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What has the new homes bonus given Biggleswade? BIGGLESWADE should receive a bigger share of cash raised locally for Central Bedfordshire Council than at present, a meeting heard. Independent councillors called for clearer signals that investment is redirected to the town, at the budget full council meeting. The latest new homes bonus figures for Biggleswade show it raised £7.8m in recent years, an increase of £1m on two years ago, according to Independent Aspley and Woburn Cllr John Baker. New homes bonus is a grant paid by central government to local authorities to encourage housing growth in their areas. Cllr Baker urged Central Beds Council to consider spending money in areas where this new homes bonus is raised. “We could liaise with town and parish councils, after a successful set of bids for community asset grants working with those authorities,” he said. “We could ask them how they think a small amount of money could be useful for their area, where we set limits based on the level of new homes bonus locally. “This would ensure areas which receive more new homes bonus could receive greater grants.” Independent Biggleswade North Cllr Steve Watkins explained: “Biggleswade has made the highest contribution of new homes bonus between 2015 and 2021, nearly £8m. “Residents will rightly ask ‘What have we got for this?’ as there’s no new leisure centre for the town, as being provided elsewhere in Central Bedfordshire. “There’s a vague promise of a health hub with income budgeted for a building which might never exist. “The residents of Biggleswade have lobbied for about ten years for a splash park. We can’t even provide them with £600,000 out of that £8m. “A senior officer of this council said to me a few weeks ago: ‘We’ve got more money than we know what to do with.’ So my question is when will Biggleswade see some of this?” he asked.
Independent Biggleswade South councillor Hayley Whitaker recalled two years earlier Conservative Biggleswade South Cllr Mark Foster saying: ‘The new homes bonus is going to pay for your health hub’. “Hello, where’s the health hub? We don’t have a health hub. So if councillor Foster can tell me when I’m going to get my health hub with £7.8m of new homes bonus I’d be very grateful.” Conservative Arlesey Cllr David Shelvey told the council: “There are £17m grants to cover Covid this year, but nothing for the next financial year. “From the efficiencies you can see, there are substantial pressures in both adults social care and children’s services,” he said. “There are more we haven’t identified, such as increasing referrals of vulnerable children, and we’re expecting more demand for care and the cost of providing it. “The adult social care increase of one per cent will help, but doesn’t cover all the pressures. “Inflation is five-and-a-half per cent and residents’ budgets are stretched, but we need to keep our general council tax rise as low as possible, which I feel is the case at 0.949 per cent. “Taking further amounts out of what are reasonably modest reserves, some of which are earmarked and can’t be spent, wouldn’t be prudent and risks greater pressures in the future. “Those that really need it can get help through our council tax support scheme. We’ve an increased amount from government for that. “I would mention one thing about the health hub in Biggleswade,” added Cllr Shelvey, who’s the executive member for corporate resources. “That’s still in the budget. “If we reach agreement with the NHS, which is where this is currently, it’ll go ahead. It’s not been forgotten.” The 0.949 per cent increase in general council tax and the one per cent adult social care precept were approved by councillors.
Keep your dog on a lead MID BEDS BULLEINT
A blanket rule requiring dogs to be on leads in any open space with a marked sports pitch has been retained and renewed by Central Bedfordshire Council. The order also includes dogs being prohibited from fenced play and games areas and parts of the council’s country parks. Dogs will also still need to be on a lead in cemeteries, picnic areas and A and B roads as well as on public footpaths.
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BIGGLESWADE businesses are using “some fantastic sustainable measures” to combat a local power shortage until a new substation is operational, a meeting heard. by Euan Duncan – Local Democracy Reporter
Eastern Power Networks plc’s full plans for an electricity substation on 58 acres of agricultural land in Biggleswade were unanimously approved by Central Bedfordshire Council.
The substation on land to the north of Dunton Lane would provide an extra 80 megawatts of electrical power capacity for the local area. A lower voltage after the transformation process will provide electricity to residential and commercial properties, according to a report to the committee. Independent Biggleswade South Cllr Hayley Whitaker said: “We need more power in the town. We’ve an industrial area which is having to use generators because it doesn’t have enough power. “I have to say it’s also making them think very creatively about how they obtain and use their power, and how they use their water. They’re coming up with some fantastic sustainable measures to make do. “Perhaps we should consider in the future limiting people’s power so that they do more,” she suggested. “I’ve been quite impressed with what businesses have done to get round some of the challenges. “The big concern is the location. I understand it’s CBC land which makes life much easier. There are questions about how this will marry up with the plans for up to 10,000 houses on that land to the east site and the garden village proposals. “How can you have this amazing country park when you’ve got this huge substation literally on the horizon?” she asked. Principal planning officer Stuart Robinson said: “The site is outside the settlement envelope and in open countryside between Dunton and Biggleswade. “There are two substation compounds. One would serve National Grid, which owns the high voltage network. The other would be owned by UK Power Networks, which is the local distributor. “This infrastructure won’t itself create electricity. It would essentially source it from the network and increase capacity to supply electrical demand in the area moving forward. “It has to be located close to overhead power lines, which are mainly over to the east side of the town. “The loss of agricultural land is a
LOCATION CONCERNS
negative impact. There would be harm to the character of the area. But other benefits are such it’s considered acceptable in principle.” There was no objection Biggleswade Town Council. But it asked for a planning condition to require power to leave the substation underground, and for a footpath to be upgraded to a bridleway “to better connect the new garden village to Stratton Business Park”. UK Power Networks project
manager Geraint Hancock said: “This project will support future investment in the Biggleswade area and be responsible for wider shifts to cleaner energy to charge electric vehicles, heat up homes and power our industry. “The substation is the most appropriate way to provide Biggleswade with the power it needs to meet future demand.” Project agent and principal planner at Bidwells Rachel Woodman
said: “As part of this investment, 10,500 trees will be planted to support significant improvements to biodiversity. “We’re retaining the footpath which runs across the site and creating a new one between the planned wildlife ponds and woodland. “UK Power Networks has no intention of putting in any further overhead lines out of this site. “A bridleway would encourage horses and potentially bikes which could be more damaging to that ecological benefit.”
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— APRIL 2022
TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Rotary Clubs help reclaim garden at Ivel Valley College
BETWEEN September 2021 and February 2022, Millie Neish, a pupil at Comberton Village College studying for her A levels, undertook a project volunteering with the Ivel Valley School Charitable Fund, as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. The project aimed to revitalise the garden at Ivel Valley College, which is used by sixth form students to learn vocational and gardening skills. The project was recognised by Biggleswade and Biggleswade Ivel Rotary Clubs who became involved. Each Club donated a £1,000 each and applied for a Rotary District Grant which would double the money. The application for the Grant was successful and the money donated totalled £4,000. Sandy Rotary Club also became involved and donated another £1,000. During the holidays volunteers helped clear the garden of undergrowth, dismantled a rotting pergola and large raised bed and moved soil from the old bed to two new raised beds. A concrete path to the emergency exit was laid for wheelchair users. The Rotary Clubs to date have purchased two large octagonal picnic tables with wheelchair access and two benches with backs. Millie identified that new tools and equipment were needed for the students to use and a set of eight of all the gardening tools required were bought by the Rotary together with top soil, sand and shingle for concrete, wheelbarrows, watering cans, gardening gloves. The garden is now in use and is a prime location, as the college has
no other outdoor space. A Termly Activity List has been prepared and teachers can organise a time in the garden for their students to work on various maintenance and planting activities. Students will be able to learn gardening skills leading to a Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and other gardening and horticultural qualifications. The garden will be used as a recreation space at other times, such as lunchtimes. The school has funded four raised beds, a fire pit and fire pit tools, but will need fixed benches around it. The Rotary clubs are planning to source logs and planks for the benches and also provide a shed. With spring on the horizon, the college is now looking forward to making plans with their students for a year of gardening through to the winter. Principal Joe Creswick said: “We’re extremely grateful to the local Rotarians for their generous donations to the College garden and also for the enormous amount of time that they put into the project. æWe really appreciate the opportunity to build further links with the local community. For her part, Millie has done a great job and has been a fantastic driving force behind the development of the garden.” Millie added: “I am really grateful to the Rotary Clubs for their financial support, expertise and help. I have really enjoyed this project – it has given me the chance to plan the garden, learn project management skills and decide how the money is spent.”
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Bedfordshire community group get aid to Ukraine WHEN Katarzyna Southin from Clophill and Emily Roberts from Barton discovered they were both collecting local donations for Ukraine they joined forces to set up the Central Beds Ukraine Appeal. In the two weeks since they came together they’ve put together a team of over 50 volunteers and have coordinated more than 100 tonnes of food, clothes and medical supplies headed for Poland and Moldova. “It’s been incredible,” says Katarzyna – known as Kasha – who’s originally from Poland and has friends in Ukraine. “We both desperately wanted to do something to help but we had no idea it would get this big. The generosity of local people has been staggering and more and more people have come forward to join us.” The team includes volunteers who help to sort, pack and label supplies that are loaded onto vans and lorries bound for a Polish collection centre in London. Supplies include torches, batteries, First Aid kits, toiletries, wheelchairs and sweets for the children. There are also volunteer drivers who are taking donations direct to Poland and Moldova. “We had to organise ourselves really quickly and figure out all the logistics,” says Emily. ‘It’s been a steep learning curve but we’re like a well-oiled machine now. So many amazing people in the community have stepped up to help us – too many to mention – we absolutely couldn’t have done this without them.’ Donations big and small have been flooding in – including more than 33,000 oxygen masks and tubes from one local business and a supply of dried food from Barton schoolchildren after they held a ‘Bring a Pot Noodle to School’ day.
Kasha and Emily are now looking at helping refugees when they arrive in Bedfordshire. Their plan is to organise a central hub where refugees can meet up and get access to information. The hub will also serve as a place where host families can go for support and advice. “We’re absolutely committed to continuing for however long we’re needed,” says Kasha, who has registered to host a family. ‘Emily and I are so busy we hardly have time to sleep but we won’t stop. We’ll do everything we can to welcome Ukraine people to Bedfordshire and make them feel safe and settled here.’ Katarzyna Southin (left) and Emily Roberts (right)
National role for College’s CEO IAN Pryce CBE, of The Bedford College Group has been appointed to a prestigious national role by the Government. The Department for Education has refreshed its roster of National Leaders of Further Education (NLFEs) adding individuals from high-performing institutions to step up and support colleges in need of improvement. The national leaders programme sits alongside the Further Education Commissioner’s office as part of the government’s support and intervention regime for colleges, sixth form colleges and designated institutions in England. NLFEs work with senior leaders to provide strategic mentoring and advise on the development and delivery of improvement plans. To be eligible to become an NLFE, applicants need to have clocked up at least five years as Principal or Chief Executive and have achieved at least ‘good’ judgements in overall effectiveness, leadership and management and teaching, learning and assessment at their most recent inspection. Ian Pryce remains Principal and CEO of Bedford College, a role he has held for nearly 25 years. Under his leadership this became The Bedford College Group in 2017 and subsequently was recognised as the FE College of the Year at the TES FE awards 2020. The roles are unpaid, but an NLFE’s college receives a £10,000 per year bursary to cover costs for travel, staff cover and professional development.
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‘Deep clean’ deeply disappointing! BEDFORD Bus Station’s deep clean took place, but it wasn’t deep and it wasn’t clean, a senior councillor said, adding that this was “totally and utterly unsatisfactory”. At last month’s full council meeting (March 16), Cllr Roger Rigby, (Conservative, Bromham & Biddenham Ward) said the bus station is one of the key gateways to Bedford. “So I was delighted when I heard about the bus station cleanup, because I’ve had so many of my residents not only communicating to me about the issues of the buses not running on time, but also the state of the bus station,” he said. He added that within days of Cllr Charles Royden (LibDems, Brickhill Ward) announcing the clean-up he was getting more emails back and pictures saying that it hasn’t happened. “So could you just update us where we are with the bus station clean-up, please,” he asked. Cllr Royden, who is the council’s portfolio holder for environment, highways and transport, replied: “Yes, I did
by John Guinn – Local Democracy Reporter announce that the deep clean was going to take place. “The deep clean took place, but it wasn’t deep and it wasn’t clean. “It was totally and utterly unsatisfactory. Cllr Royden went on to say that since the deep clean there has been another influx of pigeons. “The anti-pigeon preventative measures which were put in place proved inadequate,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say that the anti-pigeon netting was used more like a trampoline by the pigeons, who then got behind it. A real problem is people feeding the pigeons,” he said.” Cllr Rigby thanked the portfolio holder for his “enlightening” answer. “I had another set of pictures in yesterday to show that the pigeons had returned,” he said. “They’re back again, and the pigeon faeces is all over the floor. “Pigeon poo is not healthy, so is there any danger? Because I heard a rumour, and I hope you’re going to tell me that we can forget it as I
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shouldn’t believe rumours. “[But] is there any danger that environmental health would actually shut the bus station if we cannot get rid of the pigeons and the poo,” he asked. He added that council officers are working hard to get on top of this and to make sure the cleanliness of the bus station is increased.
CEO appointed for BCAT at Wixams
HYWEL Jones has been appointed as CEO of BCAT, the Trust which oversees Wixams Academy and Wixams Tree Primary schools. Hywel succeeds Alan Evans, Interim CEO and will join in June, working with parents and the Trust to bring to fruition expansion plans both at Wixams Tree Primary and Wixams Academy, including the new sixth form. Hywel is an experienced senior leader in education. Over the past few years as Secondary Director at Astrea Academy Trust, Hywel has overseen the improvement of nine secondary schools. He has also worked in the primary sector supporting schools in a variety of contexts to improve their educational standards.
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Leading UK in building skills
THE CONNOLLY Centre of Modern Construction Centre at Bedford College is putting the town in the international spotlight. With worldwide articles from equipment suppliers in New Zealand, to visits by Government VIPs and high level experts in the construction industry, the CMC is attracting considerable attention. The most recent was on March 15th when a delegation from the Levelling Up, Housing & Communities department of Government, together with a representative of Homes England visited. Director of Construction David Wilkins, who is hosting many of these visits says: “Off-site construction is the fast-forward way in the building industry and we have the best facility of its kind, with the most outstanding equipment, which is attracting interest from global companies and those wanting to train in the skills of the future. We are an exemplar for the rest of the country in construction training.” The Minister for Skills, Alex Burghart stopped off at The Bedford College Group to meet students who are training to fill the demand from industry for recruits in construction, engineering, and care. He visited the newly-opened Connolly Centre for Modern Construction in Cauldwell Street and talked to students on courses for those aged 16-years onwards, linked to apprenticeships, TLevels, further study or degrees.
With Teddy Kye-Nyarko Head of Construction in charge, he witnessed a crush-testing training session, and talked to young people about their hopes for the future. In the Buchanan Centre for Advanced Engineering Mr Burghart met Level 4 HNC apprentices from Lockheed Martin, Bosch Rexroth, Collins Aerospace and Cranfield University along with some Access to University students who were going back into education, with a view to progressing to a degree-level career in care. “What we are showing here at Bedford College is how people can access training for careers at a time that suits them, and they can retrain or update skills throughout their lives,” said Mr Burghart.
Access to skilled jobs from apprentices to degree-level roles, is open via the Connolly Centre of Modern Construction (CMC) at Bedford College. The shiny £4.3 Million net carbon building has been made possible by funding via regional agency SEMLEP of £2.9 Million. The £4.3 Million includes £750,000 donated by the Connolly Foundation towards the very latest construction equipment inside the building. The Wixamtree Trust also donated £10,000. Declared open by Mark Farmer, the Government’s champion of Modern Methods of Construction, on Wednesday October 2, 2021, the CMC contains some highly specialised equipment on which up
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to 100 will train for jobs, or upgrade their existing skills to match up to emerging ‘modern methods of construction’. Ian Pryce CBE, CEO of The Bedford College Group (TBCG): “We are closing that gap which we see between what happens in industries, and what is taught in college.” Mark Farmer congratulated Ian and TBCG team for their vision in building the dream: “This facility will be helping to re-shape how we deliver construction in the future. It meets the Government agenda for skills and sustainability and I can see it being an exemplar for the rest of the country. “Leadership has made this possible with Ian and The Bedford College Group being well placed to support the demand for skills in London and the OxfordCambridge Arc.” Judith Barker Director of SEMLEP congratulated TBCG and said this was a pioneer of such construction training buildings planned. An upgrade to the look of Cauldwell Street, a gateway to the town centre, was created with silver grey cladding. The exterior of the CMC complements the look of the Brundtland Building on Cauldwell Street. The stylish silver and grey colour scheme is highlighted across the Cauldwell Street/Riverside campus which blends one of the very oldest buildings in Bedford* with the latest in green construction techniques.
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TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Four new villages in Marston Vale by Euan Duncan – Local Democracy Reporter “NONE of us wants 5,000 homes built in the Marston Vale… it’s loved and cherished. We would much prefer it to stay that way, but it isn’t going to.” A reflection from Central Bedfordshire Council’s deputy leader Sue Clark on the future facing part of the county’s rural heritage. The transformation of the Marston Vale area was part of the housing allocations in the council’s adopted Local Plan 2021.
A development brief for a 1,436-acre housing and employment project with the creation of four new villages has been endorsed by Central Bedfordshire councillors. The site lies between Marston Moretaine, Lidlington and Brogborough, within the Forest of Marston Vale, said a report to the local authority’s development management committee. “You can always ask for more and more changes,” explained Conservative Cranfield and Marston Moretaine councillor Clark. “But there comes a point where you have to decide whether the
development brief meets the necessary expectations. “This document does what’s required of it in the policy framework, and it’s time to move on and focus on the detailed planning which will come with the next stage of this process. “The stakeholder group will be there for the long-term. This development will take 20 years. “The purpose is to discuss the current topics. The next thing will be transport, and then ecology.” Pippa Cheetham, from Varsity Town Planning on behalf of O and H Strategic Land, told the committee: “We’ve long been convinced
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Marston Vale is a sustainable location for planned growth, borne out by the Local Plan allocation for the new villages. “Today represents a milestone for the planning of the area,” she said. “A draft development brief was first presented alongside the outline planning application in May 2018. “It’s fair to say the document before you is significantly different from that original version. “It’s evolved in light of your adopted guidance and also to respond to formal and informal consultation with the public, stakeholders and elected members. “The brief sets a strong vision for the Marston Vale new villages and includes a series of tests to guide the determination of all future planning applications. “It necessarily builds in flexibility and resilience to respond to changes during the next 20 years, whether it’s energy use or the way we move around and balance our home and working lives. “O and H consider this to be an exemplar development brief. Its endorsement will enable us to move forward with the outline application and enable us to deliver this important and special strategic site for Central Bedfordshire.” Communications consultant working with O and H since 2017 Liz Mayle described it as “a robust and meaningful consultation”, saying she was pleased with the response that came back. “We had well over 600 individual points on this and we had some really useful input into the brief.”
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HM Lord-Lieutenant and Team ‘Plant a Tree’ for the Jubilee
HER Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire Helen Nellis and her team of Deputy Lieutenants were delighted to visit Millennium Country Park in the Forest of Marston Vale on Monday, March 21, which coincided with the Forest celebrating International Day of Forests. The Lord-Lieutenant’s team were wonderfully supported by friends and colleagues at the Forest of Marston Vale, and held a tree planting ceremony to celebrate The Queen’s Green Canopy during the year of HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Lord-Lieutenant, who recently became the Forest of Marston Vale’s Patron, invited Deputy Lieutenants from across Bedfordshire to join her in this iconic project, and together they planted seven oak trees to commemorate each decade of Her Majesty’s reign. The tree planting ceremony provided an opportunity for the Lieutenancy Team to come together in person and personally play a part in creating a feature which will be a lasting legacy for
many years to come. HM Lord-Lieutenant Helen Nellis said: “It is thrilling to witness the enthusiasm of communities, businesses, schools and faith groups who are so actively engaging in this wonderful legacy project to plant trees in every parish of Bedfordshire. My sincere thanks to all of our Local Authorities in Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton and to the Forest of Marston Vale for working so effectively and passionately together to support the creation of woodland that will flourish for generations to come.” Forest Director James Russell said “It was a pleasure and an honour to host the Lord-Lieutenant and the Deputy Lieutenants’ tree planting event in this very special year. Planting trees today will ensure that the Forest continues to grow and provide benefits to people, wildlife and the planet for many years. We’re delighted that the Lord-Lieutenant has chosen to plant trees in the Forest of Marston Vale as part of Bedfordshire’s ongoing Jubilee celebrations.”
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AROUND THE CLUBS BIGGLESWADE SANDY LIONS CLUB
Lions Club area who have been selected and we are proud to be one of their sponsors. They don’t just get the money. They have to demonstrate that they are putting in a lot of effort themselves and they will be expected to make a presentation to the Club when they return. All these projects cost money and this is where our Fund Raising committee come into their own. They are tasked with making sure we have adequate funds to finance all these projects. They are the people who organise the Santa collections, Easter Egg Raffles, side shows at fetes etc. Without them we would be lost. They have placed 20 eggs at various locations around the area. Full details can be found on our web site bslions.org.uk. We are so far booked to attend Ickwell May Day on 2 May and Sandy Carnival on 11 June.
It seems as though life might be returning to something like normal at last and not before time. We can now plan ahead with more confidence than at anytime during the past two years. Our motto is “We Serve”. We serve our community in many ways, some of which result in donations of cash, other needs are satisfied by putting the right people in touch with one another, some need us to identify a problem, work out a solution and put it into practice, and so I could go on. I have previously mentioned Message in a Bottle and its offspring Message in a Wallet both of which are examples of problems being identified and solutions being found. Being a National and International organisation, we don’t have to keep reinventing the answer as we share the results around the organisation. More locally, we purchased a horse jointly with Bedford Lions Club which is “parked” at the Bedford Disabled Horse Riding Association at Willington. Being Lions, we have to “debate” from time to time about who bought which end. One of these days we may come to a conclusion. This year we sponsored three local schools in a project called ROAR which asks Primary School pupils to suggest ideas which they think will improve the world in which we live. The children work together in small groups to identify a project, research it, write it up building a model where appropriate and then present it to their peers who decide which project should go forward for area judgement and so on up to national level where there is a company prepared to develop a number of these proposals into a commercial proposition. We hope to sponsor five schools this year. 2024 is the year of the next Scout Jamboree in Southern Korea. Those selected have to raise considerable sums of money some of which comes from sponsorship. There are two scouts within the Biggleswade Sandy
With no exchange activities planned for the current year it has been suggested we might try and take advantage of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to send some tangible memento to our friends in France and Poland. We did this last in the Millennium Year and it was greatly appreciated. Any ideas or suggestions please? Communications received recently from friends in Skarszewy indicate that at present Covid has very much taken a back seat and that inevitably all Polish people are very worried about the situation in neighbouring Ukraine. The nearest point of the border with Ukraine is around 800 kilometers from Skarszewy But the war still feels worryingly close. We understand donation points for refugees are being set up right across Poland. In Malaunay too there is little talk of the pandemic ‘though infection rates remains broadly similar to here. However, the French nation seems united in its fury and disgust at the way President Macron was treated in his recent meeting with Putin in Moscow.
IT’S taken a while but finally, the daffodils are in bloom and improving the spirits of all those that see them. All that is apart from those poor souls whose daffodils are blind, that is, without any flower. A letter received this month asks if blind daffs. this year means no flowers for ever more? In short, there are no certainties in gardening! All any of us can ever do is buy/collect good quality seed or plants, follow best practise and then we increase the probability of a predictable fruitful or floriferous outcome. With reference to blind bulbs, removing the foliage too soon after flowering the previous year can result in non-flowering daffodils so once the flowers fade, using finger and thumb simply remove them. Be sure to remove the whole flower including the hard, little bulbous bit that connects to the foliage. This is to prevent the formation of seeds which takes from the bulb precious energy. Leave all foliage untouched and never tie or gather together. Once believed to be the right thing to do, this has now been completely debunked. Think about a bulb as a store. The nutrition in the leaves if left, returns to the bulb for future use. As always, give a plant what it wants and it will do likewise for the gardener. Only ever remove the spent foliage when they become yellowy brown and comes off in your hand. Other possible explanations for no show daffodils are that the bulbs have not been planted deep enough. This has many advantages and the rule of thumb is to plant four times as deep as the size of the bulb itself. Over time, daffodil bulbs can
become very overcrowded which can also negatively impact on their ability to flower. The congestion can prevent sunlight getting to them. Using canes, mark their exact location and then in autumn, carefully dig up, separate and re-plant. As long as you know exactly where they are, feeding daffodil bulbs around Christmas time with tomato fertilizer can also be beneficial. Nothing lasts forever, we all have a finite time on planet earth so, an annual replanting programme is also a very good idea to freshen up the display as new plants, like new people, always have more vigour than their older counterparts. The answer to last month’s ‘just for fun’ quiz question is, the term, vulgaris, regularly to be seen next to many different plant names actually means, common. Think about how interchangeable the word vulgar and common are when describing a person’s lack of taste for example. Well, you now know why! Although what one generation considers to be vulgar so often seems to be embraced by following generations and deemed acceptable! I’m quite sure you can provide your own illustrations of this point! This month’s question, Ffion has, in recent times become a popular girl’s name, what plant is Ffion the Welsh word for? Answer next month. As usual, many thanks to all of you for contributing to this column, keep them coming, and please contact me with any gardening tasks or queries you may have, lawndocgardens@aol.com or tel: 01767 627 581 or 07796 328 855.
SANDY TWINNING ASSOCIATION
LAWN DOCTOR
APRIL 2022 —
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Mayor of Sandy’s statement on the War in Ukraine THE MAYOR of Sandy Town Council, Martin Pettit, says the council stands with Ukraine. As the horrors of this war continue to unfold daily, my thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainian people. My fellow Members and I express our support and deepest sympathies for all those fighting to defend their country; for everyone forced to flee their homes and normal lives; for those worried for their families and friends; and for all the lives already lost in this senseless war. We condemn the unprovoked aggression of President Putin and call on our Government to offer the utmost humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian people. We stand ready to offer our support and welcome refugees displaced by the conflict into our community. We have been humbled, but not surprised, to
see the generosity of our residents, raising funds and arranging collections and deliveries of essentials to help the people caught in or displaced by this war. We would encourage members of our community to keep doing what they can to contribute, whether donating goods, making a financial contribution through the Disasters Emergency Committee, or signing up to the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. For up-to-date information and advice, we would direct residents to the Government’s website: www.gov.uk/government/news/ukraine-what-youcan-do-to-help. We have raised the Ukrainian flag at Faynes Corner, as a symbol of our solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
SANDY TOWN COUNCIL new Town Clerk e The council welcomes a on, groups and organisations that contribut who left the Council after Sandy Town Council is excited to announce that Mrs Nicola Sewell has k joined the Council’s team as Town Cler wfollo er Offic ncial Fina ble onsi and Resp Clerk, ing the departure of previous Town Mr. Chris Robson. in Mrs Sewell started with the Council mid-March, following a brief handover ell Sew with the outgoing Town Clerk. Mrs the has several years’ experience within g as actin tly recen t mos r, secto cil coun local in ncil Cou Town Ives St Town Clerk to Cambridgeshire.
Mr. Robs rtualmost 7 years to pursue a new oppo nity commented: “I have thoroughly y enjoyed my time as Town Clerk to Sand and s enge chall the Town Council and ut opportunities it has brought. Througho lly stica fanta been have I my time of staff supported by a hard-working team up and volunteer Councillors who give ant brilli a y Sand e mak help to their time an community to be part of. It has been ity honour to play a role in that commun rs, ntee volu ant brilli the with and work
New town councillor co-opted
At a meeting of Sandy Town Council on Monday 7th March 2022, a new Councillor was co-opted on to the Council to fill a vacancy in Fallowfield Ward. Two candidates applied for the single vacancy and following a vote by Councillors, Lorraine IvanciuWilkinson was co-opted. Lorraine loves living in Sandy and has been a resident here for over 15 years. She brings to the role a wealth of skills, experience and interests which will benefit the Council. Lorraine has been active in volunteering and fundraising for both the Friends of Sandy Christmas Lights and East Anglian Air Ambulance. She is also a member of a number of community organisations and is interested in supporting local businesses. Additionally, Lorraine is an avid walker and
is keen to help protect our countryside. Lorraine has a background in nursing, adult safeguarding and law. She has a wealth of professional experience, having worked for both the NHS and a London law firm. Lorraine brings valuable legal knowledge to the Council, as she self-funded a law degree and successfully completed a Bar Vocational Course (BVC). Her interests in safeguarding issues and contract law will be of great benefit in her new post as Councillor. Cllr Martin Pettit, the Mayor of Sandy commented that, along with existing Council Members, he welcomes Cllr Ivanciu-Wilkinson and looks forward to working with her in service of the community throughout the next year.
Annual Town Meeting
Sandy’s Annual Town Meeting will be held on Monday 25th April 2022 . This is a public open meeting for everyone who lives or nity. It is your chance to ask questions works in Sandy and cares about their commuand have your say in how Sandy is run. Please check our website or contact the Cou ncil for more information.
Sandy Easter Market
MID BEDS BULLETIN
& 4pm to explore a Come to Sandy Market Square on Sunday 10th April between 10am 20 local busifrom stalls perusing while music live enjoy will fun Easter Market. Visitors de crafts, art, home nesses. A wonderful variety of goods will be on offer, including handma See the décor, plants, bath products, food and drinks, clothing, jewellery and more. ements. announc stall for website or page k Faceboo Council’s
so valuably to the town.” Cllr Martin Pettitt, Mayor of Sandy omes commented that: “The Council welc ard Nicola to her new role and looks forw the inue cont help to her with ing work to a work of the Council and completing number of exciting initiatives over the as such coming months, including projects roll the , park skate new a of ing build the truck work ric elect ncil Cou out of a new ns this and of course our Jubilee celebratio June.”
Great British Spring Clean
Sandy Town Council is again supporting the Great British Spring Clean, which runs from 25th March – 10th April this year, by encouraging community litter picks, providing the loan of equipment and arranging the removal of collected litter. If you would like to run a litter picking event in Sandy, please contact the Council for more information.
Council meetings All meetings commence at 7.30pm except Development Scrutiny Committee (Planning), which starts at 6.45pm in the Council Chamber, 10 Cambridge Road, Sandy, SG19 1JE (unless otherwise stated on the Agenda). Monday 4th April 2022 Human Resources
Monday 11th April 2022 Town Council Monday 25th April 2022 Development Scrutiny Annual Town Meeting Monday 9th May 2022 Development Scrutiny Community Services & Environment Monday 16th May 2022 Policy, Finance & Resources See our website for details. ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.
10 Cambridge Road, Sandy SG19 1JE Tel: 01767 681491 Fax: 01767 692527 admin@sandytowncouncil.gov.uk www.sandytowncouncil.gov.uk
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TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Mowsbury Golf Club raises over £2.5k Delayed… delayed… and delayed again
THE members of Mowsbury Golf Club have raised over £2.5k in donations for local charity Creating Memories, since nominating them as their chosen charity. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that for a time the club could not run in the same way or be able to fundraise for a chosen charity as they normally would, and so they took the decision to extend what would have been an annual nomination for Creating Memories into a second year. In 2021, the club held several events, presentations and talks to raise money and presented Creating Memories with a cheque on 14/02/22. Founder of Creating Memories Pritti Saggi said: “Creating Memories is so grateful to receive this donation from Mowsbury Golf Club, especially after what has been such a challenging time for all of us. I look forward to using this donation to grant more wishes for our local children and their families and spreading more joy and positivity within the local community.” Captain of Mowsbury Golf Club Tony Mattia said: “We felt it was only right to nominate Creating Memories as our charity
of the year again in 2021, because we were unable to raise funds and operate as we normally would in 2020. The members of the club take immense pride in supporting our local charities and do their best to raise vital funds and it feels amazing to be able to hand over this cheque to Creating Memories.” In more good news local chari-
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ties including Creating Memories have received a welcome boost to their fundraising efforts thanks to ‘Jack & Billy’s Charity Challenge (J&B CC)’ which helped to raise significant funds at their annual golf tournament. Amongst the beneficiaries are Creating Memories, The Hope Foundation, Rainbow Trust and Beds Prostate Cancer who have
each received funds through sponsorship and donations from supporters, businesses and organisations galvanised by J&B CC. The trio of individuals behind J&B CC are Jagtar Singh, Billy Gill and Jash Mann, who have been organising charitable events for over ten years. J&B CC say of their recent tournament: “Thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters including businesses and organisations (both local and national) who took part in our event to help raise money for these four well deserving charities. Our annual golf tournament is always great fun and a fantastic opportunity to do good at the same time. Thanks to everyone involved in helping us to make it such a success.” Pritti Saggi, Founder of Creating Memories, said, “This is such a great example of locals supporting local. It was a pleasure to attend the local event to talk about what we do at Creating Memories and also to wish the golfers good luck! This is not the first time we have been able to work with J&B CC to bring something positive to our local community and I hope that we continue to do so.”
WESTLAND ALL IN ONE AFTER CUT Feeds, weeds and kills moss for a stronger lawn Dispenser and refill
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by John Guinn – Local Democracy Reporter
A BEDFORD Borough ward councillor hopes it won’t be much longer before residents will be able to access a new country park. The Country Park will provide valuable public open space for borough residents, according to a report presented to the Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee last month. Jon Shortland, the council’s chief officer for planning, infrastructure and economic growth, said: “The original proposals from 2014 talked about the land north of the Bromham Road [Biddenham] and the establishment of a new country park. He added that the land was split into three parts; Hallam Land, Wingfield Land, and the part owned by the county council as part of the development of the bypass.
“The park itself is planned to provide a valuable public open space, maintain a rural character, provide a wide range of habitats, and increase public access to the non-wildlife sensitive areas,” Mr Shortland said. “The progress that’s been made to date is that the Hallam Land has been fully laid out and is in use. “The developers are also working on the design of the footbridge which will lead the housing to the south of the bypass to the country park to the north, and that will be a major stepping stone when that comes to fruition. “The Wingfield Land has moved forward more slowly, not least over the last couple of years with being held back by Covid. “But they [the developers] have discharged the conditions on their parcel of land to be able to start work in October last year, so that piece of work is about to commence.” Mr Shortland said that the rele-
OPEN SPACE
vant trigger point for this development is 300 dwellings. “I’d expect a minimum of 150 dwellings a year, so I think we’re probably at a maximum of two years away from their part of the park being put into place,” he said. The report said the third part of the Country Park, that which will be constructed on highways land, is expected to come forward once this second part is completed. Committee chair, councillor Kay Burley (Labour, Kempston Central & East Ward) asked for clarification on the funding for the council’s part of the plan (£400440k – based on a 2018 estimate) and the ongoing costs (£40-45,000 pounds a year).
“We’re still working on that, we have some of the money available from highways budgets that were put together to provide the bypass in the first place and some of the money from that is still available to help with the country parks, Mr Shortland replied. “But that’s not all of the budget, and we are still working on finding that from other sources within the council,” he said. Councillor Roger Rigby (Conservative, Bromham & Biddenham Ward) said: “We’ve got so many hundreds of houses with residents living there that would really love to use that country park. “Is there any danger that the borough will not be able to find the money for its part,” he asked. Mr Shortland replied: “I don’t believe there is.” Councillor Rigby added: “There’s been an awful lot of development there are now hundreds and hundreds of houses that are actually being lived in along in this area of land north of Bromham Road, and people are moving in on a daily basis. “That country park will be a really valuable resource in a wonderful part of Bedford. “It seems to me that it’s been delayed and delayed and delayed.
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APRIL 2022 —
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T-level talent spotters a third T-Level student Tom Atkinson of Woburn Sands who is studying for a Level 3 in BTEC Electrical Engineering. He previously helped Becky Richards with T-Level work experience. She has since gone on to win a job at the international Lockheed Martin in Bedfordshire and be a finalist in the regional Rising Star category of the 2021 National Apprenticeships Awards. Tillett & Hague are based at the Wrest Park site in Silsoe Bedfordshire. Nick originally worked at the same location in the 1980s at the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering, which became the Silsoe Research Institute. Since forming Tillett & Hague 16 years ago with his colleague Tony Hague, the company has won contracts to supply computer vision based guidance systems to manufacturers across Europe, who in turn supply equipment across the world. Tillett & Hague supply the control boards, consoles and cameras which control and navigate machines which weed a
Record subject choice at expanding Bedford Academy
book space at the school’s new facilities. Chris Deller, Headteacher of Bedford Academy, which is part of HEART Academies Trust, said: “This is a very exciting time for our school and we’re delighted that so many local students want to come and study with us. “Our growth reflects our excellent community ethos and our belief that we can help every one of our students to thrive. We are developing into an extremely vibrant school with a great balance of pastoral support, academic pathway options and high-quality teaching and learning” David Morris, Chief Executive of HEART Academies Trust, said: “Bedford Academy encourages all its students to recognise their achievements and build on them so that they can achieve their full potential. Its growth is testament to this, and to its focus on personalised learning. “I’m so proud that the school is expanding its A-level and BTEC courses for sixth-formers. This, coupled with the extra investment in facilities and social spaces, will ensure Bedford Academy’s students - and the wider community - will reap the rewards of the school’s continued success.”
L - R Seated: Bartek, Tom, Peter with Nick behind them.
Take a look at Wootton Upper School Do you have a child currently in Year 8 and want them to come to Wootton Upper School in September 2022? For more information, please contact the Admissions Secretary to arrange an appointment to learn about the wide range of course options available. igh praise from it dh s la e st eiv c e
Effective teaching, learning and assessment support pupils to make good progress
spection d in ste Of
BEDFORD Academy will offer a record number of academic and vocational courses this autumn after applications to study at the school hit another all-time high. 1400 students will study at the school this autumn, compared to just over 1100 four years ago. The sixth-form has more than doubled in that time and now has 210 students. As a result, the school is expanding the number of A-level and BTEC courses it offers sixth-form students, with 23 available from this September. Students will be able to choose from a wide range of A-levels, including Spanish, Food and Nutrition and Criminology, and a diverse mix of BTECs, including Health and Social Care, Creative Media Production, Drama and Dance. The school, which moved into its purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities in November 2012, is now recruiting for six new roles, including a Food Studies teacher, a Deputy Special Educational Needs Coordinator and a Humanities teacher. More than £500,000 will be invested in the school’s facilities with a new social space for students and a new staff room expected to open in September. In the coming months, local community groups will be able to
very wide range of crops from salads to cereals. Said Nick: “Currently we have nine on the team but we need bright young talent here who can start at the assembly stage and we can then develop. We also need more academic entry level recruits to work with us on Research and Development. Working with the college means we can seek our new talent.” The Bedford College Group has been working closely with employers to support extended work placements. This has been supported by Capacity Development Funding (CDF) from the Department for Education which aims to support colleges in building relationships with employers in preparation for the new Technical Levels (Tlevels). T-levels are new technical qualifications that are an alternate route to A Level study. The Bedford College Group was one of the first colleges to start these qualifications in digital, construction health and social care.
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NICK Tillett co-owner of research and development company Tillett & Hague Technology is a true talent spotter of trainees from The Bedford College Group. Pre-Covid he agreed to offer two students Bartek Wojciezynski and Peter Lai valuable work experience, as part of a pilot for the Government T-level programme, within his specialised company and kept them engaged during the lockdowns. As soon as he could, Nick offered Bartek a full-time job and has since taken on Peter. Bartek, aged 19, and Peter, 26, both of Bedford, are now trainee Applications Engineers working on products which are used worldwide in agriculture. “Tillett & Hague are one of our most inspiring employers,” said Workplace Coordinator of T-Levels Sharon Neall, “They are great at spotting and encouraging young talent. We are very grateful to him and need other employers to helps us create their staff of the future.” Nick is now offering work experience to
Teachers care about their pupils and have good relationships with them
BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
An extensive extracurricular programme which underpins pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural Teachers development Teachers have a have a high Wootton Upper School, high expectation expectation of Hall End Road, Wootton, of how pupils their pupils A well-designed Bedfordshire, MK43 9HT should behave curriculum which 01234 767123 allows pupils to choose wootton@wootton.beds.sch.uk from a wide range www.woottonupper.co.uk of option subjects www.facebook.com/WoottonUS/ www.pecreative.co.uk 21_0171
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TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Two new consultants embark on their dream aster is going to be an exciting time in Bedford for Slimming World members as we have two brand new Consultants embarking on their dream career and are relaunching their own Slimming World groups in April. With restrictions fully removed Slimming World is well and truly open for business, and there will be two gorgeous new consultants joining the team to share their success and Inspire members to lose weight. Nicky Dawson who joined her local group in Goldington has achieved her dream target weight and has maintained it for an incredible two years
E
Mondays
and is going to use her success to shape a new career re-launching both the Brickhill Monday night and Tuesday morning groups on the 18th and 19th April 2022. Harriet Peacock is a member whom has lost most of her sensational 19 stones during lockdown and attends the Putnoe group on a Friday morning, she will be relaunching her group in Scott Hall Community Centre on Thursday 21st April 2022, and Harriet firmly believes Slimming World has not only changed her life but saved her life, and she can’t wait to relaunch her own group and help people achieve their own weight loss dreams. Both ladies have now been trained as Consultants for Slimming World at their world class training academy in Derbyshire and they can’t wait to get the word out right across town that their groups are the place to be to get the support, ideas and guidance needed to lose weight and feel great. Harriet said “joining a group all starts with feeling that you’re not alone”, Walking into the Slimming World room for the first time was something I was really worried about but the welcome I got from the existing members couldn’t of been more friendly, she said, I could never have lost 19 stone without the weekly help, encouragement and understanding of my own Consultant and group. As someone who has lost weight I know the challenges people can face, which is why, along with the group, I will be there to support every one of my members all the way to their chosen target weight, by setting targets, sharing recipes and other ideas, and working together as a group to overcome challenges and celebrate success, I believe all this is so important to a successful journey. That’s why, at my Slimming World group, there’ll be tons of support encouragement
*Inc Bank Holidays – call to confirm*
Kempston Kempston East Methodist Church Foster Road MK42 8DA Monday 09:30am Jeanette 07864 694949
Brickhill **New Consultant**
St Marks Church Centre
Centenary Hall, Bedford Road
Calder Rise, MK41 7UY Monday 5:30pm & 7:00pm Nicky 07714 096705
(Behind Council) MK42 8BG Monday 5:30pm & 7:00pm Jeanette 07864 694949
Bromham Bromham Primary School
Goldington Reading Rooms
icky couldn’t agree more and like Harriet they both felt they were never on a diet. The eating plan encourages you to eat lots of tasty, filling foods like pasta, rice, potatoes and
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lean meat and fish, you are never hungry and no foods are banned so there’s no deprivation. I couldn’t believe that I’d found a way to lose weight without starving myself, she said. Nicky said “Obesity is becoming such a huge issue across the UK, When I first joined Slimming World as a member, I never dreamed that I would end up helping other people to lose weight but now I just can’t wait to get started. After losing almost a stone and completing my training, it’s a privilege for me to be able to pass on the experience, insight and understanding that helped me, so that I can give my members the support they need to get to target. “Support is really key and Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire District Manager Kirsti Nicol said: “Slimming World Consultants are chosen for their positive outlook and because they genuinely care about the health and happiness of others. With both of these ladies’ experience of being successful Slimming World members and their kind and warm personality and great sense of humour I just know that they will be an amazing support to members, cheering them all the way to their target weight.” Harriet’s Slimming World group will be held at Scott Hall Community Centre, Barford Avenue, Bedford, MK42 every Thursday morning at 09:30am. Nicky will be relaunching the Brickhill groups at St Marks Church Centre, Calder rise, Off Avon Drive, Brickhill MK41 7UY on Monday’s at 5:30pm and 7:00m and Tuesday’s at 9:00am For more information call Nicky on 07714 096705 or Harriet on 07720 846320 or just pop along to the group or check the website for further details of groups in your area.www.slimmingworld.co.uk
Tuesdays
Thursdays
Fridays
Brickhill
Bedford
**New Consultant**
**New Consultant**
Putnoe Bedford Athletic Rugby Club
St Marys Church Hall
Scott Hall Community Centre
Calder Rise, MK41 7UY Tuesdays 9:00am Nicky 07714 096705
Barford Avenue, MK42 0DS Thursday 09:30 Harriett 07720 846320
Bromham Bromham Primary School
Wootton Wootton Community Centre
Grange Lane, MK43 8NR Tuesday 5:30pm & 7:00pm Susan 07717 870513
Harris Way, MK43 9FZ Thursday 5:30pm & 7:00pm Jeanette 07864 694949
Wixams Lakeview Village Hall
Putnoe Bedford Athletic Rugby Club
Brooklands Avenue, MK42 6AB Tuesday 5:00pm Holly 07968 719951
Wentworth Drive, MK41 8QA Thursday 5:30pm & 7:00pm Kerri 07368 189540
Wentworth Drive, MK41 8QA Friday 09:30am Rayner 07951 418090
BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
1 Barkers Lane, MK41 9SJ Monday 5:30pm Rayner 07951 418090
Grange Lane, MK43 8NR Monday 5:30pm Donna 07960 844280
and fun. Harriet said. “Like a lot of slimmer’s, I had tried to lose weight so many times before by following numerous diets but they were never sustainable because I’d always get tired of restricting what l ate. I thought I was destined to struggle with my weight for the rest of my life, but when I came to Slimming World it was different, she said.
APRIL 2022 —
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Mainland aids Prince’s Trust
Digging for the future
MEMBERS of Castle Newnham’s Eco Club braved the mud and donned wellies to take part in a large tree planting project at Wimpole Hall near Royston recently. The club is made up of pupils from all year groups and meets every Tuesday to look at ways in which they can improve and influence the effects of climate change both in their own homes, environments and further afield. The trip to Wimpole Hall was a great opportunity to get out into the wider area and take part in conserving and developing this important historic estate. The house was begun in 1640, and its 3,000 acres of parkland and farmland are now owned by the National Trust. The aim is to plant 1,000 trees in 10 years. Merali of Year 7 said that the club had a fantastic day digging and planting, “It was very difficult and tiring digging through heavy soil but we all wanted perfect holes for our trees. The first tree I planted was a little twiglet of an oak, while my second was a silver birch. Some of my classmates planted other native ones such as Maple and Hawthorne trees. Overall, we planted 36 trees.”
MAINLAND Aggregates have come to the aid of a Prince’s Trust project to renovate the garden at a supported living shelter. The company, of Willington, Beds has donated bags of valuable gravel to create a base for part of the site of Holman House in St Andrews Road, Bedford. www.mainlandaggregates.co.uk Holman House helps up to 20 homeless people, aged 18+, who stay there for two years to build up a support network, maximise income and learn life skills as they move into their own homes. The garden is a useful environment for activities. https://socialinterestgroup.org.uk/
“The team at the Prince’s Trust are amazing and we are very fortunate to have them supporting us at Holman House,” said Gemma Bonfield on behalf of Holman House. Mark Williams, Team Leader at The College’s Prince’s Trust group said: “We’re very grateful to Scott Chambers, Managing Director of Mainland Aggregates and colleagues for their donation.” Wickes kindly donated two wheelbarrows The College runs a series of Prince’s Trust groups across Bedfordshire. The courses transform young people, giving them the confidence to make life changing decisions and seize opportunities.
Do you need SEND help?
BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum (BBPCF) work in co-production with Bedford Borough Council and Bedfordshire CCG to improve services for children age 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We represent the whole community and all areas of SEND from Dyslexia, ADHD and Autism to Profound and Multiple Disabilities. If you are a Parent Carer of a child with any additional needs, whether they are diagnosed or not, you are welcome to become a member of the forum Contact: Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum (https://www.bbpcf.co.uk/contact). As a member we need to hear about how local services are working for your child and any issues you encounter, we need feedback on lived experiences. “Thank you for all your support, Bedford Borough Parent Carer Forum have really help me understand what is happening and where to get the right support.” Parent Carer We then pick up any themes and feed this back at the various meetings we attend with all of the local services. We can also signpost Parent Carers who can help support them. We also provide free training for parent carers on a huge variety of subjects to empower you as a parent carer and we arrange regular get togethers with local services to discuss what the services offer and to enable parents to talk directly to them and ask any questions they may have. We always arrange these get togethers and training based on recent feedback from parent carers
and what they are telling us are their burning issues. BBPCF run an annual survey for our members and most recently had over 500 responses from Parent Carers in Bedford Borough. “My main positive is our Parent Carer Forum and how well they connect with everyone.” Practitioner The survey covers all of the areas of support children with SEND should receive and we find out what is and isn’t working at the moment based on lived experiences. The results of the Annual Survey that we carried out at the end of 2021 have now been published as an ‘Outcomes Report’ and hightlights the current main areas of concern and it forms what we will be prioritising for the year ahead. You can see a copy of our Outcomes Report 2021 on our website www.bbpcf.co.uk/reports For more information please contact: communications@bbpcf.org.uk www.bbpcf.co.uk or telephone: 07943 524553
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— APRIL 2022
TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
Monopoly Run madness 1st ARLESEY Guides joined over 5000 Guides and Scouts from every corner of the UK, to compete in Monopoly Run Live which is held annually in London. Monopoly Run ‘Live’ is a real-time version of the popular Monopoly Run (London) board game. It is played in a single day in central London and involves visiting the actual sites that the board game is based on. The bespoke control system allows multiple ‘mini-games’ to be simultaneously run, enabling hundreds of
Richard Atkinson Truth shall set you free
teams to compete on the day, yet each team will only have a maximum of seven other competitor teams, giving everyone a good chance at winning. The game is all about your tactics and speed in getting around the capital! It was the Guide’s 3rd year at the event and the girls, aged between 10 and 14 years old, had an amazing time taking part whilst seeing some of London’s most iconic sights. Within their mini-game, they took 1st place, 3rd place and 6th place
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When the time comes, the account of the tragedy that is the Russian invasion of Ukraine with its immense human cost, will tell the stories of many brave people. Not just those who have fought to defend their country, but firefighters and medics, those who have ensured food supplies, parents who protected their children, and those inspirational leaders like President Zelensky, to name just a few. We give thanks for each and every person. We are inspired and humbled by their courage. Maria Ovsyannikova will also be on that list. She is the Russian TV Producer who so memorably held up a hand-written banner on live television protesting against the war. For once the truth that this was ‘war’ was made public for a few seconds amidst the state-controlled message that it is only a ‘special military operation’. Maria will be remembered not just because she is brave, but because she reminds us of the vital importance of truth. In the video she issued to accompany her protest she said that she was ‘Ashamed that I allowed lies to be broadcast from TV screens. Ashamed that I allowed others to zombify Russian people.’ She reminds us that when truth
is corrupted individuals and institutions become unaccountable. When falsehoods replace facts, wrong becomes right, people suffer, and humanity is diminished. It is serious enough when it is the changing of records after the Hillsborough deaths or when hospitals hide malpractice, or the Church fails to be transparent about safeguarding. It is potentially cataclysmic when it involves a nuclear power. ‘The truth will set you free’, those words of Jesus in John chapter 8, speak powerfully at this time. A free press, democratic political structures and leadership with integrity are not an optional extra but at the heart of healthy society. Their absence or abuse in Russia reminds us of how remiss we are when overlook actions that weaken their standing in our country as well. It does matter if politicians bend the truth and protest is unreasonably curtailed. A cartoon depicts Rosa Parks on that American bus where in 1955 she refused to give up her seat to a white man as a challenge to racial segregation with Maria Ovsyannikova sitting next to her holding her placard. Rosa Parks is saying ‘Take a Seat’. As we rejoice in such courageous people, how do we take our seat as champions of truth?
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ON March 19 2022 Cartridge Depot celebrated their 10th Birthday since they commenced trading. Vincenza & Guy Ciampa opened Cartridge Depot 10 years ago and have not looked back since. They have offered an unrivalled service when it comes to helping commercial and domestic customers save money on their printing costs. Over the past 10 years they have also played their part in helping the environment by stopping over 36,000 printer cartridges going into landfill, instead these have all been recycled. Cartridge Depot is a local independently run award winning business specialising in the supply of original, compatible and remanufactured printer cartridges, printers and paper. It had been tough for many businesses over the past couple of year due to the pandemic, however cartridge depot have shown that small local independently run businesses can still survive on the high street with the help of the local community supporting local businesses by using their services. Guy Ciampa Says: I don’t know where these past ten years have
gone! We would not have succeeded nor still be here today without the help and support of local people and our customers, for this we are very grateful and thankful. We look forward to many more years of successful trading. Vincenza Ciampa Says: The past two years have been very challenging; however, we knew that we had to carry on and get past this unprecedented time and look forward to the end of this pandemic. We have had so much appreciation and support, not just during the pandemic but from the first day we started trading 10 years ago. That day will be a day we will always remember and never regret. We would love to see all the empty shops in Bedford full with local people running them. Keeping business local is what has kept us in business. Visit Cartridge Depot to see how they can help you save money and the environment, their shop is based at 30 St. Loyes Street, Bedford, MK40 1EP, alternatively you can call them on 01234 910908, email info@cartridgedepot.co.uk or go to www.cartridge-depot.co.uk
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— APRIL 2022
Join us this
EASTER Sunday 10th April
Palm Sunday Celebra on 10:30am @Kempston East & Kempston West Maundy Thursday - 14th April
Agape Communion 7:30pm @Kempston East
Good Friday - 15th April
Good Friday re ec on 7:30pm @Kempston East
Easter Sunday - 17th April
EASTER WORSHIP
10:30am @ Kempston East & West (Communion 8am @ Kempston East)
TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
diary Sandy Historical Society: History of Bedford
Museum & Art Gallery by Lydia Saul Friday 29th April, 7.30 pm Stonecroft Hall, St Swithin’s Way, Sandy SG191BB Admission £2.50 including refreshments. Members & Students free For further details Contact 01767 680171
Bedford Folk & Acoustic Club: Every Thursday 8:30pm 11pm, Acoustic and folk music round-the-room, every Thursday evening from 8:30pm at the Bowls Pavilion of Kempston Hammers Club, MK42 7BN. Musicians, singers and poets all welcome, at every level. Find us on facebook, or come and meet us at the Bowls Pavilion. Contact:
Sandy Branch of The Leprosy Mission: Friday
May 6th, a Concert by the renowned Sandy Ukulele Band in the Sandy Baptist Church Hall at 7pm. Tickets at £6 each are available from Colin Osborne. Contact: 01767 682032). In aid of The Leprosy Mission.”
Bedford Floral Art Society: meeting on Tuesday, Throughout Easter the Garden at Kempston East will be open
COME AND EXPLORE - PAUSE - REFLECT - & WORSHIP
The 31st St Philip & St James Charity Golf Day FRIDAY 27th May 2022 PAVENHAM PARK GOLF CLUB
April 5th at the Addison Centre, Kempston at 7.30pm. Floral demonstration by Vicky Hease entitled “The Missing Years - part 2” Visitors welcome £7 Contact: www.bedfordfloralart society.co.uk
Want a tee-rific day out while helping others? Look no further…
What could be better than playing a round of golf at the county’s number one golf course followed by a delicious two-course meal? Knowing that you’re supporting two amazing local causes at the same time, of course!
Over the past 31 years, the St Philip & St James Charity Golf Day has raised the amazing sum of £103,000 for local charities, and it’s all down to the generosity of supporters and donors like you.
Bedford Local Group of The Wildlife Trust:
Wednesday 13th April. 7-15pm for 7.30pm. Priory Methodist Church Hall, Newnham Avenue, Bedford MK41 9QJ. AGM and Illustrated talk ‘An Introduction to Bedfordshire’s Geology’ By Bev Fowlston. ‘Plenty of parking available, All welcome, no charge but voluntary contributions are appreciated. Further details contact: www.wildlifebcn.org or 01234 266057
Bedford RSPB Local Group: Indoor meeting. We are
pleased to announce our first indoor meeting since the Coronavirus lockdown in March 2020. Meet at ARA club, Manton Lane Bedford MK41 7PF. Thursday 21st April. Meeting 7.30pm aiming to finish by 9.30pm. Tonight we go to North Africa for a ‘Moroccan Experience’ With Richard Pople who has been a birder for many years & has travelled extensively throughout the UK & around the world. Suitable for Experts and Novices, RSPB membership not essential. Contact:
Car Boot Sale: Milton Ernest
Garden Centre, Radwell Road, Milton Ernest MK44 1SH, Cars £5, vans £10. Sellers setup 9am, Buyers 10am-2pm. Sunday April 3 and May 1 No need to book a stall, bring your own table Contact: (01234) 823033 or enquiries@miltonernestgarden centre.co.uk
Friday 1st April, 7.15 for 7.30 start, at Putnoe Heights Church, Bedford, MK418EB. Tony Jackson will talk about the work of the Glasgow School of Art, the Glasgow Boys and later works produced in Glasgow. Entry is free for members. £5 for visitors For information contact Jean Paterson 01234 307210 or www.bedsartsociety.co.uk.
Bedford Art Society:
Biddenham Gardeners Association: 7:30pm Tuesday
19th April, BIddenham Village Hall. Virgins, Weeders and Queens - A History of Women in the Garden. By Dr Twigs Way. Visitors very welcome Admission £5 per meeting for non members- includes Raffle and Refreshments New Members are welcome Contact: www.biddenham gardenersassociation.org.uk
April 28 with a brilliant young quintet, Connaught Brass, who took first prize in the inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Competition in 2019. Contact: www.bedfordmusicclub.co.uk
Bedford Music Club:
Sandy Women’s Institute: Meets on the third
Tuesday of every month (except August) at Sandy Conservative Club, Bedford Road, Sandy. New members are always very welcome. Visitors are charged a small fee of £4. For further information contact: Ann Patterson 01767 680644.
Bedford Folk & Acoustic Club: Acoustic and folk music round-the-room, every Thursday evening from 8:30pm at the Bowls Pavilion of Kempston Hammers Club, MK42 7BN. Musicians, singers and poets all welcome, at every level. Contact: us on facebook, or come and meet us at the Bowls Pavilion.
Yoga: Priory Methodist Church, Newnham Avenue, Bedford MK41 9QJ. 2pm Mondays Contact: June for details: juandhannigan@yahoo.co.uk
Kempston Senior Citizens Club:
DANCING, WHIST, BINGO. Meets Wednesday 10am-12noon Friday 10am-4.00pm, CENTENARY HALL, behind Kempston Town Hall, for further information contact: Sheila Cobban, on 01234 347306.
Tudor Reeds Folk Dance Club: Barn dance group meets
every other Wednesday 8-10pm, St Mark’s Church Hall, Brickhill. £2 inc refreshments Contact: Jenny 01234 217621
Cowper and Newton Museum: Orchard Side,
Market Place, Olney, Bucks. MK46 4AJ. April 10th Sun 10:30 12pm Walk to Lavendon Mill via Clifton Reynes - £8 adults/ £2 children under 16, meet outside the museum. Pay on the day. April 228th Tues - Sat - Three Hares Gallery exhibition - ‘Look, Look & Look Again’ an exhibition of 2D & 3D lost and found objects - by Carol Ashmore Contact: 01234 711516
In 2021, despite all the challenges, we shared an amazing £18,000 between CHUMS and Living It Up, and this year, with your help, we’d like to raise even more for this year’s worthy recipients:
HOW CAN YOU HELP? Playing golf and enjoying a two-course meal – £50 per person • Sponsoring a trophy or a hole – starting from just £50 • Donating a prize for the raffle or auction
IN RETURN, YOU’LL RECEIVE Advertising for your service or company in our promo material • Your company details on our Main Sponsor Board • Your company details in our programme given to every golf team Should you wish to sponsor us by bank transfer, our charity’s account details are: Bank NatWest Account name St. Philip & St James Golf Society Account number 63141876 Sort code 60-02-13 Youth Inspired is a small, independent learning provider offering both alternative education and social care activities for people aged g 16-25 with SEN (Special Educational Needs). The programme offers activities that build confidence and selfesteem to help learners develop and feel more included in society. youthinspired.org.uk
For more informationi contact: Mike Chappell on 07973 703340 mikechappell43@btinternet.com
BEDFORDSHIRE BULLETIN
Kids in Action provides support and social opportunities for childrenand young adults with special needs and disabilities in a safe, non-judgemental environment. All the activities on offer are designed to help alleviate the feelings of isolation and loneliness experienced by many of these brave young individuals. kidsinaction.org.uk 0
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gardening
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with Milton Ernest Garden Centre
Growing from seed R
growing tips on the back of seed packets so make sure to check the information before sowing. One of the great perks of growing your own plants and vegetables from seed is the fact that you’ll have so many to choose from even heritage varieties that can never be found as plants.
by Maureen Catlin AISING plants from seed is one of the most satisfying aspects of gardening. I am always thrilled when I check the propagator to find the first seedlings appearing. Seeds are a low cost way of growing vegetables and flowers but select the plants to grow carefully. With the high energy costs today it is very expensive to heat propagators and greenhouses so I would avoid growing Geraniums Begonias and Impatiens which have a long growing time before they flower unless you are prepared to have them on your kitchen window sill from February until May. Buy ready grown plants instead. Tender species like Marigolds, Nicotiana, Tomatoes and Cucumbers however can be
sown in April. They will germinate in a protected environment from 15 to 20 degrees and be ready to plant outside from the end of May when there are no more frosts. A warm place indoors can be useful to help germination and then the small plants can be moved to a greenhouse or protected place to grow. Fill pots or seed trays with seed compost tap to settle and lightly press the surface to make it level and firm. Water the compost and allow the excess to drain. Space your seeds evenly over the compost. Avoid crowding. Cover the seeds thinly with fine sieved compost or a layer of sterile vermiculite to just cover the seeds. Put the pots in a propagator or the clear lids on the trays
to retain the moisture which is crucial to aid germination. Put in a warm place and check regularly removing the covers occasionally to release any condensation. Move to a light place to prevent weak leggy growth as the seedlings start to emerge. Prick out the strongest seedlings and pot them individually where they can grow without competition. The seedlings should be watered regularly in order to avoid the compost drying out and after four weeks add a diluted liquid general fertiliser to promote strong and healthy growth. Some vegetables don’t transplant well especially root vegetables like carrots, parsnips and beetroots so sow directly in the garden where they are going to grow. A good new variety of carrot is Carrot Nerac with long tapering sweet and crunchy roots it stores well during winter. When the soil is warm to the back of your hand simply rake level to a fine tilth and sow the seeds thinly. Cover with a thin layer of fine soil and protect with fleece or wire cloches to stop the birds eating the young seedlings as they emerge. Peas are another vegetable crop that should be sown directly where it is going to grow. Prepare a trench filled with good garden compost either homemade of bought in and plant directly into this. Plant a few hardy pot marigold seeds nearby to prevent Pea Moth, the maggot inside the pea shucks, laying its eggs. Broad Beans however are much more adaptable so sow some in small peat fibre pots in March to plant for a few young early beans and then directly
on the Veg Patch in rows in April for the main crop. French and Runner Beans benefit from being sown in April in peat fibre pots and planted in the Veg Patch at the end of May. Seeds of Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts Leeks and Cauliflower germinate readily outdoors in small 1 cm deep drills. The plants should be transplanted to their growing positions when they are 10cms tall. Try a new Cauliflower De Purple. It has deep purple heads is sweet and buttery excellent in salads or lightly steamed to preserve the colour. A lot of hardy flower annuals also benefit from being directly sown in the borders where they will flower. Simply rake the soil to a fine tilth and scatter the seed. Then cover with a layer of fine compost. Planting hardy annuals like Cosmos, Nasturtiums, Cornflowers, Annual Chrysanthemums and Rudbeckia can increase the colour in mixed and herbaceous borders during the summer months at very low cost. A couple of new varieties to try are Sunflower Cut Flower Mix and Poppy Black Swan. Or plant a wild flower patch by directly broadcasting seed in finely raked weed free soil. Some seeds like Sweet Peas may require soaking overnight before you plant them. Check out a new variety Sweet Pea Primrose an unusual colour with gorgeous scent and lovely long stems. The seed companies provide excellent
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GROW YOUR OWN VEGETABLES Young plants any 6 packs £12 Normally £2.80 per pack
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MILTON ERNEST GARDEN CENTRE Radwell Road (just off the A6) Milton Ernest MK44 1SH
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— APRIL 2022
TEL: 07894 935952 EDITORIAL: editorial@rosettapublishing.com
clubbing
comedy
Device to stop drink ‘spiking’
Two brilliant shows
by Tony Hendrix Spiking has traditionally been the term used for when alcohol or drugs are put into someone’s drink without their knowledge or consent. In 2021, reports emerged of a new form of spiking that involved individuals being injected in some way without their consent.
These acts which have now been labelled as criminal offences in many cases is inflicted upon vulnerable females and in many cases the perpetrators have been known to their victims. The Executive Club located in Lurke St Bedford is one of few venues to appreciate the impact this crime has on its victim and have consequently invested into the scheme which is slowly sweeping through the county called ‘StopTopps’. ‘StopTopps’ are versatile drinkprotectors that have been designed to deter drink spikes, just a simple tin foil but very effective. They are suitable for any drinking vessel commonly found in pubs and clubs, including cans, bottles and
glasses, Spiking whether done by a friend as a ‘prank’, or with the intention of committing a far more serious offence now carries a custodial sentence, a spokes person for the StopTopps community quoted We all have a right to know exactly what we’re putting into our bodies, StopTopps are available to the general public free of charge at sponsored events – we are raising awareness of spiking through educational promotions and social campaigns. We are a Not for Profit Company with the objective of stamping out drink spiking ‘ A recent poll found that 1 in 9 women and 1 in 17 men in the UK say they have been the victim of drink spiking, and one in three
A career that makes a
difference
women and one in five men knew someone who had been a victim of drink spiking. Due to the nature of the crime victims may not know what has happened or who did something to them, and may suffer self-doubt about what occurred. The general public need a better understanding of the prevalence of spiking, the forms it takes and the impact it has had on victims. We need to examine the response of the police and partner organisations, such as night-time industries like bars clubs pubs universities and third sector organisations, in the prevention and detection of spiking. We also need to examine what support is available to victims to report incidents and obtain treatment following such incidents. Spiking is specifically intended to make victims vulnerable and leave them unaware of what is happening to them. It relies on deception, with victims only realising what has happened later and left doubting themselves due to the uncertainty that being spiked causes. Bedford Council licensing officer has been distributing ‘StopTopp’ kits to local pubs bars and clubs, however its use is entirely at the descretion of the premises manager and in many cases the free product is not advertised in house. If you’re thinking of spiking someone’s drink, you should know: Drink spiking is illegal and carries a sentence of up to ten years in prison. This means that slipping alcohol or drugs into someone’s drink is against the law, even if the drink is not consumed or the person is not harmed. Stoptopps are readily available at The Executive club in Lurke Street, simply ask one of the bar team while placing your order for a ‘StopTopp’ if you would like one to protect your drink.
Thursday April 14 10th Birthday Special The Quarry Theatre, Bedford Castle Comedy celebrates a decade of putting on incredible comedy in Bedford! The show will feature Star Names, Birthday cake and loads of laughs!
Headlining the show is SEANN WALSH. He is described as ‘the best observational comedian of his generation’ by The Guardian and is an Edinburgh Award nominee. Seann has starred in Netflix’s Flinch, Live At The Apollo, Tonight at The London Palladium, Celebrity Juice, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Chatty Man, Stand Up Central and is a regular guest on The Jonathan Ross Show. “He remains one of the most entertaining observational comics on the block’ The Independent THE RAYMOND AND MR TIMPKINS REVUE will open the show. They are without a doubt the maddest, silliest, stupidest, cleverest, strangest and the funniest double act of comedians on the circuit. Likened to Morecambe and Wise and the Two Ronnies, they count David Walliams amongst their legion of fans. Guaranteed to bring the house down. “A mad, anarchic triumph of stupidity over style. Not to be missed” The Guardian Completing the bill is JAKE LAMBERT. He has appeared on Comedy Central’s Live From The Comedy Store and The Apprentice: You’re Fired! He is a sensational young stand up and is currently supporting Jack Dee on his national tour. “Brilliant One-Liners” Chortle
Saturday April 23 The BIG April Show The Weatherley Centre, Biggleswade The Big April Show will feature three headline quality acts and be the ultimate Saturday night out!
Closing the show is ANGELOS EPITHEMIOU. He is a comedy legend and award-winning burger van owner! He is the unwitting star of Shooting Stars (BBC2), Dave’s One Night Stand, The Rob Brydon Show and Channel 4’s The Angelos Epithemiou Show. You are in for a true comedy experience from one of the UK’s most brilliant alternative acts… think Little Britain meets Vic and Bob meets a smattering of Ivan Brackenbury and then lower your expectations and get on board.”‘Brilliantly executed anticomedy shtick’ Chortle Opening the show is TOM HOUGHTON. He is the Edinburgh Fringe’s favourite posh boy, star of Comedy Central’s ‘Roast Battle’ and critically-acclaimed star of BBC and Channel 4 and First Dates! Tom is the ultra-privilaged master of making the seemingly unrelatable, relatable. “A crafty idiot” THE DAILY MAIL All shows feature full support from top UK comedians and Paul Revill will host the shows! Doors 7pm, Shows start 8pm. Shows finish 10.45pm To Book www.castlecomedy.co.uk
Lisa worked in retail over Christmas, she once had a role as a barista and spent some time as a nanny. All of that experience has led her to a rewarding role she feels comfortable with and thoroughly enjoys.
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Charity celebrates expanded specialist service
DURING Lymphoedema Awareness Week Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice is celebrated the successful expansion of their service giving care to Bedfordians living with lymphoedema. The lymphoedema service has been provided at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice to people living with cancer for over 20 years, offering specialist care for the inflammatory condition. But last year the service expanded further to provide support to non-cancer patients and lipoedema patients living in Bedfordshire too – at a time healthcare services were facing huge challenges from a worldwide pandemic. Over the last five years the team has helped support 895 Bedfordians. Natasha Boysen, 44, lives in Letchworth and is one of team delivering the specialist service. She said, “The past two years has been so difficult for so many people personally and professionally. Here at the clinic we have seen some increasing symptoms of lymphoedema as people have not been moving around as much, and this lack of movement can make the condition worse.” “We have been working hard to help people manage their condition through the pandemic, while welcoming new non-cancer and lipoedema patients to the service over the past year too.” Lymphoedema is a chronic inflammatory condition when there is damage to or failure of the lymphatic system which causes swelling, called oedema. Katy Davis, 53 from Sandy, works alongside Natasha at the three-day-a-week clinic. Katy is keen to make more people aware of
the little-talked about condition. She said, “The lymph system is an invisible system and no one really knows about it until it doesn’t work anymore and you get limb swelling. “It can affect any part of the body but is commonly seen in an arm or a leg. It is surprisingly common too. It is thought to affect six in every 1,000 people here in the UK, which is an estimated 450,000 people. This makes it more common than the combined number of people living with Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, HIV and Parkinson’s Disease.” Paula Read, age 46 from Buckden, has worked with the specialist Sue Ryder service for six years and has been a lymphoedema nurse for many years. She shares there are a number of treatments typically offered to help manage the condition. “A variety of treatments can help, including skin care to prevent cellulitis and chronic skin changes and exercise to aid lymph drainage, which depends on movement. Compression garments such as stockings, tights, arm sleeves and gloves, depending on where the oedema, is can also help. “Through our service we teach patients simple lymphatic drainage or self-massage and we may offer manual lymphatic drainage.” “Other forms of treatment might include kinesio tape, foams, photobiomodulation, which is a form of low level light therapy, or we use an intermittent pneumatic compression pump which mimics massage amongst other things!”
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sport
Latest results are definitely more like it!
FOOTBALL – WADERS ROUNDUP BY MIKE DRAXLER
HITCHIN TOWN .....................1 BIGGLESWADE TOWN .........0 Saturday February 26 Billed as a ‘must win’ match it has to be remembered that this was the first competitive match for the new look Waders. Training games are a million miles from the real thing and Hitchin were in a very similar situation to ourselves. The twin strikers of George Devine and Jack Vasey looked impressive, Devine was in on goal with only 60 seconds gone, a flick from Vasey sent Devine clear and only a great save from home keeper Horlock denied the Waders a dream start. Enoch Andoh ferreting in the middle of the park, backed up by the silky skills of Harvey Browne, Blake D’Arcy and Luke Middleton. The defence of Charley O’Keefe, Kane Farrell, Clinton Nosakhare and Joe Howe looked comfortable on the ball, prepared to play the ball out rather than the big “punt” Yes there was confusion early on as the players got to know each other, only to be expected but as the game wore on Biggleswade took command, certainly the second half was all the away side. The only goal came in the 21st minute as Stephen Cawley free in the centre of the park took the opportunity to lob the advancing Josh Hill. There are still 11 games to play and with this attitude the Waders must surely start to win and move away from the bottom of the division. This starts tomorrow at the Yvette Brewer Stadium our first home game after a run of seven away. Rushden and Diamonds are the visitors, lets get behind the team.
Man of the match: Joe Neal.
BIGGLESWADE TOWN .........1 NUNEATON BOROUGH ........1 Saturday March 12 Every game the Waders play is now billed as a ‘must win match’ this was no exception but can only be reality when the maths say so. In this re-scheduled game both sides appeared anxious although a great start for Harry Lodovica saw him go close in the early minutes for the home side. Nuneaton matched that by hitting the post through Scott McManus before the game settled into a competitive game as both sides went toe to toe. Chances created were few, the best a free kick from Luke Benbow tipped over by the ever-improving Josh Hill between the sticks for the home side. The ball spent an eternity in the air as both teams struggled for some cohesion. At the turn round it was 0-0 After the break Waders pushed forward prompted by Adian
Manning from the midfield his industrious work saw him up and down the pitch, challenging every situation. The Biggleswade defence sure to a man as Keller, Howe, O’Keefe and Farrell kept the Nuneaton forwards under wraps. Andoh busy as ever digging the ball out and trying to feed the front line of Bustamante, a very strong running forward, Lodovica and George Devine. On 58 Manning shot through a crowd of players to put the home side in a position they had not been in for some months. 32 minutes to play, Borough committed men forward leaving gaps. Robbie O’Keefe looked to exploit this by taking off Charley O’Keefe and replacing with another attacker Finlay Johnson. Waders started to worry the visitors defence, their keeper Tony Breeden loved to go ‘walk about’ and on one occasion was nearly caught off his line. A great penalty shout when Devine went down, but the ref saw nothing in it. As the clock ran down Nuneaton increased the pressure. At 90 an extra six was added for injury. An eternity for watching Wader fans looking for a first win since October. As the 96 passed, we played on until the inevitable happened. Anthony Dwyer got his toe to the ball to level the scores on 90+9. Protest does nothing, the goal awarded, the result 1-1. Mom Adian Manning BROMSGROVE SPORTING .0 BIGGLESWADE TOWN ........1 Saturday March 19 Listed on twitter before the match were 10 reasons for Bromsgrove to win this game. Strange but I can
give you eleven why they didn’t. More new faces for the Waders, drafted in to fine tune. In comes Dean Parrett, Liam Smyth and lastminute Morgan Mahoney to replace an injured Cane Keller. With not too many places between the two teams, it felt like a must win to close the gap. It’s been 18 matches since the last Wader victory and hopes are high that this will turn the page on the recent past and start to reap the benefits of Robbie O’Keefe’s new look players and coaching team. An huge crowd of 1536 packed the Victoria ground to watch the boys in red take up the batten and go for the Waders from the off. Pressure mounting as Jamie Molyneux took full advantage of his long legs out pacing the defence. Two or three times his cross ball came in, headers going high, one mighty shot from Callum Ebanks stunned the post, Josh Hill foiled another with a double save. At the other end Biggleswade were left wanting as a famine of opportunities did not trouble the home defence much. Bromsgrove thought themselves unlucky as they left the field for the break at 0-0. Much changed after the interval as Biggleswade now kicking up the slope began to believe there was something in this game for them. From front to back effort was being rewarded as Liam Smyth, George Devine and Harry Lodovica combined to give a sharp cutting edge as Bromsgrove pushed forward. Dean Parrett, Adian Manning and Enoch Andoh in the midfield stopping and prodding forward. How Andoh gets the ball out from an opponent is still a
mystery to me. Farrell, Howe and Robbie Parker into the back line after injury has ruled out Charlie O’Keefe and new boy Morgan Mahoney who fitted in with strength and forward running. That leaves Josh Hill, what a keeper!! Always in command, one save point blank from Jonathan Letford, pushed over as Hill flew to prevent the opportunity, even his “tormentors” behind the goal were amazed. The goal when it came was against the run of play but opened up the game as Bromsgrove pushed forward. 56 in and a Kane Farrell in swinging corner found George Devine at the front post to head home through a scramble of players. Jubilation but with 34 to go, could the Waders hold on? Indeed, they could and could have had more goals as the free running forwards started to feel a belonging to Biggleswade, putting on a show. Smyth, Lodovica and Devine all broke through but the home keeper was up to the job and foiled the rampaging Waders. Bromsgrove pushed, lost a player to a red card, tried their all but not their day. At the end, relief, Robbie O’Keefe’s smile a joy, as wide as the M6. This is the start of a new beginning. Mom Enoch Andoh
BIGGLESWADE TOWN ........5 NEEDHAM MARKET ............1 Wednesday March 23 With the inclusion of just one player, signed on the day, Jalen Jones, the Waders put out the side returning from victory at Bromsgrove Sporting. Jones’s Wader career could not have got off to a better start as Jalen scored the opening goal on13 minutes. This was fol-
lowed shortly by Dean Parrett opening his goal account with a penalty, after Andoh was fouled in the box. At 2-0 and only 17 minutes gone, Biggleswade looked comfortable as the quick but anxious passing of the visitors paid no dividends. On 21 a mix up in the Wader defence saw the ball rebound to Daniel Morphew who made no mistake from six yards. Biggleswade increased their lead on 26 through striker of the night Liam Smyth also opening his Wader account after a slick move left Smyth a chance that he could not miss. Repetition on 43 as Smyth again beat the defence with his second of the match. At the break and leading 4-1 it so looked like another needed three points. The second half began and Needham upped their game as they threatened the home defence continually. Not too many open chances were created and the back line of Keller, Howe, Jones and Farrell plus the dependable Josh Hill dealt with most. Needham neglected their defensive duties as they pushed forward and Lodovica, Smyth and Devine all created chances but unable to capitalise. As the 90 fast approached a series of substitution did not improve on the visitors fortune. One incident where the ball was stuck in a melee of players looked certain but somehow the ball was cleared. The icing on the cake and possibly the best goal of the game, saw Joe Dearman run half the length of the pitch before unleashing an unstoppable curling shot on 90+2 to make the final score 5-1. Mom Liam Smyth, always a threat near goal.
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