Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified) Clitheroe Advertiser &Times, Thursday, May 19th, 2005


Appeal for more foster carers in


the North-West MORE foster carers are urgently needed in a bid to tackle a major shortfall across the North-West. . Lancashire County Council is teaming up with more than 20 councils to launch a joint appeal. The campaign follows national con­


cerns about a shortage of foster carers needed in the UK as the North West records the highest shortfall outside Lon­ don. Latest figures from a survey (Sept


2004), by the UK charity The Fostering Network, shows a staggering shortfall of 10,000 carers across the UK, with an estimated 1,700 foster carers needed to offer placement choice for children and young people in care across the North West. V ' The publicity and recruitment cam­


paign, supported by 22 councils, has been timed to coinci de with Foster Care Fortnight (May 9th to 22nd) which highlights the plight of 50,000 children needing fostering on any one day in the UK. ■ A'Vvider pool of foster carers would


drastically increase the chance of finding the right foster family for the right child and help prevent children being moved from home to home, having to live a long way from friends and family, while some brothers and sisters having to be split up. The campaign aims to attract, in par­


ticular, foster carers living in the North West with experience of caring or work­ ing with children, preferably older ones. Campaigners say there is a particular shortfall in carers between the age of 40 and 55.


, However, applications and interest are


welcome from all types of families from different backgrounds who would make great foster carers. These include single­ parent families, married couples, grand­ parents or great grandparents. Foster families may have young children, grown-up children or no children of their own. One thing they do all have in com­ mon is that they love children and want to help them and make a difference to their lives. As the single biggest agency in the


North West providing support for chil­ dren and young people in care, Lan­ cashire County Council is taking the lead in the region. Diane Vincent, county fostering man­


ager at Lancashire County Council said: “Clearly there is a need to recruit more


foster carers to look after and support some of Lancashire's most vulnerable children so the best place can be chosen for each child who needs it, for whatever reason and for whatever length of time. “As the single biggest agency in the


North West support for children and young people in care, we are pleased to be.worWng with other local authorities in efforts to raise awareness of the need for more carers and in efforts to reduce the need to move children out of a coun­ cil area because of the shortage of car- ers.


_ Fostering continues to be a major part


of Lancashire County Council's policy for looked after children. At any oiie time around 1,300 children and young people are looked after by the authority with some 900 children placed in foster care or for adoption every year. This includes children of all ages and from dif­ ferent backgrounds with physical or learning disabilities and mental health problems. Lancashire County Council currently


support over 650 approved foster carers, but more are needed.


. - ■ For more information about fostering


in Lancashire contact your local family placement team on freephone 0800 195 1183 or visit www.fosteringinlan- cashire.co.uk


crime


A C R IM E-BU ST IN G blueprint for Ribble Valley • will be unveiled a t a special event in C lithe roe n ex t Tuesday. The Ribble Valley Crime


and Disorder Reduction Part­ nership will launch its crime- busting strategy for the next three years at a special “Quali­ ty of Life Day”. Latest Home Office figures


reveal that the rural borough already has the lowest crime rate in the North West - and the partnership is keen to keep it that way. Its new three-year strategy


was compiled following an. extensive crime audit last November. It sets out how the partnership will tackle the bor­ ough’s most pressing crime problems, including travelling criminals, substance abuse and_ fly-tipping. Chairman of the partner­


ship, Ribble Valley Council chief executive David Morris, . said; “Ribble Valley has one of


the lowest crime rates in Lan­ cashire, although one of our biggest problems is travelling criminals and we aim to work closely with neighbouring areas to tackle this. “We will also monitor crime


patterns over the next three years and, if an area is in dan­ ger of becoming a crime hotspot, we will target resources accordingly. ■ “Only by working in part­


nership can we tackle crime and we aim to make this our most successful strategy ever.” Insp. Bob Ford, in charge of


policing in Ribble Valley, added; "The strategy identifies crime and disorder patterns


■ that the partnership needs to tackle. :


• “We aim to work together closely with our partners to solve problems affecting the lives of local people."


. The strategy will be launched at a “Quality of Life Day” in the Ribble Valley Council Chamber, in Church


Street, from 2 p.mi to 8 p.m. The event is a showcase for agencies involved in the pre­ vention of crime and disorder and will cover issues such as nuisance neighbours, loutish behaviour, dog-fouling and high hedges. . Representatives of various


organisations will be at hand to discuss their work, includ­ ing Ribble Valley Borough Council, the Lancashire Youth and Community Service, Lan­ cashire Trading Standards and the Council tor Voluntary Ser­ vice. Ribble Valley Council’s


quality of life officer John Bar­ ber, who has co-ordinated the event, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for members of the public to receive compre­ hensive information about the work being undertaken by numerous agencies to tackle


' crime and disorder in Ribble Valley and everyone is wel­ come.” The tree event will also


mark National Noise Action Week, a Government initiative aimed at clamping down on noise nuisance. Recent figures from the


British Crime Survey have ranked Ribble Valley 366th out of the UK’s 377 crime and disorder reduction partnership areas for comparable recorded crime, effectively making it the 11th safest area in the country and the safest in the North­ west. A recent opinion survey by


Lancashire Constabulary revealed 94% of respondents in Ribble Valley had confi­ dence in the police, the second highest in the county. The Ribble Valley Crime


and.Disorder Reduction Part­ nership was formed in 1998. I ts members include Lan­ cashire Constabulary, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Lan-


. cashire County Council, Lan­ cashire Fire and Rescue Ser- ■vice and the Ribble Valley Pri­ mary Care Trust.


Borough council is top of the league for collecting rent Preston Council came bot­


THE Ribble Valley Borough Council comes top of the league for collecting council. house rents. Analysis by Public Services


Union GMB shows the council is the best authority in the . North West - managing to col­ lect 98.9% of rents.


tom of the league failing to col­ lect 9.1% of its rents in 2003/04;'Ribble Valley Bor­ ough Council’s housing man­ ager, Christine Grimshaw, said: “We encourage our ten­ ants to inform us immediately if they are having payment


problems. We also offer a wide range of help and support in' ensuring they claim all the benefits they are entitled to. “This is great news and I


would like to thank our ten­ ants for their co-operation.” The GMB analysed infor­ mation published by the Audit


www.clitheroetoday.co.uk Children’s charity is Clitheroe 422324 (Editorial), 422323 (Advertising), Burnley 422331 (Classified)


: New home service is


launched A NEW home care and repair service has been launched by St Vincent’s Housing Association in the Ribble Valley. Building on the success


of its agency in Pendle, St Vincent’s, in partnership with Age Concern Lan­ cashire, will be offering advice, support and direct assistance on ways to live independently, safely and comfortably. The service is funded by


Ribble Valley Borough Council, Supporting Peo­ ple and Lancashire Coun­ ty Council Social Services. Ribble Valley Home


Care and Repair is target­ ed at owner-occupiers and private tenants, who are elderly, have a disability, are vulnerable or in receipt of benefits. The scheme will help


A CEILIDH in Read raised Organised by local GP Sheila held at the St Mary’s Centre, almost £2,000 for international Bailey and a hardworking Clitheroe, and featured popu- children’s charity UNICEF.


team of helpers, the event was lar ceilidh band Quadrille.


Around 170 tickets were sold and donations took the fund­ raising total to £1,927.


residents establish or maintain their chosen lifestyle with maximum independence. St Vincent's hopes to expand the scheme by introducing a Handyman Service. Based on the already


successful service St Vin­ cent's gives in Pendle, the Handyman Service will carry out minor repairs and jobs around the home for a reasonable charge, helping clients avoid the "rip off" charges of unscrupulous contractors. Pauline Brown from St


Vincent's said: “We are very excited about our first surgery in Clitheroe. Thanks to the funding from our partners, we are sure we will be able to help many elderly people in Ribble Valley live inde­ pendently in their home for longer. In particular, we want to


make sure we reach those' living in the more rural areas of the borough, and will be offering surgeries in Longridge, as well as offer­ ing a free phone number and home visits.”


Seminar on


churchyards LEARNING to manage churchyards for the enjoy­ ment of people and wildlife is the aim of a seminar taking place on Saturday. Being staged at the vil­


Commission during this study regarding best value perform­ ance indicators for 2003/04. Councils owning fewer than 200 council dwellings are not required to submit figures to the Audit Commission and therefore are not included in this analysis.


lage hall and St Mary’s, Long Preston; between 1 and 4-30 p.m., the week­ end event is being organ­ ised by the Yorkshire Liv­ ing Churchyard Project, supported by the Bowland Deanery and the York­ shire Wildlife Trust. Its aim is for delegates


to discover how church­ yards can become sanctu- arys for flowers, butterflies and birds. Anyone wanting to;


book a free place on the seminar can ring 01904 659570.


HAVING a good laugh while raising money for good causes is the aim of a group of men


f-''


from Whalley. The gang of 40, who call themselves the


Whalley Builders/Suits, compete in different disciplines and challenges throughout each year and give the proceeds made to good


C^US6S> Cycling, cricket, badminton, bowls and


sportsmen’s dinners are among the activities undertaken by the group, which has been


meeting for the past 15 years. Last year the group pig-napped a wooden


ornament from Guy’s Thatched Hamlet at Bilsborrow during their annual sporting fun


day. The pig then spent time globe-trotting


across the world. On its return home, a fund-raising evening


was held in Whalley with competitions to guess how far the animal had travelled and how many countries it had visited. At one of this year’s events, a St George’s


Day dinner dance, held at Whalley Golf Club, the group handed over a cheque for £3,800 to Cystic Fibrosis through Read teenager Sophie Longton, who suffers from the illness and raises money for other young sufferers and for the Cystic Fibrosis Trusts


central fund. Pictured with the cheque are some of the >


Whalley Builders/Suits Group. (T250405/4)


www.ciitheroetoday.co.uk


Thursday, May 19th, 2005 w Clitheroe Advertiser &Times,


Councillors’ promise to disgruntled residents


By Faiza Afzaal


“WE shall be back” - this is the message from leader of Rib­ ble Valley Borough Council, Coun. John Hill, and deputy leader, Coun. Robert Thomp­ son, to disgruntled members of Whalley Parish Council. The message is designed to allay


the fears of villagers and parish councillors alarmed by what they claim has so far been a “lack of response” from the two councillors following a recent meeting. The duo attended the village’s


parish council meeting on Thurs­ day, March 17th, when in a “ques­ tion and answer” session, they were quizzed about a number of issues annoying villagers. Among the issues discussed


included the'possibility of new public toilets in the village, filth


and rubbish in Princess Street and Queen Street areas, alterations at the bus station and car parking. Nearly two months later, parish


councillors claim they have not had a reply from the councillors and are now asking: “Why are we waiting?” In response to local residents


and parish councillors’ concerns, Coun. Hill and Coun. Thompson have vowed to get back to the members as soon as possible. Speaking to the Clitheroe Adver­


tiser and Times, Coun. Hill, said: “Issues were raised during the Whalley Parish Council meeting and we understand there were many concerns expressed. “However, in no way are we


going to rush this. “These are complex issues and


have to be dealt with carefully. “We have now attended two


Whalley meetings and have come away with better understanding of


the provision of public conven­ iences and use of a Calderstones site and many other issues. “We share these concerns, but


I’m afraid these matters cannot be dealt with overnight. “To allay the fears of the vil­


lagers, the borough council’s direc­ tor of commercial services, Mr John Heap, very kindly attended the annual parish council meeting on our behalf and listened to a number of concerns expressed. “Those concerns have been


taken on board and despite his attendance, we are in the process of compiling a detailed report as soon as possible. “All we can say at this point in


time is that ‘we shall be back’.” Our picture shows Coun. Hill


and Coun. Thompson determined to look into matters raised a t parish council meetings in Whal­ ley.


(A050505/n) A good laugh in a very good cause


MP joins war on bullying


RIBBLE VALLEY’S newly re­ elected MP, Mr Nigel Evans, took time out of his busy sched-; ule to support a campaign high­ lighting the need to stamp out bullying in schools. The Stanley House Hotel, in


Mellor, was the venue for a luncheon, which saw politicians and members of the business community from East Lan­ cashire join forces to wipe out


bullying. The high-profile event was


hosted by Mrs Cheryl


Drinkwater, mentoring co-ordi­ nator for Nacro Time-Out - an organisation which has been supporting the anti-bullying project for the past three years. Mrs Drinkwater also


thanked Stanley House and Nick Clarke Photography for their sponsorship of the event. Our picture shows Mrs


Drinkwater with Bill Powell, Frank Havard, Margo Grimshaw and Mr Evans at the event.


(B210405/3)


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47