Nurses will treat
town centre drunks
by David Skentelbery
BINGE drinkers and others with alcohol-related injuries will be able to receive treatment from nurses in the centre of Warrington this weekend.
A mobile triage facility – based in a fire service community outreach vehicle in Bridge Street – will provide rapid treatment of minor injuries and reduce the need for people to go to hospital.
Health workers will also give people information about reducing risks, including safe drinking advice.
The scheme, run by Warrington Primary Care Trust with support from North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust, is a pilot project and will operate this weekend only – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Over the last five years there has been a 57 per cent increase in alcohol-related admissions to Warrington Hospital’s accident and emergency department.
If the pilot results in a significant reduction in the number of admissions, funding will be sought to continue the scheme.
PCT unplanned care manager Chris Webb said: “People with minor injuries such as cuts, bruising, sprains or strains, or people who just feel generally unwell, will be able to come to the triage centre to be seen by a qualified nurse. Police, staff from pubs and clubs, or members of the public will also be able to direct people to the centre.
“There are two aims. The first is to treat people in the most appropriate setting – most people with minor injuries do not have to go to A&E. If we feel people need to go to hospital for additional treatment they will be transferred.
“The second aim is to give people advice about reducing risks, and that includes sensible, safe drinking.”
The pilot links up with a police crack down on binge drinking in the town centre.
Coun Mike Hannon, the borough council’s executive member for safer communities, said: “Whilst Warrington is a much safer place to be on an evening than many other town centres across the country, we want to ensure this position is maintained. The triage initiative builds upon the work the council and partners are doing, including our campaign against the sale of alcohol to young people.”
Panto returns
to Parr Hall
by Gary Skentelbery
KEEPING to its post-Christmas panto tradition, Warrington?s Parr Hall is staging family favourite **** Whittington and his Cat.
Taking place from Friday January 6 to Sunday January 15, Parr Hall is hosting 10 panto performances packed with fun, drama and magic.
This year?s panto tells a story of a poor young orphan called **** Whittington who travels to London to see if the streets really are paved with gold. He arrives with his best friend, Tommy the Cat, to seek his fortune but soon realises that cold and hunger are just as common in the capital as everywhere else.
This story was first recorded in 1605 by Rohini Chowdhury who wrote a story of Richard Whittington, the son of a knight and a rich merchant in London, who served three terms as Lord Mayor of London in 1397-99, 1406-07 and 1419-20.
Returning to Parr Hall after his tremendous success last year is Ian Moore as Sarah the Cook. Ian will no doubt appear in his outrageous costume and cause comedy mayhem in the process.
Ivan Wilkinson plays Sarah?s son Idle Jack and between them the comedy will be hilarious.
**** is played by Susan Jinks who is visiting Warrington for the first time.
The very talented Dawn Farrell plays Queen Rat with delicious venom, also a new actor to Parr Hall. Once again the juvenile chorus is provided by the excellent Felicia Burns Academy of Dance.
Felicia is also responsible for choreographing the show.
Tickets are available from the Pyramid box office on 01925 442345 at ?9/?8 and ?30 for family tickets (2+2). Curtain up is at 7pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 5pm or 7pm and there are matinee performances on Saturdays and Sundays at 2pm.
College’s cash boost
for good causes
by staff reporter
STUDENTS and staff at Warrington?s Priestley College have been in fund raising overdrive in recent weeks – and in the process raised ?1,250 for good causes.
A performing arts showcase kicked off things when ?50 was raised, which was quickly followed up by a ?pretty in pink? day when a further ?570 was added to the kitty ? both for breast cancer charities.
These were followed by Children in Need when ?630 was also raised through another action packed day of fun on campus.
Marketing officer Nat Ashurst said: “There has been a lot of fund raising activities taking place on campus in recent times and the results have been fantastic. As a college community we take great pride in helping out good causes and look forward to more of the same in the future.”
Illegal parking is
still the big issue
by John Hendon
ILLEGAL parking remains the biggest problem facing residents of Stockton Heath, Warrington – particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.
The village’s busy night-time economy is resulting in visitors parking outside people’s homes.
This was the message from a police community action meeting attended by 30 residents.
The issue of parking was top of the public’s list for police and partner agencies to tackle – followed by problems of nuisance youths and underage drinking.
PCSO Peter Crellin said: “Visitors to the village are parking outside residents’ houses when the main parking areas are full, particularly on a Friday and Saturday night.
“We will be carrying out high visibility patrols to deter illegal parking and to target motorists parked on double yellow lines. All five local PCSOs now have traffic powers and can issue ?30 non-endorsable fixed penalty tickets and ?60 endorsable tickets if someone has parked in a particularly hazardous location.”
Another issue raised at the meeting was speeding, particularly around Stockton Heath Primary School. Residents discussed the possibility of having a 20mph speed limit imposed in the vicinity of the school.
The next community action meeting will be held on Thursday February 2 at 7pm at Stockton Heath Primary School.
Santa’s in his grotto
WARRINGTON Disability Partnership have opened what they claim is the only ?Santa Grotto? in the town centre ? in Warrington Market.
The Mayor and Mayoress, Coun Hans Mundry and Coun Karen Mundry, officially opened the grotto opposite the Warrington Disability Partnership stall in the back hall of the market.
Santa is in the grotto every weekend until Christmas from 11am to 3pm and every day from Monday, December 19, during the same hours.
Another 194
offenders arrested
by staff reporter
THE fourth week of the big police ?Crackdown on Crime? campaign in Warrington resulted in 194 offenders being arrested.
A total of 744 arrests have now been made since the campaign started in the run-up to Christmas.
Officers arrested people for a variety of offences including possession of Class A drugs, burglary, drink driving, assault and shoplifting.
A number of proactive operations are taking place to target offenders in Warrington and elsewhere.
Primary schools take
town up league table
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON has again strengthened its position as one of the top performing local authorities in primary school league tables, according to Town Hall chiefs.
The town has come third nationally for the percentage of pupils achieving level four or above in English, maths and science combined.
Only Richmond-upon-Thames and Trafford had higher scores. Last year, Warrington came eleventh.
Coun Colin Froggatt, the borough council?s executive member for Children’s Services, said: “These results show that Warrington is not only maintaining its position as a high performing local authority but is improving its position from year to year.
“We are very proud of the success of our primary schools and all officers wi
thin the local authority who support schools and their pupils.”
In terms of average Key Stage 2 points, Warrington also ranked highly, reaching tenth position in the country, a rise from 14th the previous year.
Confidence building
course for women
by staff reporter
WARRINGTON-based charity The Relationships Centre ? which works with battered wives and other victims of domestic violence ? has won funding for a new personal development course for women called ?Basically Positive.?
Women who attended the first course will be presented with certificates of completion on topics such as Money and Budgeting, Building Self-Confidence and Assertiveness, Improving your Communication Skills and issues around basic skills needs.
This presentation will take place tomorrow (Thursday) at The Gateway in Sankey Street.
Another Basically Positive course will commence next month and anyone interested in attending can contact The Relationships Centre on 01925 246910.
Relationships Centre spokeswoman Marissa Hankinson said: “We have developed ‘Basically Positive’ to meet the needs of our clients. Many clients want to get back into the workplace or to start learning again but don’t have the confidence and basic skills to get them there. This course gives them the confidence to move forward with their lives in a positive way.”
