Have a Brownie adventure!
Pic: Brownies: Rosie Helps, Danielle Lee,
Katy Vickers, Upasala Topiwala, Anabelle Lee, Rebekka Clark,
Chloe Moore, Jemma Moore, Bethany Jacobs, Georgina Fearne
GIRLGUIDING IN Birstall is a well established
and popular youth organisation in need of new leaders.
Brown Owl Marie Upton said: “We need Rainbow, Brownie and
Guide leaders as well as parents who can support us with other
guiding duties, not necessarily on a meeting night.”
Guide Leader at Birstall Helen Sibson (33) said: “There
is a lot of fun and friendship between the girls and the leaders.
It is great to give girls the opportunities that guiding gives
them and watch as they build their confidence and develop social
skills.”
Pic: Leaders at the Johnson Road HQ: (l-r)
Kate Cluley, Megan Lawrenson, Corinne Stant, Paula Bradley, Marie
Upton, Heather Bostock, Michaela Simpson, Chris Woods, Helen
Sibson.
Recent activities Brownies have been doing include making Mothers
Day gifts, an egg hunt, and a food tasting night with dishes
from around the world. A Brownie newspaper is also planned.
Brownie Isobel Bradley (9) said: “Last week we made a massive
dragon out of cardboard boxes for the Chinese New Year. It’s
a fun atmosphere here, and the leaders are good, helpful and
kind.”
Upasana Topiwala (9) grass sledging with Megan
Lawrenson.
Pic: Sailing at Watermead County Park, Brownies
with leaders Marie Upton and Paula Bradley.
Brown Owl Marie said: “Being a leader gives you a chance
to help girls do things they wouldn’t otherwise do, like
sailing, abseiling, grass sledging - having a Brownie adventure!”
Rainbows, Brownies and Guides meet at the Guide HQ on Johnson
Road, with sessions lasting 1 to 2 hours. The ratio of Rainbows
to each adult leader is 5 to 1 and for Guides, 12 to 1. There
are currently 16 adult helpers and leaders who will welcome and
support new volunteers.
Marie said: “It’s very important that we get some volunteer
leaders, or some units may have to close.”
Leaders must be female, aged 18-65. For more details call Chris
Woods on 2210243.
Village policing
“WE ARE doing everything we can but
we just can’t get what we want - our own beat bobbies on
the beat in Birstall” says Stuart Jones, Chairman of Birstall
Parish Council.
A rising catalogue of costly criminal damage on the School Lane
playing fields has prompted the Parish Council to put more pressure
on Syston Police to increase the level of policing in the village.
In March, Cllr Jones and fellow Parish Councillor Geoff Cassidy
met with Inspector Chris Alcott of the Syston Local Policing
Unit to raise their concerns.
“All l got was the usual pat answers: we hear what you’re
saying, we have limited resources and we have to target other
priorities, serious crimes like murders, or terrorism. I told
him, I wasn’t interested in his priorities, I just want
decent policing in Birstall” said Cllr Jones.
Cllr Jones was told that there were more police than ever before,
but that the Police service was still stretched.
“The meeting was a disappointment” said Cllr Jones,
who asked Inspector Alcott to put his response in writing for
consideration by the Council.
Cllr Jones says Birstall has one beat officer, PC Dave Coles,
but is paying for two. He said: “We have an excellent officer
in Dave Coles, he is doing a brilliant job, but he’s not
in Birstall enough. Since January, we’ve been monitoring
where he is, and though he works 18 days a month, only three
of those have been in Birstall. It’s just not good enough.
“We have all sorts of problems on the playing fields, some
at Meadow Lane but mainly on School Lane. Fences are broken down,
hedges pulled out or set on fire, play equipment pulled out of
the ground. It can’t carry on like this.”
Parish Councils are being offered full time Community Support
Officers by the Police if they pay half the costs - £12,500
a year. So far, no Parish Council in the county has taken up
the offer. If Birstall were to take up the offer, with 5000 homes
in the village it would cost 20p a month per household added
to the Council Tax.
Cllr Jones said: “Why should we pay more for policing that
we have already paid for? And I’m worried if we did pay
for a CSO, what would happen to Dave Cole? He’s such a good
officer, they’ll put him somewhere else, and we’ll
lose him.”
• If you have a view about whether paying for a CSO who
would work a 40 hour a week shift in Birstall is a good idea,
please write in to our letters page.
Scouts need leaders
Pic: Wednesday Cubs had a competition to design
a poster appealing for a new leader. Pictured are winners Jack
Loach, James Teagle, Chris Vyce and David Yardley
“WE PLAY games, we go camping, we
go out places, but most of all we have fun”.
That’s the message from one Birstall Cub Scout, who along
with others in his pack, has designed a poster appealing for
adult volunteer leaders to come forward to help guarantee the
group’s continued existence.
Cub Pack helper Paul Wilcox said: “If we cannot find a new
leader, it is likely the pack will close, which is a shame as
we are always full and have a waiting list.”
There are 20 boys, aged 8 to 10 and a half in Wednesday Cubs,
who meet at Scout HQ, next to Gunns Gym on Birstall Road from
7 to 8.30pm.
Group Scout Leader Vic Dolby said: “Being a leader would
suit anyone who likes doing fun things with young people, it
gives me immense pleasure. It’s very nice to see young people
develop, learning social skills and taking their place in society.”
Leaders must be aged 18 or over - there is no upper age limit.
For more details contact Vic Dolby 2671465.
Caravans planned
A FAMILY of Romany gipsies are seeking
permission to site five caravans on a piece of land near the
junction of Greengate Lane and Thurcaston Road.
The land is owned by Leicester City Council and the family has
submitted a formal change of use planning application to Leicester
City Council. A City Council spokesman has been reported as saying
the Council was “surprised” to receive the application,
which has been drawn up for the family by the Community Law Partnership,
of Birmingham.
Official notices about the planning application have been posted
near the site, on land between Beaumont Leys Lane and Thurcaston
Road, north of Mowmacre Hill.
Chairman of Birstall Parish Council Stuart Jones said: “I
am worried out this. It could be the thin end of the wedge, once
five caravans go in, won’t they get approval for more?”
He added: “We have used the Freedom of Information Act to
ask the City Council about any plans they might have to put a
travellers’ site near Greengate Lane, and the reply has
been, we have no plans. What is going on?”
Rich Tomlin, a spokesman for the Thurcaston Glebelands Community
Group, said: “There has been an immediate outcry over the
application, from local residents within both the city and county.
It is Leicester City Council owned land and therefore the travellers
do not have a right to change the use of the land. Residents
feel it is a cheek for them to ask to be given this land for
free, despite paying no taxes, when residents have had to work
hard to afford to move to the area.” He added: “There
is already a camp in West Leicester at Meynells Gorse, travellers
should not be able to choose the plot of land that they live
on without condition like everyone else. It shows what little
respect the travellers have for residents, city tax payers and
the City Council.
We have made our feelings clear to our local councillors and
Patricia Hewitt MP and we expect them, with our assistance, to
very strongly oppose the application.”
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Bus stop
OBJECTIONS FROM residents about buses waiting
on Windmill Avenue resulted in a site meeting to come up with
a solution.
The County Council arranged the meeting, attended by residents,
Borough and Parish Councillors and representatives from the bus
operator and the Police.
A County Council spokesman said: “At the site meeting, on
March 17, a solution was found that was acceptable to all who
attended, including residents. The bus stop will now be located
on Wanlip Lane, at the existing stop outside the older persons’
housing numbers 156-170. However, the bus stop will be on the
carriageway and so the layby will remain available to the residents.”
Road markings to designate the bus stop clearway on the highway
will be implemented. The site on Windmill Avenue will still be
used on a hail and ride basis.
The spokesman added: “In addition First Leicester has been
able to accommodate the request by residents to change the timetable
so buses will not wait at either Wanlip Lane or Windmill Avenue.
These will both be pick-up and drop-off only locations.”
The change to service 70 will take place from May 3, 2005.
Zebras on Sibson Road
TWO ZEBRA crossings for Sibson Road are
planned for later this summer.
The Parish Council requested the crossings, and the County Council
plan to install them following a consultation process with residents.
The crossings will not be traffic light controlled Pelican crossings,
as the County say vehicle speeds and pedestrian volumes are not
high enough.
Thieves raid Krusty’s
BURGLARS FORCED their way into Krusty’s
Baker on Sibson Road, stealing a safe.
The break-in occurred between 6pm Monday March 21 and 5.30am
March 22. Thieves gained access by smashing a front side window
and stole the safe after smashing it out of a wall. They also
took a bread basket which they filled with crisps.
Gunn’s gym wins Crimebaet award
CARL GUNNS’ gym was a winner at the
ninth Annual Crimebeat Awards.
The event is backed by Leicestershire Police and aims to recognise
the achievements of young people within their communities.
Pic: Crimebeat Award winners on stage at the
Stardust nightclub
A coach load of young people and helpers from the gym attended
the event, held at the Stardust nightclub in Bardon, where they
won the ‘Off the Street’ award.
Carl Gunns said: “It was a fabulous night, last year we
were runners up and so to win this year is brilliant. I am so
pleased as it is not only great for the gym but also great for
the village”.
Community Gym Secretary Andy Corbett said: “I am so pleased
that all the work Carl has put in over the last few years is
finally being recognised, people do not realise that Carl is
at the gym every evening often coming straight from work and
also on a Sunday morning. All the members of the gym appreciate
the efforts Carl puts in because without him there would be no
gym”. The overall winner at the awards was the Six Saints
youth group, in south east Leicestershire.
Bottles for Birstall
BIRSTALL PARISH Council has for some years
received the benefit of the bottle banks at Somerfield’s
store in Wanlip Lane and are looking for your help.
A spokesman said: “The proceeds have been used towards providing
the flowers and bulbs which make the village more attractive
especially the hanging baskets and planters. The funds are also
used towards providing the annual Christmas lighting decorations.”
Since the introduction of Charnwood’s household recycling
collection, the number of bottles taken to Somerfield’s
has fallen dramatically, resulting in a significant reduction
of income from the recycled bottles.
The spokesman added: “To enable the parish council to maintain
the attractiveness of the village, we are appealing to all residents
to take their empty bottles to the Somerfield’s bottle bank,
which for a little extra effort will help to keep Birstall being
pretty for everyone.”
Birstall’s good citizens
IF YOU know someone who works hard for
the community, you can nominate them for the Birstall Citizen
of the Year Award.
This new award is the idea of Parish Council Chairman Stuart
Jones. He said: “The idea is to recognise the work of those
who usually go unrecognised, not professionals, doctors, teachers
or councillors who do important work, but the people who give
their time and energy as volunteers to help the community. I
hope the award will encourage people to do more for Birstall.”
The award will be presented annually at the Birstall Gala.
The Parish Council would welcome nominations from readers for
the 2005 award. These can be sent to Birstall Parish Council,
the Village Hall, Birstall Rd, Birstall LE4 4DH and should include
a description of the work done by the person nominated.
The deadline for the submission of nominations is June 1, 2005.
Hotel & leisure complex
DRAWINGS OF the new 150 room hotel and
leisure complex that will be built next to Watermead Country
Park have been released.
The multi million pound complex has been given the go ahead by
Charnwood Borough Council who believe that the project will bring
investment, jobs and leisure opportunities to the local area.
Council Officers negotiated a deal with the developers which
includes the provision of a new £1 million visitors’
centre for Watermead Country Park. Cllr Roger Wilson, Charnwood’s
Deputy Leader, said: “This application hits all the right
buttons for us. It will create permanent jobs for local people,
it improves the look of the local landscape and it will give
Watermead the visitors centre it has been crying out for. Officers
have also negotiated with the developers for money to be set
aside to provide public works of art in the grounds and we will
be asking the public and local schools to help decide what those
works should be.”
Pics: Architects Pick Everard have designed the new building.
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