Leicestershire Matters

Summer 2006

Dear Keith…

Thousands of people contact Trading Starndards each year and we have once again asked our Head of Consumer Services, Keith Regan, to answer some of your questions.

Dear Keith,

After receiving various letters from ‘astrologers’ and ‘psychics’ or regarding prize draw offers, my elderly uncle sent out a total of £317 – but he has received nothing in return. Is this legal or can we stop these letters?

My advice is to never pay money to receive a prize or cash winnings, no matter how convincing the letter sounds, even if it says: ‘You have been specially chosen’ or ‘as a special customer we are offering you’ or ‘claim your individual prize Mr…….’

To help stop these types of letters contact the Mailing Preference Service to register. It’s free and easy, just contact:

Post: Freepost 29 LON20771, London, W1E 0ZT.

E-mail: mps@dma.org.uk

Online: www.mpsonline.org.uk

Telephone: 0845 703 4599.

This type of crime is very difficult to deal with both here and abroad, but we have disrupted and detected offenders. Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it’s likely to be a con!! Please contact Trading Standards via Consumer Direct 08454 04 05 06 to let us know if you receive a letter of this type or to ask for our free leaflet ‘How to recognise a scam.’

Dear Keith,

A private advert in my local newsagent’s window offered: “Earn thousands of pounds weekly with no investment whatsoever!” I sent a £20 registration fee, and got a job pack requiring me to find more people who would pay me the registration fee. Is this legal? I was expecting to do something like addressing and stuffing envelopes.

These schemes are not legal and action can be taken to stop the originator. The Office of Fair Trading has stopped quite a few. However, most of these adverts are placed by individuals, who are trying to recruit others.

This endless cycle is impossible to stop, with adverts in newspapers, on the internet, flyers on car windscreens and on lamp posts! You could also see: ‘Unlimited Earnings’ – ‘Earn up to £400 a day’.

My advice is not to reply if you are asked to pay in advance for ‘easy money’ home-working schemes. In a genuine scheme you would earn money, not pay it out. If you feel you have been conned, please call Trading Standards via Consumer Direct on: 08454 04 05 06.

To request any further information or advice, call Consumer Direct on: 08454 04 05 06.

From ‘Good to Great’ with new schools

THIS really is an exciting time to be a pupil in Leicestershire!

Over 700 pupils started this term in brand new buildings with modern facilities.

Castle Rock High School in Coalville and Woodstone Primary School in Ravenstone both opened for business in April.

These schools are showcases of sustainable design – with rainwater harvesting; high levels of insulation resulting in lower energy costs; natural ventilation and natural light. The buildings also link to the curriculum by demonstrating the potential of sustainable design and the use of renewable energy.

A further 800 pupils will be moving into new buildings at the start of the autumn term when the new Bushloe High School in Wigston and Dorothy Goodman Special School in Hinckley open their doors.

Construction is also well under way at Gartree High School in Oadby and Shepshed High School, where new accommodation is being built for a total of 1,350 pupils and will open in September 2007.

We are also planning a new Area Special School in Coalville and a new primary school in Hallam Fields, Birstall which will benefit a total of 335 pupils.

We are confident that young people attending these schools will echo the comment of one pupil who said: “I think the school is really good and exciting and we are really privileged that we have this chance!”

Call: 0116 305 6476 for more details.

Pictured

New school…Woodstone Primary School

Cheering…pupils and Mrs Baker, head teacher at Castle Rock High School celebrate their new school

Are you satisfied?

WE would like to you to tell us how satisfied you are with County Council services such as yourlocal waste site, bus service, library and our customer services.

A survey will be delivered to 5,000 local people in September. The information will be collected by the Government and used by us to help improve the services we provide to you.

For more information, visit: www.leics.gov.uk/haveyoursay call: 0116 305 8016 or e-mail: hys@leics.gov.uk

Fishy business

CAN you help us to record the numbers and types of fish in the County’s rivers, streams and ponds?

Around 30 species of fish are likely to be found in the flowing and still waters of Leicestershire and Rutland. Among those to look out for are the three-spined stickleback, common carp and trout.

Monitoring fish is important as numbers of some species are dwindling and some are even in danger of becoming extinct. You can look for fish in ponds or streams, but the best way is to ask anglers how many and what type of fish they are catching. Water can be dangerous, even if you can swim. It is best not to go near rivers or lakes on your own to do this survey.

Further information, photographs and survey forms are available online at: www.leics.gov.uk/celebrating_wildlife

For paper copies of the survey call our Community Heritage Initiative on 0116 267 1377.

Recognition for care scheme

OUR pioneering CareOnLine service received a nomination for a prestigious international award.

CareOnLine is an internet support scheme designed especially for vulnerable and socially isolated adults such as older people, people with disabilities and carers.

It provides help with access to computers and the internet, training, technical support and a purpose-built website, to meet the users’ information needs.

The service was nominated in the Stockholm Challenge for Innovation awards, which recognise excellent examples of computer projects that bring clear benefits to communities.

Although the service missed out on winning the award it was one of just four short listed finalists selected from 1,100 entries from 53 countries.

For more information about CareOnLine visit: www.leicscareonline.org.uk

It’s not all rubbish!

THE next time you visit one of our recycling and household waste sites you should notice a few improvements!

You will be greeted by a member of staff who will have a uniform and an ID badge. They will give advice on where your rubbish should go – and give you useful information on recycling – with the emphasis on looking after you!

We are also making the sites look better – by tidying them up and improving facilities.

The sites at Loughborough and Coalville have been substantially improved and our site at Oadby will be fully upgraded by early autumn. Loughborough has doubled in size and is more user-friendly and cleaner, with easy access for the public. Recycling and composting has already increased.

We also have new signs to let you know what can be recycled at the sites.

Our sites are now operated on our behalf, by Environmental Waste Controls Ltd (EWC) which has committed to increase our recycling rate from 40 per cent to 60 per cent. In addition, EWC is installing over 50 new machines for crushing waste so that fewer lorry journeys will be needed to take it for recycling, composting or disposal.

To find out more about your local site, visit our website at: www.leics.gov.uk/waste or call 0116 305 7240.

New Look Phoenix Green

OUR Phoenix Green scheme to improve the environment and access in Coalville town centre is now complete.

The centrepiece of the scheme is a new foot/cycle bridge which spans the mineral railway adjacent to Hotel Street.

The project has transformed an area of derelict land and removed an old, stepped railway footbridge.

An elegant feature of the town, the replacement bridge provides much better access to schools and shops, particularly for people with disabilities, elderly people and those with push chairs and shopping trolleys.

The £785,000 scheme was provided by the County Council, the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership, Sustrans, the Big Lottery Fund and other public, private and voluntary sector organisations.

For more information e-mail: mthomson@leics.gov.uk or call: 0116 305 7090.

Pictured: New signpost…a feature of the scheme

Young readers on a mission

Children aged four to 12, could become a special agents this summer!

We are running the Reading Mission in all our libraries until 9^th September. Young readers can drop into their local library and choose to accept the Mission challenge. They will then get a special agent attache pack with their mission to crack codes, solve puzzles, read books, keep track of their reading and spread the word about books.

When the mission is complete they will get a ‘mission accomplished’ secret message pen, certificate and their name will be entered into a ‘top secret’ prize draw.

There are also lots of free ‘top secret’ events and activities, including a Spy School. For more details visit your local library or our website at: www.leics.gov.uk/libraries Call: 0116 305 6988 for details on your local library.

Let’s do lunch!

OLDER people looking for opportunities to socialise in a friendly environment may like to attend one of the luncheon clubs around the County.

There are 26 County Council-funded or assisted luncheon clubs in Leicestershire. They are usually run by volunteers and take place once a week or fortnight.

Luncheon clubs give older people the chance to enjoy a nutritious meal in a sociable and fun atmosphere.

We have produced a guide to help luncheon club co-ordinators to continue to provide a high standard of service. It includes information on new legal requirements and advice on good practice.

The guide has been produced by the County Council in partnership with Age Concern Leicestershire & Rutland, WRVS Leicestershire & Rutland, Age Concern North West Leicestershire, Charnwood CVS and The Syston Volunteer Bureau and Luncheon Club.

For more information about luncheon clubs in your area contact Ros Speight on 01530 513818 or e-mail: rspeight@leics.gov.uk

Aiming to improve your quality of life

OUR new vision for the future and our priorities for improving services up to May 2009 are set out in our new Medium Term Corporate Strategy (MTCS).

Our new vision is:

‘We will listen to the views of Leicestershire people and, by working with them and our partner agencies, ensure they enjoy the quality of life which they expect; to live in a County and region which is safe, healthy, attractive and prosperous.’

Following widespread consultation, our three key aims in the MTCS are to improve:

The quality of life for people
The quality of life in communities

Services so they are high quality and value for money.

We also produce a detailed Annual Plan saying how we will improve our services. This feature includes some areas where we achieved what we promised in our 2005/06 plan, followed by some of our high priorities for further improvements until May 2009.

Children and Young People

We have:

Built new schools and improved existing schools (see From Good to Great With New Schools story)
Placed more of our looked-after children in stable foster homes or adoption – and helped 80 per cent into education, employment or training when they left our care.

We will, as high priorities to 2009:

Increase pupil achievement particularly at ages 11 and 16

Get more of our schools into the top five per cent nationally (see From Good to Great story).

Older People

We have:

Increased how many older people get intensive support at home
Developed services to support older people with dementia and their carers to live at home
Delivered community equipment to clients within seven days in over 90 per cent of cases.

We will, as high priorities to 2009:

Support more people with long-term illnesses to live at home and reduce hospital admissions due to older people falling
Get more older people to access benefits

Establish a County-wide older person’s forum.

Vulnerable Adults and Carers

We are:

Due to open new supported living accommodation for people with learning disabilities in Melton Mowbray and Wigston next year
Increasing the number of people receiving direct payments.

We will, as high priorities to 2009:

Increase the number of vulnerable adults receiving direct payments by a further 30 per cent
Increase the number of disabled people who work or do voluntary work

Continue the modernisation of day services for people with learning disabilities.

Culture and Leisure

We have:

Opened new libraries at Ratby, Markfield and Broughton Astley and refurbished libraries in Wigston, Loughborough, Coalville, Burbage and Great Glen
Increased library opening hours.

We will, as high priorities to 2009:

Build 20 more new or substantially refurbished libraries
Further increase library opening hours

Revitalise the Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre.

Transport

We have:

Introduced new ideas for reducing road casualties including vehicle activated signs
Improved public transport.

We will, as high priorities to 2009:

Reduce road casualties even further
Deliver a new Park and Ride Scheme

Improve our roads, pavements, bridges and street lights.

Environment and Waste

We have:

Improved recycling and household waste sites
Developed a revised Municipal Waste Management Strategy
Increased public awareness of recycling.

We will, as high priorities to 2009 are to:

Meet harder national Government waste targets
Increase the proportion of household waste recycled and composted to 42 per cent by 2008/09
Substantially improve three more waste sites.

Safer Communities

We have:

Provided over £300,000 a year to employ 28 police community support officers and will fund a further 22 in 2006/07

We will, as high priorities to 2009 reduce:

Overall crime by 17 per cent from current levels by 2008
Repeated domestic violence by 33 per cent

The fear of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Quality and Value for Money

We have exceeded the Government’s target of £6.8 million worth of efficiency savings in 2005/06 and we plan to make similar savings in 2006/07.

We will, as high priorities to 2009:

Minimise future increases in Council Tax
Achieve further cash efficiency savings of £13.5 million
Improve access to our services

Make even more service improvements, including those in this feature.

All of our priorities to 2009 are in our MTCS, in addition our Annual Plan has details of how we will deliver these. For a copy, visit any County Council library or see Medium Term Corporate Strategy, alternatively, call: 0116 305 6096.

Our finances for 2005/6

Ensuring that money is both spent wisely and controlled effectively are our key priorities.

In 2005/6, the last full year of account, our net expenditure was £544 million, including schools. Overall a small net under-spend of £3.3 million, after carry forwards, was achieved.

Some financial facts

Expenditure on main services in 2005/6:

Education £317 million

Social Services £112 million

Highways £31 million

Waste and recycling £16 million

Community Services £18 million

Total Council Tax of £191 million funds only 35 per cent of net expenditure. The rest of our income came mainly from the Government.

The balance sheet value of land and buildings held by the County Council is £799 million

The Council’s long-term borrowing that has been used to finance improvements to capital assets, such as schools and roads, is £362 million.

The Council has cash reserves of £7.4 million to meet any unexpected events.

Further information on our finances.

Warning Zone

Could you volunteer?

VOLUNTEER guides are needed for an innovative new children’s safety education centre.

Called Warning Zone, the centre will teach youngsters aged 10-11 how to stay safe in their everyday lives and understand about personal responsibility.

Young people will be taught about a series of issues including road safety, the dangers of alcohol and the consequences of criminal damage and arson.

The Syston-based initiative is being run by the Crimebeat Safety Centre, which has been set up by the High Sheriffs’ charity Leicestershire & Rutland Crimebeat.

Supported by the County Council and other partners, the project will be open to children from schools in Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland. We are investing an initial £70,000 towards the project, followed by £30,000 for each of the next two years.

Volunteers will have a key role at the Warning Zone centre and will be given training to act as guides for the visiting schoolchildren.

There is a small, permanent team at the centre, but volunteers are crucial to the success of the project.

Volunteers must be aged 18 or over, enjoy working with children and be willing to undertake at least two half-day sessions a month.

The sessions will take place Mondays to Fridays during school term time. There will be a maximum of six children with each volunteer and there will be accompanying school staff on hand to help. Travelling expenses will be reimbursed.

To find out more and obtain a volunteering pack, contact Alan Godber, Centre Co-ordinator, on 0116 260 4181 or e-mail: volunteering@warningzone.org.uk

A taste of success

SHOPPERS in Market Harborough can take advantage of a tasty project which is helping people with learning disabilities.

Café Centrale is based at the Harborough Theatre and offers coffee, cakes and light meals. It provides supported but realistic work opportunities for some of our service users who attend the Roman Way Day Centre. It is an ideal chance for them to develop skills and integrate with the local community.

The project was never designed to be a money-making venture. However, it now has such a good reputation for its quality home-made food and excellent service, that custom and profits have soared! These profits are put back into the project.

The Café is open on Fridays from 10.30am- 1.30pm.

For more details call: 01858 433221.

Pictured: Café culture…Susan Smith and Malcolm Swinn serve up some tasty treats

Free books for children

SHARING books with your baby or toddler is a wonderful way to increase their language skills and help them to understand their world.

We are working with Bookstart, a national charity, to offer every baby and toddler free books from an early age.

Since 1996, babies aged around eight months have been given a book pack through health visitors. This includes a canvas shoulder bag, books and a first book list.

Now the scheme has been extended so that children get two more packs – and we aim to reach 19,500 children a year.

The second pack is for children aged 18 – 30 months. It is a red satchel-style bag and includes books, a colouring pad and crayons, a book list and a 'Numbers are Fun!' bedroom frieze.

The Bookstart Treasure Chest is for children aged 36–48 months. It is a treasure box with a secret compartment and includes picture books, stickers, a colouring pad and pencils.

Call into your local library for more information on Bookstart, or visit our website at: www.leics.gov.uk/bookstart Call 0116 305 6988 for details on your local library.

The dinosaurs are back…

MARKET towns are getting a prehistoric makeover this summer in a series of fun events and activities.

Jurassic Leicestershire is bringing huge model dinosaurs, fossils and sandpits to town centres. There will also be street entertainment including trails, collage workshops, circus skills training, a giant jigasaurus, as well as colouring and story-writing competitions.

Venues:

Market Harborough: Saturday, 15^th July and Sunday, 16^th July
Melton Mowbray: Saturday, 22nd and Sunday, 23^rd July
Syston: Saturday, 29^th July
Market Bosworth: Wednesday, 2^nd August
Earl Shilton: Thursday, 3rd August
Hinckley: Friday, 4th and Saturday, 5^th August
Loughborough: Sunday,13^th to Wednesday, 16^th August
Ibstock: Saturday, 19^th August
South Wigston: Saturday, 26^th August.

Libraries and museums are also going dinosaurus crazy with their own Jurassic events throughout the summer. Contact your local library for details.

Call 0116 305 6988 for details on your local library.

Name the Dinosaur Competition

Have you ever wanted to name a dinosaur? Well now you can!
Dinosaur names are long and difficult to spell and would be much easier to remember if they had 'pet names'.

Why not get creative and tell us your chosen ‘pet dinosaur name’ for our velociraptor pictured above and you could be the lucky winner of £50 worth of dinosaur goodies!. Closing date for entries was Friday 11th August 2006.

GoLearn!

Ask for your brochure now

Our new GoLearn! brochure is packed full of interesting and useful courses for adults, many starting in September.

Whether you want to take up drums, yoga or dance, get fit, learn basic skills or how to bid on e-bay – there’s a course for you!

There is also information on taking GCSEs, Skills for Life courses in English and maths, details on courses to help you get back to work and classes in English for speakers of other languages.

Our brochure lists all the courses on offer at community colleges and other venues throughout the County, so you’re sure to find the right one for you.

Brochures will be available at libraries, colleges, community and information centres from August. This year the publication will be posted only to 2005-6 learners and those requesting it.

You can request a copy by calling: 0116 305 6387, e-mailing: adultlearning@leics.gov.uk with your address details, or by sending them to: Adult Learning, Room G16, County Hall, Glenfield, Leicestershire LE3 8RF.

Golearn! Will not be delivered to your house unless requested.

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