Your Local Community Magazine
February 2021
Newport & Carisbrooke Area
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It’s time to stop being a victim and start living. It can happen to both men and women, there is no preference to age or nationality. It is no longer just physical! Just because a person doesn’t put their hands on you, that doesn’t mean they aren’t abusive. ABUSE is control, blatant disrespect and hurtful words. Domestic Abuse has dramatically increased during the coronavirus crisis and lockdown. Abusers feel they are stronger than ever, they make their victims believe they have taken away all safety nets and any chances of getting help... but this just isn’t the case, there is support and help for all victims, whether you have already escaped or want to escape then help is here in the form of Break the Cycle (CIC). Their FREE ‘Mind the Gap’ course is able to create and deliver courses, coaching, mentoring and support to women and men who are suffering from abuse in any form. The 10-week course is for everyone to learn how to rebuild their confidence and move forward positively in their lives. The sessions help build support networks, learn new skills and increase self-belief. They help individuals and groups to gain the courage and confidence to stand up against oppression, control, abuse etc. They have changed the thinking of some people in such a way as they have made the decision not to commit suicide. Others have discovered they are valuable members of society after continuously being told how worthless they were and some have gone on to start their own businesses, gone back into education or, just as importantly, escaped from their abusive relationship and now live confidently on their own terms. The ‘Mind the Gap’ course is versatile in its approach to each client, and they can adapt to the needs of any client. Having written this course specifically to help people who have suffered domestic abuse, whether that is recently or historically, the results achieved by those who have attended have been truly remarkable. Break the Cycle CIC has been running since 2016 and was founded by Maggie Currie after she realised there was a gap in the support needed by people who had suffered domestic abuse. The new courses are beginning again this February, for women on 1st at 10am and for men on 3rd at 10am via Zoom. Their pilot Zoom based course was very successful so they are sure you will learn more about yourself, how you think and how you can move forward in your life more confidently. To book your place on this course please email hello@breakthecycle.org.uk or call/text 07779 189 305 2 www.breakthecycle.org.uk
As I put pen to paper or rather fingers to keyboard, I feel a great sense of relief that we are moving into February and coming out of January which is always a difficult month and made even worse by being in lockdown. I have no crystal ball to see what is ahead (and maybe that is a good thing) but I think we will be in battle with this virus for a while longer. Although lockdown is difficult and frustrating it’s important that we follow the rules in an attempt to try and get our lives back on track.
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Here at Island Magazines, we are animal lovers, so we just had to reach out and help a local attraction that is suffering during these troubling times. You can read all about how we can all help the animals on page 6.
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We have also been working with a local Community Interest Company which is dedicated to supporting victims of domestic abuse and you can read more about this on page 2. I hope you enjoy this month’s issue which is packed with news and information. A big thank you to all our wonderful advertisers and contributors who make it possible to publish each month. Please tell your family and friends that we are a free local community magazine packed with news and information. If you are a local business, please consider advertising with us. I hope you all have a great February and I look forward to catching up with you again next month.
Debbie
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News Report by Julie Jones-Evans. Tel 521068 or 07886 437688 E: julie.jones-evans@iow.gov.uk T: @juliejonesevans F: Julie Jones-Evans I hope that everyone is keeping well under current circumstances and there is light at the end of this long tunnel. Spring will be much better this year than last. There’s quite a few things going on despite lockdown, thankfully we can still have meetings via Zoom and other video methods so we can keep in touch and move things forward. I was really pleased that I got approval and funding for the lights in Scarrots Lane, I think it has made such a difference and people have said it makes them feel much safer. There’s been a delay with opening the new Post Office Lane toilets as the programme manager from the mainland was hospitalised after catching Covid, but it’s looking like all will be ok for a February opening, although this may be a low key event as I expect we will still all be staying at home. Talking of the Post Office, the main branch in Newport, in the Coop, Pyle Street is due to close on 6th February, leaving the whole of the town with only Pan Stores, Carisbrooke and Central Gunville for a post office. The issue is quite involved, especially as the Co-op runs the post office as well as the store they are closing. Newport also has to have a main post office which is 3-4 counters. I’ve been talking to the Post Office since November when it was first announced, and they have had some
interest from businesses wishing to run the service, but no-one has confirmed to date. I have also got our MP Director of Regeneration at IWC to speak to the Coop and Post Office and Shaping Newport is taking an active interest in making the new post office happen. I think that unless someone takes over the Co-op as a supermarket, we have had one there for so many years, then perhaps WH Smith’s may be an option for an in-store post office? This solution has happened in Southampton and our High Street store could be large enough to accommodate it. At the moment the Post Office are consulting on the temporary closure and I would encourage people to send an email in response to let them know how crucial the post office is to us. Send an email to comments@ postoffice.co.uk www.postofficeviews.co.uk/ national-consultation-team/newport-po301xb-129935/ We have another threat to our town this time from the Government is the guise of their planning reforms. The Government are very keen, as we all are, to create more homes and naturally using Brownfield sites rather than Greenfield. Through the High Street Heritage Action Zone we are working with landlords to get vacant upper floors repurposed for homes, which makes perfect sense, providing housing and vitality for the town centre. However the continued over the page
News Report by Julie Jones-Evans Government is proposing to grant Permitted Development Rights to owners of any town centre property to change it from a commercial use such as a shop to a house or flats. There will be no ability of the local council or planning authority to oppose the change and our Island Plan will mean nothing. There is no protection for the Conservation Area, just Listed Buildings and no longer will there be a defined retail centre. Another issue is that there is no limit on size, so for instance the old Dorothy Perkins building or Bon Marche could be turned into many flats and we would have no say in it. I and many others across the country feel this is a disaster for our town and village centres, as village stores, often the lifeblood of a place could be turned into a home with no powers to stop it. The IWC, Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council, FSB, IW Chamber of Commerce and our MP Bob Seely are all responding to the consultation, which will be closed by the time you read this. Fear not I and others will do all we can to protect our town centre and continue to create homes in a sustainable way. The High Street Heritage Action Zone is making good progress, the Design Code is out for tender and there are 2 High Street buildings that we are looking to do some feasibility studies on for upper floor accommodation and better use of the ground floors.
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Do you like this month’s front cover star? This is Bert the Red Panda and he is a resident of Amazon World Zoo Park and Bert and all the other residents and keepers are sending out a plea for your help. Amazon World Zoo Park are continuing the daily fight for survival, the pandemic and Avian flu has hit them really hard and once again their doors have had to remain closed to the public. The work continues to carry on behind closed doors as the animals still need to be fed, tended to and looked after and on average running costs per day amount to approximately £1,000. Heating, lighting, medication, feed and keeper wages are just some of the daily running costs. We as an island are known for our love of animals and Amazon World Zoo Park and the animals really need our help. They have a varied diet of vegetables and fruit and they are running low on many of the following items:Mixed Herbs - (Basil, Spinach, parsley, coriander), cabbage, chicory, collards, peppers, carrots, broccoli, courgettes, kale, spring greens, spinach, brussel sprouts, asparagus, okra, radishes, artichoke, swede, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, turnips, beetroot, celeriac, aubergine, corn on the cob or mini corn or frozen sweet corn and frozen peas. Fine beans and runner beans, cucumber, cauliflower, celery, fennel, leek, mixed salad leaves romaine lettuce, parsnip, fruit, nuts and seeds. When you are next doing your weekly shop please pop a few extra items into your trolley for the animals. Although the park is closed you can deliver and leave your donations in the container by the main gates. This is manned throughout the day and will be picked up by the keepers. If you are a Tree Surgeon or know of one and are able to donate fresh woodchip for their Sloth and Tamandua enclosures in the Twilight area. They can accept any of the following types of woodchip; Alder, Birch, Hazel, Pine, Poplar and Willow. If you can help please leave a message on 01983 867122 or message them via Facebook. You can also help them by gifting items on the Amazon Wish List. The link can be found on their Facebook page.
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News Report from Cllr John Hobart for Carisbrooke and Gunville. Email: john.hobart@iow.gov.uk Mobile: 07717 716 663 As the new year progresses, with not the start I’m sure we had all hoped for, I hope that you are all coping with the stressful situation we find ourselves in. Just as with the previous lockdown the support networks are still available for anyone who is struggling, whether it be your mental health, physical health or getting food supplies to your home if you are shielding or unwell. You can contact the helpline between 9am and 5pm, 7 days a week on 01983 823600 and you will be directed to the support services that you require. Looking ahead to the warmer weather, and I’m sure we are all looking forward to that, we can start to think about our environment, especially as I know so many more people are getting out for daily exercise and enjoying ‘the great outdoors’ (even at this time of year). So many Facebook posts have appeared from people complaining about littering and fly tipping, that my first comment has to be please don’t be one of the offenders! My second suggestion is that we can all look towards caring for our environment by picking up rubbish, reporting overflowing bins and fly tipping to Island and roads (info@ Islandroads.com) and possibly enjoying the feeling of responsibility in caring for a chosen stretch of verge in your area. This is starting to work well in Gatcombe and Chillerton where some of the residents have adopted a piece of verge to be mindful of, collecting discarded wrappers and monitoring the rubbish bins… the overall result is that the area is looking tidier and wildlife will be benefiting from the
removal of alien objects from their domain. Please don’t do this unless you have proper protection, (thick gloves and a litter picking stick), but if you feel inclined to get involved it can give your daily exercise a sense of purpose and satisfaction in the knowledge that you are making a difference to the place you live. (I have heard from several people who have taken this up that it can be quite addictive when you get started!!) This initiative has been started by the AONB and aims to improve road verges across the Island, promote wildflowers for the pollinators and safe habitat for small wildlife. If you are interested to read more, please visit www.wightaonb.org. uk/about-us/what-we-do/publications/ where you will find links to projects on the Island and other great information. Also www.plantlife.org.uk/uk where you will find an abundance of articles about plant life in general and guidance on verge maintenance. If you are keen there is also www.wildlifetrusts.org which holds useful information on verge habitats, species and wildlife events. There is nothing like using the time that can’t be used for much else learning about something new or extending your knowledge… you might find it could make your walks for exercise far more interesting. Finally, you might be interested to know about the forthcoming project to install a fish pass at the waterworks pond in Carisbrooke (one has already been successfully installed at Wellington Road) continued over the page
News Report from Cllr John Hobart continued The idea is to officially close the ford at the bottom of Spring Lane in order to make improvements to the flow of our wonderful chalk stream (Lukely Brook) as it passes from its rise in Plaish and through Carisbrooke to the Medina. The fish pass is part of this improvement as it will enable fish to travel successfully further upstream for breeding. I’ll keep you posted on this, but we are optimistic that Southern Water and the Environment Agency are on board, and working with Island Roads, they will enable this exciting project.
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Trading Standards are receiving increasing reports of a worrying scam that appears to be targeting anyone and everyone. The scammers are again using the coronavirus to con us into parting with money and details. The latest scam is an official looking text purporting to be from the NHS saying that you need to book a vaccination appointment. This will then take you to a fake NHS form which will ask for bank details to prove your identity. This is a SCAM The NHS will never ask for a person’s banking information so please do not provide it The second comes in the form of a survey scam on social media. This has been reported from the mainland however social media has no geographical boundaries! The scam purports to be authorised by the local authority and alleges to find out how residents are coping with the Covid-19 situation. Participants are requested to provide their personal details and are offered a payment of £25 for taking part. It is believed that by giving bank details for the payment the scammers will have access to their bank accounts and can take money from them. Be very wary of any links you click on social media and never give information in this way. There are still the following scams: •
Email from the Royal Mail that says due to incomplete address they are unable to deliver a parcel – asking you to click on the link to complete the information required – DON’T
•
Email from EE to say that your payment couldn’t be taken and asking you to click on a link to verify your details – DON’T
•
Text message allegedly from the DVLA to say that your payment couldn’t be taken and asking you to click on a link to make the payment due – DON’T
•
Calls from Amazon Prime stating that the annual membership of £79.99 is due for renewal – HANG UP
Remember any unsolicited communication is likely to be a scam so treat them with suspicion 12
Grants available for local businesses Island businesses eligible for government grant support under the latest national lockdown can now apply via the council’s website. The application forms and details of the grant help can be accessed via: www.iow.gov.uk/covid19_businessadvice Under the national lockdown there are rolling payments and top up grants for eligible ratepaying businesses in certain categories. Some businesses may also qualify for grant support relating to the brief period around Christmas when the Island was under Tier 3 and then Tier 4 restrictions. There is also support for ‘wet’ led pubs for late December. In addition, the council is offering government-funded discretionary grant help to businesses which may fall outside these schemes, and has created a Winter Business Support Grant scheme.
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We have managed to crawl our way through to February and have survived January which is (in my opinion) the worst month of the year. But what is February about, is there anything to look forward to? I have been looking into what is happening across the globe during this extra short month. Some events can be celebrated without breaking lockdown rules and others can be attended remotely. Some are traditional and some I have never heard of.
National Sickie Day 2021 - Monday 1st February - Under normal
circumstances and certainly not through a lockdown pandemic, statistics have shown that the first Monday in February is the day when people are most likely to pull a sickie. One of the factors attributed to this is the first payday since Christmas, meaning people have been out celebrating all weekend with a particularly heavy one. Another theory is that people tend to reevaluate their career path in January, meaning that a lot of these sickies are actually to attend interviews.
Candlemas Day - Tuesday 2nd February – The Christian Festival of
lights. The day marks the midpoint of Winter, halfway between the shortest day and the spring equinox. Candlemas also commemorates the ritual purification of Mary, 40 days after the birth of her son. It is also the day when all the candles, that are used in the church during the coming year, are brought into the church and a blessing is said over them. On Candlemas night, many people place lighted candles in their windows at home. While in many countries Christmas decorations are
traditionally removed on the twelfth night (January 5) for other countries it is customary to remove them on Candlemas.
Send a Card to a Friend Day Sunday 7th February - Everyone loves and appreciates their friends, and we all just assume that they know how much we care and that we are always thinking about them. Sadly, many of our friends will experience loneliness and feel under appreciated from time to time. That’s just how life goes. That’s why Send a Card to a Friend Day exists, and why year after year it is so popular!
A small gesture that we may not think makes any difference could actually make our friends’ day. All it takes is a cute little card with a nice personal message in it to put a smile on their face. This could be an e-card that you send to them online, a store-bought card, or better yet, a home made one that oozes thoughtfulness, ideal for your extra special besties. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on celebrating your friendships on this special day!
St Valentine’s Day – Sunday 14th February - also called the Feast of
Saint Valentine, and is recognised as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world. It’s the day when people show their affection for another person or people by sending cards, flowers or chocolates with messages of love. continued over the page
Pancake Day – Tuesday 16th February – also known as Shrove Tuesday, is a
day in February or March preceding Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent), which is celebrated in some countries by consuming pancakes, and also the last day of fat eating or gorging before the fasting period of Lent. This moveable festival is determined by Easter. Whether you are a savoury or sweet pancake lover or a traditionalist with just lemon and sugar, enjoy it and have that extra one or two. Life’s too short not to.
Random Acts of Kindness Day - Wednesday 17th February - This international
celebration has grown in popularity each year. It is celebrated by individuals, groups and organisations, nationwide, to encourage acts of kindness. It is a favourite day to many, as people everywhere are enjoying doing these acts of kindness.
National Love Your Pet Day - Saturday 20th February
- Love Your Pet Day is a great day to show your love for our little furry friends. Whether you’re a cat lover, a dog lover or you’ve got a family of chimpanzees sharing your home with you, today’s the day to spoil them even more than you normally do and show them how much they mean to your family. If you love pets but don’t have any you could still get involved by calling by your local Cats Protection, Feline Welfare, RSPCA or pet rescue centres and make a donation of food or treats. You could also look into how to volunteer to spend a little time at your local pet rescue centre, maybe walking one of the dogs there or giving a little bit of your time to the cats at the cattery.
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