Mother of 10
starved to death
by staff reporter
A WARRINGTON mother of 10 who also had 30 grand children allegedly starved to death in her own home.
Members of her family claim peniless Ivy Allen starved to death because her council home had no letterbox so her pension could not be delivered.
Ivy, 79, had barely drunk or eaten in the last three months of her life.
None of her family, social services or pensions officials noticed she was dying at her home.
There was no food in the house when her emaciated body was found. None of the welfare agencies, her 10 children or 30 grandchildren were aware of her plight.
She was left broke when the door of her one-bedroom council bungalow was replaced without a post box. Her benefits book and giro cheques were returned by Royal Mail to the pensions office.
Officials there failed to tell anyone that she was not receiving any money.
Ivy’s family admit their failings in the months leading to her death but they are also angry that she was allowed to slip through the welfare net.
Ivy’s body was found at her home when a housing official went to find out why her rent had not been paid for six months.
Ivy, who could not read or write, began having problems when second husband died in January. She was devastated by the loss.
She was visited by a care worker until April but as her mental state worsened, she started to refuse help. Two months later, she was admitted to hospital with malnutrition. She discharged herself without her family being warned.
Warrington council say they tried to put a post box on Ivy’s door but had not been able to get in to do the work.
The Department of Work and Pensions has promised to launch an inquiry.
Bob Williams, Warrington Council’s Head of Communications, said:” During a number of months we worked extremely hard, with the involvement of her family, to help a very independent lady.
“We first became involved with Mrs Allen in February this year when, following the death of her partner, she became very distressed. In order that we could take her to a place of care and safety, the Police gained access to her home. As a result, the front door was damaged and had to be replaced the following day in order to secure the property. Numerous appointments were agreed verbally with Mrs Allen to gain access to fit a letterbox, but she continually refused to allow access or stay at home.
“We continued to work with, and support, Mrs Allen until April of this year when she told us quite clearly she no longer needed our services; a situation her family was fully aware of. At that time we agreed with both Mrs Allen, and in writing with a member of her family, that she could cope and live independently in the community. She was a very independent lady who chose not to cook for herself, preferring to travel into the town centre to eat.” “In late June this year we became aware that she had been admitted to hospital. However, she again declined to accept any support and, as the hospital was not concerned about her discharge home, it was not necessary for us to take any further action.
“We continued to try to maintain contact with Mrs Allen, and indeed contacted her family due to our concerns at the end of August. Our concerns continued right up to early September when we unfortunately found her dead in her house.
“We were very sorry to hear of Mrs Allen’s death but believe we did everything we could to support her to live the lifestyle she had chosen.”
History created for
University town
by Gary Skentelbery
HISTORY was made as the University of Chester officially opened its Warrington campus, an event that sees Warrington formally become a university town.
More than 200 distinguished visitors from the local area and across the country attended a special reception at the Crab Lane, Padgate Campus to wish the new organisation well.
Staff, visitors and former students who studied in Warrington as far back as the 1940s commemorated the occasion with a champagne reception.
Mayor of Warrington, Councillor Hans Mundry, unveiled a plaque to record the educational milestone, followed by an address by Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tim Wheeler.
A broad spectrum of dignitaries from the academic, business, political, cultural, health, religious, media and sporting arenas, celebrated the historic event and the exciting prospects having a university on the doorstep represents for the area.
The event launched a series of activities across the University, including a ball for all staff and fireworks display lighting up the Chester skyline on Friday night.
The week of celebrations culminates on Sunday afternoon in the installation ceremony for the new Chancellor, His Grace, the Duke of Westminster, preceded by a procession of academics to Chester Cathedral.
Beauty on the beach
by Terry Johnson
WARRINGTON beauty, Chrystal Lee, jetted to the jungles of Belize and the Southern Caribbean to land a contract with top glamour publication, Mystique.
The former Birchwood High pupil was selected from 4,000 Internet entrants for photo-shoots in exotic locations with 10 aspiring top models.
“I was treated like a Princess”, said Chrystal, 24, who represented Cheshire in the 2003 Miss Great Britain contest and has had photo-assignments in London.
Models were flown out to Honduras for jungle and beach photos. This was followed by a trip to the West Indies – into Barbados, then by ‘island hopper’ to Union island in St Vincent & The Grenadines.
Third leg of the journey was by golf cart and boat to the private Palm Island resort – where they were advised to use unscented Cactus Juice to guard against mosquitoes’ bites and not to stand under heavily-laden coconut palms!
“There were nurse sharks – but they have no teeth and only eat at night”, said Chrystal. “The biggest danger was from palm trees, because of coconuts crashing down”.
Just two British models were invited to Palm Island. The remaining eight girls were from American states.
A qualification in
community work
A 14-week course is to open in Warrington on Wednesday, October 19 which will give people the chance of getting a national qualification for working in the community.
It is the first time the Community Development Work Award course has been held in the town.
The three hour sessions, starting at 10am, will be held at The Gateway in Sankey Street.
The course is free and it may be possible to provide travel expenses for volunteers. There will be breaks for half-term and the Christmas school holidays to enable parents to attend.
A spokesperson for Warrington Council for Voluntary Service said: “To do the course, you need to have current or previous experience of working in the community, or with a community or voluntary group, either as a volunteer or a paid worker.”
Details are available from the CVS at FREEPOST NW5424, Warrington WA1 1AR.
Calling all poets
by Terry Johnson
A CALL has gone out for aspiring poets to make their mark at a Warrington ‘poetry laboratory’.
You don’t have to be a Wordsworth, a Coleridge or a Keats…just someone who can pen a poem with a ‘futuristic’ theme.
Warrington libraries have launched the project – partly backed by Arts Council funding – to tie-in with National Poetry Day (October 6).
To help build community identity, people are being encouraged to submit a poem to Warrington libraries, reflecting how they see Warrington in the future.
The poets will be invited to read their works at an open session on National Poetry Day in Golden Square Shopping Centre. The event will be compered by Manchester poet, Mike Garry, between 12.00 noon and 2.00pm.
Poets can showcase their own work or read their favourite poems.
Whether it is odes, short verse, rhyme or Haiku (Japanese poetry), there is still t
ime to submit poems.
These will be published on the Warrington libraries’ website and displayed in reading centres across the borough.
Entries should be sent to: Wendy Molyneux, Warrington Central Library, Museum St, by September 30. Details from Wendy on 01925-442732.
Parents get a taste
for school dinners!
PARENTS at Warrington’s Brook Acre Community Primary go back to school today (Tuesday)….to sample 21st-century nutritional school meals!
They will join their children in a ‘healthy meal-style’ event at the Padgate school.
The two-day meals taster is part of a borough Catering Services initiative.
This offers pupils free meals for a week to encourage them to opt to take school meals on a permanent basis.
Head teacher, Karen Morris, said: “We want parents to see for themselves the type of good, healthy food on offer.
“It’s a fun way of getting parents and children together at school.”
Children’s Services spokesman, Coun Colin Froggatt added: “The school catering service works hard to ensure children have the best nutritional food. Education does not stop in the classroom – it’s also about equipping children with social and lifestyle skills”.
Celebration of
shared history
by John Hendon
THE ‘shared history’ of faiths and customs was celebrated in Warrington by the town’s Ethnic Over 50’s Society with a party at the Whitecross Community Centre.
People drawn from all parts of the community joined the independence celebrations of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Warrington’s Mayor and Mayoress, Couns Hans and Karen Mundry, joined party-goers for the celebrations and a buffet supper.
Society President, Coun Roy Smith, said membership included all main South Asian faiths( Hindu, Muslim and Sikh), together with British representatives, as the former colonial power.
They recognised differences between people, but ‘celebrated their shared history’.
Proms fundraiser
by staff reporter
ST Rocco’s Hospice and the Army Benevolent Fund are to share the ?3,185 proceeds of a ‘Last Night of the Proms’-style concert organised by Warrington’s part-time soldiers.
The Territorial Army outdoor event attracted 700 people to Peninsula Barracks, Orford – HQ of the TA’s King’s and Cheshire Regiment.
The concert was organised by Staff Sergeant Eric Taylor, REME armourer at the TA centre, who retires from the Army this month after 37 years service.
Together with last year’s concert, the TA has raised ?6,000 for charities.
