It`s all in a day`s work for Seb - South Kesteven District Council
Transcription
It`s all in a day`s work for Seb - South Kesteven District Council
“ ” Issue twenty - February/March 2009 today ASBOs Do they really work? Food safety Checking the scores on the doors Good business A round up of events and news Saving Lives It’s all in a day’s work for Seb Latest news from South Kesteven District Council 02 www.southkesteven.gov.uk Find out how Jim fixed it for three-year-old Ethan. See page 6 . . . e d i s In 06 today Cover: Meres lifeguard, Seb Firman tells us how saving lives is all in a day’s work. See page 12. 07 05 Catch up with the latest business events and news. See page 9 09 Lee Buff turned his life around with the help of an ASBO. More on page 5 How safe is your food? More about the five star food hygiene award. See page 13 13 12out more! Community grants find Is your community centre condemned? Is your playground past it? Does your village hall need a new roof? Find out if your community project could qualify for a grant from the Capital Funding for Village Halls, Community Centres and Youth Facilities Scheme at one of a series of workshops planned for February. The scheme, designed to contribute to the costs of major development of community facilities, welcomes applications from non-profit making voluntary and community groups, parish and town councils. The grants, for up to 2/3rds of capital cost to a maximum of £33,333, will be awarded on a priority basis to projects which meet strict criteria. The scheme is jointly administered and funded by both the county and district councils. The closing dates for the next round of funding are 1 March 2009 and 1 August 2009. Find out more at the Lincolnshire County council-run workshops in our area on 3 February. If you can’t make it to one of the workshops, SKDC’s healthy communities team can help you with further information. Please contact Phil Jordan by email [email protected] or call 01476 406074. Workshops in our area Market Deeping The Deepings Community Centre, 12.00-2.00pm Sleaford The Source Multi-use Centre, Riverside Church, Southgate, Sleaford 6.00-8.00pm Funding categories include: I Major improvement and/or essential and urgent maintenance work to existing community buildings I New or replacement village halls and community centres I Multi-purpose facilities which incorporate an additional service like a post office or shop I Recreation projects including play areas and equipment. Tell me why? In the last issue we answered Baston resident Steve Sherman’s questions about recycling. Do you have a burning question or a curious interest about the work of your local council? Send your questions to [email protected]. We’ll search out the answer for you and print some of the most interesting ones in future issues. sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 Calling all carers ost of us juggle busy lives, but for carers providing support for a relative, partner or friend, the pressures can be enormous. More than six million people, including 175,000 young carers under the age of 18, give their time in this way - that's one in eight people in the UK. Crossroads is a national charity which provides respite care to give carers a break. Grantham couple Tony and Wendy Burns have been campaigning to enable Crossroads to open a branch in Grantham and possibly other towns in the district. The couple will host an open meeting in January to raise awareness of the service, identify potential funding and demonstrate evidence of need. M “We’d like as many people as possible who might benefit from Crossroads’ service to come along. Crossroads were an enormous help to us when we were carers, so when we moved to this area we were dismayed to find that there is no branch in this area,” explains Tony. The meeting is planned for 11.30am, 30 January at the Manners Street Community Council Tax – don’t cancel your direct debit f you pay your council tax by direct debit please don’t cancel your arrangement after your January payment. That’s the message from Clare Boswell, SKDC’s customer services manager.“Council tax is collected over 10 months of the year from April to January, and every year hundreds of residents cancel their direct debits straight after the January payment – the final instalment of the year,” explains Clare. I “We get many calls from people who are concerned that we will take extra payments in February and March. There’s no need to worry. We stop collection automatically for February and March after the final payment so please don’t cancel your existing direct debit and then set up a new one from April – there’s no need. Just leave it to us.” Council tax update As we went to print we were preparing to attend local forum meetings throughout the district to give you the chance to comment on our budget plans for 2009/10. Thanks to everyone who responded to our questionnaire about council tax in the last issue and via the website. Your comments and views will be invaluable as we finalise our spending plans and council tax for next year. Centre, North Parade, Grantham. Please call beforehand as the venue may change if numbers increase. Contact Tony Burns 01476 570780 or Mel Wheeler/Janet Chowdhary at Crossroads on 0115 962 8923. Find out more about Crossroads at www.crossroads.org.uk and www.manthorpenews.co.uk. Have your say on planning strategy ow’s your chance to voice your views on how planning strategy will shape our district over the next 18 years. The ‘Core Strategy’ has been developed over the last three years. Now, in the final stage of the consultation process, you have six weeks to comment on the proposals before the strategy is submitted to an independent planning inspector for approval. The Core Strategy looks at the ‘big picture’ rather than specific development proposals. It influences the scale and general location of future developments, for example whether new housing should be built in our towns and larger villages. To record your views go to www.southkestevenconsult.limehouse.co.uk Or contact the Planning Policy team on 01476 40 65 78 or 40 64 66 to request a copy of the Core Strategy or comment form by post. N 03 04 www.southkesteven.gov.uk u do? o y o d t a h So w Mel Sinnott - anti-social behaviour co-ordinator For the second slot in our new series about some of the more unusual jobs within SKDC, we caught up with Mel Sinnott, one of the two anti-social behaviour co-ordinators in the community safety team. A former stuntwoman and technical stage manager with various touring theatre companies, Mel has worked for SKDC for 18 years, and joined the community safety team last year. What do you mean by anti-social behaviour? Anti-social behaviour is defined as “Acting in a manner that caused, or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household.” Common examples include: I I I I I I I problem neighbours intimidation and harassment rowdy, noisy or ‘yobbish’ behaviour vandalism, graffiti dealing or buying drugs on the street aggressive begging street drinking These ‘anti-social’ activities usually have a negative effect on other people’s lives. We in the community safety team are committed to investigating, tackling and preventing this behaviour by working with those affected by it, the perpetrators, the police and other agencies. What does an anti-social behaviour co-ordinator do? I investigate anti-social behaviour complaints. When people call us, it is usually because they are at the end of their tether with their problem. Each complaint is different so it’s important to be a good listener and sometimes listening is all that is required. However, when it isn’t, I need to be able get to the bottom of what’s wrong. Having done that I look to resolve the issues with the people involved and this can be done in several ways. I also work hand in hand with other agencies depending on the needs of the particular incident. As a co-ordinator I have a preventative and proactive approach to anti-social behaviour. What exactly is an ASBO? In England and Wales, an anti-social behaviour order or ASBO is a civil order made by a court and which places restrictions on a person over the age of 10. First introduced by the government in 1998, an ASBO is an official, legally binding contract issued for a minimum of two years by a judge. When it has been decided that there is nothing else that will solve the problem then I will work closely with any witnesses, any other agencies and the police and gather all the evidence required, and as a last resort apply to the court for an ASBO. Once an ASBO has been made it is then monitored by us on a regular basis but the police enforce any breaches of the order. What else does your job involve? Well, I get out and about a lot, I work with schools to promote activities and encourage positive behaviour with young people; I may visit a resident who has made a complaint and I may Mel catches up wi th pupils at St Hugh's C of E Ma thematics and Computing College , Grantham. also visit the perpetrators. We work with businesses that may be suffering the effects of anti-social behaviour. We can put in covert surveillance cameras where there are repeated problems. Where problems do persist I work closely with the police or other agencies to gather evidence, firstly in order to tackle and prevent further activity, but which may ultimately be presented in court. You could say that we work to the three principles of education, engagement and enforcement. What skills do you need for the job? Definitely a good sense of humour, good listening skills, knowledge and understanding of the legislation and a passion and commitment to community safety within our neighbourhoods. What’s the best part of your job? Ultimately, it’s making a positive difference within the community and showing young people how the direction of their lives could be changed by making the right choices. A great example of this is Leigh Buff (see page opposite). He is living proof of the positive benefits an ASBO can have on someone’s life. To report an anti-social incident call Freephone 0800 183 02 79 sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 Turning my life around ASBO rather than another prison hen you’ve been in and out of sentence.” trouble for most of your life, it The ASBO was requested by can be difficult to see how you’d SKDC’s anti-social behaviour team change the pattern of a lifetime. But and Lincolnshire police as a result of that is exactly what Leigh Buff has numerous incidents of disorder in done with the help of an ASBO and Grantham town centre. SKDC’s Community Safety Team. Leigh said of receiving the ASBO sktoday caught up with Leigh “Prison is hard but an ASBO has been to find out more. the biggest challenge for me as I am “I was bullied for being big at the only person who school which made can stop myself me a very angry getting into trouble. young man. An older friend taught me Prison is hard but You need to change how to look after an ASBO has been things for yourself and I have used all the myself and one day I the biggest challenge skills I learnt on my decided to start fighting back. for me as I am the anger management Unfortunately all it only person who course to help me through.” did was get me in to can stop myself Having met Leigh trouble and I was eventually expelled.” getting into trouble. you get a sense of someone who is very Over the years thoughtful, who wants through the to change and make Probation Service, more of his life.Whilst on the ASBO Leigh has been on an Intensive Leigh has kept out of trouble, found Controlling Change Programme love with his partner Zara, become a and he has even had a tag. Leigh father and started working for SKDC’s learnt a lot about controlling his street scene team. behaviour but unfortunately one Leigh continues “I’m in a job I like night whilst out in town a group of but now that I have a family of my men starting picking on one of his own I want to improve and create a friends and when Leigh intervened, better life for them. I want to make a it landed him in prison for three difference and give something back. months. The judge gave me a second chance On release from prison Leigh and if I can use my experiences to found he had lost his job and had keep others out of trouble then it will nowhere to live. Leigh recalls:“I have all been worthwhile. I hope to seemed to get into trouble for the be able to work across the district smallest thing, because of my size, with the antisocial behaviour team, and who I was. Then in April 2007 I who have been brilliant. All I want was up in Court in front of District now is a chance to start again with a Judge Richard Blake who gave me clean sheet. If I can change then one more chance by giving me an anyone can.” W Leigh Buff - living proof of the positive benefits an ASBO can have. Local Crime, Community Sentence? T he probation service is running a series of free workshops to help boost understanding of ‘community sentencing’, where instead of serving a prison sentence, offenders complete unpaid work in the community supervised by the probation service. The workshops involve an interactive session where participants analyse a crime and get to act as ‘judge’. The free workshops, which last 1½ hours, are open to any community groups and can be scheduled to fit your requirements. Interested? Call Rachel Martel on 01522 580460 or e-mail rachel.martel@lincolnshire. probation.gsi.gov.uk 05 06 www.southkesteven.gov.uk Jim fixed it for Ethan little boy with a love of rubbish trucks was given a day to remember thanks to SKDC’s street scene staff who fixed it for him to ride on one for his birthday. Three-year-old Ethan Woollard of Bourne spent a day with street scene’s very own “Jim’ll Fix it” - team leader James Reeder-Smith - and his team who made him his own high visibility jacket for his special trip on board. Ethan’s grandmother, Mrs Debbie Woollard, of Market Deeping, wrote to SKDC asking if her grandson could sit in the cab of a refuse lorry. “I just want to say thankyou all so much for Ethan's visit - he had a really wonderful time and hasn't stopped talking about it since! SKDC really went the extra mile and I cannot thank them enough.” A Celebrating 20 years of SKDC’s helpline service hristmas Eve marked a very special birthday: 20 years of our care centre and the start of our helpline service. The helpline service allows us to keep an eye on over 5,600 vulnerable residents across the district and respond to their support needs. Since 1988, many residents have received vital emergency help. A special alarm telephone in the residents’ homes is linked to a central control station - the care centre - that operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year. When a resident presses the red alert button on either the telephone unit or on a special pendant, they are automatically connected to an operator at the care centre, day or night, 365 days a year - there is always someone at the end of the phone to answer a call. The operator knows immediately where the alarm call has been made, and will assess the level of help and support needed and organise any further help required. This may just involve a visit from the mobile warden, or making contact with the family, a local doctor or alerting the C Stamford resident Peter Cook chats to SKDC’s Sue Graham. With the help of his helpline alert pendant he can continue to live independently in his own flat safe in the knowledge that help is at hand should he fall or need help. emergency services. Steve Cullington, supported housing manager said:“The dedication and commitment from all our staff over the last 20 years has meant the services we provide have always been recognised by our customers and partners as being of a high standard and responsive to need, which has resulted in good levels of customer satisfaction. The alarm monitoring service is available from as little as £3 per week. If you would like more iformation or you would like to talk to us about the service please call the care centre on 01476 406375. sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 Migrant workers Exploding the myths ou don’t have to ask many people to hear a host of varying opinions on the subject of migrant workers. Whatever your viewpoint, people with different cultural backgrounds and migrant workers have become an enduring feature of our local communities. One thing is certain, there are many myths and untruths which surround the subject. In this report we focus on migrant workers, look at the facts and meet some of the people behind the statistics. Y What is a migrant worker? A migrant worker is anyone who moves from place to place to look for work. Anyone from any of the 27 EU member states has a legal right to live and work in the UK so long as they have a national insurance number and (for people from new member states accepted in 2004) a valid worker registration certificate. Migrant workers pay national insurance and income tax like everyone else. MYTH BUSTER: DID YOU KNOW? Migration is a two-way street.The Institute for Public Policy Research estimates that there are around 5.5 million British citizens living or working abroad. The make up of our migrant population Migrant workers move from place to place and so it’s difficult to estimate exactly how many there are in a particular area at a given time. Of the migrant population in our district, we can estimate the make-up of the different nationalities living and working here: I 42% Polish I 24 % Lithuanian I 16% Portuguese I 18% other nationalities including Filipino, Brazilian, Slovakian, Indian and Czech. MYTH BUSTER: DID YOU KNOW Around 90% of migrants are in full time employment, the vast majority in unskilled manual jobs - even though almost half have a college or university education. What about benefits and council housing? Migrants are not automatically entitled to benefits, nor do they get priority over local people for council housing.They must apply for benefits and housing in the same way as everyone else.There are extra criteria that migrants need to satisfy to get benefits, and if they do qualify, they receive the same level of benefit as a local person. What’s the council’s role? The council administers benefit claims, council tax and local services for all residents, whether they are local or migrant people. SKDC’s Elaine Claridge has some involvement with equality and diversity issues. She told us:“Many EU countries don’t operate a local ‘council tax’ system so it’s an alien concept for a lot of migrants.We aim to do more work with community groups in the future to explain how local services are paid for. Occasionally, language can be a barrier and we’re able to provide some of our information leaflets in other languages if we’re asked to.” MYTH BUSTER: THE LANGUAGE BARRIER For the vast majority of migrants, English is already their second language; most are very keen to improve their communication skills. In fact for many, improving their English is the main reason for wanting to work here. Should I stay or I go? By their very nature, migrant workers come and go as they follow opportunities for work. Some decide to stay for the long term. We talked to Marie WelbyEverard. Here’s her story: Marie’s story Marie WelbyEverard first came to England from the Czech Republic in 1996 to work as an au pair. She planned to stay for a couple of years to learn English; 12 years on, she’s still here! After meeting and marrying Patrick in 2000, they chose to make their home in Frieston be to near to Patrick’s family. They have two young children, Misha, six and Daniel, four. Marie is a selfemployed registered childminder. Although a fully-fledged member of the local community in Caythorpe and Frieston, Marie still thinks of the Czech Republic as ‘home’. The family makes twiceyearly visits to see her parents, older brother and extended family in her home town west of Prague. In the future, Marie and Patrick dream of building and settling in a house on the farm Marie grew up on and where her parents still live. 07 08 www.southkesteven.gov.uk Seeing the ability espite great progress in recent years, disability in the workplace is still seen by some as a taboo subject. People with a disabling or long-term health condition often meet barriers to finding and retaining work, and some employers find it difficult to see their potential or lack the know-how to provide a suitable working environment. However, things are changing. Employment Opportunities, a Lincolnshire-based national charity, is dedicated to helping people with disabilities and health conditions to find work. Its local team in Stamford offers expert advice and support to both individuals and businesess across the south of the region and Rutland. D Volunteers needed o you have time on your hands? Could you offer companionship and social support to an older person in your neighbourhood? The Orders of St John Care Trust is appealing for volunteers to join its home visit programme. The national charity is best known for its work in running residential care homes, but over the last ten years it has built up a busy volunteer programme. Now, working with the Sheltered Housing Schemes in Grantham, it is planning to extend its volunteer visiting service to older people in their own homes. If you think you could help or if you are interested in finding out more about how the service could help you or someone you know, please contact Anita Rudd, Activities & Volunteer Manager OSJCT on 01522 813 111 D To find out more about how Employment Opportunities can help you or your business, please contact Sue Peck, Employment Services Manager, on 01780 758545 or at [email protected]. You can also visit www.opportunities.org.uk. Jane’s story Jane Wass, from Allington, had been a teacher for 25 years before she began to suffer from depression, which eventually led to a breakdown. Her confidence disappeared and she was unable to answer the telephone or go outside alone. Despite the unwavering support of her family, Jane felt that she needed to take control and improve the quality of her life. She visited her local Jobcentre Plus office and signed up for a Government backed scheme delivered by Employment Opportunities. Within weeks Jane found her selfesteem and confidence improving. She was soon able to apply for jobs and quickly found work with local financial assistance company, Totemic. Her confidence continues to grow and she now works as sales and project administrator for a design business in Grantham. Jane has regained control of her life. Her husband is so happy to have his wife back, and her children have their mother again. In her own words,“The real Jane has finally reappeared after ten long years.” And the winner of the prize draw is... racy Neal (left), the owner of the ABC Nursery in Tallington village, won SKDC's business survey prize draw, receiving a cheque for £250 which she plans to spend on some large outdoor play equipment.Tracy, who lives in Ryhall, started the nursery 19 years ago after qualifying as a nursery nurse. Both her children, Kristian (11) and sister Devon (9) attended the nursery. The annual business survey covers all businesses in the district and the responses help the economic development team focus its resources to the meet the needs of all businesses.Tracy is pictured with Cllr Frances Cartwright, portfolio holder for economic development, and some children from her nursery. T sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 09 The spirit of new enterprise o you dream of starting your own business? Do you want to be your own boss? SKDC’s economic development team is supporting a series of free events aimed at giving your new business venture a boost. Gone are the days when you had to have years of business experience under your belt before considering a start-up of your own: nowadays many people are taking the plunge - and if you're reading this, you've already taken your first steps to joining them. D The first two courses - ‘Establish, Develop, Succeed’ - will run at: I Earlesfield Youth Club on Wednesday,11 February from 10am12noon I Harrowby Lane Methodist Church on Tuesday 24 February from 1pm3pm In March,‘Is it for You?’ will run in the Guildhall Arts Centre on March 18 from 6pm – 8pm. If you wish to attend any of the above please ring to register on 0845 050 1050. Said SKDC’s economic development officer Barbara Copley: “We recognise that we need to nurture small businesses in SK – there’s a lot of talent in the area and these events are a great opportunity for people to get together for some fresh ideas and a confidence boost, especially if they are just starting out.” Pictured above are women from across the district who attended the recent ‘Motivate Me’ event at the Bourne Corn Exchange. The future’s bright… the future’s green! bi Heath, the owner of Grantham’s Café Leo, has scooped the 2008 Green Business of the Year Award, sponsored by SKDC, in the Grantham Journal’s Annual Business Awards. A delighted Abi talked sktoday through some of the new initiatives which clinched her the title: “New projects included recycling all our recyclable waste through our own waste disposal provider which keeps landfill to a minimum; this is in addition to sourcing biodegradable cups and unbleached bags and sourcing food from local producers as much as possible which keeps both our food miles and CO2 emissions down. A “We have also created a garden to support wildlife in the town centre by attracting birds and insects. We are in this for the long term; for us, it’s more about an ongoing ethic of considering the environmental aspect of decisions and choices we have to make about the business. A greener future is definitely the way forward.” Said Cllr Frances Cartwright, portfolio holder, economic development:“Café Leo has managed to demonstrate a true commitment to green values in a thoughtful and practical way and they deserve this recognition for their efforts.” Getting motivated around the table are Barbara Copley (SKDC), Sheila Davenport (MD Infodex), Emma Chapman (Chief Exec, Welland Enterprise Agency), Lisa Spencer-Arnell (MD, CCS Coaching International) and Heather Smith (owner, Arty Party Cakes) 10 www.southkesteven.gov.uk Haconby Two Cs or not two Cs? CCTV feature - 1.5 pages - written Chris to contact Rob Hughes for pic shoot Long Bennington piece on converted homes - 0.5 pages RG toThat contact re According pic requirements aconby or Hacconby? is the Chris question! to the locals, although you’ll see it and to write article spelled both ways, the single C is widely accepted as the norm for this small, pretty village located just off the A15 three miles north of Bourne.The name Haconby, pronounced‘hack-onbee’, is from the Old Scandinavian Hakon+by, for "farmstead of Hakon" and it was listed as Hacunesbi in the Domesday Book in 1086.The small hamlet of Stainfield lies a mile to the west, and together they make up the parish Haconby & Stainfield. H Then and now Although Haconby now has few amenities of its own, at the end of the 19th century it boasted a tailor, a wheelwright, a grocer, a draper, post office, butcher, baker and jeweller – a veritable shopping centre! These days it’s well served by the neighbouring village of Morton with its shops and primary school. St. Andrew’s church and The Hare and Hounds form the social hub of Haconby, the pub serving as regular meeting place for local community groups and the parish council. The church is currently raising funds to have a kitchen and toilet facilities installed so it can be used for more community events. A rich history As well as some beautifully preserved buildings, Haconby’s history extends much further. In Roman times, the village was prime sheep pasturage. Archeology reveals that up to 100,000 sheep were grazed in the parish. Records show that in 1307 that the King kept one ‘Gerfalcon’ (a large, rare bird of prey) in the village; interestingly, an 18th century map shows the second smallest plot of land as belonging to Royalty. Was this perhaps the King’s Falconer's territory? Haconby Hall was orginally built in 1440 and rebuilt on a smaller scale in 1660 after being partially destroyed by fire. At the time of the Civil War it was owned by General Fynne, Oliver Cromwell’s ‘aide-de-camp’ or right hand man. Cromwell himself is said to have slept in the former brewhouse in the grounds of the hall at the time of the battle of Sempringham, five miles to the north. The current owner, John Atkinson, is a descendant of General Fynne. sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 11 Heggy’s cottage ex terior Another building of note is Heggy’s cottage next to the Hall. It’s a charming example of a traditional ‘mud and stud’ cottage. Grade 2* listed, it was completely rennovated by the Atkinsons with the help of grants from English Heritage 12 years ago. Small is beautiful The spire of St Andrew’s church dominates the skyline but Haconby also lays claim to a more modest religious building. Built in 1867, the Baptist Chapel at Haconby is the smallest three-galleried chapel of worship in England. It’s just 24 ft long by 13 ft 6 in wide. It was originally intended to seat 100 people just on the ground floor, but local legend has it that the builder made a mistake and it was finished 18 inches smaller in width. To make up for the lost seating room, he added a three-sided gallery. They are so close together that worshippers can almost, but not quite, shake hands with each other! The tiny building of red brick and blue slate was built in the main street on a piece of land owned by Mr W Brown, Rooted in agriculture In the 19th century, most of the families worked on the land owned by the large land owners such as the Earl of Ancaster, Thomas Lawrence of Haconby Hall, William Lawrence of Dunsby and Thomas Brown. If the workers were able to establish a long association with Haconby they were allocated one of 22 acres of land, known as ‘the allotments’ at Haconby Top. The plots, which they rented from Lord Ancaster, allowed them to grow their own crops. Today Haconby and Stainfield Parish Council still owns most of these allotments. Even in more recent history, the village has strong links with farming. Haconby resident Joan Curtiss moved to a tied cottage with her family in 1947 at the age of 11. She recalls how groups of pigs would be herded from one farm to the next to be ‘serviced’ and the activities of the ‘pig club’ where local people paid into a fund to have a pig slaughtered at Whitsun. Says Joan:“I can remember the street was awash with blood and water. You would never get away with it these days!” Senior. A peppercorn rent of £1 a year was paid to him, and when he died in 1932, his estate, including the chapel, was put up for sale. The people of Haconby raised sufficient funds to buy it for a bargain price of £50; equivalent to just £1700 at today’s prices. It has been in use ever since. Chapel services are held on the second Sunday of each month at 3pm. Baptist Minister, David Hu ghes outside Haconby Baptist Cha pel – the smallest galleried cha pel in England. This section of an 18th century map shows a small plot as belonging to ‘Royalty’. Was this perhaps the King’s falconer’s territory? Inside the tiny chapel the upper galleries are so close together that worshippers can almost shake hand s! 12 www.southkesteven.gov.uk Leisure ‘Invisibility cloak’ for Grantham Meres pool erhaps more suited to Harry Potter, a high-tech, invisible pool cover is being trialled by Grantham Meres Leisure Centre in a bid to slash its electric bill. No longer a thing of science fiction, the Meres’ very own ‘invisibility cloak’ sits on the surface of the learner and leisure pools to help reduce evaporation and heat loss. This will result in savings on water heating, dehumidification and air heating. Now for the science bit: this product – called Heatsavr – is a biodegradable liquid, which forms a transparent, monomolecular layer (think very small – just one molecule thick!) over the surface of the swimming pool whenever it is calm. In less technical terms, Heatsavr is a mixture of carefully chosen, perfectly safe ingredients which are lighter than water and automatically float to the pool surface. The particles of the liquid are attracted to each other in such a way that they always try to come together to form a thin layer over the whole pool surface. They are individually so small that they are measured in billionths of a metre. An automatic dosing system ensures that the correct amount of Heatsavr is added to the pool at the same time each day. Unlike a conventional pool cover which has to be removed from the pool for swimming, Heatsavr breaks apart whenever the water is sufficiently disturbed but the monolayer reforms whenever the water becomes calm again. Said centre manager Dulcie Hardwick:”We are committed to a greener future and are aiming to reduce our utility consumption by 5% over the next year. This is just one of several ways we are trying to do this and the initial results are very positive.” P All in a day’s work for Seb eres lifeguard Seb Firman put his training into practice when a child from a local school got into difficulty during a school swimming lesson. Seb (18) from Sleaford stayed calm as his life saving training kicked in and he brought the child out of the pool to the safety of the poolside. Explained Seb:“About 20 minutes into the lesson I watched the boy jump in and come up but then he started to flounder and go under. I jumped off my chair and dived in to rescue him. The other lifeguard on duty at the time pressed the drown M alarm to alert everyone else. I pulled his head out of the water and towed him to safety.” Seb holds the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification and has been a full-time lifeguard at the Meres since last September. Said centre manager Dulcie Hardwick:“Seb’s training kicked in; he followed the rescue process to the letter and it went completely to plan. The child was shaken but quickly recovered and has continued having school swimming lessons with us.” COMPETITION TIME WIN T ILLEGICAKETS TO SEE L EAGLE S To win a pair of tickets to see the Illegal Eagles at The Meres on March 7, simply answer the following question: The Illegal Eagles will perform in the sports hall. How many people can the hall seat? a) 1,000 b) 1,200 c) 1,400 Send answers to: Sktoday Illegal Eagles competition, Communications Unit, SKDC, St Peter’s Hill, Grantham, NG31 6PZ. Closing date is 28 February 2009 and the first correct entry drawn will win the tickets. sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 The Scores on the Doors Look out for the star rating window sticker or certificate. ave you ever thought about how safe your food is when you eat out or get a takeaway? Have you ever wondered about the ‘star rated’ food hygiene certificates some outlets display and what they mean? We’ve been H taking a closer look at the work your council does to improve, monitor and maintain hygiene standards wherever food is processed, manufactured, prepared, cooked and served. SKDC is a founder member of a growing number of local authorities to adopt the ‘Scores on the Doors’ five star food hygiene rating standard. Almost 100 councils use the same rating system which will soon be adopted as a national standard. Christian Polzin is a food health and safety officer at SKDC. Part of his job is to conduct food hygiene inspections. From large food processing plants, to restaurants, bars, cafés and even the odd burger bar, Christian and his colleagues have one aim in mind: to keep you safer when you eat.“Typically, during an inspection we scrutinise every aspect of where and how food is handled and prepared. From the way ingredients are stored and rotated, to the type of wall coverings and worktops used, as well as the cleaning regime and cooking methods. At every stage we’re looking for evidence of good practice to ensure the best possible standards of food hygiene and safety. At the end of an inspection, we score the premises and give it a food hygiene rating based on a five star system.We encourage those premises who achieve three or more stars to display their certificate and window sticker in a prominent position – it’s a great way of showing their customers that they really put food safety at the heart of their business.” There are 207 five star food business and premises in South Kesteven SKDC has over 1000 food businesses and premises on its database which have been inspected and rated for food safety and hygiene But inevitably there are times when standards aren’t ideal. So what happens when the team opens a proverbial ‘can of worms’? “Believe me, I’ve come close to literally opening cans of worms!” jokes Christian.“We do see some places which give cause for concern, and in cases where, in our judgement, there is an imminent risk to health we will close them down until we’re satisfied the problems have been addressed. But that happens very rarely. On the whole, where improvements are needed, we work with the businesses to help them improve their processes and cleaning regimes.We’ll inspect on a regular basis to ensure the actions we’ve agreed have been put in place. At the end of the day, most of the premises we inspect are businesses and it’s in their interests to keep their customers safe”. Appearances aren’t everything! Even if your local pub or café looks clean and tidy, it’s worth asking what their food hygiene rating is. According to Christian, expensive fixtures and shiny fittings can belie the truth about how good the food safety is.“Despite 13 appearances, we have five star burger vans on our books. I’m not suggesting that burgers are the height of fine cuisine, but if you buy one from a seller with a high score you’re probably safer – even if it does give you indigestion!” Check out your local If you want to know how your local pub, restaurant or takeaway performs, go to www.southkesteven.gov.uk and follow the five star link. Good for business Carolyn Peet owns the Fryery Café in Grantham, a five star premises. She’s says having five stars is good for business.“Having five stars means so much to our business – our customers love it – they know we go the extra mile and put food safety first. We’re incredibly proud of our five star status – we’ve even had T-shirts printed!” 14 www.southkesteven.gov.uk Arts GUILDHALL ARTS CENTRE – GRANTHAM Boulevard of Broken Dreams Friday 13 February • Dance • 7.30pm Experience an explosive mix of Latin influences, live music, world beats, dance and physical theatre in this exciting collaboration between British composer Charlie Barber, Brazilian-born choreographer Jean Abreu and the Mavron String Quartet. Featuring four male dancers (including Jean Abreu) the work investigates the interaction between the quartet and the performers as characters who converge and compete in a unique portrayal of the urban condition. £9.00 / £7.00 concessions Flamenco Workshop Friday 27 February • Workshop • 8.00pm – 10.00pm Taught by an ex-professional dancer, you will be introduced to the fabulous art of Braceo (arms), Taconeo (footwork) and Palmas (hand clapping) culminating in a short choreography. Wear what feels comfortable; ideally a full skirt for the ladies and strong shoes or boots with a low solid heel (no stilettos). For 16 years + £7.00 Potted Pirates Saturday 28 February • Comedy Drama • 3.00pm & 7.00pm After the success of ‘Potted Potter’, double act Dan and Jeff return with a new compressed caper in search of talking parrots and mysterious buried treasure in ‘Potted Pirates’. Featuring thirty actors in full costume, this is great family fun – even for those who don’t know their skull and crossbones from their pieces of eight! Suitable for 6yrs and over. £7.50 / £6.00 concessions / £20.00 family of four Lola – The Life of Lola Montez Trestle Touring Company Tuesday 31 March • Musical • 7.30pm Lola is the true story of an extraordinary Irish woman, Elizabeth Gilbert, who convinced the world she was a Spanish dancer and went on to international fame, seducing many wealthy and influential men along the way. Lola’s story is told through her own words accompanied by live flamenco music from acclaimed flamenco guitarist, Ricardo Garcia. £9.00 / £7.00 concessions For more details of all that’s happening at the Grantham Guildhall Arts Centre or to make a booking, call the box office on 01476 40 61 58 or go online at www.guildhallartscentre.com sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 15 S TA M F O R D A R T S C E N T R E Tales from the Magic Story Bag with Polly Howat Saturday 31 January • kids • 10am & 11am Interactive stories, some with puppets, to delight and stimulate young imaginations from this Lincolnshirebased storyteller. 10am to 10.30am for 4 to 7 years £2 11am to 11.45am for 7 to 12 years £2.50 Adults are free but must stay. The Pickwick Papers European Arts Lark Rise to Candleford Featuring the Lark Rise Band - Friday 6 February • musical • 8pm Music, song, dance and words taken from the classic book & plays by Flora Thompson, painting a vivid picture of the final days of England’s vanishing country ways and customs. £12/ £10 concessions An Audience with Benjamin Zephaniahn Sunday 8 February • poetry • 7.30pm Benjamin Zephaniah is best known for his performance poetry with a political edge for adults and groundbreaking performance poetry for children. He also has his own rap/reggae band and has appeared on Desert Island Discs. He is in constant demand internationally to perform his work: he is (he thinks) Nelson Mandela’s favourite poet, and is the only Rastafarian poet to be short-listed for the Chairs of Poetry for both Oxford and Cambridge University. £17/£15 concessions The Dancers’ Cut by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company Wednesday 11 February • dance • 8pm Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company is celebrating its 20th Anniversary with a performance that offers an insight into some of their most exciting, intricate and culturally ambiguous work. Featuring fierce solos, intricate duets and athletic trios The Dancers’ Cut tells the human story of the people who bring her choreography to life.“Daring” The Guardian - “Startling”The Telegraph “Shobana Jeyasingh is one of the most gifted choreographers living and working in Britain” Evening Standard £9/£7.50 concessions Tuesday 17 March • comedy • 8pm Following European Arts’ hugely successful tour of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', the company returns to the 19th Century with an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 'The Pickwick Papers'. Featuring a versatile cast and packed full of comic set-pieces, this clever stage version follows the eccentric Mr Pickwick, Sam Weller, Jingle, Winkle, Mrs Bardell and The Fat Boy as they traverse the country on their haphazard journey. Expect duelling, elopement, bribery, fisticuffs, mistaken identity, near drowning, cross dressing (and that's just in the green room). This is Dickens as you've never seen it before! £9/£7.50 concessions/student special £6 To book all the events on this page and all the other concerts and talks at Stamford Arts Centre, call the box office on 01780 76 32 03 or go online at www.stamfordartscentre.com 16 sktoday - issue twenty - February 2009 Useful contacts sktoday contact details Offices For distribution and editorial issues: Main office Council Offices [email protected] St. Peter’s Hill Communications unit: Grantham 01476 40 61 28 Lincolnshire NG31 6PZ Visit our website Opening hours: To find out more about the Monday, Tuesday services we offer please take Thursday, 8.45am-5.15pm; a look at our website: Wednesday 8.45am-4pm; www.southkesteven.gov.uk Friday 8.45am to 4.45pm. Stamford 1 Maiden Lane Tel: 01476 40 60 80 (all offices) Stamford Minicom: 01476 40 60 98 Lincolnshire Email: PE9 2AZ customerservices@southkesteven. Opening hours: gov.uk Monday to Wednesday Website: 9am-5pm; www.southkesteven.gov.uk Thursday 9am-3.30pm; Friday 9am-4.30pm. sktoday is designed by DesignCounsell and printed by Progressive Printers Ltd. Photography by Chris Lowndes Photography and Gerry Wright Photography. General enquiries Bourne Town Hall North Street Bourne Lincolnshire PE10 9EA Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday 9am-5pm; Thursday 9am-3.30pm; Friday 9am-4.30pm. Market Deeping Deepings Community Centre Douglas Road Market Deeping Lincolnshire PE6 8PA Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9.30am-2pm. About Sktoday Don’t live in South Kesteven? South Kesteven District Council produces and distributes sktoday to every household in the district at a cost of 22p per copy. People tell us that they want to know more about the work of the council and services we provide. We’re always keen to hear your views, and we’d love to know what you think of the magazine and how we can continue to improve it. Please e-mail your comments and questions to [email protected]. We rely on Royal Mail to deliver to households using postcodes which fall within our district. Unfortunately there is a small overlap in postcodes which straddle the border between South Kesteven and neighbouring authorities.We’re constantly looking at alternative methods of distribution which are reliable and cost effective but currently Royal Mail is the best option. If this magazine is not of interest to you, please accept our apologies and recycle it. Alternative formats Please contact us if you or someone you know would like to receive this magazine in a different format including audio tape, cd, large print or Braille. South Lincolnshire Blind Society distributes sktoday to all its members in large print or on tape. Printed on paper produced from sustainable forests. Advertising – have your say We’re often asked by businesses if they can advertise in sktoday and it’s a question we think deserves some careful thought. But before we make any decisions, we’d like to know what you think. Would you be happy to see adverts in sktoday? What kind of businesses and services would you like to see represented? Perhaps you think it’s better not allow adverts and to leave things as they are. It’s your magazine and we want to keep improving it; but to get it right we need your views. Please e-mail your thoughts about advertising and any other ideas you have about how we can improve the magazine to [email protected] The last word... irst of all please let me wish you all a very happy new year – and who could have predicted what a rollercoaster of a year 2008 would be. In these uncertain times, all of us here at SK understand the difficulties that people are facing and we are looking to provide support in a number of ways. For example, we’re working with the Job Centre to provide support and information through our Grantham office and last autumn we set aside money to provide a redundancy support package for people who were at risk of redundancy. We’re also looking to do everything we can to maintain current business in the area whilst at the same time looking to encourage new businesses to relocate here. On a positive note, the number of VAT registered businesses in the South Kesteven district is increasing year on year, and there are several companies in Grantham that are growing in both turnover and staff numbers. Our economic development team has developed a series of initiatives which include business start up events, employment advice open days and business development workshops (see p9), and we are working on a business trade event for the spring. As with everyone, money is tight and we are working hard to limit our council tax increase whilst balancing the need to maintain over 100 vital services that we provide. I hope you’ll join me in staying as positive and optimistic as possible in 2009 and please make good use of the services we provide for all of you. F Linda. Cllr Linda Neal - Leader SKDC EXTRA TEXT AND STORIES
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