If you go through these steps and discover information that would be useful to others, I would be grateful if you could let me know. Susan van de Ven. County Councillor, Melbourn Division
Over State Pension Age? Make sure you are not missing out on benefit entitlement. From 2nd November 2009 the amount of capital that is disregarded for the purpose of establishing entitlement to Pension Credit is rising from £6,000 to £10,000.
Some of you may have previously decided not to claim Pension Credit because you thought your savings were too high but as you see circumstances can change and you may now have entitlement to Pension Credit or other benefits. The Local Pension Service (LPS), part of the Government’s Department for Work and Pensions, can offer people over 60 years of age a full confidential benefit entitlement check in their own home. We think it is always worth someone checking to make sure they are not missing out on some or all of the following benefits: • Council Tax Benefit • Attendance Allowance • Pension Credit • Disability Living Allowance • Carers Allowance • Other related benefits If you would like to arrange a visit please give us a call on 01223 545374
La Roche Chalais is looking for a twin! La Roche Chalais is in the Dordogne, set at equal distance from the cities of Bordeaux, Angoulême and Périgueux (about 45 miles). The Greenwich Meridian runs through the village, which since 1973 has been associated with the neighbouring villages of St. Michel Léparon and St. Michel de Rivière. The total population of the three villages is 2907. The aim of the Twinning Committee of LRC is to bring together two villages in order to encourage the discovery of a different culture and develop a lasting friendship between two groups of people of different backgrounds. The Twinning Committee, created in 2009, is committed to bringing about joint educational, sporting and cultural activities. Concentrating at first on the students by means of correspondence and possibly exchanges between the schools, this project could eventually lead to exchanges between the clubs and associations of our two villages. We are looking for an English village for several reasons: 1. The airports of Bergerac and Bordeaux are quite close, and the presence of the budget airlines means that England is not too far away and fares are relatively inexpensive. 2. English is the first foreign language taught in our schools. 3. The beautiful department of the Dordogne is still very attractive to the British, who for many years have come here, not only on holiday, but to settle permanently. For more information you can refer to our website: www.larochechalais.com. Below you will also find a brief description of our village.
Education Up to 11 years: 2 nursery/infant schools and 2 primary schools (1 private and 1 state-run) Total: 320 pupils 11 – 14 years: 1 private school – 120 pupils. Languages taught: English and Spanish
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www.melbourncambridge.co.uk
Main Economic Activity Agriculture: cereals, cattle, forestry. Industry: small factories producing industrial taps and pumps; boots and shoes.
Leisure Activities Sports facilities: Gymnasium, sports stadium, open air swimming pool, judo hall, football pitch, tennis courts, boules courts, boating facilities on the river. Sports associations/clubs: football, tennis, cycling, horse riding, yoga, gymnastics, fishing, rambling, archery, canoeing. Cultural facilities: Library, cinema, village hall. Cultural associations: music, theatre, art, French-British exchange and languages, parent-teacher associations, entertainments committee. Contact has already been made with the language teachers at Melbourn Primary School and the Village College, which indicates that there is considerable interest in this project of exchange between La Roche Chalais and Melbourn, at least from one section of the population. Here in France we are also suffering the disastrous effect of the world financial crisis and realise that it would therefore not be sensible at the moment to undertake any very costly projects. Building up a correspondence between our schools will cost nothing, except of course, extra work for already busy teachers! Over and above any material considerations, twinning would create an opportunity to discover a new culture. In times of crisis, is it not preferable to be open to the outside world and the future, rather than to turn in on ourselves? If you are also interested in the project and perhaps in the creation of a Twinning Committee in Melbourn, please contact Michael Galley Telephone: 01763 260127
