socially distance c) Don’t join them as there are already 6 of them talking – and you know you are not allowed to be in groups of more than six If you answered c), you’re right. Infection can happen at any

stage, even when people do not look ill – and not maintaining your social distance is a real threat. Even outside, you can pick up the virus if you’re not at a distance – and social situations are often the cause. Think – mask up, space out!

3. You’re dropping some shopping to an elderly neighbour, who can’t get out. She’s so grateful, she asks you in for a cuppa. What do you do? a) Say thank you, but politely decline – you’re not in her support bubble and you know that she is not too well b) Accept, put your mask on, and keep your distance

throughout c) Take her shopping in and put the kettle on. What’s a coffee when you’ve been taking care all this time?

It’s a) but bear in mind older neighbours, family and friends are often finding the lack of contact hard to manage, so keeping in touch is vital. But be aware that some elderly people are much more vulnerable, and you could be taking an infection into their home.

It’s best to try and limit your close interaction – keep your mask on, keep your distance but make a point of checking up as often as you can. Saying hello, ringing for a chat, even doing a bit of gardening are all ways you can stay in contact, without putting them at risk.

4. Your son comes back from university, so you have a family celebration with a Sunday roast at the pub. It’s quiet and well managed. Later that week, your son gets a phone call from Track and Trace saying he may have been in contact with an infected person and needs to self-isolate. He’s due to go back to Uni and he feels fine. He asks for your advice – what do you say? a) He seems fine, and wants to go back, so you can’t see why not.

What to do if you are asked to self-isolate

Making sure that everyone who has symptoms of coronavirus or a positive test self-isolates is an essential part of the battle to beat the virus.

The temporary inconvenience is a small price to pay for saving lives, keeping our city open and protecting the NHS. The Government has now also made it law for people to self-isolate if they test positive or are contacted by NHS Test and Trace. Failure to comply with these requirements, including employers who do not allow employees to self-isolate, may result in a fine of at least £1,000 and up to £10,000 for repeated or serious offence.

If you or someone you live with has any coronavirus symptoms, or you receive a positive test result, you must isolate immediately for 14 days.

You should only stop isolating if you receive a negative test result.

If you are identified as a contact of a positive case, you must isolate for the full 14 days since your point of contact - regardless of whether you develop symptoms or not and even if for some reason you receive a negative test result.

When self-isolating, do not go to work, school or any other public spaces. Any exercise should be taken within your home, and you should ask friends or family to buy food or other essentials.

Those on low incomes who cannot work from home and will lose money as a result of self-isolating and on one of the qualifying benefits, can be eligible for a new £500 Test and Trace Support Payment.

3

b) He is not supposed to travel and so you encourage him to stay at home to self-isolate. He cancels the events that he had lined up including a reunion with his mates, to stay self isolated for 14 days. c) You don’t want to take any chances, so you, he and the rest of your family stay isolated for 14 days. If he’s been contacted, and he’s at home, surely it applies to everyone?

The correct answer is b). If you’re contacted by Track and Trace you must stay self-isolated – it’s the law. However, at this stage it is only your son who has been in contact with the infection, so unless you’re contacted, you would not be required to isolate.

However, it’s a good idea to keep the self-isolated person apart from everyone else in the household, just in case they do develop the infection.

Be mindful of cleanliness with separate towels (and bathrooms if possible), try to keep people to their rooms and take food to them rather than let them cook.

5) You get contacted by Track and Trace and told to selfisolate. Do you: a) Book a test at the nearest test centre? b) Stay isolated – if you start getting symptoms, you’ll consider a test then? c) It’s hectic at work and there’s no one to cover, so you’re feeling OK, your son seems to be fine – so you’ll go to work?

The correct answer is b, but if you answered c) you’d be breaking the law – and if your employer told you to come in – they’d be breaking the law too. You must self-isolate if you’re told to – but it doesn’t mean you have to have a test. You only need a test if you’re displaying symptoms – and you’ll need to book.

4 November 2020

4 November 2020

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21st century Mayflower launched in Plymouth A new Mayflower has been launched in Plymouth - exactly 400 years to the day that the 102 Pilgrims set sail from the city for a new life in America.

The four nation Mayflower 400 programme marked the day with a naming ceremony for a new vessel, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS).

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship was officially named at a Plymouth Gin pouring ceremony by the US Ambassador, Robert Wood Johnson, in the presence of the Dutch Ambassador, Simon Smits, and the First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin.

The future of oceanography, the Mayflower Autonomous Ship will transform ocean science, enabling scientists to gather the data they need to better understand critical issues including global warming, ocean plastic pollution and marine mammal conservation.

The ship has been built by the Plymouthbased marine research organisation ProMare, with IBM acting as technology partner.

Robert Wood Johnson, US Ambassador to the UK, said: “Four centuries after the famous Mayflower voyage across the Atlantic, the US and the UK are once again setting sail from Plymouth to make history.

“American and British scientists have collaborated to launch a new autonomous Mayflower ship powered by the most cuttingedge artificial intelligence ever known.

“As we embark on this new era of marine exploration together, it could not be clearer: in America and Britain, the pioneering spirit of the original Mayflower Pilgrims lives on.”

Simon Smits, Ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UK, commented: “As the Netherlands, we have always been proud of our maritime history and religious tolerance.

“The story of the Mayflower is part of our history. It highlights the longstanding ties we have with the four nations commemorating, but also reflects what we stand for today.

“As a trading nation and partner in development, the Netherlands has a leading role in developing creative, innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges.

“The launch of the ‘new’ Mayflower is a great example of innovation, both in the field of security and science. Together with the UK, as well as other countries, we work together to contribute to a safer and more sustainable world. Our presence here today, as well as our joint maritime activities in Plymouth are an example of this cooperation.”

Adrian Vinken, chair of Mayflower 400, said: “It’s fitting that this radical pioneering vessel should receive the Mayflower name 400 years to the day that her namesake left on her original world-changing journey. It’s the perfect way to start this year of national and international cultural activities and collaboration.”

The ship launch was a key moment in Plymouth’s Mayflower 400 anniversary programme, the 400 year commemoration of the voyage of The Mayflower. It represented the strength of Plymouth’s marine sector, an engine of growth and regeneration for the city.

The Mayflower 400 programme, which extends into 2021, includes everything from community events through to major exhibitions, performances and plays with the majority being free for people to attend and enjoy.

This anniversary differs from previous editions in that it reflects the whole story around the voyage and the impacts of colonisation in America.

The Wampanoag Native American tribe, responsible for the survival of the Mayflower passengers, have been key partners in the curation of national exhibitions and productions that tell the narrative.

Robert Wood Johnson, US Ambassador to the UK pouring Plymouth Gin at the naming ceremony for the Mayflower Autonomous Ship Photo: Wayne Perry

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship is launched in preparation for the naming ceremony

Powered by the sun and controlled by a robot... the new Mayflower

The new Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) is a ground-breaking collaboration between a wide range of organisations including ocean research charity ProMare, technology giant IBM and the University of Plymouth.

The solar powered and AI controlled trimaran was two years in the making. The project was first conceived in 2014, since when the partners – many with roots in Plymouth – have been refining designs to ensure it can survive whatever conditions the Atlantic Ocean has to offer.

The 50-foot MAS will undertake six months of sea trials and short trips before setting out on its trans-Atlantic trip to measure ocean health: assessing the impact of climate change, measuring micro-plastic pollution and studying populations of whales and dolphins.

With no human captain or onboard crew, MAS uses the power of AI and automation to traverse the ocean in its quest for data and discovery.

The ship’s AI Captain performs a similar role to a human captain. Assimilating data from a number of sources, it constantly assesses its route, status and mission, and makes decisions about what to do next.

Cameras and computer vision systems scan the horizon for hazards, and streams of meteorological data reveal potentially dangerous storms. Machine learning and automation software ensure that decisions are

Photo: IBM

safe and in-line with collision regulations.

People will be able to follow the ship’s voyages and research online at www.mas400. org. If successful, the one million pound ship will become the largest-ever autonomous vessel to cross the Atlantic, captained by a robot trained

by IBM-designed artificial intelligence, using a million nautical images.

Like the Mayflower in 1620, the new vessel will travel from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts, but on a marine research trip rather than a colony-founding journey. The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed its trip until the spring of 2021.

Andy Stanford-Clark, chief technology officer for IBM UK and Ireland, said the ship’s launch ‘is a very exciting stage of the journey towards

autonomous shipping‚‘ that could pave the way for AI-driven cargo ships, water taxis and research vessels - as well as warships.

Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, commented after the launch of the new vessel: “Mayflower 400 is the chance for us to tell our citys’ story, and our city’s place in the story in one of the most important voyages in history.

“The coronavirus means we’ve had a very different kind of commemoration than the one we had planned, but I am determined that Mayflower 400 produces a lasting and positive legacy - one that renews the bond between the people of Plymouth, the United States and the Wampanoag nation.”

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New rules to reduce dog fouling are approved

It will be an offence to be out with a dog in Plymouth without means to pick up after it from October 20.

The rule, which is part of a new Public Space Protection Order, has been given the green light after resident feedback in a public consolation was in favour of the move.

Another change will see the Milehouse Park & Ride car park and green areas in front of the Life Centre, become a dogs on lead zone.

The new PSPO, which was consulted upon in July this year, is an update to the previous order designed to control dogs and prevent dog fouling.

Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety, said: “The dog owners of Plymouth have spoken.

Like us, they are fed up of the small minority of people who don’t pick up after their dog and they want something done about it.�

Overall there were nearly 1,500 responses to the three week consultation. Of the 1,454 people that responded, 81.3 per cent said that they owned a dog. The proposal for dog owners to carry means to pick up after their dog was met with 95.1 per cent approval.

Under the new rules, if a dog owner is approached by an officer, they may be asked if they have means to pick up after their dog.

If they cannot produce such means, a fixed penalty notice can be issued.

Full results of the public consultation can be found here: www.plymouth.gov.uk/ dogcontrolconsultation

Warning about bogus waste collectors

Householders in Plymouth have been warned about bogus green waste collectors.

The Environment Agency and its partners have urged people not to be tricked by doorstep conmen into taking away green waste - which is then illegally fly-tipped in the countryside.

Waste carriers, like other licensed trades, are required to register and operate in line with a set of rules that protect the environment and their customers. These rules include disposing of waste in the right place, storing it safely and keeping accurate records of transfer and disposal.

If these traders don’t have a waste carrier’s licence, there is no guarantee rubbish will go to an authorised site. Instead, it could end up dumped on the side of the road or burned in a field, causing environmental damage. And the person who hired the unregistered trader could face a criminal charge.

Kevin Baker of the Environment Agency said: “We want people to take three steps to check whether the collector has a waste carrier’s licence from the Environment Agency: ask where the rubbish will end up, don’t pay cash and insist on a receipt, then record the details of the vehicle used to take the rubbish away. “If people suspect criminal activity, they should report it on our hotline 0800 807060 or anonymously through CrimeStoppers on 0800 555111 and give as much detail as possible.�

All householders have a duty of care to ensure their waste is disposed of legally. Failing to meet the duty of care means that people could be held responsible if their waste is fly-tipped or otherwise illegally disposed of. If this happens they could be fined up to ÂŁ400. Before hiring someone to remove waste, householders should check their credentials online at environment. data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-wastecarriers-brokers.

6 November 2020

6 November 2020

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Art installation explores the legacy of Mayflower’s voyage

Photos by Wayne Perry

Mayflower Reflections

A virtual reality film exploring the momentous voyage of the Mayflower has been released.

On September 16 1620 the Mayflower set sail from Plymouth carrying 102 Puritan passengers, arriving in Massachusetts 66 days later after crossing the treacherous Atlantic Ocean. The 13 minute film called Mayflower Reflections explores the journey.

Believing that the Church of England was beyond redemption, the Puritans abandoned their country in search of a place where they could pray openly and live without fear of persecution. A similar exodus of people can still be seen today, with refugees giving up their livelihoods to seek sanctuary overseas.

Created by MBD, a Leicesterbased arts organisation specialising in creative digital storytelling, Mayflower Reflections is an immersive experience that asks how far we have come since the ship’s passengers set out their idea of a constitution for a free world.

Charlotte Angharad, business director at MBD said: “Mayflower Reflections is as much about today’s political landscape as it is the early settlements of the Plymouth Colony. The film’s unifying themes analyse the world in which we live, acting as a reminder of the struggles of the

past, an overview of our present, and a chance to imagine a brighter future.”

The film shows how the plights of 17th century pilgrims and contemporary refugees are surprisingly similar. It concludes with excerpts from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, highlighting the importance of acceptance and an individual’s right to seek protection in other countries.

Mayflower Reflections is funded

by Arts Council England and National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by Mayflower 400 and Pilgrim Roots. It was created with the help of Dr Anna Scott of the University of Lincoln, who provided valuable insight into the journeys made by the Puritans of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire in particular.

Charlotte added: “There’s so much conversation about the Mayflower legacy, but our film instead focuses on why would people get on a boat and risk their lives. We’re still seeing this in the news today, with families fleeing their homes without any guarantee that they’ll get to the other side.

We’re shining a light on these brave souls in the hope that society takes notice and viewers play their part in extending a helping hand.”

Mayflower Reflections is available on You Tube.

A large-scale illuminated art installation in Plymouth Sound is exploring the legacy of the voyage of the Mayflower.

Titled ’Speedwell’ the huge installation has transformed the Mount Batten Breakwater into a public forum for discussion and debate about the impact and legacy of the ship’s journey, colonialism and the ecological state of our planet during the Mayflower 400 commemorations.

Created by local artist collective Still/ Moving, ‘Speedwell’ was funded by Arts Council England and Plymouth Culture as part of Mayflower 400.

Measuring 63m long and 6m high, ‘Speedwell’ uses illuminated signage comprising over 3,700 LED lights to invite viewers to ask complex questions about themselves, the damaged planet and the legacy of the pivotal journeys made by the Mayflower and its companion ship the Speedwell.

It offers multiple readings; constantly shifting between words that are lit up and questioning the historic concept that there ever was a ‘New World’. The artwork will remain illuminated through September, October and November 2020.

The installation is inspired by the events of 1620 when passengers on

board the Mayflower set sail to settle in what they called the ‘New World’, a world already home to indigenous people.

Speedwell, the companion ship intended to sail alongside the Mayflower, was unable to make the journey across the Atlantic. Some of its passengers were therefore forced to return to England and find ways to make peace with the place they sought to escape.

In response, ‘Speedwell’ asks visitors to imagine new worlds of living, caring and dying well together and invites visitors to add their own voices in response to the sculpture in person or online.

Still/Moving artist, Léonie Hampton said: “In response to the Mayflower 400 commemorative programme, Still/Moving wanted to find a way to offer audiences an open invitation to stop, think and talk about the damage in the world.

“The voyage of the Mayflower, Speedwell and what we have learnt in the 400 years since they set sail, give an opportunity to reflect and find better ways to understand the impact of those pivotal voyages and the ongoing colonial process.”

Dr Stephanie Pratt, a descendant of the Dakota (Sioux) Nation, whose guidance ensured the representation of the indigenous peoples of North America in

the work said: “It is especially important to me that Speedwell’s No New Worlds installation acknowledges the presence of the indigenous peoples of North America for some 12,000 years before Europeans came to their lands.

“As one of the most visible public works this autumn, Speedwell’s illuminated messages question what it means to commemorate, and I welcome this addition to the Mayflower celebration in Plymouth.”

Adrian Vinken, chair of Mayflower 400, added: “In exploring all aspects of the Mayflower story, and particularly its passengers being part of the intensive colonisation of America, projects like Speedwell shed light on an important and often neglected fact of history... that people with rich societies and culture had lived there as successful custodians of their natural environment for thousands of years before the Mayflower’s arrival.

“The Speedwell and other Mayflower 400 projects together aim to present a rounded picture of all aspects of the remarkable Mayflower story and its legacies.”

The installation is open to visitors to contribute their comments from 11am to 5pm daily until November 29.

For more information visit www. speedwell.live

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A series of small projects that will make a big difference have started as part of the city’s Mayflower preparedness programme.

The first is a dull but necessary resurfacing of the main path, with pothole and edging repairs across other key areas.

But then it gets much more exciting.

Banks of stunning wildflowers look set to appear on the edges of the Hoe as well as the verges along Hoe Road.

A small number of apple trees could be planted and the dead QE2 memorial tree replaced with a Mayflower apple tree and mix of five others to form a small community orchard.

There are other plans in the mix which include: • The garden next to the café could be redesigned to encourage people into the garden rather than just looking at it.

Seating and paths as well as new access is on the cards. The garden will be planted using maritime plants and a blend of New and Old World planting.

• West Hoe Park - landscaping projects on flower beds around the park that are popular with young families. This will include introducing elements of natural play.

• An updated Welcome to Plymouth sign will be installed so that it is visible from land, air and sea. Design concepts have been drawn up and a pre-planning application has already been submitted The Peace Garden has already had some new planting and wooden benches have been repaired thanks to the efforts of the Shekinah Mission’s painting and maintenance team.

The team is working with the council and offers on-the-job training, personal development and work experience to help support people into employment.

Shekinah have also been involved in painting over 250 metres of railings below the Hoe and along the waterfront.

Deputy leader Peter Smith said: “Plymouth loves the Hoe. It’s a breathtaking place. It’s so popular that some of it is a bit tired from overuse, so we’re doing some fixing and mixing in some lovely ideas to make it even more special. It’s also great to see this project provide hands-on experience for people looking to get back into work.”

Diane Mansell, chief executive of Plymouth Waterfront Partnership said: “I know how important the Hoe and the waterfront are to all the businesses in our BID area which is why we have contributed £10,000 towards the work being undertaken. The Hoe is a stunning location and needs to look it’s best. We are happy to support these projects and they are a lovely mix of maintenance work and improving the natural environment projects.”

The council has been working closely with the Hoe Neighbourhood Forum, residents as well as vendors and leaseholders to make sure that nature is given a place to flourish working towards our goal of supporting measures to tackle climate change. The group is supportive of the installation of banks of wildflowers.

8 November 2020

8 November 2020

@PlymChronicle

Sadness as John calls time at The Brook Inn A well-known Plympton publican who turned an ailing establishment into a popular venue for live entertainment, charity events and dining has announced he has triggered a nine month notice period to end his tenure.

Former Radio Devon broadcaster John Govier is set to leave The Brook Inn in Plympton St Maurice which he took over in April 2014.

Posting on The Brook’s own Facebook page Mr Govier said: “Six and a half years ago we took on a pub that was in need of a huge amount of TLC. “We invested a lot of time and a lot of money into turning it into a pub that became the hub of the local community, a centre for live music and entertainment, one of the most popular quiz night venues in the area, a place where the lonely made friends and a pub which gained a reputation for great food, drink and company. The Brook has always been ‘more than just a pub’.

“We knew it was never, ever going to make us rich (the overheads are huge!), more a lifestyle that brought together a lot of fantastic people and made me a lot of friends.

It also was the catalyst for raising tens of thousands of pounds for local charities.

“I’ve always maintained that The Brook Inn is not MY pub - it’s yours; the customers - I’ve simply been looking after it for you.

“There comes a time when you have to admit that you’ve taken something as far as you possibly can and so it is with heavy heart that I have to tell you that last week I gave notice to leave.

“This year was supposed to be the year where we started clawing back some of that investment, took a small wage and maybe had a few days holiday - but Covid made sure that was not to be.

“I would like to pay tribute to all my staff, customers, volunteers and friends for supporting The Brook as much as possible.

“The notice I am required to give is nine months - so you won’t be getting rid of me just yet, but I wanted to let you know before you spotted the ‘To Let’ sign that will inevitably go up in the next few weeks.

“I can assure you that it will be ‘business as usual’ for me and the team and we hope you’ll continue to support this wonderful pub until (and after) such a time as someone else can be found to look after it for you.

“I’ve had a fantastic time. Now it’s someone else’s turn.”

Mr Govier’s announcement has been met with a mixture of shock, sadness and appreciation for past efforts. Cath Brewer posted on social media: “You and your team created a lovely welcoming atmosphere. Well done on doing a great job.”

Lesley Griffiths commented: “The village won’t be the same without you.”

Monica Olver said that it was ‘sad news for a great man who had sweated buckets for the community.’

(Story courtesy of www.PlymptonPodcast. org.uk)

John Govier pictured when he took over The Brook Inn in 2014

POLICE APPEAL FOR INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC

Police are seeking help from the public with any information they have about two recent local incidents in Plympton.

The first concerns an alleged assault and attempted robbery. The incident is reported to have taken place at around 7.40am on Thursday October 1 on the Plympton Castle Green side of Plympton Pathfields Park.

A 16-year-old boy is alleged to have been approached by a male who assaulted him

and attempted to take his phone.

The suspect is believed to be around 5ft 11ins tall and of slim-medium build. He was dressed in black clothing and wearing a black face mask. It’s alleged that the suspect left the scene on foot in the direction of St Maurice.

The second incident occurred in Larkham Lane at Woodford at around 8.30am on Friday October 2 when an 11-year-old girl pedestrian was injured after being struck by a car which failed to stop.

The vehicle alleged to have been involved in the incident is described as a black Volkswagen Golf with a grey bonnet.

Anyone with information on either incident is asked to telephone the police on 101 or e-mail 101@dc.police.uk quoting log 132 of October 2 for the collision in Larkham Lane and reference CR/082580/20 regarding the assault in Pathfields. (Story courtesy of www.

PlymptonPodcast.org.uk)

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10 November 2020

10 November 2020

Adventurous fundraiser rocks up in Plymouth A walker from Wales who is on a fundraising circumnavigation of the UK coastline recently arrived in Plymouth on the latest part of her epic adventure on foot.

Karen Penny set herself the challenge of doing a continuous walk along the 19,000 miles of the British and Irish coastline as well as 20 of the largest islands – something which has apparently never been achieved to date by a woman.

She set off from her native Wales on January 14 2019, walking at least 15 to 20 miles every day, in an adventure which was expected to take three and half years to complete. As at March 2020 Karen had walked the whole of Ireland, the North West coast of England and Scotland, plus various Scottish islands including the Orkneys.

However, while walking on the Shetland Islands it became apparent that due to the Coronavirus lockdown she must halt her walk, so she returned home to Wales.Karen has since resumed her walk and continues her mammoth task of raising much needed funds for Alzheimer’s Research UK. Rather than return to Shetland she set off South and aims to finish in Shetland in 18 months time!

She is now in Devon and arrived in Plymouth on October 1 having come from Seaton in Cornwall.

She stopped overnight in Wembury before setting off the next day for Mothecombe.

Karen is married with one son and normally lives in the Gower. She retired after working for three decades in the legal profession. She is no stranger to raising money for good causes; she is a trustee of a local charity in Wales which has helped to raise nearly £40,000 to save their local library and not long before setting off on her coastline adventure she raised funds by walking from John O’Groats to Lands End. Karen is a school governor at her local primary school where the pupils are engaging in a project to follow her epic coastline adventure.

Long distance walker Karen Penny had to face the best and worst of weather conditions in Devon

@PlymChronicle

Students opt for St Luke’s as charity of the year

Students at Plympton Academy have chosen St Luke’s Hospice to be their charity of the year for 2020/21.

In a busy week of voting students had a selection of 29 charities to choose from and St Luke’s emerged as the most popular.

Others in the top five who narrowly missed out were: Devon Air Ambulance, Crohns and Colitis UK, Plymouth Food Bank and MIND. The Academy’s fundraising for St Luke’s started on 2 October with a non-uniform day and each year group also ran their own additional fundraising activities.

NEWS IN BRIEF

A yellow box has been installed on Marsh Mills roundabout by the A38 eastbound onslip in an attempt to improve traffic flow.

The Plympton Food Bank which was originally set up by the Plympton Team Ministry has now officially become a member of the Trussell Trust.

Karen has met many people during the course of her mammoth walk, receiving moral support and encouragement from them in addition to donations.

Karen said: “I have continued to meet and receive such incredible support from people I meet on my journey. It is a privilege to spend time in their company. I am so grateful for the time they take to put up posts helping to chronicle my journey around Britain and Ireland.”

So far Karen has raised over £67,000 towards

her ambitious £100,000 target.

To contribute go to www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/thepennyrollson.

To follow Karen’s progress visit her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ groups/1790360527648427 where you can see some of the amazing sights Karen has photographed during her trip as well as videos demonstrating some of the more challenging weather conditions she has had to battle with.

(Story courtesy of www.PlymptonPodcast.org.uk)

Girlguiding Plympton are holding a Halloween virtual balloon race on October 31.

More details available at https://ecoracing.co/ race/details/13 The Colebrook Community Association has decided not to stage its annual November fireworks display at Peacock Meadow this year.

(Stories courtesy of www.PlymptonPodcast. org.uk)

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@PlymChronicle

Neil completes his epic Eddystone Lighthouse to the Hoe swim feat A Plympton man has become the first person to swim from the Eddystone Lighthouse to Plymouth Hoe for more than 30 years - and only the fourth in history.

Neil Brinkworth completed the 14 mile marathon swim in September and wrote his name into the record books as the first person in the 21st century to achieve the feat.

Neil, who is the founder of Plymouth Open Water Swimmers, said: “As a child I use to fantasise about the Eddystone Lighthouse, what it was like out there and my father used to tell me tales of him and his friends jumping off the stump of the old lighthouse into the sea when they use to go diving on the Eddystone reef.

“I loved to hear the stories about the old ship wrecks.

My imagination would be captured and I would dream about swimming to and from the lighthouse. Fast forward about 40 years along with my passion for open water swimming, I realised that my childhood dream could come true with some planning.”

It required a lot of hard work and planning, overcoming many setbacks and disappointments, but Neil eventually managed to get the right people together to support his effort.

Neil started his swim just after 5am and eventually came on shore 11 hours and one minute later after being delayed twice by Naval shipping movements that added at least 1 hour 45 minutes to the swim.

He said: “Climbing out of the water and up the steps raising my hands in the air was emotional and overwhelming. To be greeted my so many friends, family and a TV crew was unbelievable, I was overjoyed.

“The icing on the cake was being congratulated by Sharon Miller (Price) who was the last person to swim the Eddystone back in 1987, before me.

“The swim enabled me to showcase Plymouth as a future hub for long distance open water swimming.”

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Neil Brinkworth sets off just after dawn on his epic swim

National award for naval figureheads

The Box’s ambitious project to conserve and restore 14 gigantic Royal Naval ship’s figureheads has won a top national award.

The project triumphed in the Restoration/Conservation Project of the Year category at the Museums + Heritage Awards.

The restoration of the monumental sculptures, the majority of which are on loan from the National Museum of the Royal Navy, took nearly two years to complete.

The project was supported by Interreg through its ‘Maritime, Military and Industrial Atlantic Heritage’ project, Plymouth City Council, National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England.

The work to consolidate, conserve, repair and repaint the figureheads was led by The Box’s conservator Steve Conway and involved experts from London’s Orbis Conservation, South Molton’s Hugh Harrison Conservation and Helston’s Mainmast Conservation.

The team used scientific techniques to identify what fillers, fibreglass and paint had been used on the figureheads in the past. This analysis work included the innovative use of sonic tomography – a non-invasive method normally used to detect decay in trees.

Thirteen of the figureheads, all of which were carved between the 1830s and 1860s, are now suspended from the ceiling a striking aerial display at The Box. The largest, Royal William, stands on the floor in the entrance. To find out more about the Royal Naval figureheads go to www. theboxplymouth.com

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Putting patients first, always.

They look different on the outside for now due to essential PPE, but inside our nurses’ hearts there’s still the same unstinting compassion for the patients surrounded by their care.

A huge thank you to our big-hearted community for all your support for St Luke’s throughout the pandemic. Your encouraging words, kind gestures and generous donations have kept us going despite these turbulent times. They will be needed more than ever to help us meet the challenges of providing our vital service for patients and their families in the months to come, too.

Your kindness counts.

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@PlymChronicle

New app is helping cancer patients and their families during COVID-19 A new app is being launched to support cancer patients in Plymouth and the rest of Devon and Cornwall with all the information they need conveniently located on their smart phone.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, cancer patients were left feeling isolated and vulnerable. “We initially created the app to support patients with the right advice and support at the right time whilst undergoing their cancer treatment,” said John McGrane, consultant oncologist at Royal Cornwall Hospital.

“With the challenges of coronavirus we are now able to get up-to-date information directly to patients waiting and worrying at home about their treatment, at a very difficult time for them.”

The app is free to download and provides a complete up-to-date information and reference tool for cancer patients and their families, which guides and supports them through their cancer journey.

It is complete with a whole range of videos, relevant links, cancer resources and contact information all specific to their own NHS Hospital cancer centre.

It can help patients find everything they need to know, from which bus to catch to the hospital right through to support groups in their local areas and what to expect when coming in for treatment.

Miranda Benney, cancer clinical programme manager in Plymouth, said: “Traditionally, we have spent a lot of time, energy and money getting information to patients through leaflets and website pages. Now, we can keep all of that information up to date in

expect and it became a personalised journey.

“There’s such a lot of information to absorb at the beginning, and it can be impossible to take it all in – and even harder to explain it all to my friends and family.

Rather than them going off and doing their own research about my treatment, the app offers more knowledge about what to expect for them too.

“The app really helped all of us, from understanding treatment and symptoms, to finding where to go and who to contact at my centre.”

The initial version of the app was first launched in Cornwall and has been used by over 2000 cancer patients receiving treatment already. With over 10,000 new cancer patients receiving treatment in Devon and Cornwall every year, take-up is expected to extend right across the South West. one place, patients can access it at their own convenience and it directs them to reliable local advice and support.”

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust is one of five trusts across the South West using the app to keep patients up to date about their treatment and how to contact their cancer nurse specialist.

It also contains a section on COVID-19 which will allow patients to directly access advice about the virus and it also includes advice about side effects that might be experienced on treatment.

Anna Ridley, one of the patients involved in the pilot version in Cornwall said: “Using the MySunrise app made me feel less anxious about what to

Cancer patient Anna Ridley who uses the new app

November 2020 13

New citywide order to prevent drinkrelated anti-social behaviour on its way A new Public Space Protection Order is being introduced to crackdown on alcohol-related anti-social behaviour across Plymouth.

Covering the entire city, the order makes it an offence for any person to refuse to stop drinking alcohol or hand over any bottles or cans which are believed to contain alcohol, when required to do so by a police officer or authorised officer who, in their view, believes this would assist in preventing further antisocial behaviour, public nuisance or disorder.

The order replaces smaller PSPOs currently in place in Stonehouse, the city centre, Devonport, North Hill, Mutley, Tothill Park and Freedom Fields and comes into effect from October 20.

Those found in breach of the order will be placed on the anti-social behaviour escalation process, a system that ensures not only that enforcement is considered for repeat offenders, but also looks at what support can be offered by services to address any underlying issues.

The PSPO is not a blanket alcohol ban. It is entirely focussed on anti-social behaviour, not picnics in the park.

It is hoped that the new PSPO will provide a consistent approach across the city, leaving no room for confusion over boundaries or prohibitions.

A public consultation showed that 83.7 per cent of residents were in agreement that a citywide PSPO would be of benefit to the city.

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14 November 2020

Sherford Life How will you remember our heroes this year? The tumultuous events of 2020 have made so many parts of our normal lives difficult or different.

And as we approach the annual season of Remembrance, there seems no end to the curtailing of normal life yet. But remember we must!

On the one hand, we have yet more heroes to remember this year: on top of the continuing service provided selflessly by our armed forces, we must remember the huge sacrifices made by so many key workers this year – some having to

By Revd Tom Brassil live apart from their families, others having to work much longer shifts, and still others having lost their lives to COVID-19 in the line of duty. These are the heroes in perhaps the biggest war of 2020, against the spread of Coronavirus. On the other hand, with so many Remembrance events and parades being cancelled this year because of the ongoing threat of the pandemic, we’ll need to be creative in how we remember these heroes. I’d like to suggest three ideas.

1. Remembrance on your doorstep. A campaign is going around social media at the moment to organise a nationwide twominute silence on our doorsteps at 11am on 11th November. As we stood united to clap for our carers and keyworkers throughout April, May and June, let’s stand united to remember those who have given their lives.

2. Remembrance in your windows.

Another lovely feature of our lockdown lives has been seeing the variety of creative window displays, lots involving rainbows and other symbols of support for our NHS. Some have also lit a candle in their window every Sunday evening as a symbol of hope. How can you decorate your window this Remembrance season to celebrate the courage of those who fight to protect us?

3. Remembrance in your local church.

With so many organisations having to keep their doors closed for much of this year, and many others restricted by government guidance on numbers, our churches are playing an even more vital role in our communities. We’re at the forefront of another battle of 2020 – against loneliness, isolation and hopelessness. As Remembrance Day rolls around, churches will be getting creative as they try to find ways to invite as many people as safely as possible to their services of Remembrance.

Weather-permitting, Sherford Community Church will be holding a short open-air Remembrance service at Sherford Vale School, 10am on Sunday 8th November. Pin on a poppy and come along!

In our churches we have an extra sacrifice to remember; one that gives a pattern for so many others down the years and fills them with extra meaning – the sacrifice Jesus made of himself, dying in our place on a cross. “Greater love has no-one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13, the Bible).

If you have any questions about Sherford life, or if you would like to know more about Sherford Community Church or about our Remembrance event, please contact me at tom@sherfordchurch.net

14 November 2020

@PlymChronicle

Woodside’s urgent appeal for help Two of Woodside’s homeless cats ..Tiger and (inset) Soox

A Plymouth pet charity has warned of a homeless animal crisis as it struggles to cope with an unprecedented number of cats being brought in following the deaths of their owners.

Woodside Animal Welfare Trust at Elfordleigh has seen a sharp rise in the number of cats being taken in after their owners have passed away, with figures up by more than a third on 2018.

In just one weekend, another five cats were brought in to the Sanctuary, on the edge of Plympton, for this reason – with this number expected to rise further as winter approaches.

The charity is concerned that COVID-19 is fuelling the record numbers, as cash-strapped families are less able to take in family pets or are unwilling to travel to collect the animals.

A significant number are elderly pets with health problems, placing a massive financial strain on the charity at a time when it has lost tens of thousands of pounds in income due to the virus.

Woodside founder Carole Bowles said: “With figures rising, it is clear that more animals are needing our help for these reasons. The restrictions that have had to be put in place have so many more effects that we can think of.”

Between 2018 and 2019, the number of cats being taken in by Woodside after their owners died rose by a third to 30. But the charity has

already exceeded this figure in 2020.”

Woodside is one of the few charities to offer a forever home to elderly animals or those with long-term medical conditions, who are often unable to be rehomed. They will live in one of the charity’s dedicated old animal units, where they are given more time, cuddles and creature comforts.

But this comes at a cost, which continues to increase while the charity has seen its income plummet to desperate levels. The Sanctuary has lost more than £25,000 from cancelled fundraising events it had organised directly, and its charity shop income has crashed to a fifth of its prelockdown levels in the last six months, costing the charity around £40,000 a month.

Woodside has now made a desperate appeal to help it through these difficult times, by encouraging people to sign up to its sponsorship scheme.

Members, who contribute £20 a year, have the reassurance of knowing that their pets will be cared for by the charity should anything happen to them. They can receive a card from Woodside, to place in their home, detailing what should happen to their pet if they pass away.

The charity is also urging people to think about Woodside when making a will.

Carole said: “Sadly many animals arrive after

The large-scale art installation ‘Speedwell’ on Mount Batten Breakwater is a public forum for discussion journey and colonialism.

Created by local artist collective Still/Moving, the artwork uses illuminated signage that offer multiple readings; constantly shifting between words that question the historic conceit that there ever was a ‘New World.’ Audiences are invited to share their responses on metal tags beside the structure.

On display until 26 November. Free.

being found with their owner who has passed away. The trauma these animals go through is awful and many need time to grieve and adjust, as we humans do when we have lost a loved one.

“Here at Woodside we are able to provide these animals with the time, love and care they require and nurture them through the difficult time. Some are able to go on and be adopted but for many this is not always possible.

“In these cases the staff try to accommodate them in one of their special cat care units, which provide a homely environment where they can enjoy the freedom of the sanctuary during the day. This kind of care is quite unique and not something that many sanctuaries can offer.

“But this care comes at a cost. The majority of these cats are on lifelong medication, special diets or require frequent vet checks. Heating costs are high in the winter. But without this care and the facility, these cats would have no one and Woodside simply will not give up on them.”

To find out more about how you can support the charity, including sponsorship, visit www. woodsidesanctuary.org.uk or call 01752 347503.

Cheques can be sent to Woodside Animal Welfare Trust, Elfordleigh, Plympton PL7 4AD. To discuss leaving a gift in your Will contact the sanctuary either by phone or by emailing management@woodsidesanctuary.org.uk

‘Settlement’ is a digital based programme featuring art, performance, discussion and social interaction from 29 key artists Indigenous to North America and the The programme showcases creative works that question the impacts of colonisation on a wide number of tribal nations who continue to thrive despite its long-term effects.

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November 2020

@PlymChronicle

15

Ministerial visit for veterans learning vital construction skills at Sherford Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer has praised the work of a charity which is helping Armed Forces veterans to learn new skills in the construction industry.

Mr Mercer, who is Minister for Defence People and Veterans, made a visit to the new Sherford Skills Training Centre, to meet the 13 veterans taking part in the Building Heroes course to find out more about their experiences and the work of the charity.

The fully funded construction skills course is being delivered thanks to a partnership between the Sherford Skills Training Scheme, Building Heroes and Vistry Partnerships, which is part of the Vistry Group, and a member of the Sherford Consortium - the awardwinning housebuilders responsible for Sherford’s development.

Building Heroes is a charity that supports veterans, service leavers and direct family members - and offers practical skills courses for veterans and service leavers interested in a career in construction. Delivering accredited courses across the country with further education colleges and specialist training providers, this is its first course in Plymouth.

Priority has been given to veterans out of work or early service leavers not yet in receipt of resettlement benefits, to provide a helping hand into a new career. During the five-week programme, the team of learners will be tutored - by specialist provider Train4All - in various areas of construction and safety, leaving with Level 1 Construction Skills and Health and Safety qualifications.

The charity reports that there are around 120,000 unemployed military veterans of working age in Britain today. Stark figures also reveal the UK construction industry is facing a 230,000-person skills shortage – the highest in two decades. With Plymouth known for its

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Johnny Mercer MP chatting with veterans at the Sherford Skills Training Centre

sizeable military population it is an especially appropriate location for veterans to be given a new opportunity.

Mr Mercer visited the veterans at Sherford’s dedicated onsite training facility.

The revolutionary £370,000 Skills Training Centre was developed to address and reduce the region’s skills challenge. It engages military veterans, apprentices, local contractors and those working at Sherford, boosting manual skills by providing training and experience across numerous trades.

The MP said: “We have a proud military past and large population of service personnel in Plymouth, which makes it especially vital for us to do all we can to support and provide for our veterans. The work of the team at Sherford and Building Heroes shows what collaboration and commitment can achieve. This course is a fantastic example of leaders in construction, education and the charitable sector uniting in the best interests of our veteran community – and I hope to see more of this across the UK.” Bradley Davison, managing director of Vistry Partnerships South West, part of the Sherford Consortium, said: “We are pleased to support this exceptional charity in the work they do. We have no doubt the veterans taking part will gain an array of useful skills that will help them pursue a rewarding career in construction.

“We have an ongoing commitment at Sherford and throughout the South West to support skills and training, which we believe will have a

positive impact on the region, construction sector, and the lives of the learners.”

Steven Ricketts, Sherford Skills Training Scheme coordinator, added: “Around 60% of those we teach are former members of the Armed Forces and it is a privilege to provide training and practical experience to help them develop professionally. The intention of the scheme we run here is to create a lasting legacy by improving the region’s economic growth and employment landscape.”

Karen Jefford, chief operations officer, Building Heroes, said: “The charity started in 2013 and our provision has doubled each year over the last three years, such is the appetite and need to support military veterans into employment in the building trades. Our aim is to tackle unemployment amongst those who have kept us safe by offering them a seamless transition to a new career in construction.”

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Rallying call for clubs & community projects to come together to support neighbourhoods Sports clubs, Scouts and Brownies, children’s playgroups and faith groups across the city are among those being invited to come together in their communities to best support their neighbours. Since the beginning of lockdown, Plymouth Octopus Project has been supporting the establishment of Neighbourhood Care Networks within local areas, bringing community leaders together with some of the city’s organisations and services to organise immediate help to those in need. POP+, which supports the voluntary and community sector in Plymouth, regards the role of the networks as pivotal in caring for people, not only as the pandemic endures, but to build strength for the future. Now, with winter on its way, and all that might come with it, POP+ is giving £1000 to each NCN and calling on community groups and clubs to join them so that the reach of the networks may be extended.

Keyham has the Kolts; The Hoe has the Catholic Church and Stonehouse, Nudge Community Builders: just some of the organisations which have joined their local Neighbourhood Care Networks and, in doing so, are helping to make the communities around them more resilient.

Matt Bell, the CEO of POP+ believes it really is a case of strength in numbers;

the existing Efford Community Council while community representatives from Plympton and Hooe are currently exploring, with POP+, the possibility of establishing their own.

Meanwhile, city-wide organisations, such as, St Luke’s Hospice; the Citizens Advice Bureau and Neighbourhood Watch have supported reinforcing and widening the NCN’s ability to help people. Now with a further commitment from POP+ of £1000 for each NCN, it is hoped that these innovative community initiatives will be bolstered and ready for whatever comes next.

For more information about the Neighbourhood Care Networks, or any area of POP+’s work, call 395131 or email info@plymouthoctopus.org

Your Neighbourhood Needs You!

If you or your organisation is already a valuable part of your community, but you are wanting to do more, then, email us on info@plymouthoctopus.org or call Plymouth 395131. We can chat abo ut the ways in which we can support you to make a greater difference to more people.

“We’ve seen already how ‘change’ can be achieved by people working together: how quickly help is deployed; how needs can be met and how isolation needn’t lead to despair.

Through the amazing work of the individuals and organisations who collectively make up the Neighbourhood Care Networks many people, who might otherwise have been left extremely vulnerable through the coronavirus pandemic, have been supported, comforted and reassured. Now we hope to see other local clubs and groups getting involved.”

As news of the NCN’s supportive work has spread through the voluntary and community sector so other community groups and organisations have looked to replicate their success in other areas of the city. Efford is the latest area to launch its own network through

In 2019 POP+ set up something radical: The Learning & Collaboration Fund. The aim of the fund is ‘to do what it says on the tin’: to encourage learning (through ‘doing’) and to encourage existing groups and organisations to work together.

“Funding,” says Charlotte Brew, POP+’s Learning Champion (yes that really is her job title), “has traditionally been a competitive dog-eat-dog world where one person’s successful bid means someone else’s attempts have crashed and burned. We believe, so much more can be achieved through working together, and this fund attempts to get us all thinking differently, more radically, about how we can achieve more, with what we’ve got, by collaborating.”

At the end of 2019 four exciting ideas received almost £5,000 each from POP+, enabling more good works to be done, by more people, for more people:

Culture and Integration Through Food has just thrown open its (oven) doors, opening last month as Jabulani at The Plot on Union Street to thrill us all with global food cuisine. Diversity Business Incubator has joined food-forces with Food Plymouth and Miriam & Miriam to tempt us with delicacies from around the world, bringing us closer together at home.

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Creative Natures is reaching out to young people living in hostels and using art, gardening and plants to encourage growth.

Horticultural Therapy Trust and Free Radical Creations have formed a partnership to nurture positive relationships between those taking part in the project and the natural world.

The Eclective Network can be found doing all sorts of creative things in the community space, Leadworks Factory CIC in Stonehouse.

The Learning & Collaboration Fund from POP+ helped to turn a wonderful old warehouse in Rendle Street into a public space. It is a diverse and creative collective of groups and individuals made up of The Kintsugi Project; Flyinghead Studios; Community Arts; Cawfee Community CafÃ; Pride in Plymouth; Empowering Hidden Voices; Imperfect Cinema & Mothership Audio.

The Big Fix was held in February by the collective Repair, Make and Mend which knits together Borrow Don’t Buy, Timebank, Scrapstore and Makers HQ. More than fifty people brought along their broken, chipped and damaged items and while some were beyond repair others weren’t: a vintage doll, a Goblin Teasmade and a couple of cine cameras were just some of the weird and wonderful items saved-from-scrap.

The Big Fix saved approximately £300 in money; 5.6kg in waste-to-landfill and 50.3kg of CO2 emissions.

Throughout lockdown, Neighbourhood Care Networks, have helped to co-ordinate efforts and volunteers to provide care and support; maximising local expertise to support neighbours-in-need. Within Stoke; Keyham; Whitleigh; Devonport; Greenbank; Stonehouse and The Hoe residents have been reassured to know that help has been a phone call away.

Groceries have been purchased; medicines dispensed, and dogs walked. Kevin Sproston, the chair of Keyham Neighbourhood Watch, is certain that that this is the direction communities need to take; “Every organisation in Keyham has value,” says Kevin. “And we are determined to create a close-knit community. We know that collaboration is our best defence, so it makes sense that as many groups get involved, because, as have seen, we are all in this together.”

Learning Together

A participant in the Scrambled Heads Open Mic event at Leadworks earlier this year Unlike more traditional funding streams ‘success’ is rated rather differently. POP+ is more interested to see evidence of trust & relationships; risk-taking & innovation; inclusion & diversity and learning-throughdoing than it is by ‘traditional’ measures, such as, profit, impact and the number of beneficiaries. People and projects are given ‘space’ to adapt and evolve; changing what they do (and don’t do) as they go along.

The most important element of the whole initiative is almost impossible to measure communication, trust and respect.

Efford latest area to launch Neighbourhood Care Network.

Bringing together community leaders; youth workers; the Headteacher from the local school, community workers from the area’s housing associations and faith leaders, the ‘new’ version of Efford’s Community Council will, with the support of POP+, provide greater support for residents. Embracing the technology of SLACK and twilio, it is hoped the NCN will increase the support already given to residents; encourage new ways of working together and strengthen the existing community within Efford.

November 2020 17

@PlymChronicle

New dawn for Plympton model shop While some businesses have had to scale down, close premises or cease altogether, one Plympton business has bucked that trend by opening a new, larger shop.

Nimrif RC has been an established part of Plympton’s Ridgeway for the past 20 years operating from one of the small units running alongside the Co-op in the pedestrianised part of the shopping district.

Now though they have moved and a grand re-opening took place at their new premises in September.

Nimrif RC closed its established shop at the bottom of Ridgeway a week prior to give the company chance to move its stock and get ready for its reopening at the top of Ridgeway - in the old computer shop opposite Vintage Vinyl in Moorland Road - where they now have an even greater selection of radio controlled models than ever before.

Models on sale at the shop cover land, air and water, with cars and buggies, planes and quadcopters, plus a number of forms of

speedboat.Nimrif RC has been in the same family for three generations and the current owner is Jonathan Firmin who is excited about the new opportunities trading from bigger premises will bring for both him and his customers.

Jonathan said: “We are grateful for all the support we have had over the years from all our customers enabling us to do this move and hope to be able to offer old and new customers a better level of service along with a greater range of products. Thank you everyone and look forward to seeing you at the new store.”

The new store was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony conducted by Stannator of Plympton Fiona Smith.

Customer Roy Tebbenham remarked: “I am looking forward to seeing a lot more ‘boys toys’ to add to the Christmas wish list.”

An eye-catching feature at the new store is a graffiti art style mural centred around radio controlled craft which can be seen on the wall of the customer car park (see picture below).

(Story courtesy of www.PlymptonPodcast.org.uk)

Champion effort by Sam

Plympton Tennis Club player Sam Hopper is celebrating after winning the Devon County Men’s Singles Tennis Championship held at Exeter Golf and Country Club at the end of September.

After having a bye in the first round, second seed Sam was drawn against Nicholas Hubble in the quarter finals. Having won a tough opening set 7-5 Sam established his dominance in the second set, winning it 6-2 to secure a semi final place against his doubles partner and number three seed Marc Sillifant.

A straight sets victory 6-3 6-3 against Marc saw him through to the finals where his opponent was Alfie Flatters whose progress to the finals involved two impressive 6-0 6-0 victories and a 6-3 6-4 semi-final win.

An enthralling and closely contested final resulted in Sam coming out victorious with an end score line of 6-4 7-5.

Plympton Tennis Club coach Jane Wilson described Sam winning the championship as ‘a great achievement’ and that it was ‘good to put our area on the tennis map.’ (story courtesy of www.PlymptonPodcast.org.uk)

Groups team up for beach clean

The beach at Bovisand is looking cleaner thanks to the efforts of three groups who got together to do a socially distanced beach clean and survey on the recent World Clean Up Day.

Members of Plympton Rotary got together with volunteers from the Marine Conservation Society and Sea Champs South West for the event during which they discovered and removed a sharp knife, numerous items of plastics and a face mask.

(Story courtesy of www.PlymptonPodcast.org.uk)

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18 November 2020

18 November 2020

@PlymChronicle

Thought For The Day Top Conservative councillor calls for

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

- Mother Teresa

residents to act in non-selfish way

Plymouth City Council’s Conservative Group Leader Cllr Nick Kelly has encouraged residents to persevere in these unprecedented times.

He said: “Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to dominate the news and our lives. However, we must persevere and look to the future with hope and positivity as we all have our part to play in containing and overcoming the virus. Ours and future generations will look back and read about this world pandemic and the lives it has claimed and the havoc it has wreaked along with the actions we took.

“By us all making Cllr Nick Kelly relatively small, but essential sacrifices, such as regularly washing our hands, wearing a mask and complying with social distancing we will prevent even more deaths and suffering. Most of what we are being asked to do is about applying common sense and acting in a non-selfish way. If you have symptoms arrange to be tested and isolate as directed.

“This pandemic has really affected everyone in their day to day lives, whether young or old, rich or poor, we are all in it together. It’s that community spirit, like bygone eras that will see us through. We need to be proud and thankful for all our amazing NHS workers and

all those key workers who have worked tirelessly in very challenging conditions to ensure the country and city hasn’t ground to a complete halt.

“The initial response to the virus of people clapping, painting rainbows and looking out for their neighbours needs to be re-established as we enter the winter months. The blame game will not save lives and keep us safe. So let’s demonstrate our British spirit and unite to help each other through these uncertain times.

“Local businesses have adapted to the crisis and wherever possible look to support them by giving them a fair proportion of your weekly spend.

So what happens next?

“We are in uncharted waters, but by following the expert advice we are giving time to the scientists to hopefully find a vaccine and drugs that can overcome this virus. In the year that celebrates the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims setting sail from our city, aboard the Mayflower, into the unknown, we must show that same determined spirit.

“So far, Plymouth has not been hit as hard as other cities, but this could alter quickly if we don’t all keep doing the basics, as directed by the Government. There is lots of support and help available to get us through.

Government and Plymouth City Council websites can direct you to such assistance.

“Remembrance Day is approaching where we will remember and honour all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, in comparison we are being asked to do very little.”

New treatment at Derriford will benefit whole of South West Your Online News, Information and What’s On Service

Follow us at Facebook.com/PlymptonPodcast for regular stories, pictures and videos of life in Plympton and surrounding areas To hear our audio podcasts and to find other useful community information go to:

www.localwhatson.info

Tel: 07752 698504 E: plymptonpodcast@gmail.com

A new machine for treating renal and ureteric stones, based at Derriford Hospital will benefit hundreds of patients across Devon and Cornwall.

The first of its kind, the new fixed site lithotripter supports outpatient procedures for complex stones, revolutionising how stones are treated across the South West.

Lithotripsy is a technique for treating stones in the kidney and ureter that does not require surgery. Instead, high energy shock waves which are applied via the skin, pass through the body and break the stones into pieces as small as grains of sand. Because of their small size, these pieces can pass from the body naturally.

Consultant urologist at University Hospitals Plymouth, Richard Pearcy said: “Lithotripsy has been around for a number of years, however the original models required a water bath and for the patient to be under general anaesthetic.

Subsequent models were made mobile and were much lighter and easier to use, but that was a trade off with less effectivity in stone break up. The latest machine doesn’t require general anaesthetic, just ordinary pain relief but has good effectiveness in breaking the stone.”

The fixed site lithotripter now delivers treatment five days a week. More than 40 patients have been treated during the first six weeks, including the treatment of 45 stones, of which 19 stones have completely passed or only have small fragments remaining.

“The intention for the machine based at is for it to be made fully available to other hospitals throughout the South West,” said Richard. “This should reduce the ureteroscopy rate across these hospitals, simplifying the treatment of stones and resulting in fewer patients being admitted to hospital for acute care.”

Patient, Muhedin Marraqu, who has just completed his course of treatment said: “As soon as I was done I was back to normal. As long as you drink plenty of fluids you don’t have any pain.”

November 2020 19

@PlymChronicle

A shiny new welcome to Plymouth The new welcome...by day and night

A shoal of steel fish is now welcoming visitors to Plymouth.

The shiny fish are wrapped around the entrance at one of the North Cross subways leading into the city centre from the railway station and it’s all part of the long term plan to create a more spectacular entrance into Britain’s Ocean City.

The fish - which are made of 316 marine grade stainless steel - were created by Plymouth designer Symon Sweet and local specialist fabricators Stainless Fab Ltd were commissioned to create the creatures splashing out of stainless steel.

Council leader Tudor Evans said: “This is about saying hello in a very Britain’s Ocean City way.

We want people to know how proud we are of Plymouth from the moment they get off the train, walk up the path and see the city centre unfold before their eyes.

“It’s eye-catching, it’s fun and it’s giving a great local company work at a time when their mettle is being well and truly tested by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“One of the key commitments we made as part of our Resurgam recovery programme was to do all we can to employ local companies to keep local people in work. This is a cracking example of industrial and creative talent right here in Plymouth and I hope it brings a smile to people’s faces.”

The commission has been a life saver for the company Stainless Fabs Ltd. Managing director Zhev Liverson said that in the past, the main contractors of development work would often use fabrication and design companies they already had working relationships with. As a result many local companies did not get a look in.

He praised the council’s new more proactive procurement process and added: “These projects have led to the development of Stainless Fabs Ltd design capability and an increase in employment here in Plymouth.

“It’s not only good financially, but it has provided a clear and stable path forward in this company’s development, as we move through this COVID-19 pandemic.”

Massive change is on the cards for the area around Plymouth’s train station.

The Brunel Plaza scheme involves an upgrade for Plymouth Railway Station, along with a major revamp of the surrounding area, including the redevelopment of Intercity House by the University of Plymouth to train the city’s future health professionals; a new hotel and multi-storey car park; and improvements to public areas and links to the city centre.

The corner car park at Station Approach has already been turned into a compound for contractors, planning permission for the Intercity Place project has been granted and the University has signed a long-term lease on the building from Network Rail with work expected to begin shortly.

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Students joining Plymouth College of Art this year can expect meaningful encounters with industry through live briefs and visiting lecturers, consistent contact time with mentors and like-minded peers, plus unrivalled access to state-of-the-art equipment and resources.

From video-streamed visiting lecturers and roundtable discussions with industry professionals, to online peer-to-peer critiques and technical workshops — PCA’s creative community has responded to the digital

environment with ingenuity. In fact, many students have told the college that they feel like they’re receiving “a more personalised learning experience than ever before”.

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20 November 2020

20 November 2020

Businesses urged to prepare for COVID-19 test and trace app

Super summer for Royal William Yard

@PlymChronicle

Plymouth businesses are being urged to download QR code posters that work with the new NHS Test and Trace app in time to meet new Government regulations.

Businesses and venues have had to display a unique QR code from Thursday September 24 when the new app was launched.

The posters make it easier for firms to meet their legal duty to collect contact details of people using their premises so they can be contacted in the event of a coronavirus outbreak.

The posters have to be displayed at entrances and customers just have to scan the code with their smart phones to check in.

The phone app and QR code poster create a digital record that they visited that venue at that time.

Ruth Harrell, director of Public Health for Plymouth, said: “The new NHS app has been designed to make the process of data collection easier for both the customer and the business.

Customers simply have to scan a QR code and in the unfortunate event that a person later tests positive for COVID-19, the system will use the app to warn others that they may have been in contact with an infected person.

“The system will provide them with information on where to seek help. And although it won’t name the venue, nor the person infected, it will help people to know when to self-isolate and protect others from the virus.

“With cases on the rise across Plymouth, we are keen that everyone takes part and remembers this virus threat is far from over.

We still need to maintain good hygiene, with hand washing, face covering and keeping two m apart. In some situations, people can forget, but this is a very real issue and we want to bring the numbers down.”

Premises that need to collect data are: • hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés, • tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks • close contact services, including hairdressers, barbershops and tailors • facilities provided by local authorities, including town halls and civic centres for events, community centres, libraries and children’s centres • places of worship, including use for events and other community activities It does not apply to those premises where a service is supplied and goods are taken off site immediately, such as a food and drink outlet providing a takeaway.

Businesses and venues should visit www.gov. uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster to create a QR code.

POLICE APPEAL AFTER CAR FIRE

Police are appealing for information following reports of arson in Plymouth.

The fire service were called to Cheriton close, West Park, at around 2.35am on Monday August 31 following reports of a vehicle fire.

Investigating officer, PC Renshaw said: “Enquires have been ongoing and the cause of the fire is believed to be arson.

“I’m keen to hear from anyone who was in the area of Ringmore Way, Cheriton Close and Crownhill Road between 2.25am and 2.45am on 31 August.

“I’m also keen to hear from anyone who was driving the area at the time and may have dash cam footage or witnessed anything that may be relevant.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting CR/072746/20.

Restaurants and accommodation providers at Royal William Yard have reported bumper bookings and record levels of trade this summer.

Virtual visitors also contributed to the boom, with figures from the Royal William Yard website showing visits to its ‘stay’ page up by over 120% in July and August compared to 2019. The whole website saw a leap in traffic to almost 60,000 visits in August – almost twice the hits it received in the same period last year. And the new ‘reopening’ section to support visitors to plan their visit back to the Yard had over 6,000 clicks within a few weeks of launching.

Guests on the ground were plentiful too, with locals enjoying holiday-athome daytrips as well as travelling tourists. Seco Lounge reported its busiest ever summer in the decade it has been at Royal William Yard. Bistrot Pierre reported a busy and buoyant period, with regulars booking up tables weekly throughout August. And Royal William Yard Apartments reported 100% occupancy for July and August bookings for its serviced apartments.

The Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme made a dramatic difference throughout August, ensuring tables were full and phones ringing off the hook.

While the scheme has ended, many of the Yard’s eateries have continued their own promotions, with Wildwood extending the offer into September and beyond for those who sign up online.

Prezzo is offering two courses for £10 from Monday-Wednesday. Bistrot Pierre is giving 50% off dishes from Monday through to Wednesday in September.

Among guests to the region this summer, numerous famous faces were spotted, including at Royal William Yard. Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli took part in a ‘cook your catch’ fishing trip and dining experience with The Hook & Line; had a wine tasting at Le Vignoble; and his children tried standup paddle boarding with South West SUP. Extreme adventurer Jordan Wylie took a break from a world record attempt to circumnavigate Great Britain by paddleboard, stopping for a vegan feast and beer at Steel Brew Co. And professional sailor, Conrad

Humphreys berthed and sailed his boat – as featured on Channel 4 series ‘Mutiny’ – from the marina.

Hailey Cattle, regional marketing manager for Urban Splash, said: “This summer has far surpassed expectations. It was a pleasure to welcome everyone and the businesses here have worked tirelessly to give everyone the safe trip and happy memories they deserve after a tough time.

With plenty going on at the Yard in the months ahead and our vibrant community up and running once again, it’s a great time to plan a safe staycation.”

An Instagram post from Seco Lounge said: “And that’s a wrap on summer 2020 at Seco!

Officially our biggest summer in the 10 years we’ve been open! Record numbers of you came to visit us for discounted food in the midst of a global pandemic this month. Not quite how we expected the year to go.

“We’d love to thank all of our regulars (and newcomers!) for returning to us, politely adhering to social distancing guidelines and being patient with us as we did our best to keep you all safe and fed with fantastic food.”

Free military training courses for young people

Students from across Devon can sign up for free training courses at a series of enrolment days being held at a Plymouth college.

The Military Preparation College at Millbay Barracks, Millbay Park, holds courses on everything from fitness to communication skills to help 16 to 19-year-olds, of all abilities and from all backgrounds, into a wide range of careers, both within the military and in civilian life.

With no set term times, young people can enrol when they like and leave when they are fully prepared for whatever career they have chosen.

And to give prospective students a clearer view of what it offers, the college is opening its doors every day until October 16, with prebookable slots on the hour from 9am until 3pm.

Those who go along will be given greater detail of the curriculum, which includes academic, functional and health and fitness courses along with training in physical fitness, public-speaking and communication.

They will also be able to meet some of the instructors, all of whom are ex-British Armed Forces personnel, who use their military backgrounds to help learners set and reach the targets that will progress

them to their chosen careers.

Since their launch in 1999, Military Preparation Colleges across England and Wales have prepared more than 4,000 young people for a military career and helped at least a further 12,000 into other areas of employment and training.

“Our courses do far more than just equip students with practical and academic skills – they boost their confidence and sense of self-worth,” said regional operations manager, Matthew Thacker.

“We also introduce students to the

vast choice of careers open to them and help them and, once they have a goal to work towards, we help them achieve it.

“So, we very much hope that anyone who either wants to join the military or who hasn’t yet decided on a career path will book a slot and come along,” he said.

To find out more, and to book slots, prospective learners and parents and guardians can visit www.mpct.co.uk, text MPCT to 88008 or call 0330 111 3939.

November 2020 21

@PlymChronicle

Charles Cross scheme wins prestigious regional award The Charles Cross Transport Improvement Scheme has won a top civil engineering award.

Volunteer and cricket club member Amber Legg, Hoofbeats founder Sharon Vieira and cricket club chairman Jon Goulder

Fundraising boost for Hoofbeats charity Plympton Cricket Club have handed over a cheque for more than £1,000 to Hoofbeats Sanctuary after a fundraising event was launched to help the charity recover from the devastating effects of coronavirus.

The scheme, which saw capacity increased for motorists and crossings friendlier for pedestrians and cyclists at one of Plymouth’s busiest junctions, was given the ReEngineered Project Over £3million Award at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) South West Civil Engineering Awards.

On giving the award, the judging panel said: “It is a great example of engineering with people in mind.

There was really good communication and articulation with the local community of what was being done, why it was being done and what would be achieved.”

A key objective of the £7.4m scheme was to improve capacity for vehicles through additional traffic lanes, reducing congestion and improving air quality while providing enhanced facilities for pedestrians and cyclists, offering more consistent and improved journey times.

Mike Gallop, chair of the judging panel and Route Director, Western, Network Rail, said: “At no time since

the early part of the 20th century have we needed skilled engineers as much as we do today to help our country recover from this global pandemic. These winners show that we have the skills across the South West to do exactly that. I am sure they will help inspire the next generation to show what is possible in this wide and exciting field.”

Plymouth City Councillor Mark Coker, Cabinet member for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure, said: “Charles Cross was a fantastic success and I’m very proud to have received this fantastic award. I’d like to thank our construction partners at Balfour Beatty, all of the sub-contractors and of course, the Council officers who together helped to make the scheme work as well as it did.”

Karl Tucker, Chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, which partly funded the project with £2.1m said: “I’m delighted to see one of our Growth Deal funded projects receive recognition for its design and positive impact on the local community. Our Growth Deal investment programme was developed to generate growth

across Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay by supporting 69 infrastructure and skills projects.

Well done to the project team for Charles Cross Transport Improvement Scheme for winning this prestigious award.”

Hoofbeats Sanctuary, a non-profit making charity that survives on donations and volunteers alone, made the heart-breaking decision earlier in the year to cancel all of its fundraising events for the foreseeable future due to coronavirus, despite them being key to the survival of the small charity.

The virus came as Hoofbeats had just been announced as Plympton Cricket Club’s charity of the year.

As the sanctuary relies on donations to continue to help equines in need, the support of local groups and organisations is ‘priceless’ according to the charity’s founder, Sharon Vieira.

Sharon said: “When Hoofbeats takes on horses and ponies, they forever remain our responsibility.

Sadly, some of our adopted horses and ponies have already been returned to our care due to the unavoidable effects of the pandemic. This, on top of decreasing donations and cancelled fundraising events means that we are in desperate need of support.”

Thankfully, lockdown restrictions eased enough in late August to allow the Cricket Club to host their annual charity day, which saw a slightly modified approach for Covid but still raised a fantastic £1065.

Plympton Cricket Club chairman Jon Goulder said: “The club has been delighted to support Discount code: HT/AUTUMN Hoofbeats as its charity this season; we like to support a local charity each year which one of our members is passionate about.

“Hoofbeats volunteer Amber came forward Guided Tours Spirit Experience and helped to organise one of the best attended charity days the club has seen for many years.

Be one of the first to set foot on Drake’s Island in Join our clairvoyant, who will take you around We have established a great rapport with the 30 years as we open for exclusive guided tours. the Island introducing you to its rumoured fifteen Hoofbeats team and look forward to working with active spirits. them again in the future.”

Learn about the history of the Island, walk the With winter now looming, Hoofbeats is set to tunnels, see the wildlife and view Plymouth from Hear stories of the Island’s notorious past inhabitants, face a bill for winter hay provisions that can cost a whole new perspective. recent sightings and unexplained occurrences. the charity thousands of pounds a year. A bale of hay costs the sanctuary £35, and will last one pony one month.

Sharon added: “Winter is the most difficult time VIP is a tailored tour Events of year for us even in normal circumstances, and so we often fundraise throughout the year to help us Including: prepare for our large winter costs.

Halloween “Having not been able to fundraise as much Exclusive use of the boat (max 30) Remembrance as we’d hoped this year due to coronavirus, the Choice of boarding points support of Plympton Cricket Club couldn’t have Winter Solstice Access to our yurts come at a better time. We are so grateful to them Your preferred food and drink package Christmas & Santa Specials for their help in recouping some of the funds that Personal guide and rangers have been affected by COVID-19.”

Ghost Hunting Choice of historic or spirit experience To find out more about the work of Hoofbeats, Media/Film Packages visit www.hoofbeats.org.uk, or follow their Optional extras to make your day special Facebook page for updates at www.facebook.com/ teamhoof .

The charity is also looking for fundraising volunteers - anyone interested, please contact 01752 263880 | 07888 002325 them via Facebook.

To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/hoofbeats enquiries@drakes-island.com | drakes-island.com or via Paypal using fundraising@hoofbeats.org.uk.

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COMMUNITY

22 November 2020

@PlymChronicle

JOB SHOP Big sales boost for Honicknowle business Advertise your vacancy FREE in Job Shop

Local businesses, voluntary groups, organisations, groups and individuals are invited to post their job vacancies in our Community Job Shop feature. This must be for part-time and voluntary jobs only and should contain no more than 50 words, including contact details. All you have to do is send the details via e-mail to info@cornerstonevision.com Deadline for each issue is first Monday of the month prior.

Please note that these vacancies were all posted prior to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone interested in one of the vacancies is advised to contact the organistion concerned and check to see if the post is still available.

GARDENING AT YMCA PLYMOUTH Volunteers wanted to help at our community garden at Honicknowle. All produce from the garden is destined for an emergency food provision charity. Can you help us please. A few hours here and there would be great.

Contact, Vic Hibbert, YMCA Plymouth on 01752 761004 or vic.h@ymcaplymouth.org.uk HEAD SPACE VOLUNTEER Head Space offers an out-of-hours service for people who consider that they are approaching a mental health crisis. The service aims to provide a non-clinical setting with a safe, calm and structured environment, where individuals can go to access peer support. Volunteers will work alongside staff to provide support in both group and 1:1 settings. We provide comprehensive training and support, and the opportunity to join a successful and likeminded team. All travel costs are covered and you will be able to develop new skills and experiences and have fun whilst helping make a difference To get involved contact us for an initial discussion T: 01752 563492 or visit www.colebrooksw.org/head-space/ HELP AT HOME COMMUNITY SUPPORT ASSISTANTS Age UK Plymouth are recruiting Help at Home Community Support Assistants for domestic tasks/ shopping for clients. This is a zero hour contract at national minimum wage, mileage is paid. Please visit www.ageukplymouth.org.uk for full details and to complete an application form. Alternatively call on 01752 256020 for further details.

VOLUNTEERS Local charity Hearts Together is looking for willing volunteers with a little time to spare to help out at Derriford Hospital. If you can assist with general gardening, bed making and transport then we’d love to hear from you. The time you give to us can be totally flexible and we will cover your out of pocket expenses. Contact 01752 315900 or e-mail rachel@ heartstogether.org.uk. For more information go to www.heartstogether.org.uk ROYAL VOLUNTARY LIBRARY SERVICE Derriford Hospital needs help for the book trolley ward rounds weekdays between 10 am - 12 noon. If you are interested in the service and can spare the time, please contact Pat Hamilton on Thursdays 9.30 am - 3.30 pm on 01752 430880 for further information.

VOLUNTEER DOG CUDDLERS WANTED Offer a short break to some of our pawsome dogs.

Due to high demand we are looking for dog lovers to have a doggy home board with them while their owners are away. You will be fully insured, licensed and supported 24/7 by us. One dog at a time, guest dogs come with everything they need and only at times to suit you. It’s the perfect way for retired people, work at home and stay at home parents with school age children to have a ‘part time pooch.’ You must have a secure garden. Please contact Jennifer or Carolyn to discuss. 01752 769453.

DISTRIBUTORS Cornerstone Vision, publishers of the Plymouth Chronicle, are looking for distributors, to help deliver leaflets across the city and surrounding area.

Transport an advantage, own phone number essential.

We are particularly looking for people to help cover Efford, Ernesettle, Saltash, Ivybridge and Torpoint, although other areas may be available. Please email chris.etherington@cornerstonevision.com or call 01752 225623.

A Plymouth-based online builders merchants has seen a big boost in business since investing in new artificial intelligence technology to provide personalised recommendations to customers.

with the solution, proving that customers are using and benefiting from it. For a company that is devoted to providing an excellent customer experience, it’s especially satisfying to see the onsite personalisation solution helping people to find what they need for their projects more easily.”

As certain building or DIY projects require a Earlier this year, CMOStores.com, which employs more than 100 people at its Plymouth HQ at Burrington particular suite of products, the solution can not only make the process of searching for the right Business Park in Honicknowle, products much simpler, it can also partnered with artificial intelligence remind users of key associated pioneer Peak to take its digital products they might have forgotten merchant offering to the next level by to add to their basket - ultimately creating hyper-personalised product allowing DIYers and tradespeople to recommendations at the point of sale get to work more quickly and with across its six online web stores. less hassle. The intelligent new onsite Commenting on the success of personalisation solution combines the new AI solution, Sue Packer, innovative technology with CMO’s chief financial officer at CMOStores. award-winning expertise to deliver com said: “Not only have sales of tailored recommendations, offering a associated products increased since real benefit to customers. we implemented the AI technology, The success of the new solution is but over a fifth of all transactions on Sue Packer a further boost to the rapidly-growing the sites have involved an interaction

e-commerce company, which has also seen its market share increase this summer as more homeowners shifted to online purchasing, and demand for construction products rose thanks to a nationwide trend for DIY projects during lockdown.

Sue continued: “As a business, we’re always searching for innovations that will help us to offer the right product to the right person at the right price – exactly when they need it, and our agile business model allows us to quickly adapt and implement new technologies to achieve this.

“Peak’s onsite personalisation solution has vastly improved our ability to connect customers with the products they need to complete their projects, and we’re very proud of the successes it has achieved so far.”

“As well as the increase in revenue, we’re also seeing that over a fifth of all transactions through the superstores have involved an interaction with the new solution, which proves that a significant proportion of our customers are using and benefiting from the AI-driven recommendations.”

For more information visit www.cmostores.com

A troublesome telly addict has been made to pay a high price for a series of noise offences.

Only a few days afterwards, further complaints were raised and an out of hours enforcement officer was called the complainant’s address. There they heard noise thought to be coming from a TV in two of the bedrooms determined to be loud enough to prevent sleep.

In February, officers were called out again and just as before, heard noise from a television emanating into the neighbour’s property.

Finally in March, officers again attended the complainant’s address. This time music was heard through the party wall, which gave way to noise from a television soon afterwards.

McTighe was handed a fine of £250 to cover all three

breaches, ordered to pay legal costs of £250 and a victim surcharge of £32.

Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet member for Customer Focus and Community Safety, said: “Everyone has the right to live in peace and so I hope that this verdict delivers some kind of justice to this gent’s neighbours.

“Hopefully this case will show that we’re not afraid to act over noise issues; we will pursue nuisance neighbours and we will prosecute them.”

Residents having issues with noisy neighbours can always get help from the council. More detail are available here: www.plymouth.gov.uk/ environmentandpollution/noise

Moortec provides monitors and sensors for silicon chips, helping to increase their reliability and performance.

Chess Dynamics offers surveillance, tracking and gunfire control technology to naval, land and commercial customers.

Moortec is also shortlisted for two other awards: Best Workplace Tech Award and Best Scale-up Award, alongside fellow PSP tenant Rowe IT who provide software engineering, solution architecture and systems integration to the public and private sectors.

BMT Defence, which provides engineering and scientific services to industry, commerce, policymakers, regulators and public sector operators, has been shortlisted for the Tech Research Award.

Sustainability is a key driver for a number of

Plymouth Science Park tenants.

Frontier Technical is shortlisted for the Sustainable Tech Award for their work on a new approach to sustainable floating energy systems, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and providing energy access for coastal communities across the world.

Israeli medical-technology start-up Eye Control which recently expanded to Plymouth Science Park, uses artificial intelligence-powered eye-tracking and technology to help locked-in and ventilated patients communicate through eye movements, has been shortlisted for the Health Tech Award.

Around a 1000 people work in the 95 companies based on the Plymouth Science Park campus, making use of the world-class office, laboratory and research facilities.

Noisy neighbour ordered to pay over £500 Scott McTighe, 47, of Hilton Avenue in Manadon, appeared at Plymouth Magistrates Court and was ordered to pay £532 after pleading guilty to three breaches of a previous noise abatement notice.

The court heard how McTighe was issued with a noise abatement notice in August 2018 following an investigation into complaints of noise emanating from his property.

Then, in January 2020, further complains began to emerge and a reminder of the notice was sent to McTighe.

Plymouth Science Park firms in line for prestigious awards Six companies at Plymouth Science Park in Derriford have been shortlisted for the annual Tech South West Awards.

More than 145 entries were received for the prestigious event, which showcases the best innovation and talent across the region’s tech sector.

Plymouth Science Park has more finalists than any other science park in the region.

Ian McFadzen, chief executive at Plymouth Science Park, said: “We are delighted to see Plymouth Science Park tenants dominating the shortlist, with six talented tenant companies being shortlisted for six awards across a range of categories from International Success through to the Sustainability and Health Tech Awards.”

Moortec and Chess Dynamics are shortlisted for the International Success Award.

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November 2020 23

@PlymChronicle

Top award for Plymouth Royal Navy photographer A Plymouth Royal Navy photographer’s images of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth have won him a top award.

Leading Photographer Kyle Heller was named the Royal Navy’s photographer of the year by the judges for his portfolio of imagery from the aircraft carrier’s historic deployment to the east coast of the USA, which saw the first British F-35B Lightning jets land on the huge ship.

HMS Queen Elizabeth won the coveted Peregrine Trophy for their collection of images from the landmark deployment, which Kyle was a part of.

Kyle said: “This is a job like no other – it sounds clichéd, but it’s true. I’m still trying to get my head round winning the award, in all honesty. I’m not one for the plaudits at all and for me it’s about the opportunities, experience and variation that you get with this job. There really is nothing like it.

“Life is never dull and you’re there as part of history in those big moments. Seeing the Lightning jets land for the first time is that part of history you’re there for and won’t forget. I’ve seen so much around the world as a photographer and I’m very thankful for those opportunities. This is a proud moment for me.”

Kyle joined the Royal Navy in 1998 aged 17 and served on HMS Beaver, Sheffield and Cornwall, before becoming a Royal Navy photographer in late 2009.

Among numerous other things, he has covered operations in Antarctica, the South Atlantic, South America and the disaster relief work in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in the Caribbean. He’s now based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall.

Joining up as any other rating into a particular trade such as logistics, engineering

The view of HMS Queen Elizabeth’s flight deck during operational testing with the UK’s F-35B Lightning jets. This image was part of the Peregrine Trophy winning selection from HMS Queen Elizabeth. The image also won the Best in Show Prize for Leading Photographer Kyle Heller

or warfare specialists, Royal Navy photographers work hard to excel at their chosen field before being accepted into the elite photographic branch.

Their striking images have captured life of Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines as they serve on vital operations around the globe.

The pictures have all been taken by the Royal Navy’s own dedicated photographers, who are behind the lens capturing the significant moments as the Senior Service carries out missions across the world’s oceans, in the

skies and on land, from Arctic to desert and jungle.

The Peregrine Trophy dates back to 1961 and is named after the HMS Peregrine Royal Naval Air Station in Sussex. The award’s primary purpose is to encourage the production of eye-catching, powerful imagery and video that can be used in the media to demonstrate the Royal Navy and Royal Marines operations.

More than 250 images and videos were submitted for this year’s awards, which

were judged by Richard Pohle of The Times, Steve Parsons of the Press Association, Jane Sherwood of Getty Images, Lee Durrant of the BBC, Jack Ashdown of Great State and director of photography and cinematography Vince Knight.

While there is no formal awards ceremony this year – due to COVID-19 restrictions – the images will be on public display at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire from December through to March. Visitors must pre-book to attend.

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24 November 2020

24 November 2020

@PlymChronicle

Why we need to share our life stories...

THE

By Chris Cole, founder of Cross Rhythms Charity

Experience To be vulnerable, I have really struggled this month with the Cross Rhythms article because it is not always easy in times of real difficulties to be genuinely optimistic.

I have had the privilege for almost 40 years of sharing, on radio and television, what I believe is the ‘Greatest Story Ever Told’. This story has changed lives through the centuries and is increasingly changing the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world today.

The central theme is focussed on one person: Jesus Christ who claimed to be both God and human. He is bigger and more important than our churches and denominations and yet he is revered, loved, and worshipped in those communities. The impact of this relationship between God and man is why the Church, of all differing denominations, sows so much time, voluntary effort and money into their local communities.

More charities today are started through religious motivation than any other. This relational faith impacts on the lives of individuals and then wider communities and has been for centuries the foundation

of our national Chris Cole values. The second commandment of Jesus to ‘love our neighbours as ourselves’ is not just a quaint saying, for many it is love in action.

It appears that the greatest areas of growth for the Christian faith are in nations where Christianity is oppressed, and its adherents persecuted. What always amazes me, however, are the stories or personal testimonies of Christians in hostile circumstances demonstrating incredible love and courage under such circumstances.

It seems the more the essence and values of Christianity are persecuted, the quicker the communities grow in faith and effectiveness. This happened in China and

is also happening in North Korean concentration camps.

Last month’s article was on the subject of Plymouth City Council’s programme ‘Resurgam’ meaning ‘rise again’ - our council leaders encouraging the wider community with hope for our city since we are still experiencing serious health and economic challenges through the pandemic. We all need to play our part and support each other in this time of international, national and local community crisis. To do this we need to individually draw on our own personal inner courage and resource.

To consistently broadcast an authentic message of faith, hope and love through the

media I have always felt that our Christian testimony must be authentic in terms of our hope in the divine nature of Jesus Christ to be balanced with the truth of our messy humanity.

Christians are far from perfect, me included, and that is why an honest account of our spiritual journey is so powerful.

How the love of Christ can inwardly change us and free us from fear. Therefore, as Christians, the most powerful resource we have is our personal testimony. I would encourage every Christian believer who has a story to tell, regarding His transforming love, to prayerfully consider sharing ‘your story’ in these difficult days.

Even creation speaks to us on this. On a cloudy day when we look up to the sky and the rain and winds are blowing, the sun is still constantly shining above the clouds.

This is the reality of God. Even though we will go through difficult days, He has overcome. This is what resurrection from the dead into life is all about. The Son will always keep on shining.

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

Garden waste to move to wheelie bins from 2021 Plymouth City Council is working on plans to switch the garden waste collection service from bags to wheelie bins for the 2021 season.

Listen on 96.3FM or online at crossrhythms.co.uk/plymouth

There’s lots of preparation work to do as this is a big change for approximately 38,000 households which use the service At the moment, the council issue thousands of bags a year to residents. The bags are expensive, they’re made of plastic and because they get so dirty, a lot of the time they’re not recyclable. They’re also shipped from China, so they make quite a large carbon footprint. They also go missing, blow away in the wind, and rip.

But most importantly, the change is so that the council can look after its staff. In 2019, garden waste crews lifted more than 4,400 tonnes of garden waste throughout the year.

So, in line with industry best practice, the council are reducing the manual lifting involved in the current garden waste collection service with the introduction of bins, which are easier to move and can be mechanically lifted into the truck.

The benefits of this change for residents are that garden waste will be kept dry and tidy, while the bins will be easier to clean and are more robust.

Councillor Sue Dann, Cabinet member for Street Scene and the Environment, said: “This investment is part of our ongoing work to modernise the service making it more efficient and helping to make the city greener and cleaner.

“For residents, it will mean an end to worrying about the weight of each bag; and end of dragging a filthy, wet sacks out for collection and an end to them blowing off down the road, never to be seen again.”

In the coming months, residents will be asked to register for the 2021 service and will then be added to the bin delivery schedule order.

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26 November 2020

26 November 2020

@PlymChronicle

New scheme to help people access food and essentials during COVID Plymouth City Council has announced plans for a new scheme to ensure that people who are struggling to afford food and other essentials because of the impact of COVID-19 are able to access them.

The council has received over £343,000 from the Government’s Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies to help those most in need due to ongoing financial difficulties caused by the pandemic.

During lockdown, the council and its partners ensured that over 900 households who were shielding but had not yet received their Government food parcels or who had no money for food were able to access it through the Caring for Plymouth scheme.

Around 3,300 people were supported at the height of the programme, with 30 organisations providing around 70,000 meals.

The continuing impact of COVID-19 means that increasing numbers of people are expected to find themselves in financial difficulty and may have periods when they have no food.

Unemployment and the number of benefit claimants are set to double by the end of the year and it is estimated that many more people will be requesting support from food aid organisations. To help ensure the city can respond to increased demand and provide food to those who are most in need, a new contract will be signed with Food Plymouth to co-ordinate and manage a depot on behalf of a collaborative food sector alliance.

The council will work with FareShare, Food Plymouth and Provide Devon to co-ordinate all the local foodbanks and other informal

food aid organisations and ensure they can work collectively to reach everyone in need.

It will also work with the South West Food

Hub CIC to co-ordinate food donations and buy, store and distribute food and other essentials in the most effective and efficient way possible. A grant scheme will be opened to help smaller and grassroots food organisations, as well as organisations that: • are able to reach particularly vulnerable groups of people • are developing self-help approaches to food • give information and advice on benefits,

finances, employment and other sources of support.

A dedicated phone line will also be provided, with advice and information on debt management and benefit claims, skills and employment opportunities and other support available, to help people move away from relying on short-term food aid.

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing and Co-operative Development, said: “Caring for Plymouth and the Good Neighbours Scheme have supported a huge number of people during the pandemic, particularly during the early response phase and through lockdown.

However, the impact of COVID-19 will be longlasting and we expect many more people to find themselves in financial difficulty as the crisis continues, particularly if we see a large local outbreak or are faced with further lockdown measures.

“We need to do all we can, with our partners, to ensure those who urgently need food and essentials can get them, as well as help people access advice and support on money matters, learning and employment opportunities and other sources of financial support.

“This scheme will bring all key partners together to ensure the city can continue to respond to residents’ most basic needs as the challenges of COVID-19 continue.”

Clip ‘n Climb stays on top in first month Popular venue Clip ’n Climb in Derriford has proved that the demand for indoor attractions is still very much present, despite COVID-19 restrictions.

Your guide to community events in your area

In view of the current coronavirus lockdown measures we have held over the usual Community Directory listings as most if not all the events/meetings will not be taking place Your guide to community events in your area

At the end of July, Clip ‘n Climb centres nationwide began to reopen with strict guidelines in place and reduced capacities, with many centres also taking advantage of the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

During these challenging times, it’s hard to predict how leisure businesses will cope, but Clip ‘n Climb Plymouth has proved that staying responsive and flexible is key to running a successful leisure business in the Covid era.

Despite only running at 50 per cent capacity, throughout the month of August the centre successfully welcomed over 3000 individual climbers, generating an encouraging turnover of £42,000, with the cafe alone generating nearly a quarter of total earnings.

Michelle Perrin, Manager at Clip ‘n Climb Plymouth said: “As operations where very different when we re-opened, we are astounded by the customer feedback and understanding.

“Customers have enjoyed the lower capacities in sessions, which in some cases made them return the following week.

Upselling in the café has been one of our main aims and we took full advantage of the government ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, which has been a success”.

A total of 96% of all bookings were taken online, strongly outlining that customers are favouring contactless booking and payment methods wherever possible, emphasising the benefit of online platforms for businesses.

Vicky Coupe, Clip ‘n Climb UK franchise manager added: “We are really pleased with

our August performance; it highlights to us that the demand is still there for indoor leisure. Over the last few weeks, we have seen great customer feedback from our centres with regards to the procedures that have been put in place.

“This is the key to our return visits being so high, as people felt safe visiting. September onwards will bring its own obstacles but we are confident Clip ‘n Climb will be at the top of everyone’s list to visit.”

Alfresco bubbles help to buffer loneliness ‘Golden Oldies’ from a community cinema in Plymouth have begun to venture out from their homes for companionship thanks to emergency funding from the National Lottery.

Set up three years ago, Red Velvet Cinema, based in Devonport Guildhall, gave ‘older people’ particularly those experiencing loneliness and social isolation, a regular place to go where they could watch a classic film and share conversation and companionship. Before coronavirus, it had a regular audience of about 25 but, as the pandemic spread, everyone was put into lockdown.

For people like Mike Higgins, who is 82 years old and has been going to Red Velvet Cinema since it started, the loneliness has been very hard to bear. “Red Velvet Cinema is a significant part of my life,” he said. “I have very little ‘family’ available to me now so to get phone calls; to keep in touch and now meeting up in little ‘Garden Clubs’ is really important. The lonely bit is quite destroying; without this I have no other contact with people.”

Since the beginning of lockdown, Red Velvet Cinema has kept in contact with many of its ‘regulars’, providing conversation; collecting shopping and delivering home-made cake!

Now, as its founder, Caroline Blackler, explained, the organisation has started to do more, organising small groups and - most importantly - bringing people back together.

“The most important thing we have done during lockdown is to prevent any single person from Red Velvet Cinema thinking that there is nobody that cares about them. We have kept phoning, kept asking individuals how they are feeling and kept showing them that they matter.

We know how deeply upsetting it is for people – whatever age – to think they are ‘on their own’, that ‘nobody cares’. And we are determined that not one person who comes to Red Velvet Cinema should feel like that.”

Jean McDade is 85 years old and lives on her own. It was a 123 days before she left her house. Having contact with others through Red Velvet Cinema has been, she said, a lifeline: “It has been my bridge between being lonely and having someone who cares and tries to do something to about it. Unless someone has been absolutely on their own, day after day after day, you have no experience of it to know what it’s like.”

With £10,000 of funding from the National Lottery Coronavirus Community Support Fund, the cinema can now afford to keep the camaraderie alive. With winter on its way, the ‘garden clubs’ will move inside into Moments Café: every Wednesday morning, starting on October 7 from 10am until 12 noon, there will be a coffee morning which will also include a regular digital technology class for people wishing to learn how to use digital technology to better connect with each other, family and friends.

Red Velvet Cinema is determined that, by adhering to Government guidelines, it will help to keep people safe but, at the same time, reducing through companionship, the crippling effects of that modern-day malaise called loneliness.

USEFUL St Luke’s help for a tragic young NUMBERS November 2020 27

@PlymChronicle

family in midst of the pandemic St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth has shone a light on the vital difference its service made to a young family while in the midst of the pandemic – as part of Hospice Care Week in October.

Hospice Care Week is an annual UK campaign highlighting what it takes to provide high-quality end of life care at no cost to the patients they serve.

When little Poppy Hammond of Tavistock had to forego cuddles with her daddy Tom, 31, because the two-year-old’s suspected COVID-19 symptoms meant it wasn’t safe for her or her mother Jess to be at his bedside at St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s specialist unit, it felt devastating for them all.

Already dealing with the heart-breaking news that Tom’s time was running short due to a brain tumour first diagnosed in his teens, the necessary separation dealt another cruel blow to the family, which includes Josh, Tom’s nine-year-old son from a previous relationship.

Jess, who married Tom in 2017 five years after they met at Plymouth’s Oceana nightclub, by which time he had undergone surgery and then further treatment for the tumour, said: “It was so hard realising Poppy and I had to isolate when all I wanted was for us to be with Tom at Turnchapel.

He was so poorly by that point that I didn’t even know if we would see him again.”

Tom pictured with Josh and Poppy during his time in St Luke’s Hospice

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So lovely

As soon she and Poppy could safely emerge from isolation, Jess drove straight to Turnchapel.

She said: “A nurse kindly arranged for us to see Tom through a big window in the building. The moment Poppy saw her daddy there, she ran straight up to him. She put her hand up to glass and Tom put his hand up as well. It was so lovely but also so hard because all we wanted to do was to give him a cuddle. I’m just so grateful though, that we even got that time.”

It was just a few weeks earlier that Tom had been transferred to the specialist unit following treatment at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.

Jess said: “When it was first explained to us that Tom needed specialist care at the hospice, it felt really scary. I thought it would be a really sad place, but it didn’t feel like that. Tom was very comfortable there and said it was like a retreat, with a sea-view room, lovely meals and even a drinks trolley so the patients can enjoy a tipple.

“In that week before the pandemic meant visiting had to be restricted, our family and friends would come to see him all the time, Tom and Josh would play on the X-box together and Poppy loved dressing-up in the playroom. It was a just nice place to be and even nicer that Tom loved it.

“Being the lovely, funny person he was, Tom made the nurses laugh when he’d sneak to the

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Little Poppy was able to see her daddy Tom through a big window at St Luke’s

cleaner’s cupboard in the night and help himself to her biscuits. They told me Tom made them smile at a time when they were all working under a lot of extra pressure because of the pandemic.”

Tom was then discharged home to Tavistock so that he could spend precious time there with his loved ones around him. His care at home was made possible thanks to St Luke’s team of highly trained nurses who visit patients across Plymouth and surrounding areas to ensure their comfort and maintain their dignity so that they can live well to the end of their lives.

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So kind and calm

Jess said: “Initially, St Luke’s came once a day and then more frequently as our needs changed.

They did as much as they could to help, and it meant I got a little break from looking after Tom and could spend time one-on-one with Poppy.

What they did for us gave us the most amazing three weeks together at home.”

When Tom’s condition worsened, it was St Luke’s End of Life Urgent Care team that stepped in, visiting four times a day. Jess said: “They were so kind and so calm, and because of their training they were able to alert me when Tom was nearing his last hours.

“On Tom’s last day, we made it really positive with lots of family and friends around, just as he wanted. At the end though, it was just me with him

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Jess and Tom on their wedding day

that evening. I sat by his bed, simply saying to him the kind of things he’d say to Josh and Poppy at bedtime.

“Then he just fell asleep. It was like he’d waited for everyone else to go so that I could have those final precious moments alone with him.”

Reflecting on her husband’s character, Jess said: “Tom was the loveliest, the most laidback person you could ever meet. We were always out having fun together, going to festivals or taking the children to Tavistock Park to feed the ducks. He was amazing with Josh and Poppy, always making them laugh, playing games and making dens.

Remembering Tom’s ‘guilty pleasure’ - rap and grime music - she said: “He was a huge fan of Stormzy, and we went to see him four times. He thought his own rapping was really good, too. It wasn’t, which always amused our friends!”

Paying tribute to her beloved husband, Jess said: “Tom was the best person in the world. All my family, all his family and all our friends said so.

Throughout his illness he’d say, ‘I’m just glad it’s me’ because he wouldn’t want to watch it happening to any of us. As a husband and as a dad, he couldn’t have loved us any more if he’d tried and we couldn’t have loved him more either.”

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28 November 2020

28 November 2020

@PlymChronicle

Mayflower to-do list ticked off!

From massive monumental restorations, epic paint jobs and new trails for visitors, Plymouth’s Mayflower moment is making its mark on the city whatever 2020 has thrown at it.

While the major commemorations have been put back to 2021, it’s the perfect time to give people a reminder of the work that has been going on over the last two years as part of the city’s push to make the most of its incredible history.

Council leader Tudor Evans said: “While Covid-19 has changed the timescales, it has not changed what we are doing. We’ve had an incredible couple of weeks in spite of COVID: The Box opening, Look II being unveiled, the Mayflower autonomous vessel launch.

“But we’ve also done lots of other work to get to this point. And this work is not just about visitors, it is about helping families here enjoy our fabulous city and learn more about its amazing history.”

The big stuff: Mayflower Trail - the digital trails app was launched to allow residents and visitors to follow the Mayflower trail - a series of bronze totems around the Barbican packed with facts about its buildings and the people who helped shape the city in 1620. The Mayflower trail is one of three core trails on the app with the City Centre trail exploring post-war architecture and the Plymouth Hoe Trail delving into the city’s maritime history.

Repainting Smeaton’s Tower - the grade 1 listed landmark received a new coat in its traditional red and white colours, using special paint and protective treatment.

Look II - the council commissioned a sculpture to go on West Hoe Pier by internationally-acclaimed artist Anthony Gormley as part of The Box permanent art collection.

West Pier, the Mayflower Steps and portico Mayflower Steps restored

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Luke Pollard MP wins campaign to protect victims after Vanessa George case Plymouth MP Luke Pollard has won significant concessions from the Government to improve support for victims of serious crime as part of his campaign to tighten the law following the release of child abuser, Vanessa George.

Mayflower Trail launched

- the sensitive sure the city’s restoration of key attractions the historic such as The Box Mayflower Steps and Barcode and and portico Barbican are has smartened easy to find up this key • Updated location.

19 tourist The portico monoliths in the was badly city centre and eroded due to waterfront Plymouth’s salty • Four air and wind. fingerposts Cobbles were to replace old also re-layed ones that had on the pier previously and disabled been removed access to loos and 74 new/ completed. New Refurbishment of Elizabethan House replacement street furniture arms to point and bins have been installed as well as new people in the right direction flags flying • 10,464 square metres of road resurfacing Elizabethan House - the historic house was carried out around the city centre and is being sensitively restored. An extension the waterfront during 2019-2020 has been added to the rear to provide extra • 4,590 square metres of cobble repairs and space and support the deteriorated back repointing completed around the Barbican wall. The conservation work will finish in the • Revamping the entrance to Southside Autumn ready for the fit out of interpretation Street with a stunning mural depicting the and visitor experience.

Mayflower as well as smartening up the Prysten House - a new public square to pavement areas show off the 15th Century building is finished.

• New toilets now built and open at West 1970s paving was replaced with granite paving Hoe park and more are planned for the Hoe and an Elizabethan Garden pattern marked demolition has already started. out with cobbles. New trees were planted, new street furniture installed and the New signs on the A38 stunning building is going to be lit up.

As well as the historic restoration projects, the to-do list included the not so glamorous but equally important essentials. This included: • Over 100 giant outdoor bins installed in and around the city centre and the waterfront including more recycling bins • 13 new signs up on the A38 to encourage people into Britain’s Ocean City and making The Plympton and Plymstock Chronicle is delivered door to door every month to homes in Woodford, Plympton St Mary and St Maurice, Chaddlewood, Langage, Elburton, Plymstock, Hooe, Turnchapel, Staddiscombe, Oreston, Pomphlett and Billacombe.

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Speaking in the latest debate on the Prisoners (Disclosure of information) Bill, Luke made the case for a change in the law to prevent release of child abusers who refuse to name their child victims.

This comes after the release last year of Vanessa George, who sexually abused babies and toddlers where she worked, in Little Ted’s nursery in Plymouth. George refused to name the children she abused, causing significant pain and anguish for the families in Plymouth of the children she is suspected of abusing.

The Parole Board still decided to release George from prison in spite of this because there was no legal reason to prevent her release because of her failure to disclose this information.

Luke led the campaign to change the law, and has finally seen this come to fruition as the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information) Bill passed its final stage in the Commons.

The Bill had been amended in the House of Lords to include the second part of Luke’s campaign: to improve communication for families. After a series of meetings with Ministers, the Government agreed to the ‘spirit and intent’ of the amendment with Ministers announcing a series of policy shifts as a result of Luke’s campaign.

In response to Luke’s campaign, the Minister announced that a new national victim contact system would be rolled out nationwide in 2021 and that this system would be opt-out not optin, meaning families would be kept informed about the release of serious offenders unless they chose to opt out.

Luke Pollard said: “The crimes of Vanessa George are disgusting and have caused significant pain to families in Plymouth. I am pleased that working with victims we are on the cusp of changing the law for the better.

Very soon the Parole Board will be able to take into account a prisoner’s refusal to disclose the name of child abuse victims when considering release. If they had that power before, I am convinced Vanessa George would still be behind bars, and that is why this change is so important.

“The concession from Ministers that they will roll out a new nationwide victims contact system to keep victims informed is long overdue and a huge win for this campaign.”

Chronicle Plymouth

November 2020

Woodside Animal Welfare Trust has made an urgent appeal for financial support See page 14

COVID UPDATE See inside for news and information from Plymouth City Council Pages 2 and 3

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Plympton & Plymstock

Vital work and support of St Luke’s Hospice highlighted by tragic passing of young father page 27

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Building hope for heroes

Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer - in his role as Minister for Defence People and Veterans - visited the Sherford Skills Training Centre to meet former Armed Services personnel who are learning now construction industry skills

• Story and photos page 13