September 2021 Your Local Ratby, Kirby Muxloe & Leicester Forest East

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William And Diesal Are On The Hunt For Their Perfect Match

Stafford Leys Is An Ofsted "Good" School Leicester Forest East Film Evenings Are Back!

Carpet Bowls Starting Again!

The Kirby Muxloe Local History Group

Coffee Morning Friday 24th September

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The Headteacher, Staff and Governors warmly invite you to visit the school on: th

Wednesday 29 September 2021 6.00pm to 8.00pm To arrange a personal tour of the school ‘at work’ at any time, please contact the Headteacher, Mr Andrew Morris, on the number below.

Broad Lane, Markfield, Leics LE67 9TB - Tel: 01530 242351 www.southcharnwood.leics.sch.uk

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William And Diesal Are On The Hunt For Their Perfect Match Article by Nicole Blair

At Leicester Animal Aid we do everything we can to make sure the dogs and cats who come into the Centre receive good food, veterinary care and individual attention to help them feel secure and loved.

We care for more than 400 cats and dogs every year who are lost, abandoned, unwanted or given up because their owners can no longer care for them. We try our hardest to make each animal’s stay with us as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.

However, the Centre isn’t a substitute for a loving home environment and we want each one of our dogs and cats to find a new, forever family.

Ocassionally it can take a bit longer for some cats and dogs to find the right home. We match each one based on their individual needs to new homes – acting a bit like a dating agency!

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William William, also known as Funky Will.I.Am, is a two-to-three year old Deerhound cross.

LAA staff agree he is the coolest kid on the rehoming block and is loved by all who meet him. He enjoys meeting and greeting everyone. As a spry young boy, he has a lot of enthusiasm and energy to burn! He’s quick on his paws for his size and loves cuddles too, so you will need to ensure there is a big enough sofa for the both of you!

an owner around to continue his housetraining and get used to being left. He could happily live with older teenage children as well. He is very social when out on walks but would best suited as the only pet in the home so he can focus on his training.

Diesal At only 2 years old, Diesal has a whole lifetime of fun and affection to give his new family. Diesal has seen others come and go in the time he has been with us and it’s fair to say, so far, this man of action has been a little overlooked. This may be due to the pandemic as we have not been able to have members of the public look around the Cattery in the usual way. We always put information about our ‘available’ animals on our website and social media accounts, but Diesal’s quirks and personality traits are far and wide and must be seen to be believed.

Diesal is playful, super-agile (as you may expect for a whippersnapper of two years old) and is very inquisitive. We think he must have caught a little football fever over the summer because he loves to play with his ball and carries it around in his mouth. Because of his playful nature, Diesal would thrive in a home where folks have time to engage with him and keep him busy.

But, he does love a cuddle and has a lovely, softer side to him, too. We think that, in the right home, he would make a purrrrfect companion!

If you feel you could give a home to William or Diesal please give the Centre a call at 01455 888257 or visit our website at www. leicesteranimalaid.org.uk

William enjoys journeys where he can see the world passing him by and he always wants to be by your side. He will need a new home with

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Article by Peter Cooper

Carpet Bowls Starting Again

Article by Bob Milton Will be starting again from 3rd September at 2pm - 4pm. Welcoming all who enjoy a game with gentle exercise and good company.

Entrance in Church Road. Join us at the Free Church Hall. Please ring Bob Milton Tel: 0116 2395558 for details.

On Saturday 31st July we held an Exhibition and Sale of Peter Cooper’s wonderful paintings.

The event was extremely well attended and we raised almost £1,700, all of which has been donated equally between the Free Church and St Bartholomew’s Church in Kirby Muxloe.

We thank Peter for his generosity and as he says “At the age of 94, I wanted to give back something to this wonderful village where I have lived throughout my life”.

Some of his painting which are still for sale are now displayed at K.M. Library.

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Kirby Muxloe Parish Council Summer Activities For Children Article by Rachel Atkinson

In the spirit of opening up after the lockdowns, and the restrictions on getting together, Kirby Muxloe Parish Council agreed to fund some tennis experience sessions for the youngsters of the village, and with a prize asset like the village tennis courts on Court Close, the obvious choice was to provide for the juniors.

An experienced and reliable partner delivered the free ‘Tennis Taster’ sessions for the 6-11 year olds, which were organised for a week during August. Around 20 children gathered on the tennis courts each day to participate in the hour-long fun sessions and learn the basics of tennis. The children experienced playing both singles and doubles during the week and sessions generally ended with their favourite challenge ‘Kings and Queens.’

An extremely enjoyable week for everyone involved.

Armistice Day 2021 Article by Marc Finnigan

As a 23-year veteran of the British Armed Forces, the time surrounding remembrance is extremely important to me personally, as it is a time to reflect and pay tribute to all those heroes, some I had the pleasure to serve with and others that I didn’t, but made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Furthermore, this year marks the 100th anniversary of The Royal British Legion, a charitable organisation which is firmly focussed on their future, their proud heritage and experience supporting the Armed Forces community.

Protecting Your Family’s Inheritance Article by Klara Hesling

Our frontline staff follow Government guidelines for visiting you in your home and they are in the vaccination program with second course completed. LevLaw Ltd remains here for you.

Most people hope that their estate will pass on to their children and grandchildren eventually.

But this will not happen for many, unless careful arrangements have been made to protect their assets from being taken towards the end of their life to pay for care home fees. The solution to help protect your estate is a Will incorporating a Property Protection Trust (PPT).

A testamentary PPT can only be executed whilst both partners remain alive. Upon death of the first partner, their Will specifies that their share of the property is placed into trust and names the ultimate beneficiary of this share, normally the children and grandchildren of the deceased. The surviving partner, under the terms of the trust, has the unequivocal right to remain living in the property for the rest of their life. On the death of the second partner the Trust comes to an end and the property passes to the beneficiaries.

As the surviving partner does not own the deceased’s share of the property it is fully protected for the beneficiaries, so if the surviving partner requires care, or even remarries, this share of the children’s inheritance is protected. This last point can be particular interest to couples who have come together and have children with different partners.

A PPT can help each person in a relationship ensuring that their children inherit their share of the property, while giving their surviving partner the ability to live in the property for the rest of their life. If the surviving partner wants to move to another property, they can still sell the property and the proceeds to be used to purchase a new property, the terms of the Trust remain over the new property.

The RBL was formed in the aftermath of The Great War to support and fight for the rights of those who had given so much and come back to so little. Today, as much as ever, they continue to stand with the Armed Forces community and challenge injustices to ensure all those who have served and sacrificed on our behalf get the fair treatment and recognition they deserve.

As with many charitable organisations, 2020 posed significant challenges to so many of us with restrictions imposed and inability to attend what would be typical fundraising events, including Remembrance Sunday services throughout the local villages. As we navigate our way through 2021, positivity is the order of the day as we look ahead to this year’s annual RBL Poppy Appeal.

Armistice (remembrance) day, as always, will be at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, with local remembrance services taking place in villages on Sunday, 14th November.

In the coming weeks, poppies will be available in several locations across our villages for a small donation, all of which will help to support serving and ex-serving personnel, their dependents and families of those who sadly are no longer with us.

I encourage all villagers, from whatever generation, to don their poppies with pride and support our Armed Forces, both past and present.

The RBL has always been supported by a network of volunteers, members, fundraisers and partner organisations who share their passion for bringing people together to support, commemorate and celebrate our Armed Forces community.

If you would like to volunteer, or to raise funds for your local Poppy Appeal this year and help support the vital work of the Royal British Legion, then please get in touch with Helen Fairhead, Community Fundraiser, Royal British Legion, 07458 085493. hfairhead@britishlegion.org.uk Marc Finnigan – Poppy Appeal Volunteer, Ratby, Kirby and Groby.

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Ozzy O’shea County Councillor

T: 0116 2394336 M: 07808585825 E: ozzyoshea@hotmail.com Permissive Footpath between The Ivanhoe Line Track Ratby and Sacheverell way.

As reported last month, I receive numerous complaints regarding the horses that are in the fields that run on both sides of the Permissive footpath that crosses from the Ivanhoe trail to Sacheverell way. I regularly have to contact either the owner of the horses or the management that maintains the footpath due to damaged fencing or horses that are on the path or are tangled around wire. I have been made aware that one of the land owners, has taken court action against the owner of the horses in order to have them removed from their land. This is because the owner does not have permission to graze his horses on the land. It may well be the other land owner will do the same I will keep residents updated as I know many of you care about the horses welfare.

Are the copyright dates (or any others) up to date? Often scammers will forget this detail. We came across an email scam in March 2017, which said the closing date of the competition being advertised in the email was December 31st 2016. If you see this level of inconsistency, it’s probably a scam.

Pedestrian Crossing Main Street Ratby.

Concerns were raised about the safety of the crossing on Main Street. Ratby outside the primary school earlier this year. I have arranged for Highways officers to check the crossing and the signage. I have also arranged for all the road marking approaching the crossing and the crossing to be repainted during the summer.

Is the branding on the email the same as it is on the company or government website? Does it match the last genuine email you received from them? If the answer is no, be suspicious.

Scammers can catch anyone.

Make sure you are always using a secure internet connection. Recently I was on holiday on the Isle of Wight, I was using the sites internet to connect to my Sainsbury’s nectar points. A couple of days later I got an email saying all my points had been spent in Wimbledon that day. Fortunately Sainsbury’s restored my points. It turned out the sites internet was not secure even though I had anti-virus protection on my laptop.

Contacting the Police.

Residents can contact the police via the phone by ringing 101 or 999 in an emergency. The police are also asking for residents to report crimes on line.

The following is a message from our local beat team.

Did you know you can report crime and incidents using our online portal?

Please visit https://www.leics.police.uk/ Click on REPORT. In an emergency please dial 999 How to spot an email scam Use the top 10 tips from Which to safeguard yourself from fraudsters using email scams to steal your information and money.

1 Check the 'from' address It’s always worth checking the address the email comes from for spoofing.

Scammers often change its name to make it look more like it is from the company or organisation they are pretending to contact you from.

A scam email usually has a fairly bizarre email address behind what looks like a genuine sender name.

To find out if there’s a fraudster behind what looks like a genuine sender, use your mouse to hover the cursor over or right-click on the sender name and you should see the email address behind it.

2 Is the greeting impersonal?

Increasingly you will notice that scammers are getting better at sending emails which include our name in the first line of the message. However, not all of them do.

Sometimes scam emails will just say “Hi” and not include your name, other times your email address will be used after “Hi”. This impersonal approach to contacting you is another sign that it’s likely to be a scammer behind the email.

3 Check contact information and dates Does the 'contact us' information at the bottom of the email link to anything? Is it clickable? Are the websites it links to genuine? If the answer is no, you should be on your guard. To see where a web-link links to without actually clicking on it, simply hover your mouse cursor over the link. In the bottom left-hand corner of your web browser, the web address where the link goes to will appear.

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4 Check branding Scam emails are often pretending to be from big brands, companies, supermarkets, retailers and deal sites or from trusted government departments.

Checking branding and keeping an eye on the quality of branded logos, etc, in the email can strongly indicate if the email is a scam.

5 Check if the linked website is legitimate If you have clicked through to a website or landing page from an email thinking it is genuine, make sure you also double-check the authenticity of the website.

If it’s a big brand or company, simply open a new tab and do a quick search for them. Click on their website and then compare the URL addresses.

Are they the same, similar or totally different? This should give you a good indication as to whether the landing page is a fake or genuine.

If you haven't yet clicked a link but are being asked to do so you can access an important message on your account, avoid the temptation to act quickly and log in via the email link. Instead, open your browser and log in to your account via the official website. Check if the message is really there. If it isn't, you know the email you received is likely to be from a scammer.

Key Information Ignore links and attachments Computer viruses can find their way onto your computer by scammers tricking you into installing them. For example, ransomware threatens to take action on your computer - such as deleting files - unless you pay a ransom.

If you suspect an email might be from a scammer, do not click on any links or download any attachments featured in the scam email as these may download a computer virus onto your computer.

Make sure you stay security-savvy and ensure your antivirus software is always up to date, as this will provide an extra layer of protection if you have unknowingly downloaded a computer virus after clicking a link or downloading an attachment.

6 Asking for personal or bank details?

If an email is asking you to update or re-enter your personal or bank details out of the blue, it is likely going to be a scam.

Personal information includes things like your National Insurance number, your credit card number, Pin number, or credit card security code, your mother's maiden name or any other security answers you may have entered.

Most companies will never ask for personal information to be supplied via email.

7 Poor spelling, grammar and presentation?

Increasingly scammers are getting better at presenting phishing emails that are more or less free of poor spelling and grammar. But, you should still watch out for these tell-tale signs.

More common is to see a real lack of consistency with the presentation of the email, which may include several different font styles, font sizes and a mismatch of logos.

8 Trying hard to be 'official'?

Scammers often try hard to make the email sound official. They will do this in a number of ways, including using the word ‘official’.

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You are unlikely to see the messaging in a truly official email shouting about how official it is.

Scam emails may also contain information such as account numbers and IDs designed to trick you into thinking the email is genuine. Check any of these against your records to see if they match.

9 Trying to rush you?

Fraudsters will try to pressure you with time-sensitive offers, encouraging you to act now or miss out on ‘exclusive’ deals.

Take your time to make all the checks you need. If the message is alerting you to look at something linked to an account you have with the company, organisation or retailer, you should log in separately to your account in a new tab or window It’s better to miss out on a genuine deal than risk compromising your personal details or money.

10 Check with real company, brand or department If you’re still unsure whether a scammer is behind the email you received, get in touch with the brand or company featured in your email directly via social media or their 'contact us' page.

Remember also to check the brand or company help and customer services pages. Often big companies are aware of scams circulating and have published advice for customers on what to watch out for.

Finally I would like to thank you all for your continued support and remind you that should you need my help or advice, I always pride myself on making myself available to residents. Remember I am only a phone call or email away.

Ozzy O’shea.

Always Working for you

The Tennis Club Next Door Poem by Kirby Lad

The doorbell chimes, I give a sigh All thoughts of gardening promptly die I amble slowly to the door To see who wants me, and what for I open up and there upon my doorstep stands alone (just one) A man in shorts, with furrowed brow A little nervous with head bowed What does he want, what can he need?

He spills the beans about his deed Please mister, can I have my ball?

I hit it straight across your wall Can I come in and have a look?

I'm thinking he should sling his hook But taking pity on the fellow To illustrate that I’m quite mellow I say 'Wait here I'll look for you' 'But first you'll need to give a clue,' Describe the ball you lost today Cause I’ve got hundreds you could play' He frowns and scratches at his head And then he says 'I think it's red, or green.' I search and find a few Return the red ' this one's for you' He mumbles thanks and stalks away I hope he will improve his play My thoughts and actions can proceed at last, now then where was that weed?

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Breast Cancer

Article by Diane Cotton Thank you to all those who attended the Breast Cancer UK afternoon at Botcheston Village HalI I would like to thank businesses in Kirby Muxloe for their support. Just to let you know we raised £1125 and say a big thank you to all who attended.

Coffee Morning

Article by Diane Cotton Coffee morning again at Botcheston Village Hall Friday September 24th 10am-12am this year it is for The Air Ambulance. All are welcome.

Film Evenings Parish Hall, Leicester Forest East... are back!

Article by Pat and Dennis Walker

We are pleased to announce that the lifting of coronavirus restrictions means we are able to resume our popular community cinema at the Parish Hall, LFE.

There is no need to book, we are not a club, and we welcome everybody PRESS RELEASE for next available 2021 issue please from the wider community. Just turn up on the night!

Our first showing is scheduled for Thursday 7 October.

The film we will feature is Military Wives.

Storyline: Inspired by global phenomenon of military wives choirs, the story Leicester Forest celebrates Parish a bandHall, of misfit women who East form a choir on a military base. As unexpected bonds of friendship flourish, music and laughter transform their lives, helping each other to overcome their fears for loved ones in combat.

Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Emma Lowndes and many We are Though pleased to announce thatathe lifting of coronavirus means we are able to res others. the film gives passing nod to the TVrestrictions programme featuring popular Malone, communityhe cinema the Parish Hall,this LFE. Gareth is notatinvolved with film.

Film Evenings

. . . are back!

...

There is no need to book, we are not a club, and we welcome everybody from the wider commu turn up on the night!

Venue: Parish Kings LFE,7 LE3 3JE. Our firstthe showing is Hall, scheduled forDrive, Thursday October.

Thearrival film wecomplimentary will feature is Military Wives.and biscuits are provided. As we have On hot drink Storyline: Inspired global military wives choirs, the story celebrates a no licence, pleasebyfeel freephenomenon to bring yourofown drinks. misfit women who form a choir on a military base. As unexpected bonds of friendship flo music and laughter transform their lives, helping each other to overcome their fears for l You get a free raffleKristin ticketScott for aThomas, double Sharon ticket prize to Emma be used for a and many oth onesalso in combat.

Starring Horgan, Lowndes Thoughshowing. the film gives a passing nod to the TV programme featuring Gareth Malone, he is not in future with this film.

Doors at 7.00pm; showing startsLE3 at 7.30pm.

Cost: £5.

Venue:open the Parish Hall, Kings Drive, LFE, 3JE.

On arrival complimentary hot drink and biscuits are provided. As we have no licence, please fee

own drinks. if readers of this news could make it known to Itbring willyour be appreciated You alsoyou get aknow free raffle for a double prize or to be usedlike for ato future showing. anyone whoticket has attended in ticket the past, would attend, our Doors open at 7.00pm; showing starts at 7.30pm. Cost: £5. monthly Community Cinema event.

It will be appreciated if readers of this news could make it known to anyone you know who has

in the past, or would like Hall, to attend, ourDrive, monthlyLFE, Community The organisers, Parish Kings LE3 3JE.Cinema event.

The organisers, Parish Hall, Kings Drive, LFE, LE3 3JE.

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The wildfires in Turkey and Greece have shown us how dangerous Climate Change can be when average global warming is at 1.25 degrees C. In Sicily it was 48 degrees C this summer. In Canada it was 49.5 degrees C! Wildfires make climate change worse by adding more heat and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It’s a vicious circle and has caused 40% of the arctic ice to melt.

In the UK we have reduced the amount of greenhouse gas we emit each year, but we are still pumping out greenhouse gas from our cars and homes. Each year this gas blanket around our planet is getting thicker and this is threatening our longterm survival. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change say the only way to keep climate change below 1.5 degrees is for us to reduce our emissions dramatically, and to keep doing this every year from now on.

We can reduce this by flying and driving less and using trains and buses more. Walking and cycling locally, heating our homes with renewable energy and eating less red meat are also well understood measures.

COP 26 is the next World Climate summit to be held in Glasgow this October. It’s the last chance for governments to agree to reduce greenhouse gas emissions dramatically to try to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. If they don’t, global warming will continue to escalate to even more dangerous levels, creating millions of climate refugees.

If you think there is more we could or should be doing within our community to help tackle climate issues, please let us know: contact@Blaby.GreenParty.org.uk

Stafford Leys Is An Ofsted “Good” School Article by Andy Kitchen

A Service of Remembering and Hope with Tree Planting Sunday 17th October at 3pm at Ferndale Park in Ratby A chance to reflect as a community on what we have lost in the Coronavirus pandemic and to look forward in hope.

During the last 2 years, Ofsted paused routine inspections of schools during the pandemic. During this time they only conducted checking visits. In very rare cases, they can decide to do a full inspection if there is a serious concern or a school has improved significantly.

I am pleased to say that they felt that Stafford Leys deserved a full inspection for improvement and after 2 days have graded our school as a Good school.

The inspectors said that this was an amazing result considering that there is a new framework with much harder expectations and the school has achieved this during a pandemic. Of the many visits conducted around the country, we can see only a handful of other schools where this has happened.

We are still aiming to be an outstanding school and see this as a steppingstone towards that goal. The report highlights that we haven’t yet completely planned out how subjects such as history and geography are delivered in EYFS. This is a new requirement and we can fix this very quickly.

This result was only possible thanks to the hard work of our whole school community; the parents’ support before, during and after lockdown; our children’s desire to improve; and a team of staff who have been motivated to prove that the last inspection grade was not a fair reflection of what our school provides for our children.

Everyone welcome. (subject to confirmation - please contact Rev’d Judith on judith.lincoln@methodist.org.uk or Rev’d Ed on revdredbampton@outlook.com or for further details) Brought to you by Churches Together in Ratby working with our Parish Council to serve our community.

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Stafford Leys is a large primary school that has been serving Leicester Forest East and the surrounding areas for over 50 years. It has recently been fully refurbished and benefits from a huge playing field and playground, specialist sport and language teachers as well as the latest technology in all classrooms. We are restarting tours for prospective new parents and have already got some booked in for this month. If you are looking at schools ready for next Summer or are considering sending your child to our school for any other reason, please contact the school office on 0116 2392482.

We do have a waiting list in a few year groups but we have a few spaces in some that do tend to get taken during the year.

The school website www.staffordleys.com and our twitter @stafford_leys are a great way to find out more about what is going on at our school. You can also read our full Ofsted report on our website or by searching Ofsted reports.

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Lifetime Mortgage Myths Article by Andy Sheasby

Lifetime Mortgage myths are prevalent as many people do not fully understand equity release and rely on opinions of friends and family. Equity release is not always easy to understand and many people quite rightly have questions and concerns about how it actually works. We help you sort fact from fiction so you know exactly what is involved with taking out a lifetime mortgage.

Property prices have of late been pretty resilient this means that for many older homeowners their home is their most significant financial asset. Lifetime mortgages give them a viable option to boost their income, to gift a living inheritance to loved ones or for their own use enjoying retirement to the full. A lifetime mortgage enables homeowners over 55 to release capital tied up in their property for any number of purposes.

In fact according to the Equity Release Council 16,527 customers took out a lifetime mortgage in the first quarter of 2021 raising total funds of £1.14bn. This option only seems to be growing in popularity and the increasing market means more product choice and options for homeowners seeking equity release.

So what is equity release?

Equity Release sometimes called Later Life Lending, comes in two main forms – lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans. At Integrity Mortgage Solutions we only advise on lifetime mortgages as with a lifetime mortgage you retain full home ownership.

With a lifetime mortgage, unlike other forms of equity release, you can release tax-free cash from your home whilst retaining full ownership of your home, and without having to commit to making monthly repayments.

Interest is charged on the amount released, with interest rates typically fixed for life. If you do not choose to make repayments over the course of the loan, then the amount borrowed, plus interest is simply repaid at the end of the term, often via the sale of the property.

What can the money be used for?

There are many different things you can choose to do with the money released with your Lifetime Mortgage.

4 in 10 equity release customers are using some or part of the funds they raise to clear an existing mortgage. In fact, according to the FCA’s Growth from Knowledge report 10% of people with an interest only mortgage have no repayment strategy for their mortgage and a fifth expect to have a shortfall when the balance is due to be repaid. This is resulting with people needing alternative mortgage options in order to keep living in their homes.

Another popular use is for managing your estate and inheritance tax planning. Many people are choosing to release equity from their homes to gift a ‘living inheritance’ to family at a time when they might need it most for buying their own homes or education.

Other people choose to raise funds in order to enjoy their retirement to the full, either raising money for special events or just to make life more comfortable.

There are lots of reasons you may wish to raise funds but here are some of the things our customers have done with theirs which you might consider: • Paying for health care, from one-off private medical bills to ongoing care in the home • ‘Topping up’ your retirement income to make life more comfortable.

• Managing your estate, wealth and inheritance tax planning.

• ‘Paying off an outstanding mortgage, including the shortfall on an interest-only mortgage.

• Helping children and grandchildren with house deposits, student fees, weddings, and other major life events.

• Renovating or refurnishing your home • Enjoying your retirement by buying a new car, taking a holiday or funding hobbies.

• Adapting your home so you can live independently.

• Pretty much anything you want to raise money for!

• Let’s sort fact from fiction and debunk some of these lifetime mortgage myths.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 1 You'll end up owing more than your house is worth

We only advise on lifetime mortgages approved by the Equity Release Council and this will ensure your plan will have a no-negative equity guarantee. This ensures that you will never owe more than the value of your home.

In a typical circumstance when your home is sold the funds will be used to repay your mortgage and the remaining money will be distributed in line with your wishes as stated in your will.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 2 You won't leave any inheritance for your loved ones Equity release is often used to gift your children or grandchildren an early ‘living’ inheritance’.

Many people want to support their families now rather than when they’ve passed away. It can be more beneficial to help family now when they might need help with purchase of a new home or to pay for education. This will of course reduce the equity left in your home and the value of any future inheritance.

be ended, with the loan repaid. However, if you have taken a lifetime mortgage as a couple the plan will continue as long as one of you still lives in your home – therefore if one of you move into care, the scheme can continue to run as long as the other stays in the property.

The same applies if one partner dies; as long as the surviving spouse remains in the home you are not obliged to repay the lifetime mortgage.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 6 You won't be able to move home

You aren’t stuck with the property you took an equity release loan out on if you want to move home. Lifetime Mortgages offer a portability option so you can transfer the loan to a new property providing it fits the lender’s criteria.

Some plans let clients downsize to a smaller a property and repay all or part of the mortgage. Downsizing protection is a feature of some lifetime mortgages but there is usually a qualifying period of 5 years before it applies.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 7 You won't own your home

This is a common misconception: that all equity release plans mean the lender owns your home, with you merely being granted the right to continue living there.

Having a lifetime mortgage doesn’t mean you’re selling your home to the lender. Equity release is simply a method of borrowing against your property much like any other mortgage, it is a loan secured against your home that will be repaid when you die often from the sale of your home.

If leaving an inheritance is important to you, you can protect a portion of the value of your home by choosing a product with an inheritance guarantee option.

With a lifetime mortgage you’ll continue to own your home and can make home improvements as you see fit.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 3 Equity Release is expensive

There is a less common method of equity release called home reversion, where you do sell all or part of your home to the provider but here at Integrity Mortgage Solutions we don’t advise on this type of lending.

When you take out a lifetime mortgage interest will be added to the total loan amount. You don’t have to pay off any of the interest or make payments during your lifetime. The loan is repaid when the last survivor dies or moves into long term care.

This results in compound interest, which means that interest is charged on the interest and the amount you owe will increase over time.

Some lifetime mortgage products allow you to pay some or all of the interest and we will look at all your options to make sure a lifetime mortgage is right for you.

It is important to consider whether there are alternative cheaper ways to borrow available to you.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 4 You can't release equity if you already have a mortgage on your property

Having a mortgage doesn’t exclude you from taking out a lifetime mortgage and releasing equity from your home. In fact, using a lifetime mortgage to pay off an existing mortgage is one of the most common uses for a lifetime mortgage.

With a lifetime mortgage you receive money to use as you wish in exchange for a first charge on the property. This money can then be used to repay the existing mortgage leaving you with a lifetime term and no worries about making repayments.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 5 You'll be forced to move out if your partner dies or goes into long term care

Having to move to a residential care home is one of the reasons an equity release scheme can

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Lifetime Mortgage Myths 8 You'll have to keep making repayments throughout retirement

Traditionally lifetime mortgages don’t require you to make any repayments at all – the interest is rolled up and will be repaid along with your initial capital when the property is eventually sold.

The exception to this is if you choose to make payments, but even then if you find you can’t manage the payments then the interest will just be added to the balance.

Lifetime Mortgage Myths 9 You have to take a lump sum payment

With some modern lifetime mortgage products you don’t have to take all your money in one go. Some providers offer the option to ‘draw down’ the funds in stages. The advantage of this is that the interest is only charge on the amount you’ve actually withdrawn and as you take smaller sums over a longer period of time the resulting interest charges will be lower.

Next month we will look at the pros and cons of lifetime mortgages.

IS ALL YOUR MONEY TIED UP IN PROPERTY?

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0116 239 5000 An Equity Release product will reduce the value of your estate, will not be suitable for everyone and may affect your entitlement

to state benefits. To understand the features and risks please ask for a personalised illustration. There will be a fee for mortgage advice. The amount will depend on your circumstances. A typical fee would be £595

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Ozzy O’shea Borough Councillor

ChrisBorough Boothby Councillor

T: 0116 2394336 M: 07808585825 E: ozzyoshea@hotmail.com Gladman Proposal.

Many residents have received a card through their letterbox from Gladman Land Agents asking your views on a possible Planning Application for 225 dwellings at the top of Desford Lane in Ratby. At this time, no application has been received by the Planning Department at HBBC. The card promises a public consultation, but we are yet to hear when this might happen. They are asking you to comment online at www.your.views.co.uk/ratby we are both concerned that any negative responses may be deleted and never see the light of day. Also, despite having contacted Gladmans, we have had no response. This is on top of 168 houses being built to the rear of Markfield Rd and a further 90 Also on Markfield Rd due to start in October. Under the Local Plan from HBBC, Ratby was earmarked for some extra 75 houses but now we are up to 450 plus. Residents will no doubt see the gridlock at rush hour on Main St every afternoon. We both would welcome any comments because as a major application, it will go to Committee.

Brown Bin Collections.

During August, our village had 2 brown bin collections missed due to refuse crews either self-isolating, off with Covid or the lack of staff. We both found this unacceptable with grass growing and hedges needing trimming. We then found out that the village was due to be missed again on the Bank Holiday. We both talked to senior officers at HBBC explaining that this was totally unfair and that all of the Borough should take the hit.

As a result, Ratby was prioritised and the brown bins were emptied.

Ask for Angela Campaign Extended Across The Borough.

Pubs, bars and restaurants across Hinckley and Bosworth are supporting the Ask for Angela campaign, which encourages people to discreetly ask for help if they feel unsafe on a date.

If you are feeling vulnerable, all you have to do is approach the bar and ask for Angela, the staff are then alerted to the situation and can help.

The national initiative aims to reduce sexual violence and vulnerability

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T: 0116 2912796 M: 07306 390543 E: chris.boothby@hotmail.com

by providing customers with a discreet way to gain assistance from staff in order to get help when they feel unsafe due to a person’s actions, words or behaviour.

Once alerted, staff can then offer to call a taxi, contact their friends or family or ensure that the individual causing the distress leaves the venue. Venues participating in the scheme can be found at: www.hinckley-bosworth.gov. uk/angela This is a simple yet effective scheme which empowers members of the public to seek help if they are feeling vulnerable, by allowing them to raise concerns with staff. It may be that they are in the company of someone who is not what they seemed and they want to get away safely and with minimum fuss. This initiative helps facilitate this and hopefully prevent situations from escalating into something more serious. More local pubs and bars have joined the scheme residents are encouraged to look out for the ‘Ask for Angela’ posters or stickers displayed.

If your business would like to register to support this campaign please telephone Community Safety on Tel. 01455 255746. And finally....

Crow Pie Cafe Ratby Library.

Saturday 4th of September saw the re-opening of the Crow Pie Cafe based at Ratby Library. This was after a major refit of the kitchen which now can supply all sorts of different coffees and teas. A free tea cake was an added bonus along with a Tombola stall. Congratulations to Ken and Avril Hunnybun and Steve and Jackie Roach and all the volunteers for putting on a lovely morning which Chris and his family enjoyed.

Once again, we take this opportunity to thank all of you for your support and remember we are only a phone call away.

Regards Chris & Ozzy.

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Leicester Forest East Community Library Article by Paul Turner

Wednesday Morning Café Fancy a coffee and chat after dropping your kids off at Stafford Leys on a Wednesday morning. We have opened the library from the 1st September so that anyone including parents and pre-school children can get together for a coffee and chat/play/read. All welcome. If successful we may extend to other days of the week so your support is required.

Other activities The following activities have restarted in September Story & Rhyme for preschool children - Friday 2.30pm to 3pm Construction Club – 10th September then fortnightly 5pm to 6.30pm Knit and natter – Monday 7pm to 9am

Extensions, Garden Redesigns And Refurbishments

Other activities and facilities As well as loaning books your membership of the library allows you access to e-books and audio books as well. We also have had a lot of new books courtesy of Leicestershire County Council as well as rotating the books to give a variety over the year. Covid Lateral flow tests are available.

We have 4 internet enabled PC’s with an extra 2 secured for Children (age restricted) so that you can use the internet and print off to the printer located in the library (we do charge for the printing to cover the costs of the paper and ink).

Please drop round for a coffee morning on the first Saturday in the month.

Other groups that take place are Knit and Natter - Monday 7pm to 9pm Coffee and Chat - Wednesday 10am to Noon The Craft Group - Wednesday 6pm to 8pm The LE3 ladies group 3rd Thursday of the Month 7pm to 9pm For full information please see our website www.lfelibrary.org or the Facebook page. Alternatively, please call into the library and speak to one of the volunteers.

Get in touch today for your quote

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* 1st Saturday of the month coffee morning 10am - 1pm Volunteers and the 100 Club We are all volunteers that run the community Library and with all the increases in activities we need more people to help. It can be a regular slot or just helping out at odd events. If you want to commit some time to helping then please drop into the library to see what is involved.

We realise that some of us are time deprived so another way of helping is to join the 100 Club. For £1 a month you are entered into a monthly draw with a cash prize for the first 3 numbers drawn out of the hat. Please request information on the following link www.lfelibrary.org/contact Hire the library Did you know that we hire the library for events?

Do you have a need for a meeting place on a regular basis or have a one-off event that you are holding? We hire out the library for events and regular activities e.g. Yoga . Please look at the website for further details and for booking https://www.lfelibrary.org/hiring-the-library

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Ratby Patient Participation Group Ratby Patient Participation Group have asked Ratby Surgery some questions that they feel patients would like to know regarding the practice and their current services: 1. Why do receptionists ask so many questions regarding our medical problems when we wish to book an appointment?

Our reception team ask questions to ensure that you see the right health professional within the right time frame and are trained to do this. We offer emergency/very urgent appointments on the day, urgent appointments within three days and routine appointments and we do this to ensure we are able to care for patients with urgent medical issues quickly whilst still being able to book patients in for routine problems. We feel this is a fairer system than an 8am ‘Ring and hope’ method for patients to try and get through to us quickly over the phone before all appointments have been booked for the day leaving patients with urgent medical problems without an appointment.

2. Why have I been booked in with someone who isn’t a GP? Over the last two years, the number of clinical staff has increased, but they are not all GP’s. We now have a highly skilled specialist physiotherapist trained to do more than advise exercises. Jane is trained to see and diagnose all muscular and joint problems and can order the same scans and refer patients to the hospital in exactly the same way a GP can. We also have two clinical pharmacists who can care for certain medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure and review your medications and any questions regarding them.

3. Why is the waiting time for a routine appointment longer than it used to be?

The practice has historically always had very good waiting times for a routine appointment compared to other practices in Leicestershire.

Whilst our waiting times have increased over the pandemic, the number of appointment we are offering has increased as we are now offering appointments with Jane our Specialist Physiotherapist and Deepa and Aisha, our Clinical Pharmacists. All areas of the country are seeing an increased demand for medical care per average patient , as more care is being delivered at the surgery that might have been traditionally done at the hospital such as blood tests or follow up reviews.

4. Why do receptionists suggesting contacting other services such as the local chemist?

This is a new national NHS plan to support patients and GP practices. Local chemists are trained to deal with minor ailments that can be treated with over the counter medications. If patients with minor illnesses like these see the pharmacists, this helps to free up GP appointments for patients with more complex medical problems and they will contact us if they feel that it needs more specialist advice from the practice.

5. The practices lists size is increasing, so is the practice recruiting more staff?

Our list size has been increasing rapidly over the last five years and we have been recruiting GPs to the practice to support that. Over the last six years, we have had three new GPs, Dr James Ogle, Dr Reema Parwaiz and Dr Asim Parwaiz join the practice. However we have been trying to recruit an extra doctor to the practice to support us but there is a national shortage of GPs and we have not been successful yet. So to support us instead we have recruited two clinical pharmacists and a Specialist Physiotherapist to care for certain illnesses to free up GP time for patients with other health problems.

6. Why do we have to have a telephone call with the doctor first?

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, it has been mandated by the Government that all consultations should be initially triaged over the phone.

This has not changed since and so GP practices are still following these instructions in Leicestershire. A lot of patients have preferred telephone appointments, but we recognise that a lot of patients illnesses cannot be dealt with over the phone and so we book them in for a face to face appointment to review this. This is helping us to offer more appointments than if we saw all patients face to face, as COVID cleaning requirements add on 5 minutes to each consultation with a doctor or nurse. It also helps to reduce the number of people patients come into contact with in the surgery when COVID rates are still fairly high.

7. How can a doctor decide if I am ill over the phone?

Doctors are trained to deal with medical conditions both face to face and over the phone as part of their training. Certain conditions can be easily cared for over the phone and others might only need to be seen occasionally for a longer term condition. However, if your medical problem needs to been checked face to face, we would book you in for that appointment after the telephone call.

8. Are the doctors going to do house visits again?

The Leicestershire Commissioning Groups who contract medical services within Leicestershire developed an urgent home visiting service for patients who need a home visit urgently but not an ambulance. For routine reviews a GP might come out and visit as needed or it could be another member of the team such as a district nurse. Many patients who are quite disabled attend the surgery for their care and our reception team are happy to support patients in wheelchairs or mobility scooters to use the ramp to enter through the front door.

Ratby Surgery - Information From The Patient Participation Group (PPG) Following Consultation With DJ Ogle Vaccination update: The practice are running flu vaccination clinics from the 21st of September onwards for all patients aged 50 and over and those with a long term health condition such as diabetes. We are hoping to be able to offer COVID booster jabs at the same appointment, but we are awaiting Government instructions closer to the time and advice on having a booster at all might change. Please contact the surgery to book in for your flu vaccination between 11am and 5pm at the practice.

Ratby New Build update: Recently there has been little information to share with patients as the proposal has been moving through the various legal sign offs from the National NHS team as well as through local legal sign offs with the LLR CCGs. To date, these are still not complete, but they are progressing and we are hoping to be in a position to commence work either side of Christmas.

We would like to reassure patients that Ratby Surgery remains 100% committed to the development for the local villages, especially considering the current housing projects in the area and local consultation on the potential closure and relocation of a neighbouring branch practice in Leicester Forest East.

We also wanted to share some of the feedback we have received on the proposal engagements so far. If you would like to share more information with the practice, please email Sheila.adcock@GP-C82634.nhs.uk You Said

We did

Being able to consult with my doctor of choice, with a mixture of urgent, semi urgent and urgent appointments from a modern medical premises.

The plans developed are for an up-to-date medical centre with a significant increase in consulting rooms, enabling us to see and care for more patients from Ratby, Kirby Muxloe and surrounding villages, which are seeing a significant increase in size. They are designed to allow us to offer more services from the medical centre closer to home, including day case procedures from the surgical suite.

Adequate parking including disabled parking

A significant increase in parking spaces - over 50 being available instead of the current 12 available, and with 4 disabled spaces rather than 1.

The ability to have minor procedures and services other than 'core' GP services onsite that might have previously been provided within hospitals such as physiotherapy, but also including a dentist and an onsite chemist

The plans include: • A dental suite • Relocation of the local chemist onsite • Surgical unit for minor procedures to be performed in the community • Increased number of clinical rooms to facilitate other health professionals including physiotherapists.

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Ratby Community Library And Crow Pie Cafe

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Back to school, back from holiday, back to a coffee and cake after selecting a great book to enjoy them with. The library cafe now offers specialist coffees, teas and juices for children, as well as tempting snacks and indulgences. Toasted teacake? Capuccino? Latte? Hot chocolate? How about good old builder's tea? We have them waiting for you.

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We have also re-introduced some of our most popular events such as the monthly quiz night and fortnightly session for pre-school children, the very popular, Wriggly Readers.

Crow Pie Café Coffee Morning 4th September 10.30am – 12 midday!

On September 4th we hosted a coffee morning at the library. As a special treat, all hot drinks were accompanied by a free toasted tea cake. Run by our volunteer staff, there was a very popular cake sale, tombola, raffle and some special treats for children, not to mention the sale of donated books and cds. There was even a plant and vegetable table (no calories!). Raffle prizes were generously donated by our volunteer staff as were the ever popular tombola. Visitors snapped up the cake stall contents and enjoyed the old style games too! I must say, it was grand to see our village library bedecked with bunting and looking very smart and welcoming!

Quiz Night is back!

With Steve Roche as question master be prepared for fun and fiendish questions. Friday 17th September at 7.30 pm kicks off the new season so do come along either in teams or as individuals, all are welcome.

Wriggly Readers started on Thursday 2nd September, 10.30 – 11am for songs and story time, followed by play and time to chat over refreshments until 12, midday. This was, as will be all the others, a closed session for the group only, giving more space to the children and their carers safe in the knowledge that the doors were closed and no wriggling escapees can make it out! The sessions are every two weeks so the next is Thursday, 16th September. There is no need to book a place – just come along.

Are you a member of a craft group? Walkers? Book clubbers? Local Interest Group? Need a place to meet? We have free time available in the library on four mornings a week. If you wanted a comfortable space to sit, chat, work, why not call in and we can discuss your needs.

Opening Hours: Monday 10am – 12 & 2pm - 4pm Tuesday 2pm – 4pm Wednesday 2pm – 4pm Thursday 2pm – 4pm Friday 2pm – 4pm Saturday 10am – 12 With apologies to those who look up our hours on Google, please could you use the Ratby Library and Community Group website for your search?

We have no control over the mis-leading 'Ratby Library' site as it is not our domain and we're not able to amend it. We also post regularly on Facebook in the Spotted Ratby group so we can keep you updated on events and items of interest.

Volunteers: we need you!

If you have two hours a week to spare, why not come and join our community of library volunteers? We're a cheerful bunch of all ages and gender and interests. Some prefer the cafe work, others like the book and computer tasks but we all muck in together and do our best to provide a pleasant, friendly environment for our community. Full training is offered so do call in and talk to us about joining our staff; you really won't regret it.

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The Kirby Muxloe Local History Group Article by Judith Upton

The Kirby Muxloe Local History Group generally meets 6 times a year, and membership is open to all.

Details of the dates of meetings, together with the topics that will be covered, are shown on the notice board in Kirby Muxloe Library and on our website, which is www.kirbymuxloelocalhistorygroup.org Our main meetings will resume on September 28th with a talk on “The Ivanhoe Line” by Ted Cook, starting at 7:30pm. Covid precautions will apply. For further details, please see our website. Our new “Memories” meetings unfortunately remain suspended, pending our assessment of the effectiveness of our new anti-virus procedures.

We have now extended our monthly newsletter to non-members of the History Group, although our last issue will be in September. A FREE copy can be picked up at Kirby Muxloe Library, Station Road, or Clann Gifts on Main Street, or email copies on request from info@ kirbymuxloelocalhistorygroup.org This month we go back to Leicester Market and its surrounds Following on from the June issue of Your Local when we featured an article

by Jan Timson, the response has been so positive that we decided to carry on with her amazing memories.

So, we start with an article entitled “Use your Gumption”, again from Jan: That was the phrase my father would often use to me in my teens and he didn’t mean get out the tin of abrasive cleaner to clean burnt saucepans!

The word “gumption” is 18th century Scots of unknown origin, meaning, shrewd or spirited initiative and resourcefulness. I would be interested to know why the manufacturer of Gumption chose that name.

I was always pleased when Mother said she needed Gumption when she was planning her weekly shop in Leicester. That meant we would be visiting Bentley’s in the Corridor. Walking up the market, passing Wainwright and Marston’s stall on your right, you would come to the entrance to the corridor on your left. The Corridor was a passage containing shops on the ground floor and offices upstairs. One of the units that I found most interesting (aged about7) were the ladies toilets, reached by going down a flight of white tiled steps between white tiled walls to the toilets. These were immaculately maintained by a lady in a smart white uniform. My favourite place was Bentley’s shop - next door to the toilets as I recall. The shop front had very tall windows coming close to the ground. The tall, dark brown door was offset and I assume it was heavy as my small mother seemed to find it quite hard to open. Inside the wonders began: to the left was a long counter backed by rows of shelves divided into sections and filled with a large variety of goods used to ensure that the housewife could keep her home clean and shiny.

"The Corridor" - Courtesy of the Leicester Mercury. write on the wooden backs of the brushes what colour polish they were to be used for. Bentley’s sold Cherry Blossom and Kiwi brands of shoe polish.

The edges of the floor were interesting areas to explore. There were galvanised buckets of various sizes, including mop buckets (usually with a rag mop standing in the bucket), plus white enamelled buckets, with a blue rim (I don’t know what those were used for). There were buckets with lids for dirty nappies – no disposable ones then! There were strong wicker–work laundry baskets, adorned with clothes lines and pegs. The list is endless, but having to stop somewhere, this seems as good a place as any - the memories keep coming - next time more shops around the Market Square.

Thank you once more to Jan Timson and her fantastic memory - it is quite hard to find people of nearly 90 years old who remember so much. Sitting with Jan and hearing her recollections just tumbling out of her mind is fascinating, I would like to think that when and if I reach her age, I could be the same. That would be down to luck, genes and anything else that comes into play.

This thank you message should have appeared in the issue immediately after the election.

Thank You

Lee and Nick would like to thank everyone that voted in the County Council elections.

We were delighted to have increased our vote share to 63% of the total votes cast. This was an increase on 4 years ago. Whether you voted for us or not, we now have a clear mandate to serve as your County Councillors and deliver on the pledges we made in our Lee Breckon manifesto.

Personal: Lee has lived in Glenfield since 1992 and is to Carol with 2 grown up children, Scarlet and recovery from the We aremarried continuing to help with the Charlie. We relocated in the village to a bungalow 6 years effectsagoof pandemic andI enjoy willfamily work hard to deliver andthe have been busy making it “ours”. life and all it brings. I am employed as a Parish Clerk over at our pledges from our election leaflet.

Whetstone.

We willExperience: be giving updates Lee has quarterly over 20 years’ experience in local in The Local on our government, with 10 years on a Parish Council, 3 as County, District and Parish activities and look forward Chairman. I have been a Blaby District Councillor for 9 years and have held various positions. Proud to have been to working with you, and for you. successfully elected to serve on Leicestershire County

GLE

Many homes had red quarry tiles in the rooms where the floors often got dirty and wet and Cardinal red polish was used to give them a shine. The Council 4 years ago and honoured to have been Cabinet Your LeadConcerns, Member responsible forYour Health for Voice, the last 2 years.Your Councillors. name “quarry” comes from the old English for square. My mother used EMAIL: cllrleebreckon@gmail.com Our contact details are : to wash her kitchen floor and often put down the” Brussels carpet” i.e.

MOBILE: 07803 366394 newspaper. Modern instructions for care say that after washing, the tiles Nick Chapman GL E NFIE L D S, KIR B Y MU X LOE A ND LEIC ES TER Breckon must be dried with paper or a towel. It was a longLee time before I knew that a “Brussels carpet” was in fact a very valuable carpet not an old newspaper.

Personal: Lee has lived in Glenfield since 1992 and is Personal: I have lived in Glenfield most of my life, LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY CO For wooden floors, Bentley’s sold Ronuk floor polish and special to Scarlet and married to Carol with 2brushes grown up children, and with my partner Becky have 4 children and 4 Charlie. We relocated in the village to a bungalow 6 years grandchildren. Nick is an electrician in the family business apply the polish, with softer ones to buff it to a shine. ago and have been busy making it “ours”. I enjoy family life and has been a respite foster carer for over 10 years and all it brings. I am employed as a Parish Clerk over at Whetstone.

Your Conser candidat

caring for children with disabilities.

Brushes figured prominently in Bentley’s: yard brushes of very coarse bristle, Experience: Lee has over 20 years’ experience in local soft brushes for sweeping the floor and cobweb brushes – with these longgovernment, 10 years on a Parish Council, 3 as Chairman.the I havecounter, been a Blabyas District handled brushes were often propped insecurely against I Councillor for 9 Conservatives years and have held various positions. Proud to have been occasionally found to my cost – the Bentleys didn’t fret but mytomother was successfully elected serve on Leicestershire County Council 4 years ago and honoured to have been Cabinet Nick Chapman You not pleased. The sectioned shelves behind held brushes for responsible polishing the for the last 2 years.

Lead Member for Health EMAIL: cllr.nickchapman@gmail.com lee.breckon@leics.gov.uk nick.chapman@leics.gov.uk floor and smaller ones for applying polish to shoes, softer ones for buffing, 07710 174005 EMAIL: cllrleebreckon@gmail.com Tel:MOBILE: 07803 366394 Tel: 07710 174005 MOBILE:My 07803 366394used to and velvet pads for buffing shoes made of soft leather. father

Nick Chapman 24 | www.openboxpromotions.co.uk/news Personal: I have lived in Glenfield most of my life, and with my partner Becky have 4 children and 4 grandchildren. Nick is an electrician in the family business

Experience: Nick has been a Parish Councillor for the last 4 years and became Vice Chairman last year. Elected to serve on Blaby District Council 2 years ago, he is a keen Member of the Planning Committee as well as serving on the Scrutiny Commission. Over the last year, responding to the pandemic, Nick has given a lot of time helping to firstly set up and then run a food bank.

Lee Breckon

Thursday May 6th 2021

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Article by Liz Collinson We seem to have an Indian summer, thank goodness. As we write, the sun is shining and there is some real warmth out there. And don’t we just deserve it after such a miserable August?

So, with a renewed spring in our step, let’s have a look at what’s been happening with our Library. We are very glad to see that the number of visitors to the Library is picking up really well. It’s so good to have the chatter and laughter of children back, to have flowers on the tables and to have groups of friends sitting chatting and having a cup of tea or coffee. It really does begin to feel like old times.

It's good to see the gradual return of our volunteers, and also the recruitment of new ones. Some of our returning friends are worried that they have forgotten the various systems that we have to use. Worry not – we are perfectly happy to give you a refresher - you’d be surprised how quickly it all comes back to you. So, as ever, new and old volunteers, come in and talk to us and help us to recreate the vibrant and welcoming atmosphere that has always been such a feature of our activities.

You will see that we have displayed a number of Peter Cooper’s original artworks around the Library. They are mainly landscapes and are for sale, so do come and have a look. Refreshments are on offer once again, and we will be resuming our coffee and cake mornings at the end of this month.

The informal coffee groups have also resumed activity. The environment remains Covid secure, of course, with good ventilation, hand sanitiser available, and encouragement to give each other a metre’s distance. We do encourage our visitors to wear face masks and to sign in for test and trace purposes.

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Our plans to open for an increased number of hours have been delayed a bit, as we have to get prior approval from Leicestershire County Council.

We are hoping that this approval will be forthcoming to allow us to increase our hours to 21 per week at some point this Autumn, but we are not yet sure exactly when. We will of course keep you informed.

A new venture is the creation of a group for under 5s, with their parents and/or carers, involving the sharing of Stories and Songs. This will be on Tuesday mornings from 9.30 – 10.15, which will be in good time for schoolage children to be delivered to school and then for their parents/carers to drop into the Library with the little ones. Refreshments will of course be available. We will advertise the start date as soon as we can..

You will be glad to know that we are determined to develop our garden into a fully-fledged sensory garden for the use of all villagers. The idea of a sensory garden has come up occasionally in the Parish Council but has never developed into anything. The Library has a garden area which is not well-utilised as matter stand, so we are now making serious plans to develop this area into a space that will be peaceful, attractive and appealing to all the senses for the benefit of villagers. This is quite a major project and we will be applying for grant funding. We appeal now to anyone living in the village who has experience of designing and creating such a garden to get in touch with us and help us with the project. This may be people with design and construction experience, keen gardeners who would help with planting and maintenance, and even perhaps those who would be prepared to assist financially. We want this to be a genuine community project, created by and for our residents, with a focus on peaceful surroundings and an opportunity to combat loneliness and social isolation by pulling together on a worthwhile project. As ever, if you would like to be involved, come and talk to us.

Cinema Club For senior citizens Venue Ratby Parish Cinema Church Club at For senior citizens Ven 2pm (doors open at 1-30pm) 2pm (doors open at 1-30pm)

Cinema Club For Senior Citizens Venue Ratby Parish Church At 2pm (doors open at 1-30pm)

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each month, Through the year we show a selection of films specifically each month, suited Through for the the year we show a selec

Why not come and enjoy an afternoon of free entertainment and companionship each month, great oldThrough classics the year we show a selection of films specifically suited The dates are as follows The dates are as follows for the senior citizens. Some films are fairly recent Friday 20TH august AT HOME week -afternoon tea included) (booking only) (HOLIDAY AT HOME week -a Friday 20TH august releases but(HOLIDAY we also show some of the great old classics

senior citizens. Some films are fairly recent releases but we also show seniorsome citizens. of the Some films are fairly recent rele great old classics

Friday 10th September

Friday 10th September

The dates are as follows Friday 15th October Friday 12th20th November Friday -afternoon 12th November Friday August (HOLIDAY AT HOME week Friday 10th Decembertea included) (booking only) Friday 10th December Friday 14th January Friday 10th September Friday 14th January Friday 11th February Friday 11th February Friday 15th October Friday 10th March Friday 10th March Friday 12th November Friday 10th December Tea/coffee and cakes are available after the show Tea/coffee and cakes are available after the sh Friday 14th January For more information please contact Joan Hawkins tel:0116 2395826 For more information please contact Joan Haw Friday 11th February Friday 10th March Friday 15th October

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