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Nottingham News, Notts Health & Care

School pupils in Mansfield and Ashfield are set to benefit from additional mental health support following an announcement by Education Secretary Damian Hinds.

Nottinghamshire County Council and NHS commissioners have successfully been granted extra funding by the government to extend a Trailblazer pilot to Mansfield and Ashfield to transform children’s mental health in the school setting. The original pilot was agreed for the Rushcliffe and Gedling areas last year and mental health teams in schools will roll out in these areas in December 2019. The extra funding is for two years and it will enable a mental health support team to be set up which will cover 20 schools across the Mansfield and Ashfield areas, offering increased access to emotional and wellbeing support. The teams, which will be staffed by mental health professionals, from Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust, will work with children and young people with mild to moderate emotional, mental health and well-being problems.

More schools across Nottinghamshire will also have the opportunity to attend free Mental Health in Schools Link Workshops. These workshops bring together education and mental health staff to discuss and plan how they can support children and young people’s mental health in schools. 109 schools attended these workshops last year. Nationally, one in eight young people aged five to 19 had a diagnosable mental health condition in 2017 and teenagers with a mental health disorder are more than twice as likely to have a mental disorder in adulthood. Mansfield and Ashfield has the highest number of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) contacts in the County.

Councillor Philip Owen, Chair of the County Council’s Children and Young People’s Committee, said: “We are delighted that we have been successful in getting this additional support, which will benefit young people from Mansfield and Ashfield and their carers. This puts us in an excellent position to develop and improve mental health support in our local schools, which play a vital role in identifying mental health needs and building resilience in young people.”

Dr Gavin Lunn, Clinical Chair, Mansfield and Ashfield CCG says: “This scheme is a great opportunity to focus on early intervention. We know young people and their parents and carers want to be able to access mental health services quickly and that the earlier mental health problems are identified the better the health outcomes. Having mental health support teams in schools will provide additional support for well-being and mental health directly to children and young people and offer an easier and more familiar setting for them to access care when they need it.”

Julie Attfield is Interim Director of Mental Health with Nottingham shire Healthcare: “We are delighted at this extra investment in the health and wellbeing of young people in Mansfield and Ashfield areas. The mental health of young people is of the utmost importance and if we can help and support young people in a timely manner then we can prevent them using mental health services in the future.

That’s good for the young people, their families and society in general.” Further funding was announced by the Government for the Nottingham City area, which will be used to develop mental health support teams across 40 schools in the area. The teams in the City, Mansfield and Ashfield areas will all be operational from September 2020.

Nottingham News, Notts Health & Care

A Newark & Bassetlaw service for people recovering from an illness, injury or operation has been rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission in a recent inspection. The County Council runs the ‘Short Term Assessment and Reablement Team (START)’ to help people regain the skills to live independently, often following a stay in hospital.

The free service, which is available for up to three weeks, supports people with daily living activities such as washing and dressing, food and drink preparation, medication and mobility. Staff help people to regain their independence by showing them new ways to do tasks, breaking down activities step by step and agreeing achievable goals. Equipment such as shower chairs, dressing aids and medication reminders can also be provided. Support is then gradually reduced as people are able to do more for themselves.

One lady who used the service regained her ability to care for herself, but she also wanted to be able to leave her house and visit her mule in the field next door. Staff showed her a safe technique for getting down her big kitchen step using her walking frame and she now enjoys seeing him every day without any further help.

Councillor Tony Harper, Chair of Adult Social Care and Health Committee, said: “It is heart-warming to hear the genuinely positive feedback from the people who use this service. I’d like to thank all the staff who work so hard to support people back to independent living.

“I’m particularly pleased to hear how much we are working with people to find out what it is they want to achieve and then doing everything we can to help them reach that goal.”

The START service, which also has teams in Mansfield & Ashfield and Broxtowe, Gedling & Rushcliffe, worked with 1780 people in 2018/19. 75% of these service users who completed reablement did not need ongoing home care as a result.

The Care Quality Commission report is available at https://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-160392550/reports

Lancashire News

Plans to bring an adventure golf course and tenpin bowling alley to Chorley town centre are taking shape as the people behind the business got a look around the Market Walk development. ​Ian and Lorraine Kearney, who will run the Escape Entertainment Venue, got a tour of the site with bosses from Chorley Council, which is building the extension to the Market Walk shopping centre. The new venture has also had plenty of offers of support from local businesses and Ian and Lorraine have been overwhelmed by the positive comments from people.

“It’s been full steam ahead getting all the plans in place and the support from members of the public has been phenomenal,” said Ian.
“It was great to get chance to have a look around inside the building and we can’t wait to show everyone the detail of what we will be hosting in Chorley as it will be up there with the best leisure offers in the region.
“We will be providing entertainment that will let people escape from their day-to-day lives and allow them to have plenty of fun with family and friends.”

The plans, which are subject to a contract being signed, are a significant step in attracting tenants to the £15 million extension, off Union Street, which will see a six-screen cinema and M&S Food hall coming to Chorley.
Councillor Alistair Bradley, Leader of Chorley Council, said:
“We knew that this type of offer would be really popular but the response has been fantastic.

“It was great to walk the site with Ian and Lorraine and it is brilliant that we have a local business looking to bring this new offer and I know they are keen to work with other Chorley businesses, which is great for the borough.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the final designs and concepts for the adventure golf and tenpin bowling and we’ll share them with everyone as soon as we can.” Alongside the shopping centre extension Chorley Council is undergoing multi-million-pound improvements to the wider town centre and has already created more than 100 new parking spaces to accommodate extra visitors.

The shopping centre extension is due to open in time for Christmas trading in 2019.

Lancashire News

It’s Love Parks week and Wyre is celebrating after receiving Green Flag Awards for four of its parks; Poulton’s Vicarage Park, Hawthorne Park and Wyre Estuary Country Park in Thornton, and Memorial Park in Fleetwood have all retained this prestigious award.

The Green Flag Awards scheme is run by leading environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy who also run the Blue Flag/Seaside Awards for beaches. They recognise well managed parks and quality open spaces which serve the local community.

This international award is a sign to the public that Wyre’s parks boasts the highest possible environmental standards, are beautifully maintained and have excellent visitor facilities.

Councillor Simon Bridge, Street Scene, Parks and Open Spaces Portfolio Holder at Wyre Council, said: “We are lucky to have some beautiful parks and green open spaces on our doorstep and we know how important these areas are to our local community. “It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of Wyre Council’s officers and volunteers who work hard to maintain and enhance the park’s natural beauty.

“We are very proud to win Green Flags Awards for our parks. It provides us with the chance to showcase our parks and allows everyone to celebrate these beautiful spots in Wyre. What a great way to mark Love Parks Week”.
Love Parks Week takes place every year with the aim of encouraging everyone to get out and enjoy their favourite park. By using and celebrating your local park, we can all join together to help protect them for future generations.

Find out more about Wyre’s parks at www.wyre.gov.uk/parks

Nottingham News

Rushcliffe Borough Council is appealing to bicycle owners to not give thieves an easy ride and always correctly lock and secure their bikes with a stronger ‘D’ lock. Many bikes that are stolen each year are commonly not secured properly either with a flimsy weak lock that can be cut easily or tied incorrectly.

The authority’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis met Nottinghamshire Police PCSO Vee Mawer and the Council’s Community Safety Projects Officer Judith Brown to find out more about how to increase bike security.

He said: “Cyclists need to remember a few key measures that will deter thieves from targeting their bikes and investing a few pounds in a more robust ‘D’ lock is a must.

“Always tie the lock around the central triangle frame of the bike too and don’t attach it to below the seat or above a wheel where thieves could loosen these items to remove the lock. “The weaker, flimsy cable locks offer very little protection and in seconds a thief without drawing attention to themselves can cut through it, so always ensure it is a D lock and strong and secure.” It is also advised to where possible cyclists across Rushcliffe and Nottinghamshire should use secure facilities such as The Cycle Hub on Bridgford Road in West Bridgford. Residents can obtain a City Cycle Card to access similar hubs and more information can be found at http://www.citycardcycles.com/

In some locations in the Borough if the Council’s Community Safety team spot a bike secured with a weak lock, it is tagged to notify the owner it needs to be more secure. The tag offers the bike owner the opportunity to bring along the tag and the lock to one of the Council’s contact points to swap it for a ‘D’ lock. The Community Safety team and West Bridgford Police also hold bi-monthly bike security sessions, where your bike can also be security marked and a weak lock swapped for a ‘D’ lock free of charge to Rushcliffe residents whilst stocks last.

Nottingham News

Ashfield District Council have submitted a bid to Historic England for High Street Heritage Action Zone Funding for the area around Albert Square and the lower part of the Old Market Place in Sutton. If successful the funding would transform Albert Square, focusing on the restoration of the historic shopfronts and creating a small plaza space for outdoor dining, events and cultural activities and creating a key gateway into the town.

The bid covers sections of three key streets within Sutton Conservation area: Low Street, Market Street and Brook Street. The funding would deliver a programme of activities and cultural engagement alongside the physical works which would provide grant funding for property owners to restore historic buildings and bring them back into use.

Cllr Helen-Ann Smith, Cabinet Member for Streets, Parks and Town Centres said “We are committed to improvements within our town centres and if this bid is successful it will allow us to transform this area within Sutton Conservation area.

“The recent investments from Wetherspoon’s and Angling Direct show that retailers see the potential in Sutton and this funding would allow us to enhance the town centre experience for residents even further.”

Lancashire News, Lancs Health & Care, Lancs Leisure

YMCA Garstang Leisure Centres on Windsor Road and Oak Road are excited with the continuing investments and improvements to the facilities.
Wyre Council’s Cabinet approved a £65k investment to the centres which has included a newly refurbished foyer and reception area at YMCA Garstang swimming pool and 25 new spinning bikes at YMCA Garstang Leisure Centre. This is the latest investment that the partnership between YMCA and Wyre Council has delivered. The centres received a make-over in recent years including complete refurbishments to changing rooms at both centres and to the fitness suite at YMCA Garstang Leisure.

The latest investment signifies the intent of the partnership to ensure the whole community continues to be active. The investment into purchasing new spinning bikes and fitness experiences to YMCA Garstang Leisure Centre will allow the centre to enhance their class timetable and improve the overall customer experience.

The new Schwinn AC Performance bikes and improved lighting will provide an authentic riding experience that cannot be rivaled locally.
Not only this, but customers will be able to utilise a new fitness experience within the centre in the shape of “My Zone”. My Zone aims to help people feel good about exercise through technology. It is an innovative wearable heart rate based system that uses wireless and cloud technology to accurately and conveniently monitor physical activity.

Following investment into upgrading the pool plant room in 2017, YMCA Garstang Pool on Oak Road has received a full refurbishment of their foyer including renovations to the floor, ceiling and lighting. The reception has also had a complete refurbishment and the previously enclosed area has now been replaced by a new reception area and office, creating a more open environment.

Dave Sweetman, General Manager at YMCA Garstang said, “We hope you will agree that the investments at both centres are an exciting new addition to the centres. The refurbishments at YMCA Garstang Pool will create a more positive experience for the customer. We hope you like the changes. The addition of 25 new spinning bikes will also add to the customer experience, creating more opportunity for people to enjoy our class timetable at YMCA Garstang Leisure Centre. We urge the local community to make full use of the facilities on offer. Working in partnership with Wyre Council, we continue to provide a great experience that will inspire all members of the community to get active with us.”

Councillor Lynne Bowen, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Health and Community Engagement at Wyre Council comments, “We are proud to work together with YMCA Fylde Coast to invest in state of the art leisure centre facilities and fitness equipment. The improvements made to the two centres in Garstang provide a high quality exercise experience for local residents at both the leisure centre and the swimming pool.”

Lancashire News, Lancs Leisure

Young people in Manchester are set to benefit from increased access to free swimming at Manchester swimming pools all year round thanks to an extension of the current swimming offer citywide. Manchester’s under 17s will be able to swim for free every weekend bolstering the current swimming offer which allows them to swim for free during the school holidays.

This new provision for young people will now complement the all year round access to free swimming enjoyed annually by more than 60,000 under 17 and over 60 Manchester residents already.

And it is the latest development in Manchester’s swimming provision which has seen numerous changes during the last ten years when the Council committed to significantly improving the swimming offer across the city. In that time there has been an increase in free swimming provision, an overhaul of the school swimming service, increased swimming lesson provision and changes to the way in which club and competitive swimming is supported by the city. Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member for Schools, Culture and Leisure said:

“I am delighted that we have been able to extend our free swimming offer for young Mancunians to all year round as it offers increased access and opportunities to take part in healthy good fun activities which contributes to improving their physical and mental health and wellbeing too. It is another welcome positive addition to the changing face of swimming in Manchester and one which I hope lots of young people will take advantage of.”

The weekend free swimming sessions will be available citywide at selected times throughout the year at each swimming pool – subject to individual pool timetables, so it is advisable to check beforehand.

For details of participating pools, sessions and how to register, visit: https://mcractive.com/free-swimming
Participating facilities:
Abraham Moss Leisure Centre, Arcadia Library & Leisure Centre, East Manchester Leisure Centre, Hough End Leisure Centre, Manchester Aquatics Centre, Moss Side Leisure Centre, North City Family & Fitness Centre, Wythenshawe Forum.

Nottingham News

No one knows exactly how many carved mice are hidden in the pulpit and pews at All Saints Church, Babworth. Or at least, if they do, they are not telling! What is known, is that the carved oak mice are the trademark of Yorkshireman, Robert Thompson, born in 1876, who dedicated his life to the craft of carving and joinery in English Oak. It was he who carved the oak fittings in beautiful Babworth Church.

The famous mouse symbol, found on every item crafted by Robert Thompson’s has an uncertain history. The story told by Robert Thompson himself was that one of his craftsmen remarked that they; “were all as poor as church mice”, whereupon Robert carved a mouse on the church screen he was working on. That particular mouse has never been found but it has continued as a trade mark of quality and dedication to craftsman ever since. Babworth Church is known as the spiritual home of the Mayflower Pilgrims as it was here that William Bradford of Austerfield and William Brewster of Scrooby came to hear Reverend Richard Clifton preach.

When he lost his livelihood at Babworth, Clifton held secret meetings at Scrooby Manor, and the beginnings of the Separatist movement were born.
To commemorate the forthcoming 400th anniversary of the Mayflower journey in 2020, Bassetlaw District Council and Sally Outram, Director of Mayflower Pilgrims jointly commissioned a bespoke collection plate from Robert Thompson’s company, complete with mouse, to present to Reverend Cora Yarrien, of the Benefice of Idle and Sand, which includes Babworth Church. Cllr Jo White, Deputy Leader of Bassetlaw District Council said; “We wanted to present this plate to Babworth as a symbol of our thanks to the Reverend and church wardens at All Saints Church who have gone out of their way to make visitors welcome.

“We have seen a marked increase in Mayflower descendants, tour operators and journalists coming to this area as interest in the 2020 anniversary builds, and we appreciate that Babworth is first and foremost a much loved place of worship with a very loyal congregation. This gift is as much to Babworth’s parishioners as it is to Reverend Yarrien.”

The church at Babworth is one of eight sites where new Pilgrims Trail interpretation boards are to be installed as part of the £750,000 Heritage Lottery supported Pilgrim Roots project led by Bassetlaw District Council. The trail complements a new Pilgrims Gallery at Bassetlaw Museum, scheduled to open in August 2019.

Nottingham News

Last year more than 4,500 residents in Hawtonville, Newark, had the chance to receive free travel advice on their doorstep through the County Council’s Travel Choice scheme to encourage walking, cycling, public transport use and car sharing around the town.

This two-year scheme is funded by £845,000 from the Department for Transport, with local contributions from Nottinghamshire County Council. The project aims to help residents, businesses, jobseekers and school leavers to explore different ways to travel around Nottinghamshire and help to improve local air quality, improve access to employment, tackle congestion and promote a healthier lifestyle.

Of the 950 households in Newark that accepted the offer of personalised travel information last year, 65% of those surveyed stated the information they received was useful in helping them to consider their travel options and 32% changed the way they travelled as a result of the scheme, with more residents walking, cycling and driving less. Next month the Travel Choice team will be returning to Newark to support a further 4,500 households in New Balderton, Balderton and the Lincoln Road Estates to explore their travel options.

Postcards are being delivered to households in late June to let residents know that a travel advisor will be visiting in early July over a period of three to four weeks. Households will be given the chance to ‘opt-out’ so a travel adviser doesn’t call. Similarly, households can choose not to take part when a travel advisor calls. Following conversations with the residents, the Travel Choice team will send a free, personalised ‘travel pack’ full of local transport information and maps showing local walks, cycle routes and public transport offers. Councillor John Cottee, Communities and Place Committee Chairman said:

“We know that many residents are already making sustainable transport choices and are also improving their fitness by walking or cycling. I hope this free travel advice will motivate even more people to explore their travel options and make some small changes like leaving their car at home for short journeys, car sharing or giving public transport a go. “The County Council has a long-term plan to help promote sustainable transport and improve air quality. Encouraging more people to consider walking, cycling and catching the bus is a key part of this plan. “

The Travel Choice team is also working with students and jobseekers to support them into employment, apprenticeships or further education by informing them of various travel options. Local businesses are also getting involved with the chance for their employees to get advice, cycle training, wellbeing checks, cycle maintenance and other support to encourage them to choose healthy and sustainable ways to commute to work.

A similar scheme is being rolled out in Mansfield next month.
For more information on the project or for help planning a journey
visit http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/travelchoice or contact one of the Travel Choice team travelchoice@nottscc.gov.uk