Drug dealer receives suspended sentence and 13 other news snippets you may have missed

Christopher Keith Greaves, 25, of Wycliffe Avenue, Tang Hall, admitted possessing both drugs with intent to supply them to others, on the basis he only dealt them to a small circle of his friends.

He was given a nine-month prison sentence suspended for two years on condition he did 80 hours’ unpaid work and undertook 12 months’ supervision.

His solicitor advocate, Kevin Blount, told York Crown Court since the police raid in March 2014, Greaves had got himself a job and wanted to turn his life around.

Great Yorkshire Show tickets go on sale

TICKETS for an attraction which displays the region's farming prowess have gone on sale.

The 157th Great Yorkshire Show will take place from Tuesday, July 14 to Thursday, July 16 with more than 130,000 visitors expected to attend what is England’s premier agricultural event.

Some 12,000 entries across the competitive classes form the backbone to the farming showcase, from champion bulls to rabbits to poultry.

Headlining this year's Main Ring programme will be the fast and furious Shetland Pony Grand National which sees youngsters race head to head on their speedy mini mounts around the arena.

Elsewhere, visitors will find demonstrations of country skills, fashion shows, exhibitions of regional food and drink and exciting ring displays.

This will be the tenth and final year for show director Bill Cowling, who steps down from the top job when the event comes to a close.

Tickets are available on line at www.greatyorkshireshow.co.uk or by calling (01423) 541222.

Smoke damage at house

FIRE in a boiler caused smoke damage to a house in Bishopthorpe in York.

Firefighters were called to Keble Park North at Sunday lunchtime and ventilated the house. Smoke alarms were fitted and activated.

Hospital’s blue hue to put prostate cancer in spotlight

YORK Hospital is being lilt up in different colours this year to promote the awareness of different health campaigns.

Following the British Heart Foundation’s ‘healthy hearts’ campaign in February, where the lights above the hospital turned red, they are now set to turn blue in March to raise awareness of prostate cancer.

Blue is the colour of the national charity Prostate Cancer UK. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with over 42,000 men diagnosed ever year in the UK. This figure means that there is a one in eight chance of a man getting prostate cancer in his lifetime.

In order to raise awareness locally, urology department staff at York Hospital have organised a week long awareness campaign.

As part of its commitment to raising the profile of prostate cancer during this week, as well as turning the lights blue, Urology Nurses, consultants and prostate cancer patients will man a stand in the foyer of York Hospital during the week, to share information and raise awareness.

Group demonstrates over fears for future of NHS

CAMPAIGNERS have taken to the city centre to petition for greater support of the NHS.

The petition drawn up by campaign group 38 Degrees calls on all the candidates standing to be an MP in York in May’s General Election, to commit to protect the NHS from privatisation and to make sure it has the funding it needs.

The gathering in Parliament Street was coordinated as part of a day of action across the UK in a stand against what has been called a creeping privatisation of the health system. Jan Gascoigne, 68, a retired social worker from Acomb, said: “I have never demonstrated or petitioned in my life but I feel so strongly I’m here.”

Youth club celebrates its birthday

A YOUTH club will celebrate its fourth birthday after continuing to go from strength to strength.

Door 84, in Lowther Street, The Groves, is now a registered charity and is open three nights a week for eight to 17- year-olds.

The venue also runs Community Sparks, a creative arts and social group for adults with a disability and runs networking opportunities for carers and support workers.

Activities at the March 22 party will include arts and crafts, face painting, nail art, hair braiding, games, tombola, raffle, music and a barbecueBBQ.

Representatives of York City Football Club are also set to attend along with Derwent Danceworks, which will perform during the afternoon, between 1pm and 4pm.

Roger will be shifting his feet strictly for hospice’s cause

Elly Fiorentini and her dance partner Roger Fielding rehearse for their Strictly roles in St Joseph’s Church Hall in Burdyke Avenue, York.

IT’S time to tango for 14 couples from across Yorkshire who are taking part in a dance event to raise money for Martin House Children’s Hospice.

The pairs, who come from across the county, are taking part in the Strictly Get Dancing event at The Shed, in Wetherby, at the end of the month.

They include Radio York presenter Elly Fiorentini and her dance partner Roger Fielding.

Roger, from Ilkley, has a personal link to the hospice as he lost a son to a rare condition and has another son with the same condition. Elly chose to support the charity after the radio station fundraised for them last year.

She said: “We had a really privileged year raising money for the hospice working with listeners and this is an opportunity for me to do something for them.”

“For the last six weeks we have all forgone our Sunday lunch and gone dancing on a Sunday afternoon instead and it’s been great fun.”

In just six weeks the couples have been taught to Waltz and Tango like a true Strictly champion and Each person taking part hopes to raise £250 with Roger raising close to £3,000 already. The event at 7.30pm on February 28 is sold out and so far the charity has raised £22,250.

To sponsor Roger, go to justgiving.com/Roger-Fielding/

What’s your city secret?

RESIDENTS are being invited to share their secret suggestions of things to do in York on social media.

CityConnect, which is powered by Pinacl Solutions and provides free WiFi across York city centre, is behind the campaign to find out the best things to see and do in the local area.

To enter the competition and be in with a chance to win a hamper of Yorkshire goodies, people need to tweet their suggestions to @CityConnectYork or upload them to Facebook.com/PinaclSolutions using #YorkSecrets.

Mark Lowe, of Pinacl Solutions, said: “With many people visiting York every weekend we wanted to share with them ideas of fun activities to do that are less well-known.

“York is a beautiful city with many restaurants, coffee-shops, walks and museums that appeal to all ages. We wanted to raise awareness of all the attractions available to residents and visitors.”

The #YorkSecrets competition will close at midnight on March 16. The winner will be announced on CityConnect’s social media channels.

First choice places for pupils

NINETY-SEVEN percent of East Riding children will get to their first-choice secondary school in September.

East Riding of Yorkshire has now written to parents in the area with details of their child’s secondary school place. Out of 3,226 applications received 3,135, 97.2 percent, got places at their first choice school and 3,215, 99.7 per cent, got places at one of their three choices of school.

Only 11 children have had to be allocated places at schools for which their parents did not express a preference - all at their catchment area school.

Mike Furbank, the council’s head of education and schools said: “Population trends in the East Riding and neighbouring local authority areas mean that secondary school pupil numbers are falling, presenting schools with significant challenges. Despite that, the schools in the East Riding offer a good and improving standard of education which parents clearly appreciate.”

Pub picks up award

THE Unicorn Inn in Selby has been named Spring’s Pub of the Season by the York branch of CAMRA.

York ambassadors sought

KNOWLEDGABLE residents are being sought for a ambassadorial role. 

City of York Council is calling on volunteers to welcome some of the 7,000,000 people who visit the city every year.

One of the first events York Ambassadors will be asked to lend a hand at will be the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire with stage two finishing in York on May 2. 

People can register their interest by completing a short survey online at surveymonkey.com/s/F9THWSM. The closing date is Friday, March 20.

Remembrance service

A SERVICE of love, thanksgiving and remembrance has been organised by York’s stillbirth and neonatal death charity, SANDS, and York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The service will take place on Mothering Sunday, March 15, at York Hospital’s Chapel, at 10.30am and is open to anyone affected by the loss of a baby. For more information, please contact York Hospital Bereavement Services on 01904 725445.

Helping disabled youngsters stay road safe

THE wheels are in motion for a road safety project in York after it raised £1,500 in just ten days via crowdfunding.

Snappy Road Safety, led by Anne Stamp, reached its fundraising goal with help from insurer AXA, which helped the project attract investment online.

The money raised will be used to host six-week road safety workshops for disabled young people in the region.

Snappy Road Safety works with groups of disabled young people, teaching them about road safety, bike safety and getting around a city.

AXA’s crowdfunding of road safety projects is in conjunction with crowdfunding platform Crowdfunder.co.uk, and sees the insurer working with individual project leaders to raise awareness and help encourage members of the public to support their local projects.

Anne Stamp, head of Snappy Road Safety, said: "Roads can pose a high risk for disabled young people, as they may have little or no awareness of traffic, lights and timings when crossing them.

"It’s fantastic that AXA is match-funding projects like ours, which will go towards restoring some roadside independence and confidence back into the lives of the people we work with.”

James Barclay, who leads the RoadSafe campaign at AXA, said: "We are absolutely delighted that Snappy Road Safety’s project has reached its funding goal.

"This is such an exciting project and we are hopeful that this will help make York’s roads safer."
 

Dog show in aid of St Leonard’s Hospice planned

A YORK dog groomer is looking for prizes and stall-holders ahead of plans to host a charity dog show.

Claire Coulton, owner of Claire’s K9 Clips, based in Poppleton Road, is raising money in aid of St Leonard’s Hospice by hosting a dog show at The Fox, in Holgate Road, on May 17.

Mrs Coulton said: “It is sure to be a fun filled day whether you want to come to show your dog or you just want to come down to soak in the atmosphere.

“If you think your pet is best in show there will be fun classes to show off your dogs.

“There will be prizes for the winner of each class, provided by Varney Photographers, Pooch and Mutts, James Wellbeloved, Royal Canin and Foss Feeds, as well as rosettes and Best in Show.

“All classes will be judged by vets and nurses from the Minster Veterinary Practice.”

The dog show will also feature side stalls, a raffle, tombola, games, bouncy castle, children’s entertainer, and grooming demonstations.

Ahead of the event Mrs Coulton is appealing for stall-holders and prizes. Anyone interested is asked to contact her on 01904 798555 or email c.coulton820@btinternet.com