29 news snippets you may have missed

The reunion, organised by Wendy Wootton and friends Sharon Clothier, Pearl Jenkins, Julie Wilson and Mandy Yates, took place on Friday, October 24 at the St Clement Working Men's Club.

It was the first time the classmates had held a reunion since 2002, and around 30 people attended.

Wendy has thanked everyone who attended and said: "There were some people I hadn't seen since school, and it was a really lovely bunch of people."

2) THE Osiligi Troupe of Maasai Warriors will be performing in Selby Abbey on Thursday, October, 30, at 7.30pm as part of their national tour.

The troupe’s music and dance reflect the diverse culture of the Maasai and their performances enable the warriors to send money to their communities living in poverty 30 miles south of Nairobi in Kenya.

Tickets cost £8 for adults and £5 for children, and are available from Selby Abbey Office on 01757 703123, Selby Abbey Coffee Shop, online at osiligi.ticketsource.co.uk or on the door.

3) FREE drop-in advocacy sessions are launching in Selby to help vulnerable, disabled or disadvantaged adults.

The sessions will run gon the first Friday of every month 10am-12noon at Sherburn-in-Elmet Library; the third Thursday of every month 10am-1pm at Community House, Selby; and the third Friday of every month 10.30am-12.30pm at Tadcaster Library.

For further information contact Bernadette Maxfield on 01757 618084 or bernie@nyadvocacy.org.uk

4) A SUPPORT group for people who have lost their partner or someone close to them will meet on Saturday, November 1, at 12noon at Trinity Methodist Church on Monkgate.

“Halves” meets the first Saturday of every month. For further information phone 01904 415894.

5) THE charity Mind has discovered that local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber – with a combined public health budget of £228 million – allocate just £3.5 million to public mental health.

The charity, which requested data on public mental health spending from every local authority under the Freedom of Information Act, said the money amounted to just 1.5 per cent of their public health budget.

“Local authorities have a remit to prevent both physical and mental health problems in the communities they serve,” said a spokesman.

“Millions of pounds are spent every year on preventing people developing physical health problems like heart disease or cancer. But, Mind’s findings show that local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber are no different to the national picture in spending too little on preventing mental health problems.”

6) A PLAY centre in York is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. Creepy Crawlies Play Centre opened on October 23, 2004, from the former York Riding School arena. Since then, the facility has added an outside play park and animal area, Wired High Ropes and Little Bugs nursery.

Managing director Janice Dunphy said: “It has been the most fun, exciting, challenging ten years of my life and I have been privileged to take that journey with some fantastic people, I cannot thank my team enough for everything they do and have done.

“When I first approached my landlords Mr and Mrs Marchi I was relieved that they could share my vision, and still do. I would personally like to thank every single customer who has been to visit us, we never take them for granted! The future is bright, and I am very excited to add more things to what is a growing and vibrant business.”

7) A NEW scheme has been launched to help keep pubs and licensed premises in Acomb trouble free.

North Yorkshire Police, City of York Council and York Business Against Crime have teamed up with Apex Radios and 17 pubs in the area for the Pub Watch scheme.

The scheme allows licensees to share information about crime and troublemakers in their pubs instantly with other local businesses, and can lead to people being banned from every establishment in the scheme.

Wendi Hyde, of the Ainsty public house in Acomb, approached police to start the scheme, and said: “I was surprised we never had a scheme in place already. I think we have all worked really hard to make our pubs an enjoyable place to have a drink.

“By forming York West Pub Watch we are realising our vision to keep Acomb and the west area of York a safe place to socialise.”

The Pub Watch scheme will also link in with the Shop Watch scheme in the area.

To join the scheme or to find out about setting one up, phone North Yorkshire Police on 101.

8) THE adoption team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council has urged residents who can give a loving home to sibling groups to contact them.

To mark National Adoption Week – November 3 to 9 – the council has pledged to try and find homes for four groups of brothers and sisters who are waiting to be adopted.

The council’s adoption manager Ian Wilson said: “There are no blanket bans in adoption, so please don’t think we’ll turn you down because you’re over 40, single, or don’t own your own home.

“What we really need are people who can offer a sibling group a loving and supporting family for life – people who can help a child recover from the reasons why they came in to care and can help them go on to thrive in a new family.

“Initially we are simply asking people to come forward and find out more about adoption.”

To find out more go to eastriding.gov.uk/adoption or phone 01482 396673.

9) FOUR people have been arrested in connection with a ram-raiding incident in Scarborough.

A Land Rover drove into the window of the Co-operative Store in Newlands Park Drive at about 3am, and the occupants stole alcohol and cigarettes.

The vehicle, which had been stolen from a property in Scalby Avenue, was later found in Gildercliffe, and police said four men from the Scarborough area were arrested in connection with the incident.

The men are all from the Scarborough area and aged, 51, 30, and two are aged 42. All four have been released on bail.

10) A CYCLIST’S bike ride from York to Barcelona in memory of his brother has been progressing well.

Dave Cook, 64, from Strensall, is cycling more than 1,000 miles to the Spanish coastal city with his friend, Ian Hagyard, from the Malton Road area of York, to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research.

The ride comes after his Dave’s brother Ken, of Stonegrave, near Helmsley, died last November, aged 68, five months after being diagnosed as terminally ill with a brain tumour. Ken’s widow Libby said the pair had crossed the half-way mark and had enjoyed good weather, with just a few showers, and the roads were smooth with no potholes, and so had been able to were making good progress.

She said: “They are due to arrive back on Sunday, which is the day before the anniversary of my husband’s death. We hope to get together as a family and feel that something positive has been achieved in his memory.”

11) SPITTING IMAGE star and founder Steve Nallon is making an appearance at the University of York tomorrow.

The actor, comedian and satirist is speaking in the Bowland Auditorium on the Heslington West campus at 6.30pm, giving “An Insider’s Guide to Comedy.” Tickets are free and can be ordered online via www.eventbrite.co.uk.

12) A LOCAL taxi firm has opened a new office in Malton. Kappa’s Cars has new premises at 6-8 Railway Street and is open 24 hours with a fleet of up to five vehicles.

The business is run by Glenn Lewis, known locally as “Kappa”, hence the business name, and co-owner David Collins.

13) HUNDREDS of troubled families in York and North Yorkshire have had their lives turned around by a scheme to reduce problems such as truancy, antisocial behaviour and unemployment.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the innovative intervention programme – a crucial part of the government’s long-term economic plan to help bring security and opportunity to families and communities – had reached a total of 14,000 Yorkshire and Humber families.

For example, children were back in school where they had previously been persistently absent and levels of youth crime and anti-social behaviour had been significantly reduced across the family.

According to government figures, 235 out of 315 families in the City of York Council area have been “turned around”. In North Yorkshire the figure is 616 have been turned round out of 845 and 311 out of 505 in the East Riding of Yorkshire, 311 have been turned round out of 505.

14) VOLUNTEERS from York insurance giant Aviva and City of York Council’s Smarter York team will help to improve Dick Turpin’s graveyard tomorrow.

The volunteers, who are part of the York Cares partnership, will remove hedging from St George’s Burial Ground and install a new bark chip footpath to lead visitors to the infamous highwayman’s headstone.

15) BUS users around Bridlington area have the opportunity to raise issues and make comments about local bus services at The Bridlington Bus Forum next week.

A free meeting will take place in the Town Hall, Quay Road, Bridlington on Tuesday, November 11 at noon. There is disabled access. No appointments are necessary.

16) ONE of the longest-serving employees at Tesco in Selby, Nigel Barrass, has celebrated 25 years’ service at the Portholme Road store.

Store manager Gavin Haslan praised Nigel, who is a trolley assistant, by saying: “He is a corner stone of our customer service, always happy and ready with a big smile for our customers.”

To mark the occasion Nigel received gifts from the management and staff at the store.

THE curator of York Art Gallery will give a talk at a local university next week. Jennifer Alexander will speak about her role at the University of York’s Norman Rea Gallery, followed by a Q&A session and drinks reception. For more information go to thenormanreagallery.co.uk.

17) FUNDING has been secured to tackle flooding and sewage problems in Carr Lane and Boroughbridge Road.

City of York Council has been granted £50,000 from the Regional Flood and Coastal committee to improve highway drains and the local sewerage infrastructure, which has repeatedly overflowed during severe rainfall in recent years.

Councillor Dave Merrett, cabinet member for environment, planning and sustainability, said: “This is excellent news. This will allow the council and Yorkshire Water to work together to reduce the impacts of highway and sewage flooding problems in this area of Boroughbridge Road, which has caused many residents disruption and damage to their homes.”

18) TRADING Standards have urged anyone who has had dealings with PPS Plumbing and Building Services, particularly in the Scarborough and Whitby areas, to get in touch.

The company was run by Paul Golding, who was recently convicted for fraud at Teesside Crown Court and sentenced to eight months imprisonment.

Anyone with information or who has done business with him should contact Andy Fox at North Yorkshire Trading Standards on 03454 040506.

19) MODEL newts will be installed around a children’s home in York.

The newts were originally designed for York’s Vangarde Shopping Park by artist Dan Savage, but have been donated to Hamilton House to form a trail around the building, which provides a place for young people to meet their parents and relatives in a supervised way.

The donated newts were left over from Dan’s artwork The Great Newt Route, a homage to the discovery of 300 Great Crested Newts at the Monks Cross Vangarde site during the building of the new shopping park.

Dan said: “The hardworking team at Hamilton House provide such an important service to vulnerable children across the city and I am delighted to be able to contribute in a small way towards creating a unique and friendly environment in which to continue their invaluable work.”
 

20) PEOPLE in York are being urged to prepare for the cold weather, and help older relatives and neighbours get ready for winter.

Statistics released by care company Bluebird show that 80 people in York died last winter because of the cold, and the company has issued advice to help avoid more excess winter deaths this season.

Their advice for older people is to wrap up warm even indoors, heat living rooms to 21C and bedrooms to 18C, keep an eye on the weather forecast, have one hot meal a day and plenty of hot drinks to keep warm, and prepare for bad weather by having the flu jab and making arrangements with neighbours to clear snow in front of your house.

Last winter, Selby had 60 excess winter deaths, Ryedale 50, Harrogate 70, and the East Riding of Yorkshire 120.

21) A COMMUNITY centre in Scarborough needs public votes to win £1,000.

Gallows Close Community Centre in Endcliff Crescent won a paint job to create a new mural in June from Dulux under their Let’s Colour project, and if the centre gets enough votes, it could win £1,000 towards improvements.

Tom Mutton, who applied for the paint donation, said: “We couldn’t believe it when we heard Dulux had selected our mural. The donated paint helped us to transform our site, but there’s still so much we want to do to improve our facilities. That’s why we want everyone to vote for us.”

To support the project go to the Dulux UK Facebook page and vote before Friday, October 31.

22) THREE and four-year-olds in North Yorkshire are to be among the first to benefit from new funding for nurseries to help children from low-income families.

The county is among six to be announced as trial areas for the Government’s new £50 million Early Years Pupil Premium scheme, which will see schools, nurseries and childminders given up to £300 for each child from a low income family, to help prepare children for school.

In North Yorkshire the Government thinks 891 children will qualify for the funding, while another 359 and 575 will qualify in York and the East Riding, respectively, once the scheme rolls out nationwide in April.

23) AN EVENT to help small and medium-sized businesses use social media will be held in York next month.

The Big Social Media Show will be held at York Racecourse on Wednesday, November 26, to give local businesses information on using social media to benefit their companies, including tactics, tools and tips and the chance to speak to experts.

All companies who trade predominantly business-to-business and employ up to 250 people can apply to attend the event at sfny.co.uk/socialmediashow by phoning Superfast North Yorkshire on 0845 0020021 or emailing enquiries@sfny.co.uk

24) MALE and female cyclists wearing moustaches will again be meeting at York Minster at the end of November.

They will be taking part in the third annual Fulford Cycle invitation charity bicycle ride on November 30 in aid of the men’s health charity Movember.

They will be all ages including children and of all cycling abilities riding many different types of bikes. Fulford Cycles, which organises the event, is hoping for more than 150 cyclists this year. After admiring each other’s moustaches whether grown for the men, or painted or stuck on for the women and children, They will ride a seven-mile route to Fulford Cycles.

Some will also have completed a 35 to 40 mile ride organised by Selby Cycling Club from Selby to the Minster. Prizes will be awarded for the best Mo Bro, best Mo Sista and best Mo Kid moustaches. Movember encourages men to raise money by growing a moustache throughout November and supports initiatives in improving men’s health, particularly prostrate and testicular cancer.

25) A CAR valeter from York has received a highly commended award at the UK Worker of the Year 2014 finale.

The competition, run by workwear company Dickies, saw Andrew Mitchinson, 43, beat more than 5,000 entrants to win a highly commended trophy.

Mr Mitchinson set up his business with his wife Judi in October 2010, and now clocks up 60 hours a week to ensure his business remains successful.

He cleans a variety of different vehicles, from Ferraris to combine harvesters. Mr Mitchinson said: “It’s an honour and a dream come true to have made it this far in the competition. It’s been a memorable journey that will always stay very close to me,” he said.

26) THE York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir and the Fossgate Ladies will perform in the medieval splendour of the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall in December.

The concerts, to be known as Christmas in Fossgate, will feature a mix of festive music and light-hearted seasonal readings.

Performances will be from Tuesday December 2 to December 4, Wednesday December 3 and Thursday December 4, with tickets costing £12 on sale at the hall. For more information on the concerts, contact Lauren Marshall on 01904 654818.

27) ONE of York’s biggest attractions ranks among the best in the country for access, a new survey has found.

The National Railway Museum came second in a new accessibility survey of the UK’s top 100 most visited tourist attractions by the national disability charity Vitalise.

But the charity warns many tourist venues could risk missing out on a share of £212bn a year, the annual spending power of disabled visitors, due to lack of accessibility.

Chairman Mindy Sawhney said: “The best advice we can give to venues is to involve people with disabilities in your plans.”

Vitalise is asking people with disabilities to share their experiences of visiting tourist attractions and other public venues via an online form at vitialise.org.uk.

28) A LOCAL Information Fair is to be held at Heworth Without Community Centre with the theme of fall prevention. The event will be held from 10am to 1pm tomorrow.

It is estimated that falls in North Yorkshire which could be prevented would save the NHS over £5 million. About a third of people aged over 65 fall each year.

Heworth Without Ward has been targeted for this falls prevention event as over 30 per cent of the population are over pensionable age and 20 per cent are living alone.

In addition to the Falls Prevention team, Age (UK) York will be offering free new slippers for old and a free session of its their toenail-cutting service. Both contribute to the avoidance of falls. A further ten information stalls will be available together with free tea and coffee.

29) AN appeal has been made in York for residents who can help give some of their time to clear snow if bad weather hits.

Volunteers will be provided with training, high visibility gear, snow clearing kits and grit so they are able to make a difference in their neighbourhood when it snows, City of York Council said.

Forthcoming Training sessions are being held on November 17 and November 19 from 6pm to 7.30pm at the Eco Depot, Hazel Court, James Street. For more information or to volunteer, phone Michal Czekajlo on 01904 551841.