Bridgnorth march 16 merged

Bridgnorth Pages

MARCH 2016

MONTHLY BUSINESS DIRECTORY: INC: EVENTS ▪ GROUPS ▪ CLASSES ▪ NEWS ››› Find & Search Local Businesses

p2 ››› Make the Most of Your Money

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››› Give your Kitchen a Facelift

p3 ››› Local Events

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››› Easter activities at Ironbridge

p4 ››› Special 'New Windows' Offer

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››› What's On at Theatre on the Steps p4 ››› Phillip Dunne Update

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KEEP FIT WHILST EARNING MONEY – SEE PAGE 8

COMPLETE ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS FROM £19 PER MONTH: MAGAZINE: ONLINE: SOCIAL: MOBILE CALL 07734 461934 OR EMAIL CONNECTPAGESONLINE@GMAIL.COM 1

Bridgnorth Business Index: Home & Garden

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Eating & Drinking

Alarm/CCTV

7

Restaurants & Take Away

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Cleaning Services

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Classes, Groups & Events

Decking & Fencing

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Dance Classes

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Electrician

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Events

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External Cleaning

1

Theatre & Performing Arts

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Flooring

3

Lifestyle, Leisure & Retail

Garden Centre

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Community Care

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Kitchens

3

Driving School

1

L ighting

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Finance

5

Oven Cleaning

3

Opticians

12

Property M aintenance

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Places to Go

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Roofing

3

Soft Play & Animal Encounters

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Windows, Doors & Conservatories

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Taxi Hire

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Tuition

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I WANT TO EXPLORE WHY SOME PEOPLE DON’T SEEK INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE. “ I don’t need it”: Have you really got the time, knowledge and expertise to research the thousands of investment products on the market, to find the best deal for you? If you work with an Independent Financial Adviser they will do this for you, carefully monitoring your investments in line with the agreed criteria. At FSC we aim to do this in an honest and trustworthy way, on a regular basis “Can I afford it?”: Expense may be a reason as to why some people have yet to seek Independent Financial Advice. Why not come in for an initial consultation at our expense, you might be pleasantly surprised at the costs involved. With our knowledge, experience and expertise it is likely that we can handle your savings and investments more efficiently than you can. Our charging structure is competitive and for the level of bespoke service you will receive we believe it will make it worth your while. We like to see our clients twice a year, more if we agree this is necessary for clients that have signed up for our ongoing service. We want to make our clients money, make them happy and build a good relationship with them.

“Can I trust an Independent Financial Adviser?”: When working with an Independent Financial Adviser trust is very important. The financial services industry is heavily regulated and our regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), keeps a very careful eye on what we all do and takes action where necessary. After 35 years in the industry I always aim to keep your money in the right place, at the right time, all the time.

My fellow Advisers and I at FSC believe we give good, honest, common sense advice and many of our clients have trusted us with their investments for up to 35 years. Don’t just take my word for it, please take a look at the testimonials from some of our clients on our website.

“I don’t want to risk losing my money”: Some people think that in order to make reasonable and sensible returns you need to take high risk. Our clients range from high risk takers to low risk takers. We will carefully assess your attitude to risk versus reward and recommend the most appropriate investments for you. Our clients use us because they trust us and we are their eyes and ears on the lower risk end of the market. When general market interest rates are low, we hunt out and aim to find products that give smoother but better returns than you can get on the High Street.

There should never be any barrier to getting good quality Independent Financial Advice, just keep an open mind, you’ve absolutely no reason to be afraid. We specialise in giving good honest advice that works, all at a sensible and reasonable cost. Why not give us a call and put us to the test? What have you got to lose?

Call: 01902 422333 Email: info@fscinvestments.co.uk Frank Cochran - Managing Director & Independent Financial Adviser, FSC Investment Services Ltd. The purpose of this article is to provide technical and generic guidance and should not be interpreted as a personal recommendation or advice. You are not certain to make money - you may suffer a loss. FSC Investment Services Limited is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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Useful Numbers: Bridgnorth Medical Practice: 01746 767121 St Leonards House Dental Practice: 01746 763245 Regency House Dental Practice: 01746 766114 Bridgnorth Library: 01746 763358 St Mary Magdelene Church: 01746 761573 St Leonards Hall Church: 01746 767660 St James Hall Church: 01746 767174 St John the Evangalist RC Church: 01746 762348 Cartway United Reformed & Methodist Church: 01746 762315 Bridgnorth Baptist Church: 01746 768129 The People's Hall Church: 01746 763846 Bridgnorth Police Station: 0300 333 3000 MP: Philip Dunne: 01584 872187 Bridgnorth Town Council: 01746 762231 Shropshire County Council: 0345 678 9000 Parish Council Office: 01902 896300 Shropshire Star & Rural Housing: Lettings: 01743 257859 & Repairs: 0333 3212200

If there are any other telephone numbers you think would be useful to the people of Bridgnorth then please contact us on bridgnorthpages@gmail.com

LOCAL EVENTS: BRIDGNORTH 6th March: Eduardo Niebla: Spellbinding flamenco jazz at Chelmarsh Parish Hall. £10/£7 to include refreshments. Call 01746 862104 for more information.

10th March : Take a Journey on the Severn Valley Railway: An Illustrated Talk with David Skitt. 7.30pm-9pm at Severn Valley Country Park, Alverley. Adult £4/Child £2 to include a hot drink and biscuit. Call 01746 781192 to book your place, 10th March: Spartacuis by the Bolshoi Ballet: At the Majestic cinema as part of the live cinema season. 3pm. £15/£12.50.

12th March: The Saturday Singers, singing workshop – The Back Room, Bridgnorth Baptist Church, West Castle Street, Bridgnorth 10-11.30am. Monthly singing workshops, all songs taught by ear, from scratch each time. Join in to make a wonderful sound! Afterwards join us for coffee. £6 on door / £5 in advance.

13th March: Vintage Tractor Rally, Continental Market and Handmade Market all in the High Street, Bridgnorth.

19th March: Easter Coffee Morning – The League of Friends of Bridgnorth Hospital are holding their Easter Coffee Morning 10am-12pm at the Coffee Shop at the Hospital. It will include a raffle, a variety of stalls and a chocolate tombola, together with refreshments. Please come along to support the local hospital.

23rd March: Drop In Mindfulness Taster Session – Bridgnorth Community Hall, Lowtown, Bridgnorth 8-9pm – recommended by the NHS for stress, anxiety and depression to help people cope with long and short term stress, build personal resources and resilience and improve wellbeing. Contact Penny on 01746 325125, email info@severnvalleymindfulness.org.uk or see the website www.severnvalleymindfulness.org.uk for more information.

27th March: Bridgnorth Easter Egg Hunt. Castle Grounds 12-2pm – Solve the clues and find the bunnies to make the secret Easter word. Prizes to be won! The Easter Bunny may even make an appearance. 50p for each participant.

23rd April: St George's Day Bridgnorth Market & Parade – Castle Grounds 12-5pm. St George's Day will be celebrated in a truly English manner with a parade and market. To participate email events@bridgnorthtowncouncil.gov.uk.

TO FIND OUT HOW TO ADD YOUR EVENT PLEASE CALL 07734 461934 OR EMAIL CONNECTPAGESONLINE@GMAIL.COM 6

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Letter from Westminster – March 2016: It was ironic that the appalling ram raid on a bank's ATM cash machine recently should have taken place in Cleobury Mortimer, since this community has been at the forefront of an impressive town-wide effort to curb crime.

Led by the Town Council, there has been huge public support for West Mercia Police’s ‘We Don’t Buy Crime’ initiative. The idea behind this crime prevention programme is to make valuables identifiable as having been stolen. This has involved a concerted effort by volunteers encouraging households to use Smartwater, a liquid invisible to the naked eye which shows up under ultraviolet light, to mark valuable possessions and deter burglars. The liquid is unique to the address of the user, so goods can be traced back to identify the place where stolen. This proactive scheme has led to over 85% of the town signing up to use Smartwater. This technology has offered promising results in trials across the country. Indeed, readers may have seen that Smartwater was instrumental in bringing a repeat burglar to justice last year, after a spate of break-ins to business premises in the Ludlow area. Inspired by this success, I have been in contact with West Mercia Police to explore the idea of implementing the We Don’t Buy Crime initiative on a wider scale across the Ludlow Constituency.

Sufficient support from businesses and town/parish councils will be crucial in promoting wider rollout of this technology. I have arranged with the police and town council a crime reduction event for local businesses in Ludlow this month. If successful I shall support similar events in other towns across South Shropshire. Cleobury Mortimer's initiative will I hope inspire others to help cut crime in our communities.

Of course, proactive crime prevention initiatives must work hand in glove with efficient policing. It is encouraging to note crime overall has fallen significantly since 2010. The independent Crime Survey of England and Wales (CSEW) shows crime last year fell to its lowest level since the survey was first conducted in 1981, with West Mercia's crime rate falling 14% since 2010. The Chancellor’s decision in the autumn Spending Review to protect police budgets for coming years is also a welcome help. Governance and accountability for our police is now provided by the Police and Crime Commissioner, and I would like to put on record my thanks to Bill Longmore, the inaugural PCC for West Mercia, who retires this May. His successor will be chosen by election on 5th May. Rehabilitation of offenders is another crucial element in cutting crime. Last month, the Prime Minister outlined plans to give greater freedom to prison governors, including plans for six ‘reform prisons’ this year, to pilot this higher level of autonomy.

In the Spending Review, the Chancellor also announced plans to fund nine new fit for purpose prisons, with five built before 2020, to replace tired Victorian prisons.

Our prison system needs to work for the public purse, victims, prison staff, and prisoners themselves. Effective rehabilitation reduces repeat offending, giving offenders a stake in society and making our streets safer.

No society is free of crime, but we must do all we can to prevent it. Supporting police initiatives and reforming prisons, coupled with proactive efforts from the community, can reduce risks of crime and help keep us safe.

Contact Phillip Dunne on this or any other matters on 01584 872187 or philip.dunne.mp@parliament.uk

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