Leicestershire Matters

We have vacancies across the County for school crossing patrols or ‘lollipop’ people as they are affectionately known.

School crossing patrols provide invaluable support in helping children and their families to cross roads safely around County schools.

Nicholas Rushton, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “Across the County, our school crossing patrols are making a difference in their communities.

“I am sure that there are people out there looking for a rewarding role, who could step in and fill one of the vacancies in Leicestershire.

“Thousands of children around the County are missing out on a vitally important person who can help to make their journey to school a safer one.

“We need people who might be willing to spend a few hours each week to help our schoolchildren.”

If you think you could help, call 0116 305 6515.

To help celebrate this achievement we want to find our ‘top patrol’. The winner will get £50 in shopping vouchers and anyone nominated may also be considered to represent the County Council as a frontline service employee at the National Travel Awards.

The person who nominates the winning patrol will also get £100 in road safety equipment for their local school.

Let us know why your nomination should win by e-mailing roadsafety@leics.gov.uk or telephoning 0116 305 7231 by Friday, 13^th June, 2008.

Our independent visiting scheme is looking for volunteers to spend time with a child in foster or residential care. You would do this once a month at times to suit you and the young person.

Claire Hurst, from Mounsorrel, regularly meets a young person, they go bowling, to the cinema and shopping.

“If you enjoy spending time with young people and can make a contribution to their lives, I would definitely encourage you to call,” said Claire.

Independent visitors make a long-term commitment to a young person often forming a long-lasting relationship.

You don’t need qualifications but you do have to be a good listener and we really need male visitors.

For more details, visit the Fostering pages of this website, e-mail: familyplacements@leics.gov.uk or call 0800 587 7767 or 0116 275 9270.

Very few potential foster carers have quite the same first-hand experience of what fostering involves as Paul Horner.

Paul’s mother and father, Jean and Rob (featured in the last edition of Leicestershire Matters) have been foster parents for more than 40 years.  Paul, therefore, grew up in a family where there were always foster children around, which led him to decide to become a foster carer himself.

“I can’t remember being in a family without foster children,” said Paul.  “Watching how my mum and dad handled situations has certainly helped me.”

Paul and his wife Sarah, from Wigston, have been foster carers for eight years.  They have four children between them and foster children on short-term placements, which can be for a few days up to several months.  The couple also provide respite care where they look after children over a weekend to give the child’s parents a break.

The couple give their foster children a stable environment, boundaries to respect and enjoy activities with them such as trips to the park or zoo.

“Fostering is really rewarding,” said Sarah.  “If we haven’t got a placement we feel a bit lost.  It only takes a couple of weeks before we are calling the fostering team and asking when we can look after another child!”

Of course, not every one has Paul’s experience of growing up in a foster family, but we are always looking to hear from couples and single people who think fostering may be right for them.

For more details, visit the Fostering pages of this website, e-mail: familyplacements@leics.gov.uk or call 0800 587 7767 or 0116 275 9270.

Find out what's on by visiting the National Year of Reading page on this website.

Our libraries have fantastic books available and new titles being added all the time. You will be amazed at the variety on offer in County libraries - so why not visit today? Or search for a book on the Libraries homepage.

If you are not a library member it is quick and easy to join. Simply take one form of identity to your local library.

If so, and if you are involved in the voluntary sector, either as a volunteer or in a paid post, then we would like to hear from you.

A vacancy has arisen on the independent remuneration panel on members’ allowances. The post is voluntary and will involve a small number of daytime meetings a year.

To apply, please call David Pitt on 0116 305 6034 or e-mail: dpitt@leics.gov.uk

These packs contain information including local land charge searches. You can get these through the local authority or from a private company.  

Leicestershire and Rutland Councils provide searches which are quick, accurate, green, comprehensive and protected. They cover areas including roads maintained by the local highway authority and planning permission for extensions. For an extra charge you can also ask other questions such as what plans there are to build nearby.

Simply ask your solicitor or estate agent to choose a local authority search.

For more details of searches and your relevant local authority, call 0116 305 8305. e-mail: ltaylor@leics.gov.uk or visit the Local Land Charges Search page of this website.

Through Leicestershire Together, members are committed to delivering:

For more details, call 0116 305 6977, e-mail: nrickard@leics.gov.uk or visit the Leicestershire Together website.

Your views helped us to write our Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) and Local Area Agreement (LAA). These set out what we need to tackle over the next five years and how we are going to achieve this – both documents will be published at the end of this month.

Priority areas include:

The final version of the SCS and the LAA will be available on the Leicestershire Together website from early June.

You can also sign up for copies of our new e-magazine which includes news about what we are doing and how it affects you. E-mail: jclarkson@leics.gov.uk to register.

The Stepping Stones project helps people to protect and improve their green spaces, in the area surrounding Leicester.

We now need your views on your local parks or green spaces and how they could be improved and made more welcoming.

A survey will take place from 26^th May to 16^th June. Either visit the ‘wildlife on your doorstep’ event at Watermead Country Park on 26^th May, visit the Stepping Stones pages of this website or call 0116 305 7221.

Everyone who completes a survey and gives their name and address will be entered into the prize draw.

Using compost will help your flowers to bloom and help you to grow tasty fruit and vegetables.

County Compost is sold at all 14 of our Recycling and Household Waste Sites for £2.50 per 40 litre bag.  The compost is made from garden waste collected from the sites.

Our offer gives you the chance to help to make your garden beautiful by buying three bags for just a £5.

Late spring and early summer is the perfect time for using compost, so why not give our offer a try?  Remember, you only have until the end of May!

For more information about County Compost and recycling in Leicestershire, visit the Waste pages of this website or call 0116 305 0001 or e-mail: recycling@leics.gov.uk

Our Recycling and Household Waste sites are usually very busy around Bank Holidays.

We do have extra staff working, but, if you can avoid these periods, you are likely to have fewer delays recycling and disposing your rubbish.

Our 14 sites across the County are open from 8am to 8pm every day from April to October.

For more information about our Recycling and Household Waste Sites, visit the Waste pages of this website or call 0116 305 0001 or e-mail: customerservice@leics.gov.uk

The Warning Zone project, based in Syston, is looking for more volunteers to help teach youngsters aged 10-11 more about the dangers they can face in their everyday lives.

The project deals with subjects including road safety and the dangers of playing by railway tracks or building sites. It also highlights the consequences, both to themselves and to others, of becoming involved in offending or anti-social behaviour.

Over the last year, more than 5,000 pupils from 126 schools in the County, City and Rutland, have been to the centre.

Due to its tremendous success, more volunteers are needed to act as guides.

Steve Vincent, from Wigston, is a volunteer, he said: “The scheme is a really good way of getting serious messages across about safety but in a fun way.

“The kids all enjoy it here and they come out feeling as if they have really learnt something.”

Volunteers need to do at least two half-day sessions a month during term time.  Full training is given and travelling expenses are repaid.

The project is run by the High Sheriffs’ charity Leicestershire & Rutland Crimebeat and is supported by the County Council and its partners.

To find out more, visit the Warning Zone website, call Alan Godber on 0116 260 4181 or e-mail: volunteering@warningzone.org.uk