NEWS FLASH
POLICE at Warrington have issued a warning to motorists about dangerous road conditions arising from a sustained period of heavy rain. A number of roads in and around the borough are flooded and drivers are advised to drive slowly. No details of specific roads have been given, but Warrington-Worldwide has received reports of severe flooding in Croft village and on the A56 Stockport Road at Thelwall.
Pupils in homage to
holocaust victims
by David Skentelbery
PUPILS from seven Warrington schools joined together to listen to stories told by a holocaust survivor.
The event – hosted by Lymm High School – also involved pupils from six other borough secondary schools, Bridgewater High, Grappenhall Hall, Woolston High, Padgate High, St Gregory’s RC High and Sir Thomas Boteler CE High.
Six candles were lit during a moving ceremony in memory of the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis.
Mayer Hersch, a survivor of the holocaust and David Arnold, whose mother also survived, spoke about their experiences.
The fifth annual Holocaust Memorial Day takes place on Thursday, January 27 and Coun Maureen Banner, Warrington borough council’s executive member for education said the event at Lymm High School would help the young people involved to understand the significance of the day.
She said: “The aim of Holocaust Memorial Day is to commemorate all those who suffered as a result of the Holocaust but also to demonstrate that the Holocaust is relevant to everyone in the UK today.
“It is good to see children and young people taking part in events like these and learning about what happened during the Holocaust so that they can help ensure that such atrocities are not forgotten or repeated.”
Coun Banner said the memorial day would help ensure the victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution were not forgotten and educate people about the dangers of racism, anti-Semitism, victimisation and genocide.
It raised awareness and understanding of the events of the Holocaust and highlighted its relevance today.
Other primary and secondary schools across Warrington took part in activities exploring this year’s memorial day theme of “Survivors, Liberation and Rebuilding Lives.”
NHS staff get help
to stop smoking
by staff reporter
HEALTH service staff are being helped to give up smoking at a new clinic in Warrington.
The new service, at the Occupational Health Department in Hollins Park, has been set up specifically to target health workers.
It follows a similar workplace service launched at Warrington Hospital last summer which has so far had 34 referrals.
Warrington Primary Care Trust’s Stop Smoking Service co-ordinator Sheila Cahill said: “We hope that by putting sessions on at the workplace of our staff it will encourage smokers to quit.
“The six to eight week support programme can make a real difference as it’s sometimes difficult to give up on your own.”
The service for staff is identical to that for all Warrington quitters, which are held at various locations across the town. A number of pharmacies also hold sessions.
Louise Owen, 30, of Great Sankey, who has successfully quit with the service said: “I started smoking aged 15 at school. I was smoking between 15 and 20 a day. Hitting 30 made me think – I was frightened about developing a stroke or a heart attack later in life.”
The recruitment adviser with CSG Careers added: “I quit on November 16 – I really wanted to give up. Going to the clinic made it easier – knowing that I would go every week and they would give me encouragement, support and advice that would keep me going.”
Anyone wanting help to give up should contact Warrington Stop Smoking Service on 01925 843713.
A recent health and lifestyle survey of Warrington residents suggested that 31,300 people smoke – that’s 23 per cent of the population.
Campaign to save
housing office
by staff reporter
A CAMPAIGN has been launched at Warrington to save a busy housing office from closure.
Warrington North MP Helen Jones and Poplars and Hulme councillors Eric Bromley, John Kerr-Brown and Brian Maher are backing the campaign to keep the Cotswold Road Housing Office open.
Golden Gates Housing – Warrington borough council’s arm’s length housing management company – is consulting tenants on whether the office should remain open or reduce opening hours.
The MP said: “The ward councillors and I feel that this valuable service should remain and we will be campaigning to keep it open. It is our belief that closure would be a big blow to local people as the office is well used. I will be joining Eric, John and Brian as they knock on doors to gather support for our campaign.”
Students to stage
tsunami concert
by John Hendon
ACCESS to Music students from Warrington Collegiate are to stage a concert on Thursday February 3 in aid of the victims of the South East Asian tsunami disaster.
The concert will be at the WA1 club in Warrington town centre and will feature a range of music from rock and dance to acoustic.
Local music shop, Dawson?s has donated prizes including an acoustic guitar, microphone, lead and stand and a guitar effects pedal. Other local businesses have also pledged their support.
Access to Music tutor, Sue Quin said: “It was initially my idea to stage this concert but the students responded with typical enthusiasm. This disaster has touched everyone’s hearts.
“Something of this magnitude has had an enormous impact on the lives of so many and that is reflected in the way ordinary people have responded, collecting money in every way possible.”
Elderly people do not
feel safe – police told
by Lesley Wilkinson
OLDER people do not feel safe in the community, residents told senior police officers at a meeting of Appleton Parish Council.
Members of Pewterspear Residents Association and Woodside Court Residents Association said they felt more of a police presence was needed on the streets.
They were reassured by plans for more community-based policing with teams of local officers, led by a local inspector, working from Stockton Heath Police Station to cover South Warrington.
Peter Ogden, chairman of the Pewterspear group said: “Elderly people do not feel safe. Before Christmas there were two break-ins in Pewterspear Lane.” He said an officer arrived two days later and was from another area rather than from Warrington. He said it was reassuring that there would be more locally-based officers but asked that they be from the local community.
Chief Inspector Dave Bertenshaw told the meeting that the aim was for officers, working with the Community Support Officers, to become “known ” in the community. They would be easier to contact by telephone and in person.
“The new system will focus accountability on a smaller area. People will have the opportunity to set their own priorities to make their own neighbourhood safer,” he said.
He said that police had made big improvements on crime figures, but there had been an increase in theft and violent crime in Cheshire before Christmas.
He said figures for burglaries had declined since the early 1990s.
“These figures are coming down a lot. Nobody bothers nicking a video now as everyone has got one,” he added.
He said there had been an increase in violent crime, but much of this was at the lower end of the scale such as minor fights. New plans for local policing should reassure the public.
“It is worrying that public confidence is falling. People want to know the local police and see a face they know,” added Chief Inspector Bertenshaw.
Afternoon tea
for old folk
by staff reporter
A GROUP of older people from throughout Warrington will enjoy a special afternoon tea at Bents garden centre, Glazebury on February 13.
Local charity, Cont
act the Elderly, organises a monthly afternoon tea for their group of about 10 members, all over 80, in one of the volunteer’s homes.
Co-ordinator Carol Roberts said: “Many of the people are housebound, so do not get out much. Some have no family or visitors so they really look forward to the monthly event.”
Carole, who has recently taken over as co-ordinator, wanted to do something special for the old folk. So she contacted Helen Bent, at the centre, who offered to do a free tea for the members.
“We are really looking forward to this. It will be a really special event for the old people,” she said.
CSOs asked to put
brake on parking
by Lesley Wilkinson
PARKING problems in Broomfields Road, Appleton, are to be reported to the area’s Community Support Officers.
Chairman Coun Sandy Watts told Appleton Parish Council that many people visiting the Broomfields Leisure Centre or Bridgewater High School in the early evening were double-parking.
“If there is also an event on at St Monica’s the area gets really busy. It can be horrendous some evenings,” she added.
Members suggested the CSOs could ask people not to double-park and not to park on bad corners in the area.
[ 24.01.2005, 16:46: Message edited by: DS ]
