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February 2022 Your Local Community Magazine
Right at Home Isle of Wight It’s a worrying time if you have elderly parents, family members or perhaps it’s yourself that is maturing like a fine wine… the truth is that we are all getting older and there is nothing that can reverse this, but it can be made easier especially if you want to stay living independently in your own home. This is where Right at Home Isle of Wight can help! They are a local business owned by Vicky and Paul Butler and supported by their Registered Manager, Katie Meadows, along with a team of Care Givers who are professional, caring, and enthusiastic.
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Nobody should www.rightathome.co.uk/isleofwight ever be ashamed to ask for help, whether it’s a little or a lot. As we get older some tasks just become more troublesome and an extra pair of hands can help relieve the stress and worry. You may need help with meal preparation, medication support, personal care, respite, or companionship. The main aim of Right at Home Isle of Wight is to keep you in your own home with the right amount of support to continue enjoying life and being independent.
Right at Home Isle of Wight also fully support their Care Givers and ensure they are receiving the best working conditions, benefits and are fully supported so they never feel alone. They know the value of their Care Givers and they currently have opportunities available for Care Givers/Care Assistants/Support Workers or for those looking for a career in the health and social care sector. They offer an amazing support package to ensure that you are happy and safe whilst THIS SIZE ADVERT doing your role. Please see their main advert above and if you wish to find out more about their services or are interested in a career with Right at Home Isle of Wight, please call Vicky or Katie on 01983 218318. 2
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elcome to the February issue and thank you for picking up a copy.
February is the last month of Winter before we move into Spring and hopefully it will be a mild month for us. I don’t mind the cold, as long as it doesn’t rain and I’ll even be happy if we have a scattering of snow. On page 8 you will find my article on e-bikes and whether they are good or not... there has been a lot of hype about cycling on the island and specifically about e-bikes and how they are good for our mental and physical health. You may have had to do a double take of the front cover this month... don’t worry you aren’t seeing things, that really is a fox in the basket of a bicycle. You can read more about Marley on the back cover. We have many of our regular features inside, including the latest news reports for the area, puzzle pages and business editorials. Covid is still a threat to us all and the island has really pulled together and worked as one big community in getting so many people vaccinated and boosted and we must give a shout out to everyone who has volunteered and worked at the vaccination centres. If you have any news or information you would like to share in the next issue, please get in touch with me. I hope you have a great February and I look forward to catching up with you again next month.
Debbie 07880 587 931 islandmagazines@gmail.com www.islandmagazines.co.uk facebook.com/islandmagazines twitter.com/islandmagazines Island Magazines Mailbox No 6 Store it Self Storage Ryde Unit 1 Nicholson Road Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 1BE All information is correct at time of printing
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News Report from Cllr Joe Robertson - Bembridge joe.robertson@iow.gov.uk The new year 2022 is well under way and the biggest issue so far has been the planning application for homes on land off Steyne Road and Hillway Road. The application was made public on the press list in mid-December and shows a detailed proposal for 57 dwellings on fields surrounded by protected oak trees. It was an application that most of us had been expecting for some time, however the short window for public comment fell over the Christmas period which was unhelpful. I have been working with local residents to comment on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning portal, by email and by post. The overwhelming reaction has been to object to this application. The site which is prone to flooding is not suitable and the development is too large. Furthermore, it will do nothing to deliver affordable housing as a 2-bedroomed bungalow on the edge of the same site is being marketed at £625,000. Even if there were to be an “affordable homes” discount, none of the proposed dwellings will be remotely affordable to Island families on the average wage. I am grateful to a new community group “Build a Better Bembridge” for showing passion and leadership and galvanising the community. They have made their own informed and powerful objection to the application which can be seen on their website: buildabetterbembridge.co.uk as well as the Council’s planning portal. I spoke and took questions at a public meeting convened by “Build a Better Bembridge” at the Village Hall on 6th 6
January and I also spoke at the Parish Council’s planning meeting the day before. Over 420 members of the public have objected to the application as have Bembridge Parish Council. In my own response to the application, I have argued strongly that Bembridge should be seen as an exceptional case. It is bounded on three sides by the sea and its land connections to the rest of the Island are entirely dependent on a narrow winding downs road and Embankment Rd which rests on a man-made bank built by the Victorians. The Village suffers from flooding causing damage to homes – including serious flooding in July 2021 – which has been subject to a statutory flood investigation. Any more large housing developments would be irresponsible and not only unfair to existing residents but to the unsuspecting future buyers of new homes built on unsuitable land. The application is now being considered by the Isle of Wight Council planning officers. They will consider all the evidence and write a report. If the planning officers recommend this development for approval it will go to the Planning Committee made up of elected Isle of Wight Councillors for a decision. That meeting will be in public where I, as Councillor for Bembridge, will get to speak and I will be highlighting the key objections raised by residents. At the end of 2021 I was elected Leader of the Conservative group of Councillors who are the largest group on the Isle of Wight Council, albeit currently in continued over the page
opposition. I am working with colleagues across the Council chamber to ensure better scrutiny and transparency in the Council’s decision-making process.
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On your Bike… I last rode a bike in 2009. After the event my husband said never, ever again would he ride with me and promptly put my bike outside the front gate with a “free to good home” sign attached to it. To be honest I was rather pleased as I hated every minute of it… Now fast forward to early 2021. I started having thoughts and daydreams about bikes again but this time electric assist bikes! I researched and researched, and I truly believed this was the answer to all my crazy cycling fantasies.
I can describe the whole experience in just a couple of words… Epic, Amazing, Fantastic to name a few. I was well and truly hooked. 25 miles later I was having the time of my life, albeit it was rocky to start with until I had gotten the hang of it. The electric assist bikes aren’t cheating; you still have to pedal, and the assist only comes in when going up a hill. Even now I hardly ever use the full assist.
Obviously, the only option was to buy our own, and 6 months later I am still loving my bike rides. Surprisingly cycling has not had I presented any detrimental effect on my asthma, in my facts and fact I actually feel there is an findings to improvement. My balance my husband is so much better, and I am (and dog) getting fit while doing it. The and well, only negative I can find is that they said, in theory it sounds good but when we can’t go out on them they also pointed out that I can’t ride due to adverse weather etc I very well, I have severe asthma which miss it really badly. On the is aggravated even by walking, I have weekends we set off with the no sense of balance and suffer from a dog in the trailer and explore bad back. So, we decided before we all areas of our lovely island. commit and buy the bikes, (as let’s be Incidentally, we decided to get folding honest they aren’t cheap and are quite an electric bikes so we could put them in the investment) we should hire some for the day car and drive to more remote locations. to see how it goes. If anybody is thinking about buying an We rented our bikes in the West Wight electric assist bike, I highly recommend area and set off exploring. We even had a them – the island is the perfect place for trailer for the dog, who incidentally insisted them and it’s exercising the fun way and that he wasn’t attached to my bike as he those are two words I never thought could said I was an accident waiting to happen! be used in the same sentence. Charming!!!! 8
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News Report from Jonathan Bacon - IW Councillor for Brading & St Helens. Tel 07973 872150 | Email: jonathan.bacon@iow.gov.uk sthelenscouncillor@gmail.com Cllr Jonathan Bacon By the time you read this the proposals for the Council Budget for the next year will have been published. On the face of it they will give little pleasure and will doubtless upset some. However, they mark a turning point. In recent years the Council has been in a process of managing decline. Alleged savings have, in reality, been cuts and successive budgets have done little more than sought to cope with the Council’s increasingly desperate financial position by dressing up doing less for more as ‘sound financial management’. The Alliance Administration is calling a halt to that journey. This year we are putting the brakes on and pressing the reset button to allow us to develop a financial strategy built on growth, rather than cuts. Failure to this will mean that key services will either cease or cease to be adequate for the need and demand that is there. However, it’s not something we can achieve in one single step. We are also this year bound to some extent by what we inherited from the previous administration. As such we have still had to identify savings this year, but we have sought to do so in the least damaging way possible. What we can then do is work on innovative ways of generating money to help fund those vital services and offset the financial impact of the ongoing lack of assistance from central government. It won’t be easy but initial work suggests we can do this, and the new direction can and will be followed. At the very least we must try. The way we do things in the future is also going to be guided by our recent adoption 10
of principles inspired by our status as a UNESCO Biosphere. We now ensure that in our decision making we have regard to the Biosphere, to ensuring we address issues related to Climate Change, to dealing with poverty and deprivation and, perhaps most importantly, to having regard to the future and the interests of our young people and future generations. While this may sound idealistic, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The key will be to translate that idealism into practical steps. A key exercise in this regard is going to be the final production of the new policies to guide the Planning system on the Island in coming years so that it serves our Environment and residents and not some bureaucratic target setter in Westminster. After the budget, the production and presentation of those policies in the new Island Plan will be the next major exercise for us. As both your Isle of Wight Councillor and a Town Councillor I can be contacted at any time, and I will always respond to messages. I have set out my contact details above or you can speak to me at one of my regular surgeries, the next few of which take place as follows: Brading Community Centre, February 22nd and March 22nd, all at 10am St Helens Pavilion February 8th, March 8th and April 5th, all at 10am
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February Facts and Historical Events February is mostly recognised for Valentine’s Day, flowers, and depending on where you are, being incredibly cold! February fluctuates between having 28 and 29 days per year. The 29th day only occurs every 4 years during leap years. The length of February was finalised when Julius Caesar remade the Roman calendar and assigned the month 28 days and 29 days. In 713 B.C., February was officially added to the Roman calendar. If you were born in February, your birthstone is amethyst, and your flowers are violet and primrose. It was in February 1964 when The Beatles made their first American television appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” Over 73 million Americans watched! The name of February comes from the Latin word “februum” which means purification and was named after a purification ritual which was like an early Roman spring-cleaning festival. In Welsh, February is sometimes known as “y mis bach” which means “little month.” The Saxons called February “Sol-monath” which means “cake month” because they would offer cakes to the gods during February. It is the only month when it’s possible to go the entire time without having a full moon. February, March, and November always start on the same day of the week unless it is a leap year. The odds of being born on February 29th are about 1 in 1,461. Those born on a leap day can be called a “leaper” or “leapling.” Sadly, on February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle “Columbia” broke apart in flight, which killed all seven crew members. The accident was believed to be a result of damage that occurred during lift-off. The tragedy occurred only 16 minutes before the shuttle was scheduled to land. February is one of the most misspelt words in the English language. Even the White House has misprinted the word “February” before in a press release!
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What I love most about my job and publishing this magazine is I get to meet some amazing people and animals and the opportunity to support some amazing projects. Today is no different and I have just come back from meeting Marley the fox and Pauline. Marley the fox is nearing her second birthday and she had a tough start. At just 2 weeks old she was abandoned by her mum and was found alone, frightened, and crying on Sandown Seafront by a couple taking a stroll. As there are no dedicated fox rescue centres on the Island, Pauline, who has rescued numerous animals over the years was called and she took in the tiny cub who was covered in flies and ticks, had worms and wouldn’t have survived the night. At the time we were in a full lockdown and getting any help and assistance was proving difficult for Pauline but with the help from a mainland charity, Fox Angels Foundation, Pauline was able to assess that Marley had a few health issues including a problem with her kidneys which still needs treatment every 4 – 6 months. During the rehabilitation process it became apparent that Marley would never survive being released back into the wild as each day and week that passed, she grew more dependent on Pauline and a bond formed that could never be broken and it was at this point that both Pauline and Marley settled into a routine with each other, and it has been this way since. Pauline is extremely Pauline is aware that if any other avenue had been taken adamant that foxes should then Marley would have been put to sleep, but it is clear to NOT be pets and that she see that although she does have health issues Marley is is in no way glorifying the happy and living the best life she could with Pauline, her situation and just because five rescue dogs and numerous other animals. she has a fox it doesn’t mean others should do the same. As there is no longer a dedicated fox rescue facility on the Island, Pauline is creating a dedicated rescue centre aptly named ‘Marley’s Haven’ so she can continue to provide a safe place for cubs and foxes to be cared for, rehabilitated, and released. For this Pauline must expand her current facilities, provide separate units for veterinary care, cub nursery and rehabilitation areas including indoor and outdoor exercise areas. Pauline has the land to accommodate these extra measures and is getting some support from ‘Keep the Ban’ but desperately needs more help to be able to care for multiple animals at a time. She needs various materials for the units, incubators, heat lamps, bedding, medication, and food. Pauline has set up a GoFundMe page for Marley’s Haven and at this stage every pound helps so please donate as much as you can to this great project. To donate please go to https://gofund.me/68e78904 Marley’s Haven will be a much-needed facility. Pauline is available for any rescues (and knowing Pauline it won’t just be foxes) and if you come across an injured fox call Pauline on 07902 148415 and she will do everything in her power to collect, care and release them. It should also be noted that if you find a cub on its own, nine times out of ten it is best to leave the cub as the mother will most likely come back to it. Watch and monitor from a distance but if the mother does not reappear or the cub looks sick/injured then please call Pauline in the first instance. You can follow Marley and Pauline’s journey on Facebook ‘Marley’s Haven’ and Instagram ‘marley_cub_fox’.