Thieves
POLICE ARE warning shopkeepers to be on
their guard after a gang of thieves struck at a shop on Windmill
Avenue.
A group of seven men and women entered the shop and while some
distracted the shopkeeper, others stole items from the shop.
Police believe that the same group, described as of Eastern European
origin, visited the shop a few weeks before in a green Vauxhall
with a registration similar to P39 HSL
Funding advice
A CRICKET coach who has secured funding
of more than £10,000 in two years is sharing his experience
so that other clubs can benefit.
Andy Corbett, Vice Chairman of Birstall Village Cricket Club,
said: "I've noticed that many sporting clubs in Birstall
seem to be struggling to get funds. From my experience you must
sell your club and provide evidence that the club is making a
difference to the local community. I have been lucky that people
have come forward and helped, but you must go knocking on doors
and asking and being prepared for some to say No. There are loads
of different organisations that will give you money, especially
if your club will benefit youngsters."
Andy identified the following organisations of being sources
of support:
The Local Network Fund : 0116 2341942
Sport England : 08458 508 508, email www.sportengland.org
Heritage Lottery Fund : 020 7591 6042, email www.hlf.org.uk
Big Lottery Fund: 0845 4 10 20 30, email www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Arts Council England : 0845 300 6200, email www.artscouncil.org.uk
Awards for All : 0121 200 3500
Leicestershire & Rutland Crimebeat : Crimebeat Co-ordinator,
the Warning Zone, No.1 The Halfcroft, Syston LE7 1LD
Edith Murphy Foundation : DL Teams solicitor, Edith Murphy Foundation,
Crane & Walton, 113-117 London Road, Leicester LE3 ORG
Reading group
BIRSTALL READING Group meets once a month
at Birstall library.
The group reads a book each month and meets to discuss
it - each session lasts an hour and there is no charge for membership.
Member Mary Houghton said: "We each have an opportunity
to make a contribution to the discussion which may become quite
lively at times. We hear about other books which are recommended
by our members. At the end of each meeting we take home the next
book on a one month loan. Currently there are nine of us. Of
course, at each meeting someone is on holiday so the numbers
vary. We would welcome a few more members, particularly men,
as a more even balance of the sexes makes for a wider expression
of viewpoint. There must be some more men out there who read!
This month we are reading 'When We Were Orphans' by Kazuo Ishiguro.
The group meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 5.30pm on
the first floor of Birstall library.
Methodist news
Property Work
Plans are now in hand to dispose of the only part of our premises
that contains asbestos. The storage area alongside the BB hut
is to be demolished and rebuilt with safer materials. A specialist
contractor will remove the asbestos sheeting. A proper base (floor)
will also be installed in the storage area. Funds from the Men's
Pantomime will help this project.
The new boilers have performed their task well during their first
winter. They are used alternately one month on, then one off.
As we had such a mild winter there were only a few occasions
when it was necessary to have both boilers running simultaneously.
Already there is evidence of reduced gas bills! It is hoped to
complete fundraising for the boilers by September.
Lever taps are soon to be installed in the toilets.
Salvation Army Band Concert
The Thursday Group is holding a concert led by the Salvation
Army Band and Songsters on Thursday May 17 in aid of the Thursday
Group Project (Mablethorpe Holiday Home and church boiler fund).
Tickets are priced £5 tel 2675616 or 2675128.
Table Top Sale
On Saturday morning (10am until noon) May 19, the Thursday group
is having a Table Top Sale. For £10 you can hire a table
and the profit you make for selling your goods is yours to do
with as you please. Admission is free.
Garden Trail
Plans are now well in hand for the 2007 Garden Trail in the Park
Road area on June 16 & 17. Passports to the gardens will
be available in early June and it is always cheaper to buy in
advance than 'on the day'!
Security
It is sad to report that a handbag, belonging to a member of
a group who uses our premises, was snatched in March by a member
of a group of youths passing by. Sadly, there are people who
show no respect for other people's property - however the culprit
was not a member of our local community and was apprehended.
We urge everyone to be vigilant with his or her possessions whilst
on the premises. Please do not leave your belongings unattended.
Tennis open day
THE FAMILIAR call - anyone for tennis?
Is sounding out once more at one of the village's top sporting
clubs.
Birstall Watermead Tennis club is holding its annual Open
Day on Sunday May 20 and is looking for new members, young and
old.
The event, at the club's base - the Co-op Sports and Social Club
on Birstall Road - will start at 10am and finish at 1pm. Committee
members will be on hand to chat to those interested in joining.
There will be a chance to challenge the ball machine as it tests
players on their backhand and forehand shots.
Birstall Watermead TC has built a really friendly atmosphere
and has stepped up its programme of social events. Last month,
the club held its popular Bacon Butty handicap tournament, and
as our photo shows, everyone enjoyed themselves. The informal
tournament gave club beginners a chance to mix with more established
members.
This month also sees the start of the summer league season and
it's been all systems go as the men's and ladies' squads prepare
for the matches ahead with regular team practices. Now the club
hopes that teams can equal the success of last summer, when four
teams were promoted.
From Birstall Watermead Tennis Club
News from St James Church
It is a fact that in England there are far fewer public holidays
and festival days than almost any other country in Europe. It
is easy to be caught out on holiday in countries such as Spain,
Italy or France where there is a strong Catholic tradition of
celebrating religious festivals and saints' days - and find that
shops and banks and even garages are shut when you least expect
it. Somehow in England, except perhaps at Christmas, we are not
so good at making the most of dates to celebrate as family occasions
when we can enjoy ourselves without relying on going shopping!
May is therefore a month to look forward to, when we have two
public holidays, at the beginning and the end of the month. Only
a month after Easter, the early May Bank Holiday always comes
as a pleasant surprise and for the church there is plenty to
celebrate and look forward to.
On Saturday May 12 we have another event to raise funds for the
new screen in St James' Church: a concert by 'The 8', a small
but very professional choir from Loughborough, Emmanuel Church,
who will be presenting a varied programme of songs, old and new.
Tickets will be £7 (including wine at the interval) and
the concert starts at 7.30pm at St James.
A large group of parishioners and friends will be setting off
on May 14 for a five day holiday at Grange-over-Sands. These
parish holidays have been a huge success in the last few years
and places are often booked a year in advance.
Two religious festivals, celebrated in many parts of Europe with
a holiday, also take place in May. There is a special Ascension
Day service at Rothley Church on Thursday May 17 at 7.30pm which
everyone is invited to, and this year the second of our two May
holidays coincides with the church festival of Pentecost (which
used to be called Whitsuntide) on Sunday May 27.
Also on Sunday May 27, between 2-5, St James church will be open
for the first of our four Open Afternoons taking place over the
summer months. This will provide an opportunity to have a look
around the church and churchyard. Refreshments will also be provided.
Looking forward a little, our social committee has planned a
coach outing to Worcester on Saturday June 9. The day will be
free to wander round this beautiful cathedral city and, if you
wish, to attend Choral Evensong in the cathedral before returning
to Birstall by the early evening. If you are interested in joining
us, telephone Gill Pope (2675086) for more details.
Also planned is an evening trip in July, either to Beaumanor
Hall, Woodhouse for the British Legion open-air summer festival
with bands, singing, a Spitfire flypast and fireworks or to the
Tolethorpe Hall Open Air Theatre near Stamford to see 'The Importance
of being Earnest'. Further news about this next month.
From Beryl McHugh
Corbett’s cricket corner
WITH THE season starting at the end of
April, the club has registered with Cricket Force, and we spent
the weekend, along with 1000 other clubs throughout Britain,
painting and getting the clubhouse ready for the forthcoming
season.
A handful of faithful club members turned up to carry out
the renovations.
The juniors have now finished their indoor winter nets and will
start to train outside on Birstall Park on Thursday evenings
5-6.30pm, cost £1.
Pic: Andy Corbett and under 10s squad
Pic: Martin Fisher, Elvis, Andy Corbett, Rob
Frizzell
The junior section held a pre-season get together at The Trees
public house. The junior sponsor, Rob Frizzell of GCS technical
Services Ltd, was at the event. He said: "I am delighted
to sponsor the juniors again and I'm, hoping to get the lads
club caps." The youngsters enjoyed a buffet, raffle and
karaoke and another guest appearance by the ever popular Elvis
aka Dave Page.
Can I also take this opportunity to remind you that Birstall
Village Cricket Club has been chosen to host Leicestershire Foxes
in a Twenty Twenty match on June 4. This will be very similar
to the Darren Maddy match held last year and will be held for
Paul Nixon, who is currently in the Caribbean playing in the
Cricket World Cup. Anyone interested in sponsoring this event
should get in touch with Doug Topley 0116 2928214.
By Andy Corbett
Age Concern info
Budget Changes
Some elderly people seem confused and concerned by this year's
Budget. Certainly it tends to be confusing because many of the
tax changes instead of coming into operation from April this
year will not happen until later this year or until April 2008.
The 10p starting rate of income tax will be abolished on earned
income from April 2008. From April this year it will be used
for the first £2,230 of taxable income, so abolishing it
means that the average person will pay an extra £223 tax
on that slice of income. From April 2008 the basic rate of tax
will be cut from 22% to 20%.
The Chancellor has promised to remove 600,000 pensioners from
having to pay any income tax. At present people aged between
65 and 74 can receive up to £7,280 a year tax-free. This
will be increased in three stages to £9,770 by 2011. People
aged 75 and over can have income, including pensions, of up to
£7,420 a year tax-free but this will be increased in stages
to £10,000 by 2011.
Most people will have to put more money into their pension savings
in order to achieve the same effect because doing away with the
10% band of income tax on earnings and lowering the basic rate
from 22% to 20% will reduce the tax relief that their pension
contributions attract. To maintain the same level of pension
saving, people will need to increase their contributions by about
2.5% High earners are unaffected as they will continue to receive
40% initial tax relief, twice as much as basic rate taxpayers
- but these changes won't happen until April next year. Not only
will higher-rate tax get 40% tax relief on pension contributions
going in but, in many cases, only pay 20% tax on money coming
out (ie pensions), assuring they become basic rate taxpayers
in retirement.
More homeowners are likely to pay inheritance tax despite the
threshold being raised to £350,000 by 2011. The threshold
has not been increased in recent years in line with the increase
in house prices. Since 1997 the number of people paying inheritance
tax has nearly doubled from 18,000 to 35,000 now. The current
level of the threshold at £285,000 rose to £300,000
from April this year. It will then go up again to £312,000
in 2008-09 and to £325,000 in 2009-10. The rises are slightly
above current inflation levels but house prices are rising much
faster.
Charities face a double whammy. Many charities who have been
receiving large sums from the National Lottery face a great reduction
on even a complete loss of this income as the money is diverted
to help fund facilities for the Olympic Games in 2012. In addition
the Chancellor will cause a £70million hole in the budgets
of Britain's charities. Currently they reclaim about £625
million in tax relief through Gift Aid donations. This will fall
by 11.4% next year when the standard rate of income tax reduces
to 20%. Oxfam, for example will lose about £1.8million
a year. Smaller charities will be hit even harder. The Church
of England estimates that, in total, its parishes will lose between
£6 and £7million a year.
Although the Chancellor has simplified the tax system in a small
way, the benefits system remains very complex and instead of
the state pension being increased by a worthwhile amount, many
pensioners will rely on the pension credit but unfortunately
a large proportion of those pensioners who really need that extra
amount will fail to claim pension credit. The chancellor presented
the Budget as 'a budget for families, fairness and the future'
but it is much fairer for some than for others it seems.
High Court Victory for Pensions Campaigners
A High Court judge has quashed the government's refusal to accept
a finding by the Parliamentary Ombudsman that it was guilty of
maladminstration by misleading members of the public about the
safety of their occupational pensions. The challenge was brought
by four people whose pensions plummeted in value when their employers
ran into financial difficulties. The government is now under
pressure to pay up to £15billion in compensation to victims
of pension loss - between 75,000 and 125,000 people.
Bindman & Partners press release, February 21, 2007 www.bindmans.com/index.php?id=254
Insurance and Age
Age Concern England and Help the Aged have published joint research
on age discrimination in travel and motor insurance. This confirms
that older people represent a significant market for insurers,
but face direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of
age. When asked to try and get quotations for car and travel
insurance and car hire, those aged 75+ found that 29% of their
attempts failed to obtain a quotation, compared to 3% for those
aged 30-49.
Insurance and age - exploring behaviour, attitudes and discrimination
Tel: 020 7278 1114 (Help the Aged)
Your Rights 2007-08
The latest edition of Age Concern's annual publication Your Rights
has been launched. It covers State Pensions, income related benefits
such as Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit,
and disability benefits such as Disability Living Allowance and
Attendance Allowance. The book also covers other sources of financial
help for older people such as bereavement benefits, help with
health costs and household bills, insulation and repairs.
Your Rights 2007-08. A guide to money benefits for older people
Tel: 0870 442 2120 (Age Concern Books)
www.ageconcern.org.uk.bbokshop/index
Alzheimer's and Dementia
A factsheet from the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology
(POST) reviews current understanding of the causes of dementia,
the hopes for interventions, and the UK's current position in
terms of handling future demand for services.
Alzheimer's and Dementia: POSTnote no.278
www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_offices/post/biology.cfm
Malnutrition and Older People
Health Minister Ivan Lewis has announced a national action plan
to tackle the issue of older people and nutrition. It will be
developed as a partnership between central and local government,
the NHS, voluntary organisations and service users and their
families. It will include raising awareness of the link between
nutrition and good health; nutritional standards; streamlining
guidance; and training for frontline staff and managers.
Consumer and Transport
Advice for Older Travellers
More and more people over 50 are taking adventurous holidays
abroad and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Lonely
Planet have published a guide to help them travel safely. It
gives information on necessary travel documents, insurance, health
precautions, protection from crime, local customs and who to
contact if things go wrong.
World Wise: www.fco.gov.uk
Bogus Callers: Home Office Leaflet
The Burglary Reduction Team (Crime Strategy Unit) has produced
a leaflet aimed at carers and care professionals to help them
try and prevent crime caused by bogus callers against those they
care for. Sections include offering reassurance; good doorstep
behaviour; keeping valuables safe; developing good relationships;
and assisting the police.
Keep an Eye Open for Bogus Callers. Tel: 0870 241 4680 quote
ref:GCCP
www.crimereduction.gov.uk/boguscaller1.htm
Future of the Post Office Network: Age Concern's Response
to the Consultation
Age Concern has responded to the government consultation on the
future of the post office network. The many comments and concerns
expressed to local Age Concerns by their clients encouraged Age
Concern England to conduct surveys and consultations with older
people in rural areas. The results overwhelmingly confirmed the
importance of post offices to older people and their communities.
It was clear from the replies that post offices supply much more
than just postal services; they are a vital source of other services
that older people consider essential to their well being, providing
what they consider to be the basics of life. The response was
based on the findings of this research.
Jex Woods
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