Plymouth Chronicle June North

Work to start on new Derriford District Centre

Work is to start imminently on the much-anticipated Derriford District Centre following an investment deal to close a funding gap.

Council leader Tudor Evans has signed a decision worth just over £1 million which will unblock the project which has been hit by rising construction costs.

Big-name brands have already been secured – Marks and Spencer (M&S) who plan to build a new Foodhall – which will be twice the size of the current store on the other side of Tavistock Road. Supermarket Aldi and Costa Coffee café have also signed up and there’s plans for a gym operated by PureGym and a Pets Corner pet shop.

There will also be 12 electric vehicle charging points and a bus, cycle and walking route connecting William Prance Road with Derriford Hospital via Derriford Business Park.

The land is being developed by ADC Kimberley who were selected by the council following a competitive tender process in 2019. The developers are working with locally-based builders, Devon Contractors Ltd. Construction work is due to take around 16 months with the shops and leisure facilities expected to be open from autumn 2024.

The project is being forward funded by the council to the tune of £18.9 million.

Council leader Tudor Evans said: “This administration is all about getting things done and attracting new investment into the city. We have quickly reviewed a number of stalled projects and this decision will be the first of many to get the city’s investment pipeline flowing again.

“Through our Property Regeneration Fund we can get projects moving quicker. This deal will not only pay off by improving facilities for residents in the north of the city, but will also bring us a longer term rental income into the council.  This is a good deal for Plymouth and its residents.”

The completed development is expected to create 102 full time jobs and safeguard a further 57 jobs. It is also estimated that 120 construction jobs will be generated during the

Artist’s impression of the new District Centre

phase. The consultant team also includes a number of local firms based in Plymouth.

development

The district centre builds on previous investments at Derriford made by the council which has resulted in the Range Head Office being built, new housing and NHS facilities being built on land owned by the council. Building work is also currently underway on a brand-new Royal Eye Infirmary on William Prance Road.

The land at the former Seaton Barracks site is one of the last undeveloped plots within the Plymouth International Medical & Technology Park. The new district centre for Derriford has been a strategic objective for the council,

MAY TO SEPTEMBER:

designated as the preferred site for the district centre in the Joint Local Plan, which was adopted in March 2019.

The decision recommended the leader of the council approved the business case and allocated an additional £1,036,196 for the project into the capital programme funded by serviced borrowing.

Go-ahead for new £180 million Urgent and Emergency Care Facility at Derriford Hospital - see page 12

Meaningful midnight miles will benefit St Luke’s Hospice care

St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s

iconic Midnight Walk is back for 2023, shining a light on precious memories of lost loved ones while supporting a well-loved and respected local charity.

Hundreds of generous and caring walkers will be taking to the streets of the city wearing the event’s distinctive pink T-shirts on Friday July 7 in a poignant and colourful celebration remembering those family members and friends who are no longer with us.

Funds raised will help St Luke’s continue the charity’s vital work providing specialist care for terminally ill people at home, in hospital and at its specialist unit at Turnchapel, as well as emotional support for their families.

Route options for 2023 – three miles, six miles, or 13.1 miles (the equivalent of a half marathon) – open up the walk to the whole family, from young children, teenagers and occasional strollers through to seasoned long-distance striders of all ages.

Entrants will leave from and return to Plymouth Argyle Football Club’s Home Park stadium, gathering as evening falls and setting off towards Derriford and beyond between 8pm and 9pm, depending on the distance they are walking. This year a Reflection Mile at

the beginning of the route will feature entrants’ words of remembrance about friends or family members who have died, and there’s also an option to sign up to be a Midnight Walk VIP, with lots of extra benefits.

Penny Hannah, head of fundraising, said: “While Midnight Walk is a poignant occasion, it’s ultimately a celebration in honour of those we have lost, and it always has a lovely, positive atmosphere. I’m delighted that we’ve made some exciting changes and additions this year that will make it more special

New Backgammon club in Plymouth

Backgammon is the world’s oldest board game with relics found from some 5,000 years ago!m A game of great skill, but easy to learn and have a go!

Ocean City and Devon Backgammon is a recently formed backgammon club based in Plymouth.

Founders Gerald and Rosemary Whitehouse are members of the UK and French Backgammon Federations with many years’ experience. They regularly play in tournaments against international players which gives them a great insight into the game. Rosemary has even played a match against world number two Michihito Kageyama.

smoothly, you get ‘dumped’ on from a great height every now and again, and because dice are the shakers and movers within backgammon they can let you down badly, just like life itself,” he added. “That’s why it’s a great game, exciting because you never know the outcome until the last throw.”

Ocean City and Devon Backgammon welcome players who would love to learn the game, as well as welcoming others who play regularly online, but would like to play face to face from time to time. Others may have played in the past and would like to resurrect their playing, so feel free to go along.

and inclusive than ever, and we’re very grateful to our new sponsors Michael Spiers, along with Marchand Petit. “Whether you have taken part in our event before or are participating for the first time, we can’t wait to see all our supporters striding out in their pink T-shirts. What really makes the night for everybody though, is that they’re doing what they can to help local families.”

Regular registration costs £24 for ages 11 and over, and £12 for ages 10 and over. You can sign up at www. stlukesmidnightwalk.co.uk

VEGAN BAKERY COOKING UP SOME GREAT DEALS TO MARK ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Plymouth’s only 100 per cent vegan sourdough bakery is celebrating the first birthday of its shop next month with a host of giveaways and discounts on baked goods.

Heyl Bakery, which specialises in using stoneground and heritage grains and plant-based ingredients, opened its shop doors at Alma Yard, Cattedown in spring 2022 following a successful year and a half baking from the kitchens in the Devonport Guildhall.

To mark the occasion, on June 3 the bakery is running a series of offers, including giving away free branded tote bags to the first

10 customers of the day, dishing out free slices of birthday cake, and a 10 per cent discount on all products. They will also be running a prize draw in the run up to the event, which will offer participants the chance to win a goody bag of Heyl bakes and a selection of locally and sustainably made pantry goods.

Co-owner Sam Dennis said the celebration is an opportunity to say thank you to all the customers who have supported the bakery over the last year.

“The last 12 months have been really challenging for a lot of families and small businesses like ours, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who has come to visit us, either at the new shop or one of our markets, it means so much to us,” he said.

“At times like this, it’s especially important to celebrate these milestones and show our appreciation to our amazing customers.”

Set up in 2020, Heyl Bakery produces a range of sourdough loaves, baguettes and focaccia from its Alma Yard site, as well as sweet buns, cakes and cookies. Last year they launched their Slice of the Yard pizza night - an event they plan to bring back this summer - and have also started running one-day sourdough bread classes.

The bakery specialises in using a variety of organically and regeneratively-grown, locally-milled stoneground grains in their bakes, to maximise the flavour, character and nutrition of their bakes.

Founders and partners Kate Langston and Sam Dennis are also passionate about sustainability, which is demonstrated through their commitment to veganism, as well as their decision to use only plastic-free packaging in the bakery and shun hard to recycle disposable coffee cups to minimise waste.

Alma is a new development located just a short walk from the Barbican and Drakes Circus. Consisting of a series of renovated 19th century factory buildings, once completed it will be home to a host of artists, designers and independent businesses.More information is available at www.heylbakery.com or on Instagram and Facebook at @heylbakery

Gerald said: “Backgammon has been referred to as the Game of Life and a book has been written about backgammon entitled The Cruellest Game because players never know what will happen. The game is not won (achieved your objective) until the end, the last throw of the dice.

“Like life itself not all goes

If you have a backgammon board do take it with you, if not no worries they’ll have them there. All over 18s are welcome.

The club meets every Monday at 7pm at Raffles 5 Ermington Terrace, Mutley, Plymouth PL4 6QG.

For more information contact Gerald at geraldwhitehouse4@ gmail.com or call 0776 7567366

Heyl Bakery’s Sam Dennis at work

Photo Tom Carder

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.

Charity concert

June 9

Mustard Seeds Singers in concert at Plymouth Methodist Central Hall at 2.30pm. Donations in aid of Funds for Human Need

Southway Fun Day

June 10

Day of fun for the whole family at Bond Street Field from 11am to 3pm. BBQ, stalls, entertainment, Army Cadets, Plymouth Argyle fun, games, activities, face painting, fire engine plus lots more. For smallholder information email karen.stewart@fgct.co.uk

Ceremonial Music

June 10

West Devon Chorale present Handel’s four Coronation Anthems at St Andrew’s Minster Church at 7.30pm. Also Parry’s I Was Glad and Blest Pair of Sirens and music by Dove, Harris, Thompson and Esenvalds. Tickets £14 or £12 in advance. Students and children £4. Available from www.wegottickets/ westdevonchorale or from the choir administrator on 01752 776479.

Dinosaurs in the Park

Unil June 11

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

An Evening with Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards

Jun 11

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

Models and Railway Exhibition

Jun 17

Five model railway displays along with numerous built scale models kits including aircraft, sci-fi, ships and military vehicles. Plymouth Tothill Community Centre from 10am to 4pm. Traders will also be selling railway and modelling items. Tombola during the event and hot and cold food on sale. Disabled access and plenty of parking. Entrance fee: adults £2, family £5 and concessions £1. Children under 12 free.

Table Top Sale

June 17

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

Rehabilitation Triathlon

June 22

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

Armed Forces Day

June 24

Plymouth Armed Forces Day, in association with Babcock, will be returning on Saturday June 24, with an exciting day for all the family to enjoy on Plymouth

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

Newspapers of the World

June 24 and 25

A display of newspapers of the world will be held on Saturday June 24 and Sunday June 25 at the Visitor Centre in Ford Park Cemetery. It will be open from 12.30pm to 3.30 pm. The historical newspapers will include ones of the Plymouth Blitz, old Plymouth, Royal events going back to the 19th century, the assassination of President Kennedy and more.

Plymouth Philharmonic Choir with Children from Fletewood School

June 24

The choir presents John Rutter’s The Sprig of Thyme and Andrew Carter’s Benedicite in The Minster Church of St Andrew, Plymouth at 3.30 pm. A cream tea is included in the price of the ticket. Tickets £20 in advance or £22 on the door, students and U16s £5. Tickets from www.wegottickets.com or the choir ticket manager 07949 311030. For more information, please visit plymouthphilchoir.org

Abba Tribute Night

June 24

Hosted by the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the Take a Chance on Us is a live Abba Tribute band. Two course dinner, DJ and drinks promotion on the night. For information and tickets call 01752 639900.

How to Keep Going

June 30

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

Grand Summer Fayre

July 1

St Boniface Church, St Budeaux from 10am to 12 noon. Delicious refreshments, stalls including gifts, bottles and tins, jams and chutney, home baked cakes, and more. Grand draw with lovely prizes, including a superb hamper. Admission 20p.

Coffee Morning

July 1

Crownhill Methodist Church Hall from 10.30am to 12 noon in aid of Water Aid. Books, cakes, raffle and more.

Summer Fair

July 1

Annual Summer Fair at Stoke Damerel Church, Paradise Road, Stoke. 11 am to 3pm, free entry.Variety of stalls and refreshments. To hire a stall, contact Marilyn at marilyngoldsbrough@hotmail.com

70th Anniversary Celebrations

July 8 and 9

Morice Baptist Church, Ham Drive celebrates the 70th Anniversary of the laying of the Foundation Stone on its present site. Saturday 2pm to 4pm Fun Afternoon with bouncy castle, fun activities and cream teas. Sunday 10.45am Thanksgiving Service followed by lunch. For further information please contact Chris on 01752 364513.

Plymouth Triathlon

July 9

Plymouth Triathlon Club’s annual Triathlon race at Mount Edgcumbe Country House and Park. There is a distance for everybody. From a Super Sprint to a Middle Distance and everything in between. Also the kids can race in their respective age categories on a great course. Don’t you fancy a Tri? Then why not enter the Aquathlon or Aquabike. Bring the family too, as this location is not only a stunning place to race, but great for spectators as well. Visit www. plymouthtriclub.com to enter.

Plymouth Arts Club Exhibition

Aug 1 to Aug 6

In aid of the Tower Repair Fund at the Church of the Ascension Church Hall, The Lawns, Crownhill from 10am to 4pm. Details at www.plymouthartsclub.co.uk

Love Summer Festival

Aug 4 to Aug 6

Now in its 12th year the Love Summer Festival returns to Newnham Park in Plympton. The family friendly

festival offers three stages featuring cutting edge music, children’s area, clamping and great food. Caravan and camper friendly. For details visit www. lovesummerfestival.com/festival-2023/

Mount Edgcumbe Classic Car Shows and Summer Fayre

Aug 6

Attracting over 900 cars of all marques, this is an event not to be missed for the budding petrolhead! But that’s not all – there is something for everybody during the day: over 100 stalls selling crafts, jewellery, clothes and much more, food and drink outlets including a licensed bar, bouncy castles, fairground rides and family friendly entertainment from jazz music to magicians.

Big Tribute Festival

Aug 11 to Aug 13

After the huge success of 2022, the BIG Tribute Festival 2023 is back bringing more of the BEST UK Tribute acts over three days at Central Park under the 4,500 capacity tent and larger site location for 2023. Friday is family-friendly focused with fairground rides and bouncy castles. Tickets and information at www. bigtribfest.co.uk

British Firework Championships

Aug 16 and 17

The beloved British Firework Championships return to The Hoe providing one of the best free events in the South West. Tens of thousands of people will flock to the waterfront to watch three companies compete for the title on each night.

Summer Exhibition

Aug 16 to Aug 20

Plymouth Arts Club exhibition at The Lead Works, Rendle Street, Plymouth from 10am to 4pm. Details at www.plymouthartsclub.co.uk

West End Carnival

Aug 26

Plymouth City Centre Company is hosting the Carnival with a full day of carnival fun for all the family. There will be a parade at 11am and lots of music and entertainment throughout the day.

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 Armed Forces Day returns to The Hoe on June 24

Nominations invited for the National Lottery Awards

Plymouth organisations, groups and individuals received over £5 million of funding from the National Lottery in 2021/22.

Now the National Lottery Awards are back for 2023, in search of the inspirational individuals and organisations who do amazing things with the help of National Lottery funding.

An incredible £5,006,878 of National Lottery funding went to projects in Plymouth in 2021/22 according to new figures released today to mark the launch of the 2023 National Lottery A total of 100 National Lottery grants were allocated in this period, providing crucial support to arts, sports, heritage and community organisations in Plymouth.

The National Lottery Awards are the annual celebration of the ordinary people and projects who do extraordinary things with the help of National Lottery funding and attracted more than 1,300 entrants last year.

Again, this year, The National Lottery is looking to highlight the exceptional work of local heroes who have gone the extra mile to make a difference in their communities, especially during these challenging times.

Any person or group who has received National Lottery funding is eligible for nomination.

Jonathan Tuchner, from the National Lottery, said: “Since it was established in 1994, The National Lottery has continued to make a remarkable contribution to life in the UK.

“Thanks to National Lottery players, an incredible £47 billion has been raised for good causes, with £30 million supporting people and projects around the UK every single week.

“The National Lottery Awards seek to honour those who have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the people around them. In difficult circumstances, this selfless dedication has never been more important, and we want to thank them and celebrate their incredible

The National Lottery Awards will recognise outstanding individuals in the following categories:

• Community & Charity

• Arts, Culture & Film

• Sport

• Heritage

• Environment

• Young Hero (Under 25s)

There will also be a Special Achievement Award to mark the accomplishments of an exceptional individual who has gone above and beyond to make the lives of people that little bit better in their local community.

Individual winners will be chosen by a judging panel made up of members from The National Lottery family and partners and will win a £5,000 cash prize and an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy.

To make nominations for this year’s National Lottery Awards, tweet @LottoGoodCauses using the hashtag #NLAwards with your suggestions or complete an entry form through our website: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards

Entries must be received by midday on May 16.

Students design and produce recipe book for food bank users

Two students from Arts University Plymouth have designed and produced a recipe book for people supported by Plymouth-based Provide Devon, the charity that supplies food parcels and other essentials to people in crisis.

The booklet, designed by BA (Hons) Illustration student Hannah Harvey and BA (Hons) Graphic Communication student Liam Olczyk, features accessible recipes for users of the charity, utilising ingredients provided in the food parcels.

Using a combination of fresh produce and donated food from retailers, businesses and the local community, Provide Devon distributes food parcels within hours to the charity’s referral agents. The project is part of the arts university’s Knowledge Exchange work, funded by Research England.

Twenty-year-old Liam, who is in his second year of study, said: “I worked alongside Hannah to create a recipe book for individuals benefiting from the charity’s donations. We wanted to provide them with a homely and cosy recipe book that would look lovely in someone’s kitchen, while including accessible and easy recipes.”

Third-year student Hannah, who is based in Plymouth, said: “We visited the food bank a few times in order to see how they worked on a day to day basis. They wanted a recipe booklet, and we came up with the idea of including activities and games in the back of the booklet for kids, engaging them with cooking, or to work as a distraction while parents are cooking.

“All of the recipes are simple and feature ingredients that are sourced from the food bank. There are vegetarian recipes as well as some with ingredients you can swap out for dietary requirements such as halal. It was a really collaborative process with the volunteers and me and Liam. I produced the recipe illustrations and Liam pulled it all together.”

Liam added: “After getting to know the volunteers and their needs within the charity’s operation, I also

created a brand guide for their social media; a how-to guide for creating their own Instagram and Twitter posts, as well as refreshing the design of their physical advertisement materials.

“This was my first professional design job experience so I learned a lot about breaking out of my comfort zone as a design student and really meeting the clients’ needs in my work.”

Hannah said: “It was really cool working alongside another creative. I’d not really done a lot of collaborative work, so it was quite freeing to draw the different elements and have someone else pull it together. We’d not met before the project but it worked out really well, a taste of what I can expect collaborating with other creatives in the future.”

Originally from Poland and based in South Wales before moving to Plymouth to study, Liam said that the pandemic affected his decision when it came to studying a creative degree.

“I chose Graphic Communication at Arts University Plymouth because I was really looking to throw myself into the creative world after my experience studying my A-Levels during Covid. I want to be surrounded by creatives and I felt that Arts University Plymouth ticked a lot of boxes for me, especially as a specialist university.

“My lecturers have been my biggest inspiration since starting my course. It’s so important to me to interact with and gain knowledge from people who have been on this path before me. Seeing them with very successful careers both in teaching and design is a great motivator for me. After I graduate, I would love to work locally in Plymouth. I think the creative community here is amazing and I definitely want to stay a part of that.”

Twenty-one-year-old Hannah previously studied at Arts University Plymouth’s sixth form campus at Palace Court, achieving a Distinction in a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice:

Graphics, Illustration and Game Arts in 2020.

Hannah explained why she chose Palace Court: “I didn’t want to do traditional A-Levels. I always enjoyed doing art, but I felt A-Level Art was more focused on fine art and that was never what I did. I just wanted to pursue art as much as possible, and that’s what’s great about Palace Court, you’re not stuck doing one thing. I then chose Arts University Plymouth for my degree.

“I’d really not seen any other university that appealed to me like Arts University Plymouth did. There’s so much freedom on the Illustration course. It was my grandmother who inspired me to create. She would draw a U shape and some simple facial features and I would draw the accessories and the hair. I’m so into illustration, there’s so many things I can do with it. I’m going to be so lost when my degree is over!”

Hannah and Liam’s project with Provide Devon was an Arts University Plymouth Knowledge Exchange placement supported by Research England’s Knowledge Exchange Funding for Smaller Providers.

W E ARE RE C RUITIN G

Since 1965, Princess Yachts has been manufacturing yachts to international acclaim. Today our shipyards cover an area of over 1 1 million square feet across six sites in Plymouth, employing over 3,000 people

Whether you are beginning your career or looking to take the next step, your skills to the highest level.

We currently have vacancies for a variety of rewarding positions at all levels, including Carpentry, Engineering, Welding, Fabricating and more

Benefits include

• Competitive pay

• Pension contributions

• Employee discounts platform

• 4 and 3 day working week

• Training

• Occupational health

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Flexible shift patterns and more

Discover our range of career opportunities and apply at www.princessyachts com/careers or scan the QR code below

Hannah and Liam with one of the Provide Devon volunteers

As part of a Year 2 ‘explorers’ topic, Eggbuckland Vale Primary School sponsored a polar expedition by local adventurer Antony Jinman.

The Seals class were very excited to receive back the school flag that

LABOUR BACK IN CONTROL OF PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL AFTER TORY VOTE COLLAPSES

Labour swept back to power in the Plymouth City Council elections on May 4.

Labour increased its number of seats from 24 to 31, reducing the Conservatives to 18 seats. Prominent councillors such as Nick Kelly - a former Cponservative leader of the council - Chaz Singh, Jonathan Drean and George Wheeler all lost their seats.

Tudor Evans becomes the new leader of the council - the fifth time he has held that post. He has represented Ham Ward since 1988 and has led the Labour Group on the council since 1998.

Tudor Evans...leader of the council for the fifth time

It was a good night for Labour, gaining seven seats, as well as holding onto all the seats that they were defending. It meant that they won 15 of the 19 seats being contested on the night.

Labour gained seats from the Conservatives in Budshead, Eggbuckland, Moor View, and Southway and also gained St Budeaux, where Green Party candidate George Wheeler was ousted.

The only seat the Conservatives held on the night was Plymstock Radford where Kathy Watkin finished ahead of Labour’s Roger Dodd by less than 250 votes.

Independent Terri Beer held Plympton Erle with a substantial majority, while former Conservative Patrick Nicholson standing as an Independent won Plympton St Mary with a majority of over 1,000 votes.

Turnout was 32.1 per cent - marginally higher than the last local elections in 2022. It was the first local election when voters were required to provide ID before casting their vote.

The new Labour Cabinet, which took control at the council’s annual meeting on May 19 has been announced. See next page.

Information Commissioner reprimand for Plymouth City Council

Plymouth City Council has been reprimanded by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for failing to respond to the public when asked for personal information held about them - known as a Subject Access Request (SAR).

Plymouth City Council repeatedly failed to meet the legal deadline of one to three months for responding to a SAR. The ICO has issued a reprimand to the council instructing it to take steps to ensure that the public receive their personal information within the statutory period.

Following enquiries, the ICO found that delays were found at Plymouth City Council over the last three years, with 18 requests taking up to two years to complete and a further 18 requests taking between three months and one year. There were 20 outstanding requests up to a year old, and eight requests still outstanding up to two years later. The highest compliance rate for SARs completed on time was 77% in 2022-2023.

Stephen Eckersley, ICO director of investigations, said: “Asking an organisation for the personal information they hold is a fundamental information right, helping people to understand how and why their data is being used. Delays to this process can cause anxiety or distress and have significant impact on people’s lives if they cannot receive copies of their data on time.

“With these backlogs of requests, Plymouth City Council is undermining public confidence by failing to be transparent and accountable. It is also denying residents access to their other information rights, such as asking for the information to be changed or deleted. Other organisations should take note that we will act if they fail to meet their legal obligations when responding to SARs.”

While the council invested in staff to tackle the requests, the reprimand outlined further steps to improve compliance with data protection law. The council must ensure that it has adequate staff resources in place to respond to SARs on time, and continue to implement effective measures to address the outstanding requests.

The ICO has asked Plymouth City Council to provide details of actions taken to address these recommendations within six months of the reprimand being issued.

An SAR is a request made by or on behalf of an individual for the information which they are entitled to ask for under Article 15 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation.

City Council’s new top team is named

Leader of the Labour administration, Tudor Evans has announced his top political team that will lead Plymouth City Council. The 10-strong Cabinet is responsible for the political leadership of the council and making the key decisions following the annual meeting on May 19.

Councillor Evans said the team would immediately start implementing the ambitions set out in the Labour manifesto and working on top priorities, including providing more support to help residents deal with the cost of living crisis and resolving the urgent issues with the Armada Way scheme.

He added: “It is clear that people in Plymouth have an appetite for change and we will not let them down. We will create a council that is focused on addressing the things that matter. We have an exceptionally strong team to lead the council’s new Labour administration and one that will bring a fresh and more dynamic approach to tackling the key issues.

“Each member brings extensive experience to their portfolio, from their previous service on the Council and from their work in their communities and in a wide range of sectors.

“All of them are passionate about doing their best for local people and are ready to get stuck in and build a better Plymouth.

“The council faces many challenges and there’s a huge amount to do, but I am confident that we have an extremely capable and driven political leadership team that will demonstrate just how much can be achieved for the residents of Plymouth when the ambition and commitment is there.”

The new administration’s priorities that the Cabinet will be charged with delivering, include working with the police to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour, repairing potholes, clamping down on litter and fly-tipping, supporting house building for social rent and affordable ownership, ensuring Plymouth benefits from green jobs by

helping companies create them and working with the NHS to tackle waiting lists for GPs and dentists.

The Cabinet membersare:

Coun Tudor Evans OBE – Leader

Coun Jemima Laing – Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for Children’s Social Care, Culture, Events and Communications

Coun Mary Aspinall – Cabinet member for Health and Adult Social Care

Coun Sally Haydon – Cabinet member for Community Safety, Libraries and Cemeteries and Crematoria

Coun Chris Penberthy – Cabinet member for Housing, Co-operative Development and Communities

Coun Sally Cresswell – Cabinet member for

Education, Skills and Apprenticeships

Coun Mark Lowry – Cabinet member for Finance

Coun Mark Coker – Cabinet member for Planning and Transport

Coun Tom Briars-Delve – Cabinet member for Environment and Climate Change

Coun Sue Dann – Cabinet member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure and Human Resources and Organisational Development.

As well as strategic leadership of the council, Councillor Evans’ portfolio of responsibilities includes economy and enterprise, regional and local economic strategy, the corporate plan, corporate policy development, HM Dockyard and defence issues, strategic and commercial projects and the National Marine Park.

NSPCC seeks volunteers to help deliver Speak Out, Stay Safe programme in schools in Plymouth

A series of information events are set to be held by the NSPCC across the South West in a bid to recruit new volunteers for the charity’s successful schools service.

Last year in Plymouth the NSPCC delivered its Speak Out, Stay Safe programme to 10,735 children in 36 schools across the city. Volunteers play a big role in going out to local schools to help children stay safe.

Speak Out, Stay Safe is a safeguarding programme provided by the NSPCC for children aged 5 to 11. It is available free to all primary schools in the UK.

It helps children, in an age-appropriate way, to understand abuse in all its forms and how to recognise the signs; that abuse is never a child’s fault and that they have the right to be happy and safe; and where to get help including the NSPCC’s Childline service.

The NSPCC is currently recruiting volunteers in Plymouth and across the South West to deliver workshops to Year Five and Six primary school children. Full training and support is provided for volunteers and they work alongside school staff and other volunteers to deliver the workshops.

Volunteering for the Speak Out, Stay Safe programme is suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds. All volunteers are asked to be available to deliver two school visits a month with a minimum commitment of 12 months.

Sheila Simpson is a Speak Out, Stay Safe volunteer. She said: “After leaving the civil service, I retrained as a psychotherapist and was struck

when people described difficult childhoods and said they hadn’t realised this wasn’t normal for all children, so they had never asked for help.  That led me to research how to help inform children better at a younger age, and I found the NSPCC Speak Out, Stay Safe programme. I’ve been volunteering for about eight8 years now and have made some wonderful friends too.

“I really enjoy seeing how the Speak Out, Stay Safe programme engages the children. It both informs and empowers them. I absolutely love going into schools to deliver it.”

Fellow volunteer Janice Sibthorpe explained why she volunteers for the NSPCC: “I began volunteering for Speak Out, Stay Safe in 2013, after reading an article about it in the Evening Standard. The article described the service and talked about bullying and how devastating it can be if there is no one to talk to, no one to turn to.

“Previous to this a family member had been bullied, verbally and physical at school to the extent that they were the one to leave the school and look for a different school.

“Had they seen a Speak Out, Stay Safe assembly or workshop they may have had the courage to seek help sooner and to keep on speaking out until someone listened. The idea of speaking directly to children in a safe and age appropriate way about all forms of abuse, and that abuse is never a child’s fault resonated with me then and still does.”

Michelle Green, NSPCC South West and Channel Islands Schools Service manager, said: “The Speak

Out, Stay Safe programme began in 2011 and we currently deliver the service to 90% of primary schools in South West and Channel Islands

“You don’t have to have previous experience working with children to become a volunteer, but we do ask that you are over 16, have good communication skills and that you are passionate about children’s rights and letting children know about their rights.

“We are looking for volunteers from throughout the South West. Full training is provided and all we ask is that you commit to at least two workshops a month in schools that are convenient to you.”

Volunteer Information Meetings are being held in May and June for people who are interested in becoming volunteers for the NSPCC with Speak Out, Stay Safe. These meetings, held online, will give anyone interested more information about the role as well as a chance to ask questions.

To register an interest as a volunteer and sign up for a Volunteer Information Meeting in Plymouth go to https://join-us.nspcc.org. uk/volunteers/vacancy/speak-out-stay-safevolunteer-information-meeting-cornwall/6594/ description/

The closing date to register is June 23 and the webpage also has more information about becoming a volunteer for the NSPCC.

Anyone worried about a child, contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc. org.uk Children and young people who need help and support can contact Childline by calling 0800 111.

Council leader Tudor Evans (centre) with his new Cabinet

Top awards for Derriford consultant

Professor Tim Nutbeam, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Derriford Hospital, and his team have won two awards for their research project, Extrication in Trauma (EXIT).

Tim founded the EXIT project, which was funded by the Road Safety Trust, alongside his colleague Rob Fenwick, a Consultant Nurse at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, in 2007 to conduct research in the field of post collision response. The project explored the impact of different emergency response processes on the outcomes of motor vehicle collisions with the aim to improve the care of patients and reduce worldwide death and disability.

Motor vehicle collisions are the second most common cause of major trauma in the UK. World-wide, they are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, accounting for 1.35 million deaths each year. Patients who remain within their vehicle following an incident and cannot leave without assistance are considered to be ‘trapped’.

Tim and his team worked alongside firefighters, fire services, methodologists, experts in biomechanics, automotive engineers, medics, air ambulance teams, charities, public and statutory bodies and statisticians, to carrying out research into the

PLYMOUTH’S NEW LUXURY CINEMA IS NOW OPEN

Plymouth cinema goers are in for a treat after Everyman opened its 41st venue in Royal William Yard’s Melville Building on June 2.

The new cinema will set new standards of luxury with three extensive screens and 190 seats all fitted with Everyman’s velvet sofas and armchairs for ultimate comfort.

Customers will benefit from an extensive food and drink menu, all available to be ordered and served directly to their seat. The menu offers hand-stretched pizzas and small plates from salt and pepper squid, to buttermilk chicken, as well as a range of plant-based dishes. There also a choice of premium burgers and desserts.

The new venue will also be operating a full bar with speciality wine and beer, cocktails and a range of alcohol-free drinks.

Each of the three screens will present state of the art technology for high quality viewings of various blockbuster films, documentaries and intimate live screenings.

Tickets for the new Everyman cinema are on sale now and can be purchased at www. www.everymancinema.com/venues-list/g01rjeveryman-plymouth

Everyman Plymouth also presents an exclusive Founder Membership offer, available for a limited time. Founder members at Plymouth will receive complimentary popcorn for their first year, plus a unique Founder Members card that isn’t available anywhere else. Those who choose to become an EVERYWHERE member will also receive six bottles of Everyman’s favourite wines.

For more information on Everyman Memberships visit www.everymancinema.com/ plymouth-founder-membership.

extrication of patients and thanks to their collaborative effort, found that current practice was not optimal.

Following the project, which consisted of a series of nine studies on road safety, the team found that self-extrication should be delivered where possible to minimise the time patients remain trapped. This recommendation has now been implemented into various national guidance and has led to changes in practice that have a direct impact in improving patient outcomes.

Due to this success, the project has won a number of awards including the TARN Improvement in Trauma Care Award and the Prince Michael International Award for Road Safety. Tim has also been awarded the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care Medal for 2022 which recognises exceptional people who have delivered fundamental change within the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care.

Speaking about the Prince Michael award Tim said: “We are extremely grateful to have been recognised for this prestigious award as it provides us with further opportunity to spread the message about our research. It adds the missing piece to our jigsaw to improve patient outcomes and saves lives both in the UK and internationally.”

LEIGHAM’S YOUNG ROAD SAFETY STARS

A group of dedicated Year 5 children at Leigham Primary School have worked hard on a project to create a safer environment outside their school entrance for children going to and from school.

They have had six weeks of early starts and later finishes as Junior Road Safety Officers at the school’s front gate. They carried out traffic surveys and handed out leaflets to remind people of where else they can park in the surrounding areas. The children have seen a big improvement as a result of the campaign, with some people even changing where they parked because they saw the area being monitored by pupils.

To celebrate the success of the project, Leigham Primary School welcomed Angelique from the Road Safety Team in Plymouth into their whole school assembly.  She came in with a special visitor – Ricky the Road Safety Dog! Angelique thanked the children for their support during the campaign and particular thanks went to the Year 5 pupils for being top Junior Road Safety Officers.

Now the campaign is over, children are hoping that parents will continue to park further away from the congested areas around school gates, to keep pupils and families safe.

The Box selected for key role in exploring conflicts through art

The Box has been selected as a partner for the Imperial War Museums’ national art commissioning programme.

The Box will be part of the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund, a national partnership programme of over 20 artist commissions inspired by the heritage of conflict. The fund was created following the success of 14-18 NOW, the official UK arts programme for the First World War centenary.

The Box is one of nine new partners who each receive £20,000 from the IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund to realise their commissions, tackling subjects that range from rebuilding after the Second World War to reconciliation in the aftermath of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

The Box will be using the Falklands conflict of 1982 as a starting point for its project, which will explore the idea of home and what it means to come home during or after a time of war. The project team will be working with veterans

and service families over the coming months and hopes to select an artist later this year. The outcome of its commission will take place in spring/summer 2024.

Rebecca Newell, Head of Art for Imperial War Museums said: “The IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy fund builds on Imperial War Museums’ rich and longstanding history of commissioning art.

“One year into this programme, we are delighted by the diversity of exceptional arts experiences that have been created and shared with audiences. We look forward to expanding this work with artists, organisations and communities across the UK, continuing to highlight stories of conflict in engaging and creative ways.”

The IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund is made possible by a share of the royalties from Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed film They Shall Not Grow Old.

The Box joins a diverse existing cohort of national partners who have all received £20,000 each for their commissions.

The Fund has also awarded £250,000 each to five major partners or ‘co-commissioners’ who will be working with five world-leading artists including Turner Prize nominees, to explore themes that include care work in conflict and the current refugee crisis.

Jodie Bishop, public art officer at The Box said: “The IWM 14-18 NOW Legacy Fund creates new opportunities for organisations to collaborate with artists and bring art to audiences in new and relevant ways.

“War should never be celebrated, but we are pleased to be given the chance to collaborate with an artist and members of the community to create something that will examine and explore a conflict that took place within many of our living memories in a different way.”

Velvet sofas at Everyman

Consultant Professor Tim Nutbeam (left) pictured with Prince Michael of Kent and other members of the team

Vauxhall And CUPRA

added to Vospers line up

Vospers, one of the South West‘s most well-known car dealership groups, was recently appointed as the main dealer for Vauxhall in Plymouth, replacing the former main dealer Evans Halshaw.

The addition of Vauxhall to the wide choice of world-renowned car manufacturer marques continues the consistent development of the Vospers group, which has built a reputation for its commitment to customer satisfaction since the company began in 1946.

A temporary showroom is now open at Vospers’ state of the art premises at Marsh Mills to support the needs of all Vauxhall car sales and aftersales customers. Vauxhall commercial vehicle sales and aftersales customers are to be looked after by the dedicated Vospers Van Centre team, located at Valley Road in Plympton, Plymouth.

By the Summer of 2023, Vospers will have made a substantial investment in the Vauxhall brand. This includes a dedicated showroom with the latest corporate identity, and an investment in the latest workshop equipment.

Nick Vosper, Managing Director of Vospers, said: “I am very excited to be adding Vauxhall to the Vospers portfolio of brands, who are ideally positioned to offer a great range of vehicles, including all-electric and plug-in hybrid models, at affordable prices.

As part of the change of representation in Plymouth, all current Evans Halshaw employees have been offered jobs with Vospers. As a family business Vospers were keen to ensure that there are no redundancies for existing staff, and a smooth transition for existing customers.

Nick Vosper went on to say: “We have a strong, talented, and caring team at Vospers, who are well equipped to look after all of our customers’ needs. With the addition of Vauxhall, we look forward to welcoming a number of new employees and customers to the Vospers family.”

Vospers are also excited to announce the addition of CUPRA. A new dedicated CUPRA showroom has opened at Matford, Exeter, and CUPRA has been

added to the SEAT dealership at Marsh Mills, Plymouth, with an upgrade to the showroom corporate identity This means that CUPRA has finally arrived in Devon, with two dealership locations.

As a progressive future facing brand, CUPRA’s bold attitude and unconventional style is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who loves driving in style. Not to mention their all-electric and e-HYBRID cars that deliver top notch performance, comfort, and efficiency.

With the addition of CUPRA Vospers will be offering a full range of products and services for CUPRA vehicles going forwards.

Nick Vosper closed by saying: “The motor industry is as exciting as ever. We continue to invest in the success and growth of the Vospers business, enabling us to offer our customers the best possible choice for their motoring needs.”

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Work to start next year on Derriford’s new £180m emergency care facility

Work on the new Urgent and Emergency Care Facility at Derriford will start in 2024 following the Government’s announcement that it is providing over £180 million funding for the scheme.

Enabling work is already under way on the project which will see a four-storey building covering over 180,000 square feet - equivalent to more than two full-size football pitches.

This purpose-built facility will increase Derriford’s ability to see patients more quickly, improve privacy for our patients, provide adequate rest areas for our staff and provide an all-round improved service at the front door for the region’s largest acute hospital and major trauma centre for the south west peninsula.

Future Hospital programme director, Stuart Windsor, said: “Modernising our estate and our emergency care and theatre provision is hugely important, not only to provide sufficient capacity for the growing population of Plymouth and the wider peninsula, but so we can deliver outstanding integrated care, to unlock better outcomes, to reduce

inequalities and to improve lives across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall.”

He said that the scheme, which will be completed in phases would deliver a much needed paediatric emergency department as

well as improved facilities for staff. Work will also start shortly on the construction of a new building to house the hospital’s fracture clinic which will move the service from its current location next to the Emergency Department.

He added that most importantly the new Urgent and Emergency Care Facility would provide space to care effectively and efficiently for the increasing number of patients presenting with urgent and emergency conditions.

The new facility will include:

• Four floors of emergency care facilities

• New same day emergency care facility

• New interventional radiology theatres

• New hybrid surgical theatres

• State-of-the-art diagnostic equipment

• Increased space to care for rising number of patients

• Reduction in waiting times and faster diagnosis.

Marjon student’s key post in international boxing

Plymouth Marjon University student Stuart O’Connor has been appointed as the Performance Director of the Swedish Boxing Federation.

Stuart joined Marjon in September 2021 and enrolled on the MSc High-Performance Sport Coaching programme part-time while coaching boxing at an international level for Great Britain.He joined the course to improve his theoretical knowledge and understanding of coaching to pursue his career goal of becoming a performance director at Olympic level in the future.

Stuart identified that he needed the critical awareness and depth of understanding required to create highperforming cultures and manage large operations, which are essential requirements for performance directors.

Newly appointed performance director Stuart, said:  “This course has broadened my understanding of the different insights of coaching; specifically understanding cultural

differences and needs analysis of different personnel within an organisation.

“One of the assessments was to design our own strategic plan that focused on the operational

and relational requirements for creating a high performing environment, something I am now applying in my role.

The MSc High-Performance Sport Coaching degree has

helped me to reach the highest coaching level in my career so far.”

Aaron Cusack, senior lecturer in Sport Coaching and Physical Education at Marjon, said: “Stuart has made outstanding progress on the course which has led to his appointment as performance director of the Swedish Boxing Federation.

He arrived as an elite-level boxing coach already but needed the critical knowledge and understanding of how the key processes, associated with athlete and operational development, can harness the creation of high performing environments.

“This awareness has since allowed Stuart to pitch these insights successfully at an interview, and this epitomises what the High Performance Sport Coaching programme is all about.”

Stuart has secured a fouryear contract as performance director for the Swedish Boxing Federation and will be responsible for overseeing all the boxing provision at national, international, and Olympic levels.

Boxing clever...Stuart O’Connor

Artist’s impressions of the new building

Wolferstans move mountains for The Mustard Tree charity

Staff from Plymouth-based law firm, Wolferstans Solicitors, recently embarked on a gruelling climb up Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, to raise funds for The Mustard Tree, a charity that supported their late colleague Sharon Roberts during her battle with cancer.

The team, made up of Holly Bowditch, Julian Burrows, James Twine, Jack Harvey, Paige Bartlett, Pippa Tanner-Wood, Mara Cunha and Sam Porritt, took on the challenge in memory of Sharon, who passed away last year, and to give back to the organisation that had supported her and her family during such a difficult time.

The climb was no easy feat, with the team facing both physical and mental challenges throughout the journey. The team persevered though and successfully reached the summit of Ben Nevis, raising an impressive £3000 for The Mustard Tree in the process.

Reflecting on the experience, team member Julian Burrows said: “The climb was tough, both physically and mentally. But we kept Sharon in our hearts and minds throughout the journey, knowing that the challenges we faced were nothing compared to what she had gone through. We were absolutely determined to succeed for Sharon and for The Mustard Tree.”

The Mustard Tree expressed their gratitude for Wolferstans Solicitors’ support, saying: “We are passionate about supporting people effected by cancer here at the Mustard

Tree, and it’s great to work alongside the Wolferstans team who clearly feel the same.

“Every pound donated goes toward local service provision or plans in some way improve outcomes for those we support; on behalf of all the staff at the Mustard Tree, future cancer patients, carers, and families

across our locality, thank you Wolferstans Ben Nevis team!”

Wolferstans Solicitors is committed to supporting charitable causes and making a positive impact in their local community. This is just one of many initiatives undertaken to support organisations in need.

Taking a well-earned break on the climb

Peak performance at the top of Ben Nevis

Enjoying the spectacular scenery

It’s chess - but not as we know it!

An intriguing exhibition in Stonehouse will open with a battle to make an art of chess.

Celebrated sculptor Miranda Housden from Torpoint will stage her first exhibition as a painter when ‘Players’ has opened at the Old Morgue in Stonehouse.

She has depicted each of the 32 pieces on a chess board as a representation of someone she knows, transferring emotions and memories associated with each of her ‘subjects’ onto canvas.

“Behind each painting,‚“ said Miranda, “is a real person and a relationship that is constantly at play. Exploring scale from the towering bishop to a minute pawn, it is the six-foot black queen – my mother - who dominates.”

Miranda’s inspiration for the ‘chess’ paintings began during Covid following a conversation with a stranger online. Imagining the pieces as real people, Miranda started to think about how, over a lifetime, people drop in and out of our lives becoming more, or less, significant.

She added: “I started working on this in lockdown and spent many months selecting characters, agonising over relationships, and swapping people in and out of the game.”

Just as the game inspired the exhibition, so the exhibition now returns to the game. In the midst of the artistic drama, Miranda has invited chess clubs from across Devon and Cornwall to battle it under the paintings on the opening night.

Players are taking part from clubs in Exmouth, South Hams and Plymouth to compete in the Blitz Chess Tournament. Phil McConnell, secretary of the Torbay Chess League said the games will be fast and furious.

“Typically, a traditional game of chess lasts more than three hours but with Blitz Chess it’s reduced to about ten minutes: it’s really exciting to play and really exciting to watch.,” he added.

The competition is also hotting up, said Phil, because of the trophy: “Chess trophies aren’t normally very exciting!”

This one is unique. It has been designed and made by Miranda’s close friend, the internationally renowned glass artist, Gill Mannings Cox, who is herself depicted in the exhibition as one of the two black bishops.

For Miranda, however, it is more than just a prize, and will be presented in memory of her grandfather, Richard, who taught her how to play the game when she was a young girl.

Now more than 50 years later, her grandfather is back in the room as the white rook along with 31 extraordinary paintings which collectively convey that life is more than just a game.

‘Players’ the exhibition by Miranda Housden runs in The Old Morgue in Manor Street, Stonehouse from 10am to 6pm until July 22. For more information visit www. mirandahousden.com

Thornbury Primary School on shortlist for prestigious award

Thornbury Primary School is the only state school in Devon to be shortlisted in the national TES Awards, a fantastic achievement for all the staff and families at the school.

The prestigious TES Awards involves a rigorous judging process and although it is the first time Thornbury Primary has entered the awards, it has been shortlisted for the Pupil Mental Health Initiative of the Year award.

Headteacher Claire Hardisty said: ”The TES Schools Awards recognises the very best teachers and education providers from UK state and independent schools, including early years settings, primary and secondary.

“This is the first time we’ve ever entered the awards as a school, although as a Trust we have just won the Community Impact Award from the MultiAcademy Trust Association for our Ocean Conservation Curriculum.

“Mental health is at the heart of everything we do at Thornbury Primary. From the way the children come into school every morning to the support we provide to parents, we are all fully committed in building emotional resilience and helping people to learn to support themselves and others.

“To make it easier for children to relate to, we use ‘Animal Aces’ which are embedded into our culture, such as Friendly Otter and Truthful Toad. They often stimulate interesting conversations with the children about the way people behave, and what really matters.

“We’re absolutely delighted that the TES judges have recognised our commitment to wellbeing, which really does reflect the ethos of our school and of Connect Academy Trust.”

The TES awards are among the most highly regarded in the teaching profession, with a long-established reputation for a rigorous judging process. The panel of awards judges include school leaders, experts and education researchers.

TES editor and chief judge of the awards Jon Severs said: “With these awards

Are you over 18 and need help or support with something that is affecting you or your life but doesn’t need direct help from Adult Social Care or Health Services?

we honour the education community, whom we have served for over 112 years. This year has seen some incredibly high-quality entries. So every teacher and school who has been named in this shortlist should be very proud – it’s a fantastic achievement.”

“We are looking forward to showcasing, as we do every year, just how vital our education professionals are to every facet of this country. Teachers, leaders and support staff all play such an important role in schools: this is our chance to say thank you for all that they do.”

The TES Schools Awards winners will be announced on June 23 at a gala ceremony at London’s Grosvenor Park Hotel.

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

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

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

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

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

We are open Monday – Friday, 10.00am – 4.00pm, closed on Bank Holidays.

Miranda’s white knight

@PlymChronicle June 2023 15

Whitleigh arts group create mosaic for the community

Members of the well-being art group and (below) the eye-catching mosaic

Whitleigh Well-being Art Group have been working hard over the last three months, supported by West Devon Arts, to create a mosaic for the Co-op wall on Whitleigh Green.

The mosaic celebrates the local environment and Whitleigh’s outstanding community spirit.

One of the main aims of the wellbeing group is to create art and activities that benefit the whole community, and the hope is that the mosaic will bring a bit of happiness to the community who shop locally or visit the green.

Pippa from Whitleigh Big Local who helps run the group explained that the Well-being Art Group was established to help combat social isolation, anxiety, and depression and its purpose is to provide a safe space that is free, accessible, and welcoming, which supports people of all abilities to come together.

It is open every week on Wednesdays from 12 noon to 3pm at Salvation Army Hall on Lancaster Gardens. For more information contact Pippa at Whitleigh Big Local.

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Swimming at Mount Wise to stay free

Charges that had been planned for the popular Mount Wise swimming pools will not be introduced, says the new Labour-led council administration.

Mount Wise features three pools – a 25-metre main pool, a fun pool with fountains, stepping stones, a whirlpool and a bubble pool and a small pool where children can paddle and build their confidence in the water. The facility has fantastic views across the Tamar River.

As part of the 2023/24 budget proposals, it was announced last year that swimmers could be charged to use the outdoor pools this summer. However, in one of its first decisions, the new council administration has scrapped the proposals, keeping the Mount Wise pools free to access during the cost-of-living crisis.

Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Libraries and Cemeteries and Crematoria, said: “Things are really tough for so many families across the city. Many can’t afford to have days out and trips with the family. Where we can keep things free or low-cost, we really should try.

“It is clear that the savings we would have made by introducing charges at Mount Wise would have been small, compared to how much the pools being free of charge means to local people. Therefore, we have decided to find the money elsewhere.”

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Plymouth has UK’s first European Blue Schools

A Plymouth education trust which runs five primary schools in the city has become the first in the UK to be awarded Blue School status for its work on inspiring and educating children about the ocean.

Children at Connect Academy Trust schools in Plymouth get the opportunity to learn about the ocean through the trust’s award-winning Ocean Conservation curriculum.   All five of the primary schools teach the new curriculum, and the Blue Schools Award recognises the schools’ efforts to ‘bring the ocean into the classroom’.

This means every child at Widey Court, Manadon Vale, Eggbuckland Vale, Leigham, and Thornbury primary schools has opportunities to study the ocean from age four right through to 11, not just in the classroom, but at the Aquarium, on the beach and on boat trips. As well as learning about the ocean in science, they study it in other subjects including English, art, geography and

history in cross-curricular teaching units.

The headteacher of each school received a special certificate, presented by Nicola Bridge, head of ocean advocacy and engagement at of the Ocean Conservation Trust.

The Ocean Conservation Trust’s schools programme manager Stu Higgs said: “You’re joining an international community of 205 schools around the world, about half of which are in the EU. It’s a growing network of educators who care deeply about the ocean and who are finding ways to pass on that care to our children.

“It’s a wonderful achievement and we’re very proud to have been a part of your journey with the new curriculum, and to be awarding you with these certificates as the UK hub for Blue Schools.”

Stuart Bellworthy, chief executive of Connect said: “We are delighted that, as well as giving children amazing learning opportunities, our ocean conservation curriculum has resulted in

our accreditation as European Blue Schools. It is fantastic to see our hard work being recognised as a first for the UK.  I would like to thank all the research scientists at the Ocean Conservation Trust, Marine Biological Association and Plymouth Marine Laboratory, for their support in getting us to this point and for celebrating with us at our recent award ceremony.”

Gennadi Lessin, senior marine system modeller at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, said “I have been involved in the design and development of the new curriculum from the beginning and it’s been a privilege to be here today to see Connect schools win Blue School status. Plymouth Marine Laboratory has a duty to share our knowledge of marine life with the wider community and this is exactly the sort of project we want to be part of. We hope that other schools come forward to get involved and perhaps include the curriculum in their school lives too.’

SUPERHEROES VISIT THORNBURY

The youngest children at Thornbury Primary School have spent time getting to meet some of their real-life superheroes.

Teaching staff arranged a series of visits to the school for foundation stage children as part of their ‘to the rescue’ project. Visitors have included a school caretaker who has to fix things when they go wrong, a care home assistant, a phlebotomist (a scientist who takes blood samples), a dentist, nurse, paramedics, fire officers and, most recently, police officers.

The police officers told the children all about what equipment they use – including handcuffs, tasers, pepper spray, batons, body-cameras and radios. They even got to try on police helmets, test the sirens and blue lights and use radio handsets to speak to other officers at the police station. But even with all this special equipment, they also learnt that often police officers just have to use their voices and ask people to do things.

The children discovered that there is a lot more to police work than catching criminals; the police also help at accidents, big events and generally look after people and help our communities.

With paramedics, children sat in the front seat of the ambulance as well as looking around the back and lying on a stretcher. They also practised making triangle slings, and tried out the heartbeat

Heads of the eight Connect schools are joined by Stu Higgs and Nicola Bridge of the Ocean Conservation Trust to celebrate Blue School status at the National Marine Aquarium Photo: credit Sam Jones, Jelly Images.

and oxygen monitor that pegs on the finger. Headteacher Claire Hardisty said: “A huge thank you to all the superheroes who have visited

Thornbury and helped inspire the next generation to think about some of the most important jobs in our community.”

WIDEY CELEBRATIONS

Widey Court Primary School has celebrated its 60th birthday – along with the Coronation!

Headteacher Shaun Nicholls said: “We were planning a whole school celebration of our birthday and then it coincided with the Coronation. It was too good an opportunity to miss so we incorporated the Coronation into the day and the children loved it.”

On the day, the children made their own crowns and took advantage of a gap in the rain to form a giant human crown of their own on the playing fields.

“We’ve had the image made into a big jigsaw and it looks amazing. We also held a competition for the children to write a story about Beth and Bluebell, the rescue Jack Russell Terriers who belong to Queen Camilla.

“The winning story, by Eva in Year 4, has been made into a book. We’re going to package the jigsaw and book up together and send it to King Charles and Queen Camilla as a celebration from all of us at Widey Court Primary School.”

Eva did her own illustrations of her story and it is hoped that children will continue to enjoy her story for years to come.

Aye-Aye the geriatric cat in need of lifesaving care

Gables Dogs & Cats Home have recently taken in an elderly cat called Aye-Aye from the RSPCA.

The lovely elderly girl was found lying in a road in a collapsed state and was extremely cold, underweight and lethargic. She was taken to a local veterinary practice where it was found that she was hyperthyroid and in need of urgent medical care. Sadly she was not microchipped so there was no way to trace her owner. Now that she is in the care of Gables they can effectively treat her condition and find her a new home where she will be comfortable and happy.

Gables are determined to help Aye-Aye back to good health. General manager, Claire Sparkes said: “When Aye Aye arrived she was clearly very underweight with a body score of just two out of nine, and in a very poor condition. She was not underweight due to just being old, she has untreated medical issues and has not been fed properly.

“We were pleased to be able to offer her our help. She is already starting to put on weight due to receiving six small meals a day of a top quality veterinary diet in the short time she has been with us. She has such a lovely character and she will be a lovely companion for someone very lucky.

Once she is strong enough she will need dental treatment to remove some very rotten teeth and a tumour on her jaw inside her mouth. She will also need a heart scan and bloods taken to assess how well her hyperthyroidism medication is working. In the mean time she will still enjoy plenty of

attention from Gables staff and lots of good food.

It is estimated it will cost Gables £4,000 for all the treatment and medication that Aye-Aye will need now and into the future, as well as basic care such as flea and worm treatment and vaccinations. As she is an elderly cat Gables will continue to support her new owners with her veterinary care.

To help to ease Gables financial burden by making a contribution to Aye Aye’s Vet Appeal call 01752 331602 or visit www.justgiving.com/ campaign/AyeAye to donate online.

Aye-Aye pictured with Gables deputy manager Ruth Rickard

Cost of living help on way to Plymouth households

More than 34,000 Plymouth households are set to benefit from cost of living support thanks to the Household Support Fund.

Plymouth City Council has received more than £4.5 million of funding to use over the coming year to support residents affected by the cost of living crisis.

The funding will support those most likely to be affected including families, single adults and people with disabilities that are on low incomes, pensioners, care experienced young people, unpaid carers and people living in temporary accommodation. Priority will be given to those who are at most at risk of food or fuel poverty.

More than £1.7 million will be used to provide food vouchers during school holidays to families with children that are eligible for free school meals, to the value of £13 per child, per week. This includes this year’s summer holiday, May and October half-terms, Christmas holiday and February 2024 half-term.

A further £750,000 will be distributed to eligible residents in the form of food and fuel vouchers and essential household goods via an application process with Citizens Advice Plymouth. This will be split between multiple rounds of funding, with the first round due to open in early July. Details will be shared on the council’s website.

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Cooperative Development and Communities, said: “Plymouth residents are struggling with the rising cost of living, we have just heard of ongoing double figure inflation in basic food stuffs. For many the very basics are becoming unaffordable, with many parents worrying about how they will feed their children in the school holidays. The fund will enable us to support vulnerable people of all ages, including those who fall through the gaps because they are exempt from benefits or other forms of support.

“Tackling the cost of living crisis is an absolute priority for us and the Council’s new administration has pledged to produce a Cost of Living action plan to ensure that we are offering as much support as possible to our residents as we navigate through these difficult times. These funds will be a part of that solution.”

Funding will be provided to other organisations including Plymouth Energy Community, Improving Lives Plymouth, P.A.T.H (Plymouth Access to Housing) and domestic abuse charities to support their service users and people referred to them.

To help residents struggling with debt, three advice worker roles have been funded for the next year with two based at Citizens Advice Plymouth and one at Plymouth Energy Community.

The fund will also help people living in supported and temporary accommodation with their energy costs, and people at risk of homelessness with the costs of food, utilities and essential furniture.

The Household Support Fund is provided by the Department of Work and Pensions.

Find more cost of living support on the Council’s website at www.plymouth.gov.uk/ costofliving

SPAR WHOLESALER RAISES £30,000 FOR MARIE CURIE

South West SPAR wholesaler, Appleby Westward, has raised over £30,000 for endof-life charity, Marie Curie.

Over the past year, the Cornwall-based company has held multiple fundraising events at its head office and has encouraged its company-owned and independently-owned SPAR stores to do the same. Many of Appleby Westward’s South West stores have got involved in fundraising by holding cake sales, raffles and competitions.

Each store has also donated 10p from each bunch of bananas (including 5p per bunch donated to the fund by banana-giant Fyffes) and each bunch of daffodils sold during March, to tie in with Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal during the same month. Stores also stocked Marie Curie’s daffodil pins.

The staff at Appleby Westward’s head office have created a ‘staff shop’ containing snacks and office supplies. They also hold regular raffles and donate any money raised through Christmas Jumper Day to Marie Curie each year.

One area manager even went the extra mile and got his legs waxed to raise money at one of his Plymouth stores.

Appleby Westward has supported Marie Curie since 2017 and has raised over £143,000 since then.

Marie Curie Corporate Partnerships manager, Imogen Duffin, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Appleby Westward’s staff and SPAR stores for their support of Marie Curie. From staff members fundraising individually, to cross-store promotions, their donations mean that we can be there for people at the end of life.”

In addition to its fundraising efforts, Appleby Westward helped the charity during the COVID-19 pandemic by transporting PPE around the region and enabling Marie Curie nursing staff to collect it from their local SPAR store.

Across the South West, Marie Curie nurses used an average of 21,000 pieces of PPE a week during the pandemic, including face masks, aprons, gloves, visors, goggles, and hand sanitiser, so Appleby Westward’s generosity ensured that nurses could continue to care for their patients safely.

Imogen added: “Their community spirit shone through in the pandemic when despite being extremely busy themselves, they helped deliver PPE to our local nurses. This meant our nurses could be in people’s homes safely, delivering vital

care when families needed it most.”

Other charities Appleby Westward and its SPAR stores have supported recently include St Luke’s Hospice, St Michael’s Community Fridge & Larder, memory loss charity Prama Life, and The Tree Council.

Appleby Westward hopes to continue its fundraising efforts throughout the year and will continue encouraging its SPAR stores to support Marie Curie and other local charities wherever possible. To find out more about SPAR, visit www. spar.co.uk

FUNDING BOOST FOR POPULAR VETERANS PROJECT

A much-loved project for Armed Forces veterans, aged over 50 or living with a disability, is set to continue for a further three years.

The Veterans Project run by Age UK Plymouth will continue to operate thanks to a £98,000 grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

In just over a year the project, which now supports over 100 people a month, has gone from strength to strength with regular events including a weekly social morning, two monthly brunches and a walking football team.

As part of Age UK Plymouth’s commitment to over 50s and those living with dementia in Plymouth, clients and their carers were consulted prior to the grant application and their thoughts, views and opinions have been fundamental to shaping plans for the project.

As well as a wider range of groups and activities, there was significant interest in the additional provision of counselling and wellbeing support. The funding has seen a qualified, independent therapeutic councillor appointed to provideoneto-one counselling sessions designed to support veterans who might be looking to build and maintain good mental health.

A flexible six to 10 week programme will be made available free of charge to veterans over 50 years or with disabilities and will be an opportunity for change for those living with a range of challenges to their mental wellbeing including PTSD, low level depression and social isolation.

Counterpoint Therapy Plymouth’s Georgina Edwards said: “I’m looking forward to working with

The regular breakfast club is popular with veterans

Age UK Plymouth to offer face to face counselling for individuals through a series of regular, free sessions in a comfortable and confidential environment. These sessions will provide an opportunity for veterans to speak to someone who is accepting of who they are and of their life story.

“I will compassionately acknowledge and hold their thoughts, experiences and reactions, and together, we can explore new possibilities at their own pace.”

The Veterans Project at Age UK Plymouth comes under the remit of its new Wellbeing Hub, and Sarah Allen the charity’s Information, Advice and Wellbeing Hub manager is delighted at the opportunity to continue working with veterans through the charity.

She said: “It’s a huge testament to the success and hard work of the team who have built and developed our Veterans Project over the past 18 months that we are now able to not only continue to support but also massively increase our offering

and the range of opportunities for our clients.”

Over the past 12 months the project was able to arrange subsidised trips to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, Drakes Island, Plymouth’s Citadel and the naval base at Devonport as well as hosting a Walking Football tournament and working with partners including the Eden Project and the Defence Gardens Scheme.

The Veterans group has also welcomed volunteers from the Royal Navy and Sky among others who have kindly given their time to support the activities hosted at Age UK Plymouth’s Mount Gould Centre.

With future plans set to include social and gardening groups, walking and sports activities and much more, Age UK Plymouth look forward to supporting our military community for many years to come.

Any Armed Forces Veteran over the aged of 50 or living with a disability in Plymouth is welcome to join the group.

Diva, a Marie Curie nurse, pictured with Nick Vivian head of marketing at Appleby Westward

It has been a good time to be an avid football fan here in Plymouth of late.

At the time of writing Plymouth Argyle have just finished their season and have done so in some style, winning League One with a huge points total of 101!

They beat some very large club sides to the title including Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town who took the fight right down to the wire. With the comparative operating budgets of the clubs, Argyle’s success can be seen as a bit of a David v Goliath victory. Argyle representing David in this particular case.

When the squad celebrated their victory with a boat trip to the Barbican and an open top bus parade of the city, the impact of their success on the people of Plymouth was clear. People lined the streets and thousands turned up at Home Park to cheer on their heroes. All that despite wet weather all day!

Whether you are a football fan or not the success is a mark of civic pride for many and will reap economic benefit for the city. The club sides in the Championship are on another level again and will bring more fans, and more revenue, to the city. The challenge of competing at the next level is one which the club are relishing and the Green Army are very much

Classic story of redemption

By Dave Simpson, Station Manager Cross Rhythms

looking forward to witnessing.

This success is made all the more special by considering the recent history of the football club. 10 years ago almost to the day the club only just avoided relegation out of the football league entirely. That narrow escape had been preceded by dreadful ownership issues and the club having to go into administration. Plymouth Argyle had been perilously close to disappearing from existence all together.

Thankfully with the initial takeover by James Brent and the subsequent investment and current ownership of Simon Hallett the club is now sustainably run and back where it should be.

Redemption stories like this are so wonderful to hear. All too often we are fed in the media the fall from grace parts of these but it is so important to learn of how situations and even people’s lives have been turned around for the good. The main reason being that we need help to turn things around too.

You may be reading this and find yourself in the midst of a very low life ebb. Perhaps through even your own actions you find yourself in the personal equivalent of where Argyle found themselves all those years ago. Directionless, without much resource and clinging on for survival.

Anyone in the know will tell you that the transformation that has taken place at Home Park has only happened through the hard work and dedication of a whole host of people who have gone about their business consistently behind the scenes. Turning things around takes this sort of commitment.

Encouragingly Plymouth Argyle’s turnaround has happened much quicker than anyone thought possible.

It is my hope that in reading this article you are encouraged that the same can happen to you. The comparison to a football club might be too tenuous to do that for you so I want to encourage you with the wonderful Life

Plymouth

Stories interviews we hear on Cross Rhythms Plymouth.

I mentioned these in my last article and if you are struggling at the moment, listening to these real people telling their stories of redemption in their own lives may be exactly what you need.

You can listen to them online at crossrhythms.co.uk/plymouth and click on ‘Listen Again’ and ‘Life Stories’.

The common theme among them all is how they have personally encountered God for themselves and come to know and follow him in their lives.

At its core the Christian message is all about redemption. Through the person and sacrifice of Jesus all of humanity is redeemed.

This redemption is open to you as much as it is to anyone else. I encourage you to reach out to God in your own way.

As a result, like the situation for Plymouth Argyle, your life may well turn around for good much sooner than you can currently imagine!

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

Care team cycle over 600 miles to raise funds for vulnerable girls in Africa

Thirteen team members at Catalyst Care Group virtually cycled 603 miles, over four hours at Bodyworld Gym in Plymouth to raise money for Catalyst Foundation’s SHE (Secure, Hope, Empowered) Programme, a charity founded to empower vulnerable girls in Sub-Saharan Africa, through education.

The distance cycled is equivalent to the collective distance that all 62 beneficiaries being supported must walk daily, to receive an education.

Across Africa, 32.6 million girls of primary and lower secondary school age are out of school. This number rises to 52 million when looking at girls of upper secondary school age. As a result of not going to school, girls may become victims of child abuse, child rape, early child marriages/ pregnancies, HIV/AIDS, and more.

As an organisation, the Catalyst Foundation recognises that for a young girl to fully benefit from education, it is necessary to offer tailored support to empower the ‘whole’ child, and so the foundation decided to implement seven pillars of support to achieve this.

Their three core pillars of direct beneficiary support include instilling security, promoting education, and providing healthcare services.

In addition to these, their other four pillars of additional school and community support, include educating all students about climate change, establishing school feeding programmes for all students, setting up family resilience projects to help bring themselves out of poverty, and giving infrastructural and resource assistance to ensure that all students study in a dynamic environment, fit for learning.

The daily ‘School Feeding Programmes’

established in schools by the Catalyst Foundation has made a big impact, as all students are now able to receive a healthy, balanced, meal every day at school. Through the implementation of this initiative, school dropout rates have fallen by nearly 75%. Many students previously suffering from malnutrition, are now on the road to better health, and because of this support – academic performance from all students has improved significantly, which has been amazing to witness.

Participant Ellie Baxter, from the Exeter office at Catalyst Care Group, which employs 50 people locally, said prior to the event: “We are such a strong team in Devon and regularly spend time outside of work together with each other and our

families. Our families all know each other too. We all champion each other and really want every single one of us to succeed.

“We had other members of Catalyst Care Group come down to cheer us on too, along with family members and clinicians. We also all have in the forefront of our minds, that this is a one off for all of us. The girls we are aiming to fundraise for must travel long distances every day to access education.”

Ellie added: “I want to raise as much money as we can so we can increase our group of girls in Zimbabwe and Zambia and sponsor many more. Every child deserves the right to learn, read and write and have a safe space to express themselves

and develop. Even though the miles we need to cycle are going to be tough, I couldn’t think of a better group of people to do it alongside. We have had so much support from our own family and friends alongside our work family. Laughter and love will get us through the bike ride with the knowledge that we are making an impact and changing lives.”

Another team member, Vicky Norey said: “I’m taking part, because I think everyone should have the right to an education. So many of us take this for granted and I want to be a part of something that will make a difference.”

Following the event, Gemma Clark, general manager said: “The team had a great approach to keep the bikes moving on a tag team basis. Looking back, all I can say was that my knees hurt, but it was so very much worth it. Everyone in the room brought their A-game positive attitude, and we cycled, danced, and cheered the miles down.”

The founders of Catalyst Care Group have always been passionate about empowering the girl-child within Sub-Saharan Africa.

They decided to research about the issues that the girl-child faces. After analysing these statistics, they concluded that there was a dire need for their support.

The statistics were frightening, and they were determined that through the birth of and successful implementation of Catalyst Foundation’s first programme, they would be able to provide support to deal with all these girl-child related issues, by empowering one girl at a time. The Catalyst Foundation sits firmly under the Catalyst Care Group umbrella.

To find out more information visit www. catalystfn.org.

Dave Simpson

Catalyst team members and supporters prepare for the cycle ride

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NEW LORD MAYOR AND DEPUTY LORD MAYOR ARE ELECTED

Councillor Mark Shayer has been elected as Lord Mayor of Plymouth, with Councillor Kathy Watkin as the new Deputy Lord Mayor for the upcoming year.

They were both elected at the annual general meeting on May 19. Councillor Shayer was first elected to the Budshead Ward in 2022. Until recently he was the interim leader of Plymouth City Council, and prior to that the deputy leader, responsible for human resources, economic development and finance, as well representing Plymouth on the Devon and Somerset Fire Authority.

Councillor Mark Shayer, served on three ships for the Royal Navy before joining the Submarine Service, where he served as an engineer on five submarines over the course of nearly 25 years.

After leaving the Navy, he worked at Devonport Royal Dockyard as a project manager, before retiring in 2020.

He has always been active locally, sitting on a number of local boards, including at the Four Greens Trust, the Drake Foundation and is the Joint Chair for the Mount Edgcumbe Trust Board.

Councillor Shayer, said: “It is an honour to be elected as the new Lord Mayor of Plymouth for the coming year.

“I have always been passionate about Plymouth, and it will be a real pleasure to have the opportunity to connect with people across the City from all walks of life. I will take

this year as an opportunity to say thank you to those who make Plymouth such a lovely place to live, to work and to visit.

“I am looking forward to representing as many communities, organisations and the people of Plymouth and working hard to showcase Plymouth.”

Councillor Watkin was first elected as a ward councillor for Plymstock Radford Ward in 2019.

In addition to serving on the Planning Committee of which she was vice chair in 2022-2023. She also sat on the licensing committee, budget scrutiny committee, health and wellbeing board and the corporate parenting group.

Councillor Watkin trained as a speech and language therapist in London and practised for a few years. She then decided to pursue a career in law which brought her to Plymouth and has worked in and near the city as a solicitor for her lengthy legal career, and prior to her retirement had her own practice in the city.

Councillor Watkin, said: “To be elected as the next Deputy Lord Mayor is a privilege and an honour.

“I have loved Plymouth since first visiting as a child and feel that the people have a strong sense of community spirit. I am looking forward to meeting people from organisations and charities as well attending civic events during the next year”.

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Make a splash for local charities

Since the start of Covid 19 three years ago, the war in Ukraine and the increase in the cost of living, local charities and good causes have been affected by the lack of charitable donations.

Over this period, the Lions Club of Plmouth have endeavoured to serve the community to the best of their ability by assisting in feeding the homeless by way of the Plymouth Soup Run, also collecting unwanted food from bakeries and delivering to the homeless hostel.

Now the Lions are trying to serve other local and national charities who are feeling the pinch by organising a sponsored Swimathon at Plympton Swimming Pool on Sunday July 2 and in order that all should benefit, the teams of five swimmers will name their own charity who will share the money raised with the Lions nominated charities on a 50/50 basis.

The nominated Lion charities are the local Pisces Swimming Club for disabled children and nationally Macmillan Cancer Support Swimathon is a fun event, not a race and it’s open to all ages provided participants can swim 25m every fifth length, over a 50 minute period.

It is an opportunity for healthy exercise while contributing to local charities. For more information on the event and how to enter a team, please contact Lion Roy Russell by email to lion.royrussell@yahoo.co.uk

A major chess congress for Plymouth primary and secondary age students, will be held at Plymouth College in June.

The tournament is being organised by Plymouth Chess Club and takes place on Saturday June 24.

Alan Crickmore, president of Plymouth Chess Club said: “We currently have a group of students attending the Plymouth Chess Club every week for tuition, and the benefits are already evident.

“We know there are many more students, both boys and girls, playing chess in schools, and our objective is to encourage these groups, and what better way than to hold a congress with free entry.

He said there were many advantages playing chess. “It appears to improve logical thinking, academic performance, confidence, patience, a sense of fair play, and above all, the ability to meet and communicate with new friends.”

Prizes will be awarded and all players will receive a certificate. A bookstall with books at modest

MAJOR CHESS TOURNAMENT PLANNED IN PLYMOUTH

prices suitable for players, but particularly those in the early stages of playing chess, will be available.

Alan added: “We have a very experienced committee, who are keen to ensure that this inaugural congress is a success.”

Further information will be sent to all Plymouth schools in the next few weeks and it is hoped this will lead to more chess being played in schools and lead to an online inter-school league.

For more details call 01752 768206.

Theatre Royal partners with Stage One for trainee producer placement

Theatre Royal Plymouth has partnered up with Stage One to provide an opportunity for an up-and-coming producer to spend a year gaining handson experience of theatre production.

Stage One’s trainee producer placements, which was launched 10 years ago, offer aspiring producers a 12-month fixed term contract within an established production company or producing theatre.

The placement not only benefits the producer but also the host theatre as the producer becomes an additional member of the in-house production team. Other theatres and producers involved this year are Bristol Old Vic, Northern Stage and Nottingham Playhouse.

Three out of four participants in the placement scheme are still actively working in the theatre industry.

Joseph Smith, chief executive of Stage One, said: “This scheme offers four emerging producers hands-on training in producing in-house productions, commercial tours and transfers, as well as the opportunity to immerse themselves in the daily activity of four busy producing organisations.

“The aim is for the trainee producer to support the theatres in all areas of producing, from artistic support to reaching new audiences and support them to capitalise on new commercial opportunities.”

As Theatre Royal Plymouth is the largest regional producing theatre in the UK, it is passionate about the distinctiveness of the South West, its people and their potential and it aims to reflect them, in all their diversity, by partnering with them to deliver this programme.

For 40 years, TRP has produced and presented professionally-made theatre, opera and dance made locally, nationally, and internationally. Over the last four decades, the theatre has delivered an extensive programme of projects, skills development, training, and performance opportunities on its stages and across the city and region.

James Mackenzie-Blackman, chief executive and executive producer for Theatre Royal Plymouth said: “As we continue to develop our producing and co-producing for the months and years ahead, we’re delighted to have been successful in our application to host a Stage OnepProducer. The combination of TRP’s fantastic team and incredible buildings, Theatre Royal Plymouth and TR2, and the brilliant training offered by Stage One, we are confident we have come together to create a really fantastic opportunity.”

Spend the night with sharks!

Children and families will get the chance to experience what happens underwater at night with the return of Sleeping with Sharks at the National Marine Aquarium.

Launching on May 27, the Aquarium is opening its doors late at night to give the public a chance to explore the venue, before sleeping in the Eddystone Reef exhibit, where the sharks and other sealife dwell.

It’s a great opportunity to uncover the maritime-mysteries of what sea life gets up to when no one is around, Sleeping with Sharks is a combination of education and entertainment.

Evenings at the aquarium are geared at getting across a great understanding of the marine environment and how to help keep it safe.

The series of events includes an after-dark tour of the aquarium, arts and crafts, games throughout the aquarium, a big screen movie in front of the Eddystone Reef Tank, midnight snack, followed by breakfast in the morning.

For tickets and more information visit www.national-aquarium. co.uk/events/sleeping-with-sharks-at-the-aquarium/

Optometry taster day for clear-sighted pupils

Plymouth University hosted a special taster day for 50 South West pupils to inspire them to be tomorrow’s opticians.

The event was organised by Lecturer in Optometry Alice Cottle and sponsored by Specsavers.

The pupils, all in Years 10 to 13, met academic staff from the University’s Optometry programme, attended mini lectures on eye anatomy and visual processing, and had the opportunity to participate in a practical session using equipment in the optometry lab.

They also met students from the University and optometrists from different settings to highlight the range of opportunities available and support the message that, as a career choice, optometry is much broader than people might think.

Miss Cottle, the module lead for Clinical Optometry Skills in Year One of the BSc (Hons) Optometry programme and herself a graduate of the University, said: “Optometry is a hugely

rewarding profession, and it was great to see so many young people enjoy learning about it.

“We want to inspire the next generation of optometrists and provide practical learning and opportunities for patient facing activity to help achieve that. Our student satisfaction rating reflects the popularity of our approach,

and we hope the pupils we met during this event will become the next generation of satisfied students in the future.”

Lucy Knock, Early Careers manager at Specsavers, helped facilitate the day and gave a presentation on how Specsavers can support students through school and university.

Luke Serle, a pre-reg optometrist from the Plymouth Armada Way practice and another Plymouth graduate, also joined her for a question-and-answer session on what life as a pre-reg is like.

Lucy said: “This event was a remarkable success and I want to thank the University for its efforts to inspire students to consider optometry as a career. It was fantastic to see the profession being showcased by Alice and her colleagues and Specsavers was pleased to be able to support the day, not least because our purpose is to change lives. We may have just done that for some of the young people during the day.”

BY-ELECTION TO BE HELD IN EFFORD AND LIPSON WARD

A by-election will be held in the Efford and Lipson ward on Thursday June 15, following the sad passing of Councillor Brian Vincent last month. (See story on page 18).

A Notice of Poll has now been published on Plymouth City Council’s website. The deadline for registering to vote in this by-election is midnight on Tuesday 30 May. Anyone who is not yet registered, the easiest way to do this is online. Details of name, address or voting preferences can be updated on the same page online. Residents who are already registered and would like to vote by post you can download a form at www.plymouth.gov.uk/how-vote#voteby-post. Postal vote applications must be received by 5pm on Wednesday May 31.

Anyone with queries should contact the electoral services team on 01752 304866 or email ero@plymouth.gov.uk.

Anyone wishing to stand as a candidate in the by-election will need to complete a set of nomination papers, available online and from the electoral services team.

It’s bags of comfort for Plymouth children who are going into care

Plymouth children who have to leave everything that’s familiar to go into the care of the local authority will now be given a My Journey bag full of items to make the experience easier.

Hand knitted toys, books, pyjamas and toiletries will be among the items packed into a special rucksack they can call their own throughout their care journey.

It’s thanks to a partnership between the children’s charity Barnardo’s and Plymouth City Council, who together deliver Plymouth Care Journeys, and the Buddy Bag Foundation, a charity that has been providing bags of comfort and inspiration since 2015.

Children who are taken into care may have to leave their home with nothing, or just have a plastic bag with a few basic items.

The idea of the My Journey bags is to provide a child with their own personal bag full of essential and comforting items which they can keep with them, helping them to increase their sense of self-worth, security and belonging.

Jemma Flower, Barnardo’s Children’s Services manager with Plymouth Care Journeys, said: “These bags have the potential to make a real difference to the experience of many children and young people during those first few days when they enter care.

“Coming into care for the first time can be extremely daunting and emotional, we hope these bags will provide children and young people with some comfort and distraction.

“Each bag was packed with love and care and will be personalised to each individual young person with a handwritten card,” she added.

Care experienced young people from the city joined a team from Barnardo’s and Plymouth council to pack 200 My Journey bags and explained what having such a bag would have meant to them.

One said: “It would have made a massive difference if I came into care with supplies, I had nothing with me. It would make

young people think people do care and don’t want to see us struggle.”

Another said: “I think this is an amazing idea and will really help young people who may be coming to a strange home with little or nothing. Having something they can use or play with that may be a comfort to them may help them feel more welcome.

“It’ll give them something to do while they settle in, especially if they wish to stay in their room while they get used to their surroundings.”

The team travelled to the Buddy Bags base in Sutton Coldfield to pack the rucksacks. The foundation is run entirely by volunteers and has won the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Volunteers have packed more than 51,000 bags since 2015.

Founder Karen Williams was inspired to set up Buddy Bags after coming across a similar scheme in Australia.

Plymouth children and young people will receive their items packed into Madlug bags.

The Madlug (Make a Difference Luggage) foundation provides a free travel bag for a child in care for every bag purchased by a member of the public. Bags can also be gifted and the charity gives care experienced young people job training and entrepreneurial opportunities.

For more information: plymouth.carejourneys.org. uk/ www.buddybagfoundation. co.uk/ www.madlug.com/

Bags of comfort: Care experienced young people and staff from Plymouth Care Journeys and Plymouth City Council with Buddybags chief executive Karen Williams (second from left)

Bags of comfort: Kirsty, a Buddy Bags volunteer, Sophia Morgan, Care Journeys project worker and Ibby, a care experienced young person filling the bags

Soldiers and sailors in E-Sports challenge

As part of the Royal Navy’s ongoing project to make recovering from an illness, mental health condition or an injury better, some new recovery courses have been introduced this year to try to encourage everyone who is medically unfit, to take part in something to assist their recovery journey.

The latest course was an E-Sports, ‘Call of Duty’ event between the Royal Navy and the Army in Plymouth.  Sailors from across the Senior Service went up against soldiers from 29 Commando Regiment, based at Plymouth’s Royal Citadel.

Able Seaman ‘Was’ Hollis from the Personnel Support Group in Devonport Naval Base, came up with the idea for the contest, and was readily assisted by Dean Linstead from Belong Arena in Plymouth City Centre where the competition took place.

‘Was’ said: “The E-sports week was unique and benefitted everyone, who due to injuries have been unable to perform many physical tasks,” said ‘Was’. “I could see that the event improved everyone’s mental wellbeing and was also a huge boost to our morale. Throughout the week there was some great teamwork as well as a competitive edge for all. Everyone wanted to win, and everyone put the work in.

“It required bags of attention from each individual and progress was persistent each day. Many became better at in-game strategies and left the week with a sense of pride acknowledging their efforts and progress.”

‘‘Was’ who is medically downgraded himself, added: “In a sense it helped distract me from my own thoughts for a while, and kept me focused on an objective rather than sitting in my cabin, it encouraged me to socialise, work with others and help build the confidence to lead the team.”

Commander Gordon Jones, Chair of the Royal Navy Video Gaming and Esports Association visited the event to play some games with the Royal Navy team. He said how important E-Sports and video games are to help people feel connected and part of something, especially when they are in recovery.

He added: “Having recently been assigned to recovery myself, I’ve found that my contacts in E-Sports have significantly helped my mental health, especially in terms of being able to speak to people who share a common interest. The games themselves were exciting and it’s been good seeing the way the teams took the opportunities given to them to improve their skills and communicate during the run up to the event.”

The teams spent three days of intense online training, with the event coming to a dramatic finale with a ‘Best of 7 fight out’, which was live streamed

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on Twitch by members of the Royal Navy E-Sports Team. The Army put up a spirited fight but could not overcome the ‘mad skills’ of the Royal Navy, who took the trophy with four straight wins.

Army’s team leader Sergeant Ryan Donahue from 29 Commando said: “We’ve had a brilliant week. The lads have really enjoyed doing something different and it’s great to all be together in a gaming arena, rather than playing separately online. Despite it being an Army/Navy event, we have all mixed and had lots of banter, and the guys at Belong Gaming Arena went out of their way to accommodate us.

“We may have lost this time, but since we started training for this event, we have procured an on-Base E-gaming room at the Citadel, so we’ll be much better prepared for the next event. The Royal Navy team were on fire, so it was a well-deserved win.”

The July edition of the Plymouth Chronicle in Derriford and North Plymouth will be published on June 30 with a copy deadline of June 19. The Derriford and North edition is one of four hyper local editions delivered to a total of more than 90,000 homes throughout the city. We welcome submissions but cannot guarantee publication. We accept press releases in the form of text documents and images in JPG or TIFF format (high resolution please).

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The views expressed in the Plymouth Chronicle are not necessarily those of the publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of all information contained in this publication. However, the publishers do not accept any liability for any advice or information included in the publication.

Gables has been helping the regions unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats since 1907. We take in and care for nearly 1000 cats and dogs every year.

We are a non-euthanasia charity, which means no healthy animal in our care is put to sleep. We receive no Government funding so rely completely on the generosity and support of the public through donations and legacies. We need your help to care for unwanted and aban doned animals in your local area.

Any donation, large or small, would make a significant difference to the work we do and will help to protect our future.

The Royal Navy and Army teams who took part in the E-Sports event