Plymouth Chronicle North January 2023

Would you like to have a healthier lifestyle?

Making small changes to your life now can have really positive outcomes for your long-term health and wellbeing.

If you have been thinking that you would like to have a healthier lifestyle the free One You programme can help you make these small changes. The programme is delivered by skilled health coaches who will work with you to achieve goals that will have a positive impact on your health. The programme consists of:

• A one-to-one initial assessment over the phone

• Four group classes where you will be offered support and encouragement

• A final one-to-one follow up by phone.

In the first group class there is an introduction and you’ll explore the benefits of becoming a healthier you and how to become

more active. You’ll also discuss potential challenges and how to overcome them.

In the second week you’ll hear about Eat Well Ways to improve your health through nutrition. You’ll receive advice and information on food labelling, portion sizes and food groups.

In the third week you’ll look at how to improve your sleep and explore the five winning ways to mental wellbeing.

In the fourth week you’ll discuss your plan, have a recap of the programme and explore options for the future.

The One You programme is being made available through Livewell Southwest and Plymouth Marjon University, with support from Four Greens Community Trust.

To book your place call 01752 437177 or email oneyou.plymouth@nhs.net.

Look out for the new Community Builders team

There’s a new team in town that aims to help bring local communities together.

NHS Devon and Plymouth City Council have funded a new Community Builders team to work in Plymouth.

The team, which is employed through a wellbeing hub run by the Four Greens Community Trust, will listen to local people to find out what is good in their community and what the passions of residents are so they can help enable greater connection, activity and support.

Community Builders will map all the activity in their communities so residents can find out what is going on in their area, to help them connect with others and improve their wellbeing.

The team will work with members of the

community on issues that affect them and help find local solutions, together with friends, neighbours and other members of the community.

The team will be working in Barne Barton, Devonport, Efford, Estover, Honicknowle, Southway, Stonehouse and the East End.

They will be working with a range of diverse communities, including LGBTQ+ and ethnically diverse communities, people with disabilities and young people.

They will also be working closely with other organisations and networks that provide valuable community support.

These include the Plymouth Octopus Project (POP), who can be found online at plymouthoctopus.org.

Scarlet fever and Group A Strep

You

Scarlet fever is a common childhood infection which is not usually serious but should be treated with antibiotics to reduce the risk of complications and spread to others.

The early symptoms of scarlet fever include a sore throat, headache, fever, nausea and vomiting. After 12 to 48 hours, a characteristic red pinhead rash with a ‘sandpaper’ feel develops.

The rash may be harder to spot on darker skin but the ‘sandpaper’ feel should still be there. Patients typically also have flushed cheeks and will be pale around the mouth. This may be accompanied by a bright red ‘strawberry’ tongue.

The same bacteria that cause scarlet fever can also cause other types of infection such as skin infections (impetigo) and a sore throat. In very rare cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive Group A Strep (iGAS).

Infections can be spread through close contact with an infected person and through coughs and sneezes. Help to prevent the spread of bugs this winter by washing your hands regularly with soap and warm water for 20 seconds and teaching your children how to wash their hands properly.

Remember to use a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes.

If you think you or your child might have scarlet fever, you should:

• contact your GP or NHS 111 as soon as possible.

Early treatment with antibiotics is important

• make sure you or your child completes the full course of any antibiotics prescribed

• stay at home, away from nursery, school or work, for at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.

Find out more about Group A strep at https:// ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2022/12/05/group-a-strep-whatyou-need-to-know/.

Find a warm and welcoming space this winter

If you’re looking for a warm, safe space to spend time in as the weather gets colder, many organisations, charities and libraries in Plymouth will be happy to welcome you in.

All the spaces have a warm place to sit comfortably. Many of them also offer free Wi-Fi, including all Plymouth City Council libraries. There’s an online map to help you find where Plymouth’s warm, welcoming spaces are and this is being updated

regularly as more venues come on board.

You can also find information about opening hours, accessibility information and any other extra activities on offer.

If your business or organisation is happy to open its doors to be a warm, welcoming space in Plymouth this winter there’s an online form so it can be added to the map.

For information about the warm and welcoming spaces visit plymouth.gov.uk/ warm-welcoming-spaces.

Wellbeing hubs can connect you to services and support

There’s a network of wellbeing hubs across Plymouth working together to make local and citywide support services easier to find and access.

Every hub offers information on a wide range of services such as debt advice, cost of living advice and support, mental health support, employability, where to access food banks, benefits advice and opportunities to volunteer.

There’s also help in accessing health prevention services, such as exercise, weight loss and stopping smoking and they have information on various groups and activities for all ages.

Other local and citywide organisations are encouraged to use the hubs to provide services in the hub itself where possible, minimising the distance residents need to travel.

Each wellbeing hub has its own activities, services, and specialisms, such as a focus on children, disability, befriending, social prescribing or community support.

It’s easy to get support from any of the hubs. They all have someone who will greet you when you arrive and direct you to the services, activities or support you need.

Wellbeing hubs are available at:

• The Rees Centre, Plympton: 01752 340550

• Four Greens Centre, Whitleigh: 01752 875916

• William Sutton Hall, St Budeaux: 01752 211247

• Improving Lives, Mannamead: 01752 201900

• Jan Cutting Healthy Living Centre, North Prospect: 01752 203670

• Mount Gould Ageing Well Hub: 01752 256020

Details of these can be found at plymouthonlinedirectory.com.

Could Healthy Start help your family?

If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under four and you receive certain benefits, you may be entitled to help in buying healthy food and milk.

Eligible parents will receive:

• £4.25 each week of pregnancy from the 10th week

• £8.50 each week for children from birth to one year old

• £4.25 each week for children between one and four years old

The money can be used to buy fruit and vegetables, pulses, cow’s milk and infant formula. You can also use your Healthy Start card to get free vitamins while you’re pregnant and up to your baby’s first birthday.

If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start pre-paid card that you can use in most shops that accept Mastercard payments and that sell milk, infant formula, fruit and vegetables.

Money is automatically added to your card every four weeks.

Find out more and apply online at healthystart. nhs.uk, call 0300 330 7010 or visit your nearest Children’s Centre or Wellbeing Hub for more support.

Discover the help that’s on offer – including financial support, energy bills, food costs, housing issues, employment support, mental wellbeing and much more. Go to www.plymouth.gov.uk/cost-living. Cost

may have seen in the news that there has been an increase in the number of scarlet fever and invasive Group A Strep infections in children this winter.

Local heroes wanted Cheeky kitty is a winner!

fair, the cat is always up to something and he certainly lives up his name. He is our furry warlord.

Housing association LiveWest asked its residents to use their phones or cameras to capture their pets, winter wildlife or a stunning landscape that sums up what winter means to them.

Kerrie Dawes, a mortgage advisor in the city, submitted a picture of her cat nestling in her Christmas tree.

The furry feline has been having a field day since Kerrie and her husband, Mike, put up their festive decorations at their home in Laira.

But it was the cheeky look on his face as he foraged in the tree that secured one of the four winners’ prizes.

One of three cats owned by the couple, Genghis Khat is named after the 12th century Mongol leader, Genghis Khan.

Kerrie said: “My husband thought it was funny to name the cat Genghis Khat as a play on words. To be

“We love him, but he is definitely naughty, always foraging in cupboards and taking food. He might be five years of age, but he is like a mischievous toddler. We have got three cats, but he is certainly the naughtiest. As soon as we put the Christmas decorations up, we knew what was going to happen.

“And low and behold, there was his little face peering through the Christmas tree.

“I just grabbed my phone and took a couple of pictures. He looked straight at me, and it will give us some great memories.”

Kerrie added: “I thought it was a great idea by LiveWest and a lovely way to engage with their residents, giving them the chance to win a prize.

“It’s the first competition I have entered but I just thought it was one of the pictures that people love to see. It perfectly captured the nature of our cat, always up to something.”

Access Plymouth provides a volunteer driven car service, called Community Cars, that helps older people to get out and about in Plymouth. They are in need of more volunteers to support the growing number of users of this essential service.

The Community Car service has been helping elderly people to live independently by supporting them to get out and about, to medical appointments, shopping trips, meeting friends and social events since 2011. The support given helps people feel less isolated, be part of their community and reduces loneliness.

Access Plymouth has a team of dedicated volunteer drivers who give a few hours a week to help others.

Duncan, who has been volunteering for 10 years, said: “When I retired I didn’t want to stay at home growing old, I wanted to get out and keep myself and my brain active. It makes me feel good, it helps my mental health and I know am putting something

back into the community plus I get to meet lots of people who would be stuck without us. The biggest pleasure is helping those people who can only leave the house when I pick them up.”

Lesley Hargreaves, CEO at Access Plymouth said: “Our Community Car transport service is much more than a trip from A to B, we make positive difference to the lives of older people in Plymouth. Our volunteers are the backbone of the charity, we are now in urgent need of more people who can drive their own cars, commit to a minimum half day a week and who can assist elderly people in a friendly manner. We pay mileage and DBS checks are carried out”.

To find out more about volunteering for Access Plymouth call 01752 600633 or email info@ accessplymouth.co.uk

A mischievous cat has earned his Plymouth owners a festive boost after being named a winner in a winter photo competition.

Out and About

Your guide to events in the local community and beyond

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

Plymouth Vintage Kilo Sale

Jan 14

The UK’s biggest vintage kilo sale at The Guildhall, Plymouth from 11am to 5pm. Early bird tickets £3 for an exclusive shopping session. General admission £2.

Plymouth Jazz Club

Jan 15

Featuring the New Washboard Syncopators at Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour road, Crownhill at 7.30pm. Tickets on the door. Details from www.plymouth-jazz-club.org.uk

Building the Box Architectural Tour

Jan 19, Feb 16, Mar 16

Building The Box was a huge task. Meet a guide at the Welcome Desk and then take an architectural tour of the site and learn about the restoration, demolition and new build construction that took place between 2017 and 2020. Also discover some fascinating information about the history of the buildings, dating back to the 1860s. External pulpits, Blitz bomb damage, redundant tram lines, and more! The tour involves walking up and down stairs. Tickets £10 must be booked in advance at www. theboxplymouth.com/events/talks-and-tours/ architectural-tour

Strictly Ballroom - The Musical

Jan 30 to Feb 4

Based on Baz Luhrmann’s award-winning worldwide film phenomenon, Strictly Ballroom: The Musical is heading to the Theatre Royal Plymouth starring Strictly Come Dancing favourite Kevin Clifton and BBC’s Eastenders’ Maisie Smith. Featuring smash-hit songs Love is in the Air, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Time After Time, and all new music written by internationally acclaimed artists including Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect. Tickets and details at www.theatreroyal.com

Winter Warmer Comedy Night

Feb 10

Plymstock Albion Oaks Rugby Club host another comedy night with three great comedians, fresh Thai food and a nice warm room for an evening of laughter. Food from 6.30pm, comedy starts 8pm. Tickets £10 in advance from www. eventbrite.co.uk or call 01752 401142.

Hey Duggee Live Theatre Show

Feb 10 and 11

Hey Duggee Live Theatre Show is coming to the Theatre Royal Plymouth. Join Duggee and the Squirrels in this new vibrant interactive production bursting with music, puppets and barrels of laughs along the way. Tickets and details at www.theatreroyal.com

The Liquid Engineers

Feb 11

The No 1 tribute to Gary Numan at The Quad Theatre, Marjon University at 8pm. Tickets £12 in advance from www.eventbrite.co.uk

Live Music at The Roundabout

Feb 17

Featuring Ask My Bull, jazz punk four piece from Manchester supported by Semantics, a one man machine of honesty, energy, words and noise. 8pm to 1am. Tickets £3 in advance from www. trybooking.com

The George Michael Story

Feb 18

This touring show performs George Michael’s hits in chronological order at Plymouth Guildhall at 7.30pm. The George Michael Story tells in detail, the career of George and his 100 million record selling history. Featuring a full live band with video screens supporting the show, including footage of George and interviews with the man himself. Expect to be taken on a musical journey of George Michael’s biggest hits in this celebration of his life and generosity, as seen on BBC & ITV. Tickets £27 in advance from www. trybooking.com

Plymouth Jazz Club

Feb 19

Featuring Devon Magnolia Jazz Band at Royal British Legion Club, Tailyour Road, Crownhill at 7.30pm. Tickets on the door from 7pm. Details www.plymouth-jazz-club.org.uk

Wedding

Feb 19

Fair

China Fleet Country Club from 10am to 1pm. Free entry. Details at www.china-fleet.co.uk/events/ event-calendar/

Lucy Porter: Wake Up Call

Feb 22

Brand new stand-up comedy show from the fringe favourite at The Quad Theatre on the Marjon campus at 8pm. Lucy’s TV appearances include Would I Lie To You, QI and Live at The Apollo. Tickets £18 from www. comicalentertainment.com.

Jumble sale

Feb 25

St Francis Church Hall, Honicknowle from 11am to 2pm. Lots of bargains and refreshment on sale.

Susie Dent - The Secret Lives of Words Feb 25

Take a journey into the curious, unexpected, and downright surreal origins of the words we use every day at the Quad Theatre, Marjon campus at 2pm. Susie will retell the adventures

that lie hidden within such words as lasagne (involving a chamber pot) and bugbear (a terrorising monster). Susie will also share a selection of the funniest moments from her 30 years on Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, as well as some startling results from eavesdropping on a group of waiters. Tickets £23.50 from www.comicalentertainment. com.

Cloudbusting: The Music of Kate Bush

Mar 3

As the longest running and most universally applauded homage to the music of Kate Bush, Cloudbusting has been championed by Radio One as one of the most authentic tributes in the world. Their passion for Kate’s music has won over sceptical fans everywhere, challenging perceptions of what a tribute band can be and resulting in sell-out performances across the UK. Hosted at the Quad Theatre on the Marjon campus from 7.30pm. Tickets £19.50 from eventbrite.co.uk

Rule the World

Mar 10

Take That tribute band appearing at Boringdon Park. Doors open at 7pm, 1am finish with house DJ. Tickets including three course dinner and welcome drink £40. Call 01752 339113.

St Luke’s Men’s Day Out

Mar 11

Join the mass of big-hearted men marching through Plymouth to support the compassionate care St Luke’s provides for hundreds of local families at the toughest times in their lives. This special day is so much more than a fun, banterfuelled, outing to revel in with your friends – it’s also about being mindful of our mental health. Discover a special bond with friends old and new as you stride a scenic 12km (7.5 mile) route through the city and waterfront from 10am. Starting and finishing at Plymouth Albion, participants can tuck into a well-earned pasty, enjoy a welcome beverage and cheer the local

boys as they clash with the Rams from Reading. For details visit www.stlukes-hospice.org.uk/ mensdayout/

Plymouth Brick Festival

Mar 18

A LEGO fan event at Plymouth Guildhall dedicated to all things brick! From 10am to 5pm Early bird from 10am £12 per person. Standard entry from 11am £6 per person, children £4. Family tickets available.

Plymouth Harbour Half

Mar 26

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

Dinomania Tour 2023

Apr 1 and 2

Dinomania is a fun filled five star interactive dinosaur show hosted by YMCA Plymouth at Honickknowle. Two sessions per day at 11am and 3pm with only 300 tickets available per session. Join Ranger Chris and his dinosaurs as seen on BGT 2022! The award winning Youtube Rangers from Dinomania will teach you all about these amazing creatures. Dinosaurs will roam around the crowd in the UK’s most interactive dinosaur show. Tickets at www.dinomania.co.uk/events/ dinomania-tour-plymouth.php

Britain’s Ocean City Running Festival

May 14

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

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

Strictly Ballroom The Musical tour is at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal from January 30 to February 4

Plymouth Oddfellows donate wheels for Horizons sailing charity

Plymouth Oddfellows has supported the Horizons children’s sailing charity by supplying sets of wheels for use on their dinghy trailers.

They chose to provide Horizons with the wheels to make it easier to move dinghies between the boat yard storage facility and the water’s edge during their youth sailing and training sessions.

Horizons is a registered charity founded in 1991 with the aim of taking disadvantaged and disabled young people from the Plymouth inner-city communities out on to the Sound. This gives many local young people practical skills and valuable experience through water-based activities which can lead to formal training and industry recognised

qualifications.

During 2022, over 1,000 young people and vulnerable adults between the ages of eight and 25 years attended Horizon’s activities of which no less than 150 young people had a registered disability.

Peter English, Oddfellows Provincial Secretary said: “The remarkable and valuable work carried out by Horizons is plainly evident and we are very pleased to have assisted them in this way. Although we take every effort to

support our members during these economically difficult times, we always do our bit to assist local charities and other good causes in Plymouth and across Cornwall.”

Kathy Impey of Horizons said: “We would like to thank the Oddfellows very much indeed for choosing to support us. These wheels will make it so much easier to move our dinghies. Our small charity relies entirely on donations and charitable funding to deliver our projects to local young people and without the support of groups like the Oddfellows, what we do would not be possible.”

Details on the charity’s work can be found at www.horizonsplymouth. org and information about the local Oddfellows is available at www. oddfellows.co.uk.

Plymouth’s role as a pioneering place for autonomous marine vessels and green technology has been given a financial boost from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The consortium led by Plymouth City Council has been awarded £842,490 under the BEIS’s Regulators’ Pioneer Fund to develop a framework for testing autonomous and prototype maritime vessels for research and development.

The council will be working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter on the project to create research and development regulatory frameworks to guide testing and development of these emerging technologies, including zero emissions propulsion and autonomous vessels.

Businesses can currently test prototypes in wave tanks and laboratories as well as controlled areas within ports.  However, there are few guidelines or regulations available for companies wanting to test technology safely on open water.

It is hoped that developing the frameworks in the South West peninsula, which is also home to the Smart Sound Plymouth offshore proving ground, along with the Centre for Future Clean Mobility, will lead to a UK regulatory environment that will encourage innovation and make the UK the best place to start and grow a business.

Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Mark Shayer said: “The maritime industry is experiencing one of its most innovative periods as it looks to meet net zero targets by 2050 and embraces new technologies such as new propulsion systems, hydrogen powered vessels and autonomous vessels.

“All these require testing but the regulations have not kept pace with advances being made across all these fields.

“Plymouth and Exeter are in an incredible position to help shape future regulations around this exciting sector. Between the two councils we have the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport, we have the University of Plymouth and Plymouth Marine Laboratory, and the Centre for Future Clean Mobility in the University of Exeter all working at the frontier of these new developments.

“In Plymouth we have an incredibly strong maritime and engineering sector exploring alternative propulsion technologies, marine autonomous systems and applications, as well as nationally leading assets such as Smart Sound Plymouth.

“The industry is waking up to the incredible opportunities for autonomous vessels – from academic research, monitoring and mapping to transporting cargo, but we need guidelines to ensure testing can be carried out safely without compromising the needs of business to innovate.

“Plymouth City Council welcomes the funding, it complements our aspirations for higher paid jobs and it is another huge step in our journey in making Plymouth the world centre for marine autonomy innovation and development.”

This project has been made possible by a grant from the £12 million Regulators’ Pioneer Fund launched by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The fund enables UK regulators and local authorities to help create a UK regulatory environment that unleashes innovation and makes the UK the best place to start and grow a business.

The council submitted the bid on behalf of the partners and will be the responsible authority.

One of the Horizons dinghy trailers equipped with new wheels with Plymouth young people looking on

Plymouth comes together to tackle violence against women and girls

Nearly 200 people attended Plymouth’s first Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Conference, which took placeduring the international 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.

Representatives from the public, private and charity sectors came together to hear about the work taking place in Plymouth and to discuss plans for a new VAWG Charter Mark scheme.

Plymouth’s VAWG Commission was created at the beginning of this year and a survey was carried out in March to help gain a deeper understanding of the local situation. This found that 89 per cent of respondents agreed that violence against women and girls is a problem, with 60 per cent feeling that it happens more often now compared to five years ago.

The survey informed a report about male violence against women and girls in Plymouth, which set out a number of recommendations to enable real change. One key recommendation is that Plymouth should adopt a VAWG Charter Mark scheme.

The scheme would offer organisations and local communities the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to addressing male violence, promoting gender equality and supporting women and girls.

Conference attendees took part in a session to discuss their thoughts on the Charter, with conversations about what it might look like and include, what it would mean to their organisations and identifying potential

barriers and ways to overcome them.

The feedback will be used to develop plans for the scheme, led by the new VAWG Strategic Lead in collaboration with partners

across the city, before it’s launched next year.

Councillor Rebecca Smith, chair of the VAWG Commission, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people attending the Conference, representing a huge variety of organisations and businesses with some of the city’s largest employers in attendance as well as the Police, NHS, education providers, arts and cultural institutions, local charities and small, independent businesses.

It was amazing to witness the collective passion of people in Plymouth to tackle the difficult issue of violence against women and girls.

“One of Plymouth’s real strengths is our collaborative working and willingness to come together as a city. Ending violence against women and girls is not something that can be done by individuals or just one organisation, but by pulling together I believe that we can work to deliver long-lasting results and cultural change.”

Speakers at the conference included Ben Hurst from Beyond Equality and the VAWG group from women’s charity Trevi.

There were also presentations about some of the work that’s already underway across Plymouth. This includes the new M.A.N. Culture group (Male Allyship Network), the NSPCC’s ‘Young Voices’ campaign, a new research partnership led by the University of Plymouth, and local charity Ahimsa who work directly with the perpetrators of domestic violence to change their behaviour.

Find out more about the VAWG Commission at www.plymouth.gov.uk/vawg

By-elections to be held in Moor View and Chaddlewood

Six candidates will contest the Moor View by-election on January 12, following the resignation of Councillor Shannon Burden.

She and her partner Councillor Dan Collins came under pressure to resign their posts after moving to Gloucestershire.

The six candidates standing in Moor View are: Frank Hartkopf (Green); Andrea Johnson (Conservative); Colin Mackenzie (Liberal Democrats); Gavin Marshall (Independent); Will Noble (Labour) and Andrew White (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition).

Polling stations will open at 7am and close at 10pm. They are located at Leigham Community Hall, Thurlestone Walk, Mainstone Sports & Social Club, Pattinson Drive, Elm Community Centre, Leypark Walk, Thornbury Primary School, Miller Way, Thornbury, St. Annes Church Hall, Glenholt Road and the Future Inn, William Prance Road.

A by-election is being held on the same day in Chaddlewood Ward, following the resignation of Dan Collins. There are six candidates involved there as well.

The resignations of the pair still leaves the Conservatives as the largest party, although not in overall control.

The composition of Plymouth City Council now leaves the Conservatives with 25 of the 57 councillors, Labour on 24, with three members of the Independent Alliance, two from the Green Party, and one Independent – and the two vacant seats being contested on January 12.

Councillor Rebecca Smith speaking at Plymouth’s VAWG conference

Calls

Plymouth Labour’s Moor View byelection candidate is calling on a developer to ‘play fair’ and commit to completing a play park at a city development.

Will Noble is also urging Persimmon to rectify a number of issues at the company’s Palmerston Heights development in Derriford which he says is leaving people, especially women, feeling vulnerable.

Will has written to the company requesting a representative of the company - which has its headquarters in York - to come to a residents’ meeting he is arranging.

He has called on the developers to provide a completion date for the play park.

“Residents, some of whom have lived here for five years, are telling me how disappointed they are at the state of the play park. Work has been started but has now ground to a halt even though this amenity was a key selling feature,” said Will, who lives in nearby Glenholt.

developer

fair over unfinished

park

He says there are worries about lighting of the road from the bus stop to Colborne Road and he was prompted to walk the route himself after numerous residents raised concerns when he was recently out knocking on doors on the estate.

“There is insufficient functioning lighting in some areas of the site leaving residents, especially women feeling vulnerable.

“At the moment it is pitch black by 5pm. Residents, especially women, should not have to endure the stress of feeling vulnerable. One swift solution is to install temporary string lights as used in the Forder Valley construction site.

“In addition there are potentially dangerous unfinished building works and obstructions such as bollards and temporary fencing blocking the pavement and parts of the pavement are uneven.

“Residents don’t feel Persimmon is listening to them so it’s time they played fair and fixed the problems.”

Marjon health boost after £5.8 million funding is announced

Plymouth Marjon University has been awarded £5.8 million from the Office for Students to fund the development of specialist facilities such as clinical skill, diagnostic and simulation laboratories.

The university will also use this milestone cash injection to create an outpatient and wellbeing community hub.

The hub, launching in 2025, will provide placement-based learning for students whilst offering another important healthcare provision for the Plymouth community. These new specialist facilities will support the delivery of new technical and clinical programmes such as healthcare science, nursing, and allied health professions.

Professor Michelle Jones, deputy vicechancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at Marjon, said: “This funding will have a real regional impact. We have worked closely with health and care employers to develop new programmes that will plug gaps in workforce shortages.

“Residents in Devon and Cornwall will benefit from high-quality integrated person-centred wellbeing services. Most importantly it will ensure our students and apprentices will benefit from sector-leading specialist skills labs to be ready to deliver outstanding patientcentred care as graduates.”

Marjon will deliver a range of technologyenhanced student and apprentice programmes, with flexible step-on and step-off progression opportunities. The funding will be used over the next three years to develop technology, buildings, and programmes at the university, in preparation to launch its new hub in 2025.

Marjon already delivers a variety of health-based programmes including osteopathy, physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. In 2023 and 2024, the university will unveil a series of new healthcare courses featuring a health and wellbeing practitioner degree, a nursing associate foundation degree, a clinical science degree apprenticeship, and a masters in nursing.  In addition to this ground-breaking new hub, the university already operates an array of publicly accessible treatment centres including an osteopathy clinic, sports and rehabilitation clinic, speech and language therapy clinic, and a long-term conditions clinic. Details of healthcare courses at Marjon, can be found at www.marjon.ac.uk/health/

Treatments available from a Marjon clinic, can be found at www.marjon.ac.uk/mhw/infofor-patients/

Will Noble pictured at the Palmerston Heights development

Plymouth woman is honoured for service to the community

A civil servant from Plymouth has been recognised in the King’s New Year Honours List.

Angela Bennett, who lives in Thornbury, works for the Department for Work and Pensions and has spent 28 years in the civil service. She has been award the British Empire Medal for her voluntary service to the community in Plymouth.

Angela is currently a Team Leader at the Child Maintenance Service, where she has worked since 2001 after transferring from the Ministry of Defence.

Outside of supporting separated families with child maintenance, Angela dedicates her spare time to supporting end of life care and people with life limiting illnesses and their family and friends in her community.

Angela said: “I thought it was a scam email to start with and then I cried. I felt so humbled that someone had thought enough of me to nominate me.

“I love doing what I do in the community. It all started by taking part in Race for Life fundraising with a group of friends from work - I was asked to volunteer for them at events and later became a committee member for Relay for life.

“I had to make the difficult decision to stop being part of this when I became more involved with the Compassionate Friends. We have a local hospice called St Luke’s Hospice who are just amazing and in September 2019 I became a Compassionate Friend myself.

“Through the pandemic I completed additional training through St Luke’s to become a co-ordinator, a military compassionate friend and a compassionate café coordinator. My family and friends have been touched by cancer and so I wanted to be able to give something back by giving them a safe place to talk.

“Shortly after becoming a Compassionate Friend, I became a mental health first aider at DWP, as it seemed to fit naturally together.

“Plymouth is the first city to receive the award of compassionate city – it was in recognition of our end of life care and I am proud to be part of that. I love helping people and although it can be difficult to talk about death, I find it very rewarding when I know I have made a difference to someone when they have needed it most.

“I have also donated blood/platelets over the last 20 years due to my grandad needing transfusions and again, it was something I could easily do to give back. I feel everyone has something they can do to help others and I would encourage anyone to do the same, it can be so rewarding.”

Speaking about some of the challenges her fundraising faces, Angela said: “Funding is often a challenge as we are not a recognised charity. It’s the Compassionate Friends and local businesses like Al’s Kitchen in Estover who provide us with a place to meet and help me host a Sunday Roast club once a month.

“St Luke’s Hospice and their team help us by providing the training and supporting the Compassionate Friends in any way they can.”

It’s best foot forward for these fund raising youngsters from Whitleigh

Young people from Whitleigh have been stepping out in style to raise money for a forthcoming trip to visit the Houses of Parliament.

The youngsters are members of the Barefoot youth charity’s Whitleigh group and they trekked to the Council House in Plymouth city centre to meet the Lord Mayor and find out more about local politics.

With a name like Barefoot it’s not surprising that this charity just can’t stop walking. A recent fundraising walk supported by 29 Commando Royal Artillery saw young people and supporters raising over £1700 for Barefoot’s SpaceShot youth work in the north

of the city.

Barefoot’s director Richard Marsh said: “Having worked with over 500 young people in 2022 and with costs rising we’re constantly in need of extra funds. With grants becoming harder to get we’re getting more fundraising events off the ground and our young people are literally taking steps to make sure they’re a success.”

Regulars at Barefoot’s youth sessions in Whitleigh who took part in the walks included Archie Barton who completed the last section of the Dartmoor event on his prosthetic legs. This helped inspire the young people who had embarked on the politics project to choose another sponsored walk as a way of helping to fund their trip to London. While they’re there they’ll tour parliament and learn more about how the country is governed.

Barefoot professional youth worker Jon Dingle said: “We’ve run politics projects before and it’s something our young people have a keen interest in. So it was great when we learned the Lord Mayor would receive us at the Council House and that the walk would also let our young people see where important decisions are made about their city.”

Barefoot has more fundraising events in the pipeline to help it sustain its weekly youth sessions in Ernesettle, Whitleigh and St Budeaux. The charity also provides free activities, trips, projects and opportunities for local young people.

Leigham Primary dreaming big in 2023

The school

Headteacher Sam Barker said: “We understand how important it is to provide the opportunity at primary school to meet a wide range of people doing different jobs. Our aim is to invite inspirational, diverse people from a range of careers, who can connect with our school to talk to the children about their jobs and show them how what they are learning at school can lead to an interesting, exciting future.

“We have been fortunate to have already had two amazing role models visit Leigham Primary this term.”

The first visitor was Mike Lucas, who was a pupil at Leigham Primary School in the 1970s and his family still live locally. He is

athlete who specialises in the 110m hurdles.  He was a member of

The children were inspired by his talent and asked quality questions to find out more.

He left Leigham Primary with a meaningful quote, ‘As long as you have hope in your heart, you can achieve anything!’

Find out more about Barefoot, its SpaceShot youth work and its fundraising events at www.barefoot.org.uk

Barefoot professional youth worker Jon Dingle and the SpaceShot Whitleigh young people on their way to the Council House.

Archie Barton and his mum Nicky completing the Barefoot Dartmoor Sponsored Walk pictured with Barefoot’s senior youth support worker Carly Brown-Martin

Leigham Primary School have been leading a ‘Dream Big’ theme since September 2022, with visitors to the school including a professional athlete and a children’s author.

wants their children to aspire to become the best they can be and reach their full potential.

now a published children’s author and engineer and lives in Australia. One of his books is set in Leigham Woods.  The children thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mike and listening to some of his stories.

The second visitor was David King, who was born and grew up in Plymouth. He is now a professional

Team GB in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and competed in the British Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Children at Leigham Primary enjoyed meeting children’s author Mike Lucas who read some of his stories to them

Olympic athlete David King pictured with youngsters at Leigham Primary School

Cost of living support available for Plymouth residents

Plymouth councillors are urging anyone struggling with the rising cost of living to use the wide range of support that is available in the city.

Plymouth City Council is working with partners to support residents struggling with the rising cost of living and has created a cost of living hub on its website to make it easier for people to find useful information and resources available both in the city and nationwide.

The council’s online hub includes information about:

• Support available to help with housing, food and energy costs

• Where to find financial advice, for example about debts or budgeting

• Mental health services

• Employment and skills support

The refreshed online hub, which initially launched in June 2022, also now includes a map of warm, welcoming spaces across Plymouth. These spaces, which include libraries, churches, community centres and businesses, all offer a safe place for people to spend time in as the weather gets colder.

Organisations that wish to offer their buildings as a warm space can now register to be added to the map.

Council Leader Richard Bingley said: “We know that the increasing cost of living is a real concern to many Plymouth residents which is why we have created this online hub on our website that pulls together all of the help and advice available in one place, so people can quickly and easily find the support they need.

“We are also using our latest round of funding from the Government’s Household Support Fund to offer direct help with food and energy costs for those most at risk in the city, including low-income families and single adults, people with disabilities and people at risk of homelessness or who are living in temporary accommodation.”

Councillor Rebecca Smith, who chairs Plymouth’s cost of living task force, said: “The hub came about as a result of the work being carried out by our cost of living taskforce, which has brought together organisations from across the city to work collaboratively as we tackle this challenge, providing practical support and identifying new approaches we can take to support local people.

“The rising cost of living is an issue that is affecting many families in Plymouth and we know it is a worrying time for everyone. We want people to know that there is a wide range of advice and practical support available, and where to find it.“We’ll be adding information to the hub regularly.”Find the cost of living hub at plymouth.gov.uk/costofliving.

The Plymouth hub is in addition to the Government’s Help for Households campaign, which is a great source of information too.

Thousands of jobs and massive investment on the way as Freeport is given green light by the Government

Thousands of jobs and millions of pounds of investment is coming to the city with the Government’s approval of the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport Full Business Case.

Plymouth and South Devon Freeport is the first of eight Freeports to be given the full green light along with two others. The approval unlocks millions of pounds of grant seed funding and enables applicable businesses to join and take advantage of the Freeport status.

It is anticipated that the Freeport status will create 3,500 jobs and provide a massive boost for the economy in Plymouth.

The Freeport will enable new employment land to be bought forward at the three sites of South Yard, Langage and Sherford as well as provide £25m of Government funding for essential infrastructure.

It will also support a new £30m Innovation Centre at Oceansgate in Devonport and ccelerate the formation of advanced manufacturing clusters in marine, defence and space sectors with low carbon applications at the forefront.

Freeport status is expected to bring forward £250m of private sector investment as well as £29 million investment from local councils.

A major expansion plan for Princess Yachts is also included in the Freeport plans.

The Freeport is a dynamic public/private partnership with Plymouth City Council, South Hams District Council and Devon County Council working alongside Babcock, Princess Yachts, Carlton Power, the Sherford Consortium and a wider range of stakeholders including the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter, Plymouth port operators, skills providers and the Heart of the South West LEP to ensure its success.

Harnessing the region’s key strengths in marine, defence and advanced manufacturing, and supporting the burgeoning space sector, the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport will enable innovators and investors from across the world to test, trial and take to market cutting edge technology and products.

Working with the Department of International Trade, a dedicated team of experts will showcase the Freeport to global investors and businesses who fit the criteria to expand or relocate to the region.

of South Yard, Sherford and Langage into prime employment sites attracting new business, providing thousands of jobs and injecting millions of pounds of inward investment into the region. These three sites had previously been identified as under utilised and undeveloped as part of the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan.

Carlton Power, the owners of Langage Energy Park, recently secured planning permission to build a 10MW green hydrogen electrolyser, ensuring that Langage could be home to the first hydrogen

advanced manufacturing and IT for Plymouth and South Devon. It’s putting this area on the map for foreign investment and attracting businesses to relocate here. This is a huge deal for this city and the wider region and I’m really excited about the opportunities it will create for our residents and our businesses.”

Councillor Judy Pearce, Leader of South Hams District Council, said: “The Freeport is already having a benefit in our area, with SHDC having granted planning permission for the 10MW green hydrogen facility at Langage very recently.

It is the catalyst for new jobs, clean growth and the opportunity to decarbonise our regional transport, all things that South Hams District Council strives for through its corporate strategy, Better Lives for All.”

RICHARD BINGLEY, LEADER PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL

Businesses that are part of the Freeport can take advantage of a range of tax and customs benefits and incentives to support growth, innovation and investment in the South West including business rates relief, employer National Insurance contributions rate relief, stamp duty land tax relief, capital allowances, VAT and tariff benefits and simplified import procedures.

Approval now enables interested businesses to begin taking the first steps to contracting, designing and planning their place within the Freeport with the Freeport team, landowners and partners and discuss the myriad of benefits this presents.

And, the good news keeps on coming for the Freeport with confirmation from government that the Langage site has now been designated which means eligible businesses will be able to benefit from the tax reliefs available. South Yard and Sherford sites were designated in the summer.

Freeport status enables the relevant councils and landowners to bring forward the key sites

production hub of its kind for Devon and Cornwall.

The Langage Green Hydrogen hub will be a key facility for the Freeport and will also help to deliver net zero goals for Freeport operations overall. Innovators are lining up to leverage this hydrogen fuel supply to prototype and test future engines for vehicles and vessels – the hope is that these novel solutions will be manufactured in the Freeport.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said: “This is a historic day for Plymouth, South Devon and beyond, as the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport gets up and running to drive growth and innovation locally and nationally.

“The Freeport is going to shape the fortunes of the Plymouth and South Devon economies by pumping up to £100 million worth of investment across the region.

“We are maximising the opportunities of Brexit to drive growth and throw our doors open to the world.”

Leader of Plymouth City Council, Richard Bingley said: “The Freeport will deliver 3,500 well paid jobs and provide a free trade hub which will include

Devon County Council Leader John Hart said: “A huge amount of work and commitment has gone into getting the Freeport off the ground over the past 18 months and the close partnership between councils has been key in getting this vital project to this point. The Freeport will enhance our county’s reputation in the marine, defence and space sectors, which will help attract inward investment, generate local jobs and benefit local businesses - all of which will drive economic growth and recovery.”

David Lockwood, Babcock’s chief executive said: “We welcome the UK Government’s designation of the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport. As a major employer in the region, we have actively supported this business case, which firmly aligns with our long term commitment to the area.”

“The Freeport will bring significant opportunities and potential employment to the South West of the UK, and we are delighted to be part of this through our dedicated support to the Royal Navy, continued investment in our facilities and delivering wider economic benefits through our supply chain.”

A national recruitment campaign to find a permanent team is now underway. The Freeport website and social media channels have also been launched providing regular updates, news and developments about the project.

“ It’s putting this area on the map for foreign investment and attracting businesses to relocate here. This is a huge deal for this city and the wider region and I’m really excited about the opportunities it will create for our residents and our businesses.”

Freeport success, from left to right: Councillor Richard Bingley, Councillor Judy Pearce, Plymouth and South Devon Freeport interim chief executive Richard May and Councillor John Hart

Men’s Day Out 2023: Walk, talk and remember lost loved ones

Stand by to stride through the streets to raise funds for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth with the launch of the charity’s flagship Men’s Day Out 2023.

A mass of big-hearted men will be marching through Plymouth on Saturday March 11 to support the compassionate end of life care St Luke’s provides for hundreds of local families at the toughest times in their lives. As well as a rousing day full of fun and banter, the event is recognised as an important opportunity for men to open up and share their closely guarded feelings of loss with fellow walkers who have been through similar experiences.

Men’s Day Out is one of the most popular and colourful happenings on the city’s calendar, with around 2,000 entrants signing up each year to march a 12km circular route, finishing with a pasty and a beverage at the rugby.

Walkers and their generous sponsors bring in thousands of pounds each year to help fund St Luke’s invaluable hospice care for patients at home, in hospital and at the charity’s specialist unit at Turnchapel, 365 days a year.

But it’s not only about clocking up the miles, totting up the cash or having a fun day out with friends and colleagues.

Men’s Day Out offers a unique camaraderie for those who have lost loved ones or are facing up to a terminal diagnosis in the family.

Rambling the streets together offers the perfect opportunity to meet others in the same boat and to swap stories, while doing something positive and uplifting to support people in the community at the end of their lives.

Many take part in the walk to remember a friend or family member who was cared for by St Luke’s. Writing their loved one’s name on their official Men’s Day Out T-shirts helps to spur them on as they join the throng of men on the move. Starting and finishing at Plymouth Albion RFC at Devonport, the event, sponsored once again by Jem Scaffolding Ltd, will kick off at 10am and follow a marked route through the city centre and along the waterfront, taking in Plymouth Hoe and the Barbican.

Back at the rugby ground, walkers can enjoy a well-earned pasty and a beverage before settling down to witness our local boys in a clash with the Rams from Reading.

Registration for Men’s Day Out costs just £35, but that only covers T-shirt, refreshments, rugby ticket and event costs. It’s the sponsorship and donations that really make the difference to patients who need the vital service at home, in hospital and at St Luke’s specialist unit at Turnchapel, 365 days a year.

Places are limited so take the leap and register early for this well-loved event to avoid disappointment and to start rallying your sponsors. Visit www. stlukes-hospice.org.uk/ mensdayout

Maths and numeracy skills boost for adults in Plymouth

New free courses and activities are on offer for adults in Plymouth who want to improve their maths skills, thanks to the Government funded Multiply programme.

Multiply is aimed at adults who do not already have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in Maths or an equivalent subject, and hopes to give people the skills they need to progress in their careers and secure well paid jobs.

The free courses are available to local residents on either a part time or intensive basis and will be offered in flexible settings. These courses will soon be available to book through On Course South West.

People who improve their numeracy skills are more likely to be in employment, have higher wages, and better wellbeing. Around 17 million adults in England – half of the working-age population – have the numeracy skills of primary school children. Poor numeracy skills can hold people back from having the confidence to get on in life and into work.

Plymouth City Council has been awarded £1.3 million funding from the government’s £2.6 billion UK Shared

Prosperity Fund to offer tailored courses that meet the needs of the local community.

There will be courses for beginners and those who want to build on the foundations of their maths knowledge, to more advanced offers such as GCSE Maths or Level 2 Functional Skills Qualification. Employers will also be able to request support to help their teams with maths skills.

Businesses that develop their employees’ numeracy skills can also boost productivity, increase profits and improve employee retention. Local employers will also benefit from the scheme, with courses and activities tailored to a particular area or jobs at no cost to them offered to their employees to help boost their numeracy skills.

Research also shows that sectors with a high proportion of workers with basic or advanced numeracy skills have experienced the most rapid growth in employment over the last decade.

To find about more about Multiply, visit the On Course South West website: www. oncoursesouthwest.co.uk/ multiply or contact the team on 01752 660713.

Age UK Plymouth celebrates 80 years of serving the city’s over 50s

The William and Patricia Venton Centre, Age UK Plymouth’s Mount Gould home, played host to the charity’s 80th Anniversary on November 28, a celebration of the organisation’s past, present and future.

In a nod to the centre’s history, the day also marked 30 years since the official opening of the building. The William and Patricia Venton Centre now hosts Age UK Plymouth’s head office and day centre, Mount Gould’s Wellbeing Hub and the 24 room Short Term Care Centre that opened earlier in the year in partnership with LiveWell South West and Plymouth City Council.

Age UK Plymouth welcomed guests including Sue Dann, Plymouth’s Lord Mayor and Councillor for the Sutton and Mount Gould Ward, Councillor Dr John Mahony who recently opened the Wellbeing Hub and Councillor Rebecca Smith, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning Homes & Communities and councillor for the Plymstock Radford Ward encompassing Age UK Plymouth’s Dementia Day Centre on Memory Lane, The Broadway.

David Wood, Age UK Plymouth’s CEO said: “It’s an absolute privilege to be part of an organisation that has so steadfastly been dedicated to improving the lives of older people in it’s community for 80 years. The history of Age UK Plymouth is intertwined with the lives of many talented, incredible and dedicated individuals. We’re honoured to be custodians of this essential charity and our celebration has been a great opportunity to share our amazing history with our community, stakeholders and supporters.”

Friends of the charity and delegates from partner organisations across the city were also present including Plymouth City Council, LiveWell South West, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth’s Arts Cinema, Peninsula

Dental and others.

Highlights of the open day included several exhibits highlighting Age UK Plymouth’s eight decade history, and an installation demonstrating some of the principles from the Dementia Awareness Training that the charity provides free to groups and organisations across the city.

Guests also had the opportunity to find out more about some of the incredible people and essential projects that are fulfilling the charity’s mission to make Plymouth a place where people love later life, and to make a pledge to support Age UK Plymouth as it starts its next 80 years.

A selection of the installations will remain on display for the rest of the year and are available to view for those visiting the Warm Space and Community Cuppa events taking place on Friday mornings throughout December. More information is available online at www.ageuk.org. uk/plymouth.

The event, months in the planning, was an opportunity for the charity to share its unique history that has evolved from the incredible work started by Elspeth Sitters OBE who passed away in 2008 at the age of 96.

Arriving in the city in 1942, Mrs Sitters quickly identified that as a direct

result of the Blitz that had devastated so much of the city. ‘Home’ was often dilapidated back rooms, attics or even in sheds. Elspeth soon became acutely aware of the plight of those she visited and came face to face with poverty, loneliness and deprivation. She set about seeking ways in which she might make an effective contribution to the welfare of the City’s elderly residents.

“Age UK Plymouth has been working effectively in the background for eight decades, with a passion to make Plymouth a city where people love later life. Our organisation has an incredible history of innovation and a fascinating story of pioneering women spearheading the charity,” said Tara Dale, head of Fundraising.

“It’s bittersweet to see how the greatest challenges facing over 50s in Plymouth have been relatively unchanged over the years. Themes of isolation, loneliness, and a rising cost of living are reoccurring throughout our history but what is heartening to see is the ever-present and essential support provided by charities like ourselves and our partners across the city.”

Guests at the event were given insight into the future of Age UK Plymouth including exciting developments into the new Young Persons Volunteering Programme in partnership with Plymstock School. Also revealed to visitors were early plans for 2023’s

as well

fundraising challenges

as opportunities for volunteering, donating and contributing towards the charity on an individual basis or with the charity’s recently revamped corporate Support Packages.

Celebration...(from left) David Wood, Age UK Plymouth CEO, Sue Dann, Lord Mayor and Councillor for Sutton and Mount Gould, Mary Aspinall, Councillor for Sutton and Mount Gould and Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview Committee

Age UK Plymouth senior management team (from left) Rich Masters, head of business operations, Heather Stenning, head of services, Steven Hookway, head of finance, David Wood, CEO and Tara Dale, head of fundraising

Age UK Plymouth senior management with donations from Services Design Solution

Personal trainer Emily wins top award

A Plymouth woman who took the plunge to launch her personal training business just weeks before COVID struck has not only seen her enterprise thrive during and after the pandemic, but has also just won a top national award.

Emily Keen, who is 32 and lives in St Judes, had been running her personal training classes alongside her job as gym manager at Fort Stamford Health & Fitness in Turnchapel for a number of years. But in December 2019 she decided to go fully self-employed, not knowing what was about to happen with the pandemic.

The ensuing lockdown meant that Emily organised all her sessions online via Zoom – and to her delight the business really blossomed.

Emily said: “The lockdown really helped my online sessions for groups

and individuals. To my amazement I even had clients joining from the USA, Spain and other parts of the world - as well as from all over Plymouth and Devon.”

At the start of October this year Emily was nominated for Best Fitness Business in the England Business Awards.

After being mystery shopped and voted for by clients, friends and family, she travelled to Bristol with her mum Sharon for the regional awards - and was surprised and delighted to be named as the Best Fitness Business in Devon.

Two weeks later she travelled to Birmingham with her partner Kieran, dad Paul and brother James for the national awards ceremony - and this time was named as the Best Fitness Business in England.

“When I went to Bristol for the regional awards I was extremely nervous,” said Emily, who has a degree in health and fitness from Plymouth Marjon University and a Masters in health and sports science from Exeter University.

“When my name was called I couldn’t believe it and then at the national finals I was in total shock when they announced me as the best in the country.”

Emily’s popularity continues to grow and she works with between 60 and 70 clients every week with classes in the gym at Fort Stamford, outdoor sessions at Mount Batten, online workouts and one-to-one sessions with clients at their homes.

“I am so happy to have won the awards, but for me the most satisfying thing is helping people to improve their health and fitness. I am privileged to have such a wonderful group of clients, some of whom have been with me for a number of years.”

For more information visit www. emilykeenpersonaltraining.co.uk

Emily (above) pictured with her award and (below) with one of her outdoor groups

Zip wire heroes raise over £17,000

The Plymouth Hospitals Charity Santa Slide zip wire event has raised more than £17,000 for Derriford Children’s Wards.

Over 100 people braved England’s longest zip wire over the Eden project dressed in santa outfits. Thanks to the brave, festive fundraising efforts of willing zip wire flyers, the vital funds raised will go towards enhancing the lives of the children that visit and stay in Derriford’s children’s wards to help make their often-challenging times in

On

hospital a little less daunting. Funds can help provide equipment such as MRI Machine play scanners designed to ease anxiety of children who might need a scan.

Corinne Bailey, charity development manager at Plymouth Hospitals Charity, said: “On behalf of our charity, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in this year’s fundraising Santa Slide zip wire event at Eden.

“With over £17,000 having been raised, this

will make a massive difference to the children looked after on the children’s wards and will help their visit or stay in hospital be that little bit better.

Being in hospital can be an anxious time for children and young people and we will use these funds to provide new equipment, toys and activities to bring smiles to small faces.”

The event saw people from all walks of life take to the zip wire to raise the muchappreciated funds, from individuals to groups

and businesses.

The full list of participants and their zip wire clips can be found on the Plymouth Hospitals Charity facebook page at www. facebook.com/PlymouthHospCharity

For more information about Plymouth Hospitals Charity, the official NHS charity for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, including fundraising, volunteering and how to make a donation visit www. plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/charity-about-us

bike! Widey Court youngsters learn vital riding skills

School life is about so much more than learning facts.

Children at Widey Court Primary School have just been working on their balance and cycling skills, thanks to the Bikeability Balance course they completed through the school prior to the Christmas break.

“Lots of children never learn to ride a bike or they don’t progress beyond stabilisers,” said Ellie Dingley, Early Years Foundation Stage lead at Widey Court.

“Our four to six year olds get to do the balance level first of all, so they just concentrate on their balance rather than worrying about pedals.

“This also helps with their coordination

skills and encourages them to learn new skills in a safe place.”

The children also spent time getting to grips with cycling essentials, such as wearing a helmet, helping others adjust their helmets and how to take off their own helmet too. The instructors taught them how to find a safe space to cycle, glide and avoid obstacles.

Headteacher Shaun Nicholls said: “It was fantastic seeing their confidence grow as the sessions developed through the week.”

Widey Court Primary School is getting brand new balance bikes in the spring so the children will be further developing their skills on those.

Children at Widey Court Primary learning balancing skills

Helping

A plucky volunteer prepares for the zip wire slide

A happy group of fund raisers celebrate taking part in the charity Santa Slide

Launch of Retrofit Training Academy at City College

Jobseekers and tradespeople with an interest in creating a more sustainable and low-carbon future can now acquire a recognised qualification with The Retrofit Academy at City College Plymouth.

With a view of contributing to a greener society, overcoming challenges and barriers faced with those wanting to enter the sector, and providing economic support and new career opportunities by making retrofit more accessible to all, the college has opened the first academy in partnership with The Retrofit Academy and will offer a new level 2 award that will support anyone wishing to join this exciting sector.

As an official partner of The Retrofit Academy CIC, City College has joined a growing network that aims to support and drive a low-carbon future by training a new generation of retrofit professionals as well as bettering homes and lives through domestic decarbonisation.

The Level 2 award will support those already working in construction such as plasterers, heating engineers and carpenters who would like to acquire specific retrofit skills. It is also suitable for those wishing to join the industry with no previous construction experience.

Dan Burnard, programme area Mmanager for Construction at the college, said: “Retrofit is generating a new wave of exciting career opportunities and through this membership we will not only be offering people the chance to learn essential skills vital for this industry, but we will be providing them with an overall understanding of the sector, setting out the wide variety of options they will have.

“Even working at the current building regulations level, we are still not carbon neutral. We are set to be retrofitting new builds within five years. To future-proof houses and minimise climate change we are going to need to retrofit one house every

minute in the next 25 years to meet the carbon targets of 2050. Academies such as this one are key to ensuring we have enough people to meet these targets.”

The Retrofit Academy at City College is part of the Government’s Skills Bootcamp initiative, which means those who are selfemployed - or unemployed - can complete a Level 2 Award in Domestic Retrofit for free. The Skills Bootcamp also includes training and certification in piloting drones. Employers might also wish to enrol staff with funding available.

Lance Chatfield, executive of Technical Innovation and the lead for the college’s maritime, manufacturing and construction and built environment strategic action, added: “Dan is correct about just what we need to do to meet these crucial targets. Having been the first further education college in the UK to sign the climate

emergency declaration, this Retrofit Academy is another way City College is taking action to deliver on its vision to make a meaningful contribution to the development of our city and to actively contribute to efforts to protect the environment for future generations.

Academies such as this one improve the lives of people both today and in the future.”

The Retrofit Academy was officially launched at the end of November, with the Green Construction Skills Bootcamp set to run its first course in the new year.

Employers wishing to enrol staff on the training will be asked to contribute 10 per cent of the costs if they have fewer than 250 employees, whilst companies with 250 or more employees will be asked to pay 30 per cent of the training costs.

Adults wishing to sign up to the Skills Bootcamp can do so via the college’s website, www.cityplym.ac.uk/skills-bootcamps/.

Plymouth Samaritans are celebrating the award of a grant of £5,146 from the Co-op Local Community Fund.

The cheque was presented to Norman Holmes, Plymouth Samaritans director, by Claire Russell of the Co-op at Sam’s Place, the charity’s shop in Plymstock.

The grant will be used to reach out to the local community and work in partnership with local groups and organisations to raise awareness about suicide prevention, emotional health and well-being and listening skills.The branch has a wide-ranging programme of outreach activities for 2022/23. The Co-op grant will help support this.

Outreach activities during 2022 included supporting an Educational and Wellbeing Programme for residents of Torpoint, Liskeard and Saltash; supporting Armed Forces veterans at breakfast club meetings;

attending events organised by Waitrose and Plymouth Library during Mental Health Awareness week; and speaking at wellbeing events organised by GWR and Devonport Dockyard.

The charity has also secured approval from the Co-op for a further bid for the next 12 months. This will be used to take the charity’s work out to the community in new ways.

The Co-op Local Community Fund helps pay for local projects that their members care about. Every time a member shops at the Co-op a proportion of what they spend goes to help community projects where they live.

Norman Holme said: “I would like to say a big thank you to Co-op members and the Local Community Fund for their vote of thanks in the work we do. The grant is a welcome boost to help us to link up with the community in new ways.”

Retrofit Training Academy launch, from left: Lance Chatfield, executive of Technical Innovation; Dan Burnard, programme area manager for Construction; Jackie Grubb, chief executive of City College Plymouth; Stephanie Reeves, network development manager at The Retrofit Academy CIC; Terry Such, crriculum lead and development officer for Construction and the Built Environment and Neil Radford, senior project manager at the Retrofit Academy

Cheque

left) Samaritans Norman Holmes and Cath Peck and Coop Member Pioneer Claire Russell

Sweet singing from Manadon choristers at Crownhill Christmas lights switch on

With music being a central part of school life at Manadon Vale Primary School, from the school orchestra to choirs, it came as no surprise that Christmas was a busy time of year.

The dedicated music areas, hall spaces and practice areas were fully booked with rehearsals and the sound of sweet music, including for the first time preparation for the Crownhill Christmas Lights switch on.

In addition to the school’s Christmas Choir, which holds high levels of participation, preparation for the school’s Key Stage 2 Carol Service, Key Stage 1 performances and Foundation performances the musical members of the Manadon

Vale Primary School were in full swing for the Crownhill event.

After weeks of practice and the sound of sweet singing echoing down the corridors, the choir took to the stage at the Crownhill Christmas Lights Switch On event, to a packed crowd lining the streets.

Eager spectators were treated to songs: This is Time and the Season, In a Stable, A Gift Called Love, When a Child is Born, There’s Something Amazing’ and Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer. A couple of the festive tunes were sung beautifully by soloists, who held their own and did a fantastic job.

The choir were met with a rapturous applause and a warm reception from the crowd who were

bopping along on the chilly winter’s eve. Also taking to the stage that evening were Widey Court Primary School, another member of Connect Academy Trust.

The event had a lovely Christmas atmosphere and highlighted the warm community spirit of the area.

Select members of the choir are also taking part in the ‘Young Voices’ concert and residential trip to the World Resorts Arena, Birmingham, in January 2023. This is an event Manadon pupils have taken part in before, and this time will see them sing as part of a choir of 6000 schoolchildren, providing a wonderful opportunity for them to perform at a prestigious venue with professional musicians.

...AND BANGING THE DRUM FOR EGGBUCKLAND VALE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Music at Eggbuckland Vale is a really important part of the curriculum and provides children with opportunities to be creative, work and perform together while learning about the composers that influenced musical history.

Headteacher Susie Carroll said: “We have an ambitious approach to music teaching across all year groups. This includes a whole-class instrumental programme of learning, where every class has the opportunity to learn to play an instrument together for six weeks.

“Many of these opportunities are taught by class teachers to demonstrate a whole-school ethos towards musical development and instrumental learning.  Our Key Stage 2 children have recently learnt to play djembe drums with their class teachers leading the sessions.”

Year 3 have a ‘World Music’ experience where every child learns to play instruments originating from different parts of the world. These lessons are taught by experienced music tutors from Plymouth Youth Music Service who also provide professional development for their class teachers.  So far this year, the children have spent time learning to play steel pans and they are looking forward to learning samba and gamelan!

The school provides a range of musical enrichment opportunities.  Many of the children take part in small group and individual instrumental tuition including keyboard, guitar and trumpet lessons.  The children really enjoy these lessons and it is great to see so many children developing their love of music,

Throughout the year the children are able to participate in a variety of performances; they have a Key Stage 1 Christmas Show, Key Stage 2 Christmas Carol singalong, Key Stage 2 Spring Shows and Year 6 Leavers’ Show.  The school also offers recorder club, choir and musical theatre club – much more musical experiences than most children ever have.

share their love of music.

“They showed us musical instruments from around the world and even let us try playing some of them!  Over two days, all the children participated in a workshop and pupils form Years 1 and 2 performed to an audience!  It was great to

see the children’s excitement and enthusiasm!

“Even if a child doesn’t know they have musical talent, we can usually encourage them to have fun and join in. We’d love to show parents our facilities and we’re doing tours now. Please contact us if you would like to know more,” added Lisa.

The League’s Management Committee is looking for a minutes secretary from September 2023. This post is voluntary, but paper,

Lisa Burgess, Year 2 teacher and Music Lead at Eggbuckland Vale Primary School said: “We really want to develop children’s life-long love of music and provide them with high-quality musical experiences. We were so lucky to have Stewart and Chris from ‘Travelling by Tuba’ visit us recently and

Solo performers at the Crownhill lights switch on

Eggbuckland youngsters get down to brass tacks

Djembe drums were a big hit at Eggbuckland

Quality of caring at Derriford rated as

outstanding - but improvements are still required, say hospital inspectors

Care Quality Commission inspectors have ruled that further improvements are needed at Derriford Hospital, following an inspection in September last year.

Inspectors carried a focused inspection of the trust’s urgent and emergency care and medical wards and also assessed the trust’s progress in meeting the conditions previously imposed, following an inspection in 2021.

Catherine Campbell, CQC’s head of hospital inspection, said: “Our inspection at Derriford Hospital took place during a period of significant and sustained pressure on urgent and emergency care and medical services across the country.

“The pressures at Derriford Hospital were mainly due to limited availability of social care beds and community care, which has impacted on the number of medically fit people able to be discharged.

“This has hindered flow throughout the hospital, causing people to experience long delays.

“In October 2021, we did highlight the same problems to the trust’s leadership and local stakeholders. The conditions we imposed at this previous inspection are still applicable as people continue to experience long delays and the trust is struggling to meet the fundamental standards of care due to the significant and sustained pressures.

“We are aware a lot of work has been completed to improve care for people, but system wide pressures have impacted on the effectiveness of these changes. We will return

to assess whether there has been further progress we have told the trust it must make.

“The trust’s senior leaders know what must be done to manage the issues. This includes closer working with local healthcare partners.

“In the meantime, the conditions will remain in place and we will continue to monitor the service closely. We will return to assess whether there has been progress with improvements we have told the trust it must make.”

The inspectors rated the quality of caring at Derriford as outstanding and gave a good rating for the effectiveness of services. However, they confirmed that the

responsiveness of services, the safeness of services and the quality of leadership of services all required improvement.

In the medical wards, inspectors found: • There were not always enough nursing and support staff to keep people safe. Ongoing recruitment and staff development ware high priorities, but the trust continued to experience staff shortages due to sickness absence.

• The trust faced challenges with access and flow which meant it could not always ensure people could access the service when they needed it.

• People could not always access and

receive treatment in the right speciality ward or area. However, this was improving as the hospital monitored demand.

• In a number of areas inspectors visited, staff morale was low. This was due to staff shortages and the significant pressures on the service. The leadership team was aware of this, and it was working to resolve the problem.

In the urgent and emergency services, inspectors found:

• The trust faced challenges with access and flow, which meant it could not always ensure people could access the emergency department when they needed it to receive timely treatment. Performance data showed delays in patients both accessing the emergency department and waiting to be seen.

• The service did not always have enough staff to care for people and keep them safe due to gaps in nurse and medical staffing. However, managers proactively used temporary staff, and they were working to recruit into vacant positions.

• Due to overcrowding of the department, people were not always treated within an environment that supported their privacy and dignity.

• Measures to divert people whose needs could be sufficiently met elsewhere, to reduce pressure on the emergency department, were not always successful.

• Staff did not always feel valued or respected by the wider organisation

Ukulele group support for Trevi

Leading women’s charity Trevi received an amazing £1710 donation raised by the Plymouth based ukulele group - Queens Dock Ukes, a group of retired men and women who enjoy playing the ukulele. They have been together for eight years and are now friends. They play performances for charity and each year nominate a local charity to receive the donations.

Trevi was nominated by group member Susan Ball and this was carried unanimously in 2020. The group started to raise money until COVID hit in March that year. At a time when funds were vital for the charity, the group had already raised £500.

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Eve Robinson from the group said: “At the beginning of 2022, it was decided that Trevi didn’t get an entire year, so we decided to carry on raising funds for them. At the beginning of our performances, we explain who we are raising funds for and that the full amount we raise goes directly to them and then tell them what Trevi does.

“On one particular performance in Ivybridge, a lady in her late forties

came up to our leader Pete giving him a donation and saying, ‘I am glad you are collecting for Trevi. They saved my life.’

“We will carry on playing ukulele and collecting for local charities as long as we can because we enjoy it so much, after all, our ages range from 60 to 86.”

Hayley Dann, Trevi’s fundraising and marketing lead, said: “We are delighted to receive such a fantastic amount of money from Queens Dock. A big thank you goes to Eve, Sue and the players for their amazing efforts and for choosing

us as their charity. What a talented group they are.”

The money donated by the group will be used by Trevi to provide vital support services for women and children affected by domestic abuse or violence in Plymouth. Their dedicated services include a residential rehabilitation centre exclusively for mothers and their children, counselling, one-to-one support and accredited courses to help women work through their trauma, transforming them from ‘surviving’ to ‘thriving’.

A local ukulele group has raised vital funds for women affected buy domestic abuse and violence in Plymouth.

Hayley Dann receives the cheque on behalf of Trevi

Record breaking food donations by shoppers

Plymouth Tesco shoppers have been their most generous ever in support of foodbanks and local charities, helping to make it a record-breaking year.

The total amount of food donated by Tesco shoppers to the Trussell Trust and FareShare during 2022 was equivalent of 12.5 million meals –28,834 of which came from Plymouth.

The donations to the Trussell Trust help food banks to provide emergency food parcels to people in crisis, while donations to FareShare support frontline community charities. Tesco has also topped up all customer donations during the collection by 20 per cent in cash, to support the two charities with their operating costs and ensure the food can get to where it is most needed.

Jason Tarry, Tesco UK and Northern Ireland CEO, said: “Our customers have always amazed us with their generosity, this year more than ever.

“We know that household budgets are very stretched, but our customers have been incredible. We had people donating whole trollies of food at our recent Tesco Food Collection, and it is genuinely heart-warming to see so much kindness.

“The fact that we now have collection points in every store has made it easier than ever for customers to donate, and those donations are really needed.”

Tesco customers donated more than 2.4 million meals during the winter Food Collection at the beginning of December, with 5,224 of those meals

coming from shoppers in Plymouth.

In addition to the donations of food, the preChristmas Tesco Food Collection saw customers donate more than £382,000 to the charities by rounding up their bills at the till, donate £133,000 through a link from Tesco’s online groceries website and give more than £19,000 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers, which Tesco has matched.

Tesco also donates its unsold food to FareShare and, including those donations, more than 39

million meals have been provided by Tesco and its customers in the past year.

Shelley Wright, head of region at FareShare Devon and Cornwall, said: “We want to say an enormous thank you to Tesco, and every single person that volunteered and donated across the year and at the Winter Food Collection – we had more than 2,000 amazing volunteers join us in stores this year.

“Our charities have told us how difficult things

Argyle and Babcock join forces to feed 200 families at Christmas

Babcock International worked with Argyle Community Trust to provide 200 hampers to local families in need at Christmas.

Included in the hampers were turkey, ham, fresh vegetables, Christmas puddings and more, to ensure the families enjoyed a festive meal at this time of year. Each family is also being given a slow cooker and cookbook, to provide a little extra support to these families for Christmas and beyond.

Babcock volunteers packed the hampersk at Plymouth Argyle’s home ground of Home Park and two days before Christmas Babcock electric vans, drivers, and volunteers delivered the hampers across the city.

Dwain Morgan, head of business and impact at Argyle

Community Trust said: “We were excited to work with Babcock and are incredibly grateful for their support. To be able to support 1400 local people to enjoy a warm dinner was a humbling experience. These hampers were delivered to families that we knew were reliant on food aid and we hope that this hamper helped to provide some festive cheer.”

Brendan Staniforth, Babcock’s business planning director, said: “As a major employer in the area, we have a very strong connection with our local community, and this has been reflected in the great response we’ve had from colleagues wanting to lend their time and support to this. It means a lot to be able to give some support to families in need in the areas where we live and work.”

MARJON CHOSEN BY COUNCIL TO BE A GREEN MOBILITY HUB

Plymouth Marjon University has been selected by Plymouth City Council to be a green mobility hub and will be home to two sustainable transport points.

As part of Plymouth City Council’s Transforming Cities Fund, the University has been selected alongside up to 50 other sites to become a multi-purpose mobility hub in the city.

The hubs will provide communities and businesses with EV charging points, electric bicycle docks, and Car Club vehicles, which are electric cars for hire by anyone in the city to use.

The hubs will collectively reduce congestion, improve air quality, and develop public transport connectivity on key commuter routes in the city such as Outland Road.

Marjon will have EV charging ports, Car Club vehicles for anyone to use, and an electric bicycle dock at a hub opposite its

main entrance in the near future.

It will also house a second electric bicycle dock outside the Marjon Sport and Health Centre.

Marjon was selected as a site after an in-depth assessment by the council, and the development adds to the university’s commitment to be carbon-free by 2030.

Marjon was recently shortlisted for a 2030 Climate Action Award as a result of its Marjon Zero project, encompassing the installation of 2,000 solar panels and 55 ground source heat pumps.

The university is making strides to become one of the UK’s most sustainable institutions.

The development of multipurpose mobility hubs is planned to result in a stronger economy in Plymouth, minimise the negative environmental impacts of traffic, regenerate local communities and reduce poverty.

have become as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, with many expecting to see a huge increase in need as the weather gets even colder.

The support we have seen from people at the collections and throughout 2022, in both time and donations, will help FareShare to continue getting much needed food to the people that need it most this winter.”

Emma Revie, chief executive at the Trussell Trust, said: “Food banks across the UK are facing their hardest winter yet as they struggle to cope with a tsunami of need caused by the cost-of-living emergency. On a daily basis food banks in our network we are hearing from families up and down the country who are having to make impossible decisions between putting food on the table or turning on the heating – and too many people are being left with no option but to use a food bank because their money simply won’t stretch.

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Tesco customers, food banks across the Trussell Trust network can continue to provide emergency food and support to people facing hardship.

“Each and every donation made in Plymouth will enable local food banks to provide immediate help to people in the community, while the Trussell Trust works in the long term to build a future without the need for food banks.”

With both charities continuing to need support, Tesco shoppers can continue to make donations at permanent collection points at every Tesco store in the UK.

Let’s all go the extra mile...

By Chris Cole, Founder Cross Rhythms Plymouth Charity Experience

I must admit that although I’ve been on planet earth for some time, I still feel relatively young at heart. Perhaps that is because I hang around contemporary Christian music and a younger generation.

Young and old alike must make sense of life issues in these changing times. I remember how idealistic I was amid the mounting challenges the world seemed to be going through in my youthful days, especially in the 60s and 70s. My memories can fade with age, yet some can become more precious.

I’m older and sentimental enough to have been deeply impacted by the passing of Queen Elizabeth II a few weeks back and deeply aware that I will miss her Christmas Day speech and the sharing of her personal faith in Jesus Christ.

I was born in the year she was crowned Queen and have always admired her sense of duty to her vocation and the courage with which she bore her own personal ups and downs in life, especially family life.

It is often said that this time of year can be a trying process for families coming together, when old grudges and broken

Festival is the perfect showcase for local talent

The City of Plymouth Festival of Music, Speech and Drama took place at the Future Inn hotel over a week long period in November.

The prestigious festival saw hundreds of children and adults from across the city and beyond aged  four and upwards perform for an audience and adjudicator in an array of performance genres. These included acting, public speaking, mime, acting musical theatre,  TV News reading and verse speaking, singing, and instrumental.

Adjudicator Paul Trigg commented:  “The Plymouth festival is a wonderful showcase of local young talent and as the speech and drama adjudicator I have been delighted to see so many such accomplished performances with energy and enthusiasm.

“Now celebrating 107 years! I hope it runs for another century! “

Festival secretary Jill Straw said “This has been a bumper year for the festival with entries massively up on recent years and we have given out over 70 cups.

“The festival was a fantastic platform for many professional performers from Plymouth and beyond, over the years  and is a brilliant way for young people to have an early experience  of the competitiveness of the industry.”

relationships are experienced. ‘Aunty Joan just can’t stand the husband that her sister married thirty years ago because she was offended by something he said at the wedding’.

One of my favourite parables from Jesus is quoted in Matthew 18. It is the story of the unmerciful servant who had been forgiven a billion pounds by his master (who represents God in the parable), but this same servant took offence at another who could not repay him a debt of about £20, and he wouldn’t let it go in forgiveness.

The end of the parable is that this unforgiving servant ended up in a worse

prison of their own choosing. One person said that the bitterness of unforgiveness is like taking poison whilst you’re waiting for the other person to die.

Jesus Christ’s birth was to show and demonstrate by example the goodness of God, and His death and resurrection was to open the door for us to come to the Father and find deep and genuine freedom from our broken and sinful hearts and actions.

The late Queen carried the burden of knowing more about the world than her 15 prime ministers, armed forces and secret service all put together in the 70 years she was Sovereign.

As a human being she went through all sorts of pain; family breakups and massive pressure, but every Christmas shared that her anchor and foundation was in her personal, experiential relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the best gift for the world right now.

The persecuted church can teach us something in the west. That is that they have learned to pray, forgive and love their enemies within their persecution. For us in the west it is a challenge to love our families before we can progress to those who spitefully abuse us.

Asd we enter into the New Year, may I respectfully and humbly suggest that we all try and go the extra mile in kindness, forgiveness and courage towards others - we may be surprised how things turn out.

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

Chris Cole

Festival photos by John Allen

Just some of the talented youngsters who won awards at the City of Plymouth Festival of Music, Speech and Drama

Plymouth City Council is now White Ribbon Accredited

Plymouth City Council has become White Ribbon Accredited as part of its ongoing commitment to end violence against women and girls.

White Ribbon is a global campaign that encourages people, especially men and boys, to individually and collectively take action and change the behaviour and culture that leads to abuse and violence.The council set out its plans to achieve accreditation in January 2022 and has been working towards this throughout the year. As an accredited organisation, the council will continue to work to change the cultures that lead to abuse and violence and promote gender equality. It will ensure that the commitment to preventing male violence against women and girls is embedded within the organisation’s culture and ways of working, including HR policies, employee development and training. This includes offering bystander training to all staff, equipping them with the skills to recognise and challenge misogynistic behaviour in everyday life.This is in addition to the partnership work that the council has carried out with organisations, charities and businesses across Plymouth, such as the development of the Violence Against Women and Girls Commission and the Safer Streets programme.

The Safer Streets programme aims to enhance the safety of public spaces for everyone and has led to the introduction of interactive help points across the city to make people feel safer, offering a new night bus service on Saturday nights and delivering bystander training to staff working in bars, clubs and pubs.

Councillor Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure and Sport said: “We are proud to now be a White Ribbon Accredited organisation, demonstrating our continued commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

“This is not something that can be done by just one person or organisation, and everyone has an individual responsibility to speak up, to make a positive difference and help to change attitudes.

“As a council, and one of the city’s largest employers, we recognise the importance of leading by example. The new accreditation ensures that our commitment to ending violence against women and girls is embedded in the organisation at every level and positively impacts the way we work. I urge other organisations and businesses in Plymouth to join us in gaining White Ribbon accreditation, as together we can make a difference and ensure our city is a safe place for all.”

White Ribbon UK encourages everyone, especially men and boys, to make the White Ribbon Promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about violence against women and girls.

Anthea Sully, chief executive of White Ribbon UK said: “We are delighted to have Plymouth City Council as one of our White Ribbon Accredited organisations and are looking forward to working with them towards ending violence against women once and for all.”

For more information visit www.whiteribbon. org.uk

Historian Chris Robinson publishes his latest ‘Then and Now’ volume

Historian Chris Robinson has launched his sixth Plymouth Then & Now project and the first to focus on aerial images.

Remarkably all of the ‘Then’ pictures date from 1945 or earlier, with a large number of them dating back to the earliest days of quality aerial photography around 100 years ago in 1923/4!

The result is an astonishing collection of comparisons. Many are just a reflection on the way the world has changed over the last century, but a great number chronicle the impact that the aerial bombardment of the city had between 1940 and 1943.

For anyone who has struggled to relate

the prewar city to that of today, Chris has produced the most comprehensive and visually striking narrative ever published, thanks to a technology that simply wasn’t available until recently – Google Earth.

As well as providing comprehensive coverage of the Hoe, Barbican and City Centre, the book takes readers on a fascinating flight around Plymouth and also embraces Millbay, Stonehouse, Mount Wise, Devonport Park, Camel’s Head, Swilly, St Budeaux, Crownhill, Mutley, North Hill, Greenbank, St Judes, Prince Rock, Plympton, Mount Batten and more besides.

North Road, and the lost train stations of Millbay and Friary are featured, so too is the

CHARGES FOR SOIL, RUBBLE, ASBESTOS AND PLASTERBOARD BROUGHT BACK

Charges for some non-household items will resume at Chelson Meadow Household Waste Recycling Centre from December 5.

The policy, which was previously in place between January and June 2021, will mean that residents who bring soil, rubble, plasterboard and asbestos to the recycling centre will need to pay.

The charges will remain at the same level as they were during that period – soil & rubble will be £2.40 per bag or item, plasterboard £6 per bag or sheet and bonded asbestos £11 per bag/sheet.

It is estimated that by doing this, the council could save £177,000 per year that may prove crucial in ensuring the continuation of other valued waste services.

The change comes as the council considers proposals for closing an unprecedented £37.6m shortfall in its budget for local services next year.

A report to Cabinet highlighted how inflation, rising energy costs and rising demand for social care services are causing huge budget pressures for all local authorities and outlined a package of proposals to help close Plymouth’s gap.

Councillor Bill Wakeham, Cabinet member for the Environment and Street Scene, said: “This has been a difficult decision that simply must be taken in light of the current

financial crisis.

“Chelson Meadow is a ‘household waste’ centre and generally, the kind of materials that we are going to be charging for relate to DIY construction and landscaping.

“Clearly, this will only effect a small minority of residents with most people able to use the centre as they always have done.

“Hopefully, this may act as a driver for households undertaking home improvement works to try and reuse and recycle.”

The reintroduction of the policy brings Plymouth in line with the majority of local authorities nationwide and locally with Devon, Cornwall and Torbay.

Residents bringing any of the charged materials to Chelson will be directed to a dedicated area of the site. Payment will be by card only.

More details on Plymouth’s recycling centres can be found here: www.plymouth. gov.uk/recycling-centres

What materials are classed as soil and rubble?

Bricks, breeze blocks, concrete, drainage pipes (ceramic/porcelain), gravel, hardcore, paving slabs, rubble, sand, sanitary ware (ceramic/porcelain toilets, bidets, sinks, shower trays, pipes, etc), soil, slates/slabs, stones, tarmac, tiles (ceramic, porcelain, floor, roof, wall) and turf.

Home Park football statium and the Pennycross speedway/stock car/greyhound stadium Also revealed in the book is the story of Surrey Flying Services who took many of the images featured, a substantial number of them in 1924. One of the oldest aviation companies in the country, they also took the lease on the fledgling Roborough Airport for a number of years in the early 1930s.

All in all it’s a thought provoking and entertaining look at the way the city has recovered from its wartime trauma and how it has evolved over the last 100 years or so and is thus a must for anyone who loves the city and indeed anyone who loves playing ‘spot the difference’...and who doesn’t!

Sporting Lions

Plymouth Lions Club have helped with funding for the formation of the Sparkwell Youth Academy.

Sparkwell Parish Hall and Playground Trustees have been trying to provide more active sports and activities within the hall and playgound for the youth and children of the village in an effort to encourage a healthier lifestyle and sporting interests.

Initially it’s only for one hour on the third Thursday evening of every month. The activity will be for primary school children from school Year 6 upwards and Years 7 and above for secondary school.

The aim is to cover all sports, with a different one every month. The programme started with badminton followed by bowls, handball, hockey, volleyball, football, netball, basketball, table tennis, marshall arts and hopefully many others.

Plymouth Lions donated £120 to purchase sports equipment for the very worthwhile community initiative which will hopefully prove to be of value to the next generation of sporting enthusiasts.

Please contact Ray Foss on 07831 657 109 for further detail and information.

St Andrew’s Church in the 1930s...

...and seen from the air today

CARING SISTER IVY WINS NATIONAL AWARD

A young girl from Plymouth has been named as ‘Young Sibling of the Year’ by the national disability charity, Sense.

Eight-year-old Ivy Stedman, who lives in Southway won the award in recognition of her support for her disabled siblings, as well for her efforts to advocate for young carers.

Ivy has two disabled siblings’ nineyear-old Harry, who has Antenatal Bartter syndrome, ADHD, and global developmental delay, and older sister Kate, who has autism spectrum disorder.

After attending an online session organised by the Sense Siblings and Young Carers group called ‘An Introduction to Parliament,’ where she was able to learn a little bit about the world of politics, Ivy was inspired to write a letter to her MP Johnny Mercer. Ivy shared her experience about what it is like to be a young carer and how she finds it difficult to get support.

Ivy’s letter writing resulted in her receiving a referral to be assessed in school for

additional support, something the family had been waiting two years for. The issues Ivy shared have also been raised by Plymouth City Council which has discussed how it can better support young carers across the constituency.

Ivy said: “I feel really really proud and happy to have won this award!”

Ivy’s mum, Ellie added: “We are all so

proud of Ivy. It still blows me away that after the Introduction to Parliament Zoom session, she took it upon herself to make a change and see how our local MP could help her. The letter she wrote was amazing, as was Johnny Mercer’s response. Ivy’s actions have not only improved her life but highlighted the plight of siblings and young carers with the government and our local council. What an amazing little girl!”

Sense chief executive, Richard Kramer, said: “Huge congratulations to Ivy on winning the Young Sibling of the Year award. Ivy’s love for her siblings and her efforts to advocate for young carers really impressed us and we are delighted to honour her with this award.”

The Sense Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of people with complex disabilities, as well as the staff, carers, family members, volunteers and fundraisers who support them. For more information about the Sense Awards visit: www.sense.org.uk/sense-awards

Celebrations for Tamar Healthcare

Local Plymouth care provider Tamar Homecare saw off seven major national care providers to win the coveted LaingBussion Homecare Award at a glitzy ceremony in London.

Actors and comedians Roni Ancona and Sally Phillips, alongside Former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Stephen Dorrell, presented the Tamar Homecare team with the LaingBussion Best Homecare Provider at the ceremony.

“I was genuinely gobsmacked at getting to the final; never in a million years thought our local Plymouth team would be a match for the well-established national providers.

“Nobody at our table could quite believe it when our name was called out,” said Kelly Helme, registered manager of Tamar Homecare.

One of eight finalists for Best Homecare provider, Tamar Homecare, saw off the competition of seven major national companies, the only local care provider to make it to the final. The award was made for Tamar Homecare, demonstrating “Excellence in the provision of personal care or healthcare in a home setting with a focus on innovation and/or higher acuity services.”

Tamar Homecare is a local Plymouthbased community care provider. They provide

care for people in their homes throughout Plymouth and Saltash, enabling them to remain independent. Kelly added: “Our goal is to make people’s lives better for both clients and our staff. We work with Plymouth City

Council, Cornwall County Council and private individuals to provide the best care possible.” To find out more about Tamar Homecare’s services visit www.tamarcareservices.co.uk or call Kelly on 01752 657 560

COUNCIL JOINS NEW SCHOOL FOOD STANDARDS COMPLIANCE PILOT

Plymouth City Council is one of 18 local authorities selected to take part in the School Food Standards compliance pilot this academic year by The Food Standards Agency and Department for Education.

The pilot aims to design and test a new approach in supporting schools to comply with the existing School Food Standards. The council will find out if food safety officers are also able to raise instances of non-compliance with the School Food Standards when carrying out regular hygiene inspections in schools. This research will help inform the role the council could play in assuring compliance

with the standards so that the food served in our schools delivers the best possible health outcomes for children.

The council has already started doing the assessments as part of routine unannounced food hygiene inspections in school kitchens, and will continue to do them for the duration of the pilot.

The council has always been committed to driving up school meal standards and in 2015 launched a new school food service. CATERed was the first school meals cooperative in the country and is 49 per cent owned by schools and 51 per cent by the council and brings together the pooled budgets of 67 schools. Decisions

about the meals service are taken by a joint partnership board of elected representatives from the schools and the council.

Brad Pearce, managing director of CATERed, said: “The mandatory School Food Standards are in place to deliver a balanced menu offer to pupils in schools across England.  We welcome this pilot and are pleased to be involved.  The pilot will help everyone understand how the Standards are being applied and if more support can be offered to schools and caterers to ensure delivery of the very best school food to pupils and students”. Find out more about CATERed visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/catered

Emergency Numbers

Police, Fire, Ambulance or Coastguard 999 or 112

Police general enquiries 101

Derriford Hospital 01752 202082

NHS 111

Electricity, Western Power Distribution 0800 678 3105

Gas, Wales & West Utilities 0800 111999

Water, South West Water 0344 3462020

Environment Agency (Emergency) 0800 807060 RSPCA 0300 1234 999

Age UK Plymouth 01752 256020

Adoption UK 0844 848 7900

Al-Anon Family Groups 020 7403 088

Alcoholics Anonymous 0800 917 7650

Carers UK 020 7378 4999

Childline 0800 1111

Christians Against Poverty (Debt Advice) 0800 328 0006

Citizens Advice 0300 3309 043

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Top providers...the Tamar Healthcare team celebrate their award

Inspirational women honoured at awards ceremony

The chief executive of a leading Plymouth charity was among the winners at the inaugural West Country Women Awards.

Hannah Shead, chief executive of the women’s charity Trevi, was named winner in the category for Combatting Violence Against Women and Girls, which was sponsored by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall.

Trevi was the awards’ charity of the year and, with the help of the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Sue Dann, more than £2,000 was raised on the night.

Other Plymouth winners were Emma Hewitt of Plymouth City Council who won the Inspirational Leader Award and Sarah Newberry from YMCA Plymouth who was named Employee of the Year.

Emma was nominated, twice, for her leadership of the Building Plymouth skills partnership with the construction industry, and the vision for Skills Launchpad Plymouth – which has already been recognised with Innovation Awards locally and regionally. Her award was sponsored by Ward Williams Associates.

Sarah heads fundraising, career and corporate sales at YMCA Plymouth and her award was sponsored by Womble Bond Dickinson.

More than 320 guests, finalists and sponsors from across the South West attended the sold out inspirational awards ceremony and gala dinner held at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth at the beginning of December.

The awards celebrate and recognise women all across the peninsula in all walks of life from women in health to women in sport,

combatting violence against women and girls to green business of the year and more.

Hosts for the event were Alexis Bowater and Tess Stuber, co-founders of the West Country Women Awards.

Alexis said: “I have run women in business networks and awards here in the south west for 10 years now. The last were just for business but this time we decided to make it about everybody’s business. So we introduced new categories, hoping to encompass and reflect more of our lives, in and out of the office.”

There were over 1,000 nominations of women across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset, 90 semi finalists, 50 finalists and 16 winners.

Richard Stevens, managing director of main sponsors Go South West, said:”We were delighted to support the West Country

Winners of the West Country Women Awards pictured with organisers Alexis Bowater and Tess Stuber

Women Awards, the evening celebrated and showcased, inspirational women from across the region from a diverse range of businesses and enterprises.

“I was blown away by the calibre of talent and drive we were privileged to witness. I believe that the legacy from the awards will benefit our communities, through showcasing amazing role models for girls and women. I look forward to next year’s event, I know we can encourage even more entrants and celebrate their many successes”

Every sponsor emphasised the outstanding calibre of their category finalists when presenting the winner with their West Country Women Awards trophy.

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