Duck race sunk
by red tape!
by Gary Skentelbery
HEALTH and safety red tape has resulted in an annual charity event which helps raise tens of thousands of pounds for good causes in Warrington being cancelled at short notice.
Organisers of the annual Lymm Round Table Charity Duck Race, which has taken place on an Easter Monday for many years, have had to cancel this year’s event.
James Phipps chairman of Lymm and district Round Table said: “Following some tough decisions we regret to announce that the annual Easter Monday Duck race is now cancelled.
“In order to meet the necessary requirements for public health and safety it has now become necessary for us to close the road within Lymm Village. The cost of this closure is prohibitive in regard to the typical funds that can be raised during the event.
“This notice comes late as we have been desperately trying to find an alternative venue, such as Slitten Gorge. However, to successfully turn this around in the time and with the resources available is proving too much for a volunteer organisation of our size.
“We are sorry to disappoint the community given this is the first such cancellation of the event in a long history of incident free Easter Mondays. Lymm Round Table is made up from a bunch of guys who work hard in their day jobs, however, the increasing culture of the country for litigation is having a displacing effect on such events.
“We will continue to work with the council and will seek sponsors to try and find a solution for recovering the event in the future. Please watch out for future announcements.
Local councillor Sheila Woodyatt said: “I am sure we will all do what we can to ensure we have the race next year.
“Health and safety regulations are completely OTT and are killing a lot of events. They also have an effect on voluntary groups and organisations and if we don’t resuscitate common sense, many of our treasured traditions will die.”
Anyone wishing to comment on this can do so on our Readers Forum by Clicking here or by emailing James at [email protected]
Health care row rages
on after stormy meeting
by John Hendon
THE row over plans to re-organise primary health care in Warrington shows no signs of abating following a chaotic consultation meeting at the Halliwell Jones stadium.
Primary Care Trust chiefs eventually decided to abandon the meeting because of the number of members of the public who could not get into the room.
Another meeting is to be held ? but the time and place has not yet been announced.
The Trust wants to build five new super health centres ? sometimes referred to as ?mini hospitals? or ?health supermarkets? ? across the borough, providing cutting edge facilities for GPs, dentists, nurses and other health professionals.
But most doctors are opposed to the scheme and claim it will result in most, if not all, existing surgeries closing. They also predict the end of the traditional doctor-patient relationship because people will have difficulty in making appointments to see their own GP.
Patients are up in arms because of fears of whole communities being deprived of their local surgeries and people having to travel miles to see a doctor.
Estimates of how many people could not get into the Halliwell Jones meeting vary ? but some people who were present believe up to 100 were turned away.
There was considerable shouting and heckling of speakers.
PCT officials were accused of failing to answer questions. One person described the meeting as a ?complete shambles.?
After the meeting was adjourned, several people said they would be writing to the Health Secretary and local MPs to object to the proposals.
Sam’s back – after
learning the lingo!
by staff reporter
SECOND year languages student Sam Nairn has returned to Warrington?s Priestley College refreshed after a work experience adventure in Spain.
The 17-year-old is currently studying Spanish, French, Art and Psychology at the Loushers Lane college and is hopeful of pursuing a career in modern foreign languages.
His current interests lie in the area of interpretation and translation and his week in Spain gave him the ideal opportunity to immerse himself in a unique European culture.
Sam spent a week working in a restaurant in the city of Zaragoza where he was joined by fellow students from around the United Kingdom in a scheme run by Acorn Educational Exchanges.
He said: “It was the first time I’ve visited Spain and so to go straight into an employment setting in an upmarket restaurant was a little daunting.
“I was speaking the language all the time, while in a working environment which certainly increased my confidence and allowed me to get a thorough understanding of Spanish. I would certainly recommend a trip such as this to fellow students.”
Sam is now planning to continue his love of languages at degree level with a course in French and Russian with interpretation at the end of his college studies this summer.
Agency wins award for
investing in its people
by Lesley Wilkinson
A WARRINGTON-based agency is celebrating receiving the Investors in People award.
Groundwork Mersey Valley won the business improvement award – which focuses on improved performance, realising objectives and good management and training of staff.
Executive director Derek Robertson said: “We’re going from strength to strength. Working in the local areas of greatest need we are developing innovative projects and bringing in the funding to deliver them – in partnership with local people and partner agencies.”
Referring to the award he added: “For Groundwork that means developing projects that help improve the lives of local people – and value for money for our public and local authority partners.”
Groundwork was established six years and delivers practical regeneration work throughout Warrington and Halton, including projects such as a community orchard, gardening and allotment schemes, and healthy walks programmes.
One in four smokers
ready to quit this year
by David Skentelbery
ONE in four smokers in the North West have pledged to try and stop smoking when England goes ?smoke free? on July 1, according to Warrington Primary Care Trust.
The Trust has made its own pledge ? to be there to support anyone attempting to quit the habit.
Members of the PCT Stop Smoking Team were out and about during the week of No Smoking Day, offering advice, support and handing out fresh daisies to the town?s population.
Events were held at Warrington Market, Youth Advice Shop/Connexions Centre, Town Hall Foyer, Birchwood Shopping Centre, Cockhedge Shopping Centre, Warrington Bus Station and Warrington Hospital.
The theme “make a fresh start” gave smokers the opportunity to quit smoking and start a new healthy lifestyle.
Bruce Gillibrand, PCT lifestyle co-ordinator said: ?The week was a great success, with many people receiving help and support from the Stop Smoking Team. Figures released on No Smoking Day reveal that one in four smokers in the North West say they will try to or definitely stop smoking when the UK goes completely smoke free from 1st July. We are here to support and help these people”.
Free help and support is available to people trying to quit smoking in Warrington, with daytime and evening appointments. To contact the service for advice ring: 01925 843713.
Sales proceeds to go
on affordable homes
by John Hendon
TOWN Hall chiefs have agreed to spend the total proceeds from the sale of two sub-standard properties in the town on affordable housing or regeneration.
The decision enables the borough council to retain 100 per cent of the proceeds of the sales instead of only the normal 25 per cent.
One of the properties, in Fletchers Lane, Lymm, has already been sold at auction. The other is in Manchest
er Road, Warrington.
Extensive work would be required on the Manchester Road property to bring it up to ?decent homes? standard, including new central heating, rewiring, damp proof course, bathroom, kitchen, replastering, etc.
In addition there are structural problems requiring completely rebuilding the gable wall, removal of a solid floor in the kitch and re-roofing of the property. Additional work on the footings is also likely to be needed to cope with structural problems.
Normally, the council would be able to keep only 25 per cent of the proceeds of the sales, with the rest going to the government. But by undertaking to spend the money on affordable homes or regeneration, the authority can keep all the proceeds.
