Parish Plan Household Questionnaire goes live!

The Parish Plan Household Questionnaire is being delivered to every household in the parish (click here to see a map) from Monday 1 April but you can also complete it online by following this link.

We have tried to include all the issues that were raised during our initial mini-survey back in January but also to think a little bigger and give you an opportunity to say how you would like to see the village develop over the next 10 years. And if we’ve forgotten anything, there’s a ‘what have we missed?’ section.

Everyone now has until St Mark’s Day (when else?) – Thursday 25 April – to get their answers in. Thank you for taking the time to contribute.

Natland Spring Litter Hunt 2013

The eighth Spring Litter Hunt since the Natland Parish Plan of 2004 proposed its re-introduction took place on Saturday 23 March 2013. The weather was overcast but dry after Friday’s sleet, but with temperatures ranging from 1.5°C in Natland to zero on The Helm, chilled further by wind gusting to gale force, it was not a day for the faint-hearted. Yet it came as a considerable relief compared with the forecasted white-out which would have entailed cancelling the operation.

Helped by some prudent picking in the preceding days, all the targeted roads and footpaths were cleared of litter (for the time being, at least).  Despite the conditions, there were 25 volunteers in all compared with 18 in 2012, 26 in 2011 and 32 in 2010 – mostly the regulars but some new, younger faces. A TV, tent and two sleeping bags lent some variety to the usual collection of bottles, drink cans and fast food containers.

Thanks go again to SLDC for providing equipment and taking the bags to tip, and to the public-spirited volunteers who were: Malcolm Beaty, Kirsten Cannon, John Chandler, John Covill, Jean Dobson, Midge Fairhurst, Andrew Gill, Marly Hunter, Stephen Hitchcock, Audrey Howe, John Inglesfield, Elspeth Jayne, Margaret Lancaster, Alan Paley, Rhian and David Peters, Adele and Louise Rennard, John Ritchie, Sarah Roberts, Ralph Rogerson, Don Shore, Guy Weller, Mike Winterbottom and Andrew Whittaker. Well done all of you!

David Peters
Chair of Natland Parish Council

Broadband latest - no details yet

At the Hub Coordinators’ meeting on Wednesday 13 March very little more about the broadband rollout was revealed. Maps showing detailed plans for the installation of superfast broadband across the county – and who will get it and who will not – were promised for last November and are now not likely to be available until ‘late spring’. We will continue to keep our ears to the ground and be poised to react when we are told what’s happening.

Telephone sales warning

Message sent by

Nicola Clay (Cumbria Trading Standards, Community Support Officer, Cumbria)

Cumbria Trading Standards and Police are warning elderly householders in the County to be wary of businesses cold calling on the telephone offering to sell food supplements. Residents have reported receiving unsolicited calls where they are offered sample packs of health supplements at a low price and are then contacted at a later date to order a large quantity and asked for their card details. It is thought that the company are directly targeting older adults and using persuasive sales techniques in order to sell the goods and in some cases taking lump sums of money instead of agreed monthly installments.

 

Distance selling legislation allows consumers to cancel orders that are made over the telephone, online or by mail order up to seven working days after receipt of the goods. If anyone feels they may have been pressured into buying goods or needs further advice they can contact Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06.

Kosovo Talk Success.

Judith Robinson writes:

My presentation on Friday was a great success. Nearly 60 people attended and seemed to have enjoyed it. The donations collected to help disadvantaged children in Kosovo, raised nearly £250. I have been in touch with Elizabeth Gowing of "The Ideas Partnership" about this and would like to pass on her thanks to the donors:

"We are employing a teacher who runs literacy classes for 25 Roma adults and homework classes for 60 Roma and Albanian children together, and his salary is 150 euro per month. We don't currently have enough money to pay him after next month and it would be a terrible shame to stop those classes, so your donation will pay for a month of his teaching. We'll use the rest of the money to cover the transport in April to and from Fushe Kosove for the Pristina volunteers who run the Saturday English, maths and literacy activities for 120 children and the weekly dance club which 20 Roma kids attend. So an enormous impact will be felt from those very generous donations - thank you so much!"

And thank you for listening to me.

Judith Robinson.

Parish Council Meeting Agenda

The next meeting of Natland Parish Council is to be held on Monday 25th March 2013 at 7.30pm. at Natland Village Hall.  Folow link to AGENDA

Art Exhibition

The picture voted the best by visitors to the exhibition was Keith Hodsoll's White Creek Bay and the best artist was deemed to be Shane Marsh.   For those of you who missed the exhibition you can catch up by using this link to look at the photos taken by the Westmorland Gazette reporter who visited it and took photos.Ellis Butcher's blog 

So far it looks as if the profit made for Village Hall funds will be in the region of £430.00, so many thanks to those who exhibited and helped on the day.

Monday Club Meeting

Trevor Hughes will give the second part of his talk on Kendal Town Treasures at the next Monday Club meeting, for over 50's. It's on the 18th March at 2pm in the Village Hall.

Fair Trade and Red Nose Day at St. Mark's Primary School

FAIR TRADE
Fair Trade fortnight was really successful. The children have taken on the key messages and we are keen to continue with this work as a school. Our plan is eventually to apply for Fair Trade School status. The tuck shop will operate each half term, Fair Trade products will be available at most school events and we will continue to look at issues of trade and fair rewards for producers in the curriculum.

RED NOSE DAY: COMIC RELIEF Friday 15^th March

Friday is Red Nose Day.  Red Noses will be on sale @ £1 each at morning break each day this week. Children can wear their own clothes on the day (including something ‘funny’ should they wish). Payment for coming in mufti is a donation of chocolate for the Friends’ Chocolate Bingo event next week.

Don’t forget the Year 4 Fair Trade Baking Competition on Friday between 3.00 and 4.00 p.m.

This is an excerpt from a recent letter to parents, giving a flavour of the sorts of activities the children, teachers and parents are involved in.

Church Coffee Morning

Request for volunteers

South Lakeland Carers 
 

60% of people will, in their lifetime, become carers for a friend or relative

We’re a local charity that supports over 1000 unpaid carers, aged 5-94 years old.  Our free services and staff and volunteers help carers to care for longer. We provide one to one support, counselling, support groups, relaxation treatments, respite breaks, trips and contingency planning. Volunteers deliver many of our services.

Our Sitting Service volunteers make a huge difference to the life of a carer. They support carers by sitting with the ‘cared for’ person so that the carer can have a break from their caring responsibilities, with the peace of mind that the person they care for is safe.

We are recruiting new volunteers to join our team and would like to hear from you. The role is flexible and can be arranged to suit your availability. The role involves:

• Offering conversation and company to the cared for person
• Making drinks and ensuring the cared for person is comfortable
• Being a presence in the home in case of accident or emergency
• This role does not include personal care or lifting

In return we will provide:

• Your travel expenses
• A matching service
• Training
• Social opportunities
• One to one support

If you're interested in finding out more about the role, please contact Kathy Collins, Volunteer Manager, for a chat:

Ring 01539 815970

Call in: South Lakeland Carers, Eskdale House, Shap Road, Kendal, LA9 6DQ

Email us: kathycollins@slcarers.org.uk

Congratulations to our blog editor Stephen Baker

Local Social Enterprise wins regional award

Thriving social enterprise Right2Work, based in Kendal has won the Excellence in Partnership award in the prestigious Excellence in Social Enterprise Award.

 

The team at Right2Work were awarded this accolade for their partnership work with South Lakeland District Council (SLDC), Cumbria Adult Education, local businesses and recycling organisations such as Cumbria Waste Recycling.  Right2Work was set up in August 2011 by parent organisation and charity Oaklea Trust.  Oaklea were successful in securing a seven year contract with South Lakeland District Council to operate and manage the collection of Bulky Waste from residents in the area.

The service previously offered by SLDC had a 44% collection failure rate and 100% of items collected went to landfill.  In the 16 months Right2Work has been operating, they have achieved a 100% collection rate, and have diverted over 101 tonnes of waste from landfill. 

To read more about this award winning social enterprise see attached press release.
 

Photo attached:  L-R representative from Social Enterprise North West,  Stephen Baker Oaklea Trust Director; Sandy Ryder Oaklea Trust and R2W Trustee; Jen Hone Business Development Manager Oaklea Trust

Pensions Helpline Scam

Barry Evans, our local Neighbourhood Watch contact, has sent this alert from Nicola Clay (Cumbria Trading Standards, Community Support Officer, Cumbria).
 

Trading Standards are urging residents to disregard scam phone calls from a fraudulent organisation claiming to be "The Pensions Helpline" or "your pension provider".   

We have received a number of reports that, within a couple of days of people receiving the official letter from the Department of Works and Pensions (DWP) advising of the increase in pension from April,  people are receiving scam phone calls stating they are entitled to another £1000.

 

The calls so far appear to be originating from Manchester and Birmingham, however, you are then transferred to an automated line which may well take you to a premium rate number.

 

Trading Standards always advise never to give any personal or bank details to anyone who cold calls you.  If you receive such a call please hang up and report the matter to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040 www.actionfraud.org.uk.

 

For free, confidential and impartial advice on consumer issues contact Trading Standards via Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 08454 04 05 06 or visit www.adviceguide.org.uk

 

Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/cumbriats

RSPB Bird Event

Village Hall Happenings

The Quiz and hot pot supper proved to be a popular event again, with a good time being had by all and £262.68 made for Village Hall funds.

The winners of the 200 club were 1st - no. 24, Richard Hewlett; 2nd - no. 50, Charles Usher and 3rd - no.30 - Ronnie Holmes.

There have been 165 entries for the Art Show and the organisation is in place to make this a pleasant and smooth-running event.

The next meeting will be the AGM on 22nd April at 7.30, to which everyone is invited.

Kilimanjaro

Many thanks to everyone who donated to the MS Society to mark my trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Over £2,000 has been donated and still more to collect. The trip was brilliant, Kilimanjaro is absolutely awesome, it dominates the whole area. I made it to Stella Point which is on the crater rim ( Kilimanjaro is an extinct volcano ) but sadly did not get round to Uhuru Peak which is the iconic site. One of our party, a young lad of 25, collapsed three times and had to be taken back down to camp. Altitude sickness got to him. This made us late at the top and we had no time to go round. A pity but that's life. The whole trek was eight days of hard treking with temperatures varying from -10 to +35 so it was all very interesting.

Once again, thanks very much to everyone for their support.

 

David J. Ratcliffe

 

Smithy Close

 

Natland