Thought for the Week

“We run after values that, at death, become zero. At the end of your life, nobody asks you how many degrees you have, or how many mansions you built, or how many Rolls Royces you could afford. That’s what dying patients teach you.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Commissioner Confirms Policing Budget for 2013/14

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner Richard Rhodes has set the policing budget for 2013/14 and the provisional estimates to 2016/17.

Mr Rhodes said “The Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office has the responsibility to set the Constabulary policing budget and funding for the next 12 months.  This follows public consultation as well as challenge and scrutiny from the Police and Crime Panel.  The final decision has been concluded today.

“The policing budget will have reduced overall by a fifth by 2016/17 and that is not without its challenges as it is important to maintain performance and keep Cumbria safe.  So far £12.1million of savings have been achieved and financial forecasts indicate that £10.2million of savings will have to be delivered between 2013/14 and 2016/17.   

“It is clear from the people of Cumbria and the Police and Crime Panel that frontline officers tackling anti-social behaviour, domestic violence and road safety are key areas.  The approved budget allows police officer and PCSO numbers to remain at 1134 and 95 respectively for two years but current predictions indicate that there may be a loss of 64 officer posts by 2017.

“As a result the police part of the council tax precept will increase by 1.95% which is £3.87 a year for a Band D property which is slightly more than 1p a day.

“Going forward we will fully engage with the Home Office on any debate that takes place on the grant funding formula as any change to the funding formula would have a significant impact on future funding.”

T/Chief Constable Lawson said “It is important to secure funding that allows the Constabulary to best deliver its policing services in these difficult times.  For two years we can maintain our current police officer and PCSO numbers to deliver our policing services into the heart of our communities.”

Disability Information Day - 5 March

Barrow Credit Union - now open for business!!

Barrow & District Credit Union have announced that they will be open for business in their recently refurbished premises at 1 & 3 The Mall in Barrow Town Centre on Friday 22 February 2013 between 11am and 3pm and thereafter between 11am and 3pm on each week day.

Credit unions are not for profit institutions that provide financial services to the whole community. They are regulated by the Financial Services Authority and savings are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Barrow was one of the largest places in the country that did not have a credit union and it is being set up not only to encourage people to save by offering convenient savings products that will hopefully pay a good dividend but also to provide affordable loans to those people who need them most.  A £500 loan paid over 52 weeks will only result in £67.30 interest being charged (26.8% APR).

Anyone who lives or works within the Borough of Barrow-in-Furness can become a member of the Credit Union regardless of their level of income.  Anybody who would like to open an account should take an item of personal identification (for example passport, driving licence or photo ID card), an item of address verification (for example council tax bill, utility bill, bank statement or DWP benefits letter) and their national insurance number to the Credit Union.

Barrow & District Credit Union will mainly be run by volunteers and anyone interested in volunteering should call at The Mall premises or phone Barrow & District Credit Union on 07729412327.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Rob Cairns, the Credit Union’s Chairman, stated that "It has been a long process since the Study Group was set up in October 2010, but at least we have now got there and I am delighted that we will be at long last opening our doors to the public.  One of our aims is to make local people who are presently financially excluded, 10% of Cumbrian residents do not have a bank account, financially included but we are there for the whole community to use."

He advised that "Some of the most successful credit unions in the country are those who have been able to attract members from people across a wide range of personal financial circumstances in their area. We will only operate within the Borough which means all monies will stay within the Borough, which is certainly not the case now, and hence help boost our local economy."

Mr Ciarns concluded "I would like to thank all the volunteers for all their hard work, all the donators of furniture, equipment and services, all our funders who have supplied us with the necessary finance and all the Credit Union Board Members for their enthusiasm and commitment – they have all contributed to making our Credit Union a reality."

Why poverty - a holiday away from poverty

HAVE YOUR SAY ON POLICING FUTURE, URGES COMMISSIONER

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes will be bringing his Police and Crime Plan consultation road-show to Barrow.

Mr Rhodes will be on Wednesday 20th February at The Forum from 10am – 12pm.  Mr Rhodes is inviting people to go along and share their views about his proposed policing priorities for the next four years.

Mr Rhodes has already started to listen to the concerns and needs of the public in Cumbria and has agreed with the Constabulary on the following proposed priorities for his plan:

·         Ensure Cumbria remains a safe place to live, work and visit by keeping crime at low levels, particularly violent crime, burglary and theft

·         Reduce the impact antisocial behaviour has on our communities

·         Reduce the impact of alcohol misuse on our communities

·         Tackle the problem of drug supply in the county

·         Reduce harm by tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence

·         Keep our rural communities safe by tackling crime and disorder in rural areas

·         Provide justice for the victim by detecting crime and bringing criminals to justice

·         Reduce adult and youth offending and reoffending by addressing offender behaviour and promoting the use of restorative justice

·         Establish a collaborative approach to providing support and assistance to vulnerable veterans to assist them to remain clear of criminal activity

·         Give due consideration to public opinion in policing matters by establishing an Office of Public Engagement

          Ensure victims of crime have access to support and redress and establish an Office of Victim Support

Richard Rhodes said “A key responsibility is listening to the views of the people of Cumbria and using them to influence the future policing in the county.  It would be really helpful if as many people as possible could come along on Wednesday and share their views with me.  If you are unable to attend, please visit the website www.cumbria-pcc-gov.uk to take part in an online survey or alternatively please come along to one of the other road shows in the County.  Please take the time to make sure your views are known as it is ‘Your Police, Your Say’.”

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes will be at the  Forum, Duke Street, Barrow on Wednesday 20^th February 10-12pm.

To access the survey please go to www.cumbria-pcc.gov.uk

Crime Prevention officers working hard during Community Policing Week

This week Cumbria Constabulary focused on Community Policing Week, with police officers being out and about in their local communities, providing advice and finding out what issues matter most to the residents.

Behind the scenes there is a lot of work that is done every day by our Crime Prevention Officers, who work hard to ensure that our communities are safe and that victims of crime receive the support and advice they need.

This week alone they have:

• Visited people who have been victims of a crime, these crimes include Commercial burglaries (Car Showrooms, Building Sites, Supermarkets, Schools) but also vulnerable victims whose homes have been subject of a crime.
• Visited domestic violence victims to provide practical security advice and target hardening measures to provide reassurance and help to ensure their safety when in their own home
• Spoke to vulnerable adults who have reported concerns about doorstep traders /cold callers
• Surveyed commercial premises to provide up to date security advice and target hardening methods

In addition to this, they are also involved in trying to secure funding from various organisations to help improve security, such as street lighting in their local areas.

Inspector Jon Sherlock, who oversees Community Safety, said “The work done by the Crime Prevention Officers is invaluable and it is beneficial to highlight this during Community Safety Week, as it has a positive impact on the local communities.

“They have a varied range of skills, all of which focus on preventing people from becoming a victim of crime, helping those who are in difficult circumstances to feel safer in their homes and trying to improve the neighbourhoods for our local residents. The Crime Prevention Officers within Community Safety are all ACPO accredited, so you know the advice you receive is both professional and appropriate.  The advice they give goes much further than lock your windows and bolt your doors, they provide professional crime prevention advice tailored to your individual circumstances.

“The work they do throughout the year helps to keep crime low in Cumbria, making it one of the safest places to live in the country.” 

For more crime prevention advice, please visit www.cumbria.police.uk

Information on the site includes tips to keep your house safe,  http://www.cumbria.police.uk/advice-and-information/security/home-security.

If you wish to speak to a crime prevention office, please ring Cumbria Police on 101.

Thought for the Week

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.”

Mahatma Gandhi

An Invitation to Talk Recovery with Unity

Unity, the Drug and Alcohol Recovery Service for Cumbria, are committed to providing a Recovery focussed way of working with people who seek help and those adversely affected by the use of alcohol and drugs.

As part of this approach we are holding a Conversation Café in Barrow at the beginning of March to enable people who support Recovery to get together in an informal atmosphere and discuss how best to use our local strengths and assets.

Those coming to the event will include people who use Unity and partner services, Recovery Group members, people who work for Unity and partner services, and other members of the local community who have an interest in supporting Recovery in your community.

Ashley Gibson, the Community Development Lead for Unity, would welcome contact from local people who would like to attend this exciting opportunity and contribute to building Recovery in Barrow.

Please contact Unity in Barrow to leave your details for Ashley to get in touch. Unity, 92-96 Duke St, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 1RD Tel: 01229 615651.

‘FOODIE FEST’ 8-9 JUNE 2013, BARROW-IN-FURNESS

 The line-up of Celebrity Chefs participating in ‘Foodie Fest’ has now been announced.  Jean Christophe Novelli of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ notoriety will be joined by Peter Sidwell from ‘Lakes on a Plate’ and ‘Britains Best Bakery’, Chef Ooy and Norman Musa on Sunday 9 June.

On Saturday 8 June Simon Rimmer from ‘Sunday Brunch’ and ‘Something for the Weekend’ will be joined by Alan Coxon from ‘Birmingham to Bombay’ and local celebrity Thai Chef Ooy. Sean Wilson (formerly starred as Martin Platt in Coronation Street) from the ‘Great Northern Cookbook’ and former star of Coronation Street, will join Andrew Nutter of Nutter’s Restaurant and the Sky Food Network.

SATURDAY 8 JUNE

11am ALAN COXON and SIMON RIMMER

1pm CHEFOOY and SIMON RIMMER

3pm ANDREW NUTTER and SEAN WILSON (Saddleworth Cheese Company)

SUNDAY 9 JUNE

11am PETER SIDWELL and JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI

1pm CHEF OOY and JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI

3pm NORMAN MUSA (Lotus Formula 1 Touring Chef 2010 series & Britain’s leading Malaysian Chef and owner of Ning Restaurant, Manchester)

JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI

The Chefs Shows will be held in the Festival Marquee and tickets are available from Box Office, the Forum, Duke St, Barrow-in-Furness.  Tickets start from £10.50 per show with a limited number of premium front row seats at £19.50. Tickets can also be booked online at http://www.forumtwentyeight.co.uk/ with effect from Wednesday 13 February 2013.

More information about each of the celebrity Chefs, and details of all the food related trade stands, who will be at the festival can be found at www.foodiefest.co.uk.

Councillor Dave Pidduck, Leader of Barrow Borough Council, commented “We are pleased to establish this food festival to bring visitors into Barrow Town Centre, but to also show case local food producers. I believe this line up of talent is exceptional.”

Barrow Borough Council has worked with Barrow Traders Association to bring this event to Barrow Town Centre.

Please contact Ann Taylforth, Town Centre & Festivals Manager on 01229 876389 for further details.

New sessions at Age UK

New kitchen is open at Age UK, Barrow and they are starting up some new cookery sessions for the over 50’s:

Breakfast Club (Mondays and Fridays, 9.30am-11am, £2 entry)

Cooking for One (6 week course)
Starting Tuesday 26th February, 9.30-12noon, £2entry

5 a Day Cookery (1hr lessons)

Mondays and Fridays 2pm-3pm, £2 entry

Classes are open to residents of Barrow and District aged 50+. Booking essential call 01229 831 425.

To view their full activity programme visit ...

http://barrowrespectability.wordpress.com/monthly-activity-programme/

Heartstart training

Would you know what to do in a life-threatening emergency? Learning Emergency Life Support (ELS) skills can help you keep someone alive until professional help arrives.

To book onto a FREE course, please call Nicola Jackson, Fire & Rescue Service Programme Officer – Volunteers on 07825011005.

Courses available, as follows:

Wednesday 13 February 7-9pm - Barrow Fire Station

Sunday 17 February 2-4pm - change of venue - now at Hawcoat Social Club, Barrow

Sunday 17 February 7-9pm - Barrow Fire Station

Thursday 21 February 7-9pm - Barrow Fire Station

Sunday 24 February 2-4pm - Barrow Fire Station

Tuesday 26 February 10-12noon - Barrow Fire Station

Thought for the Week

“The best portion of a good man’s life,

His little, nameless, unremembered acts,

Of kindness and love.”

William Wordsworth

Cops in shops ... this week around Barrow

Local cops will be in Co-operative food stores around Barrow this week to speak to shoppers about policing in their neighbourhoods.

On 13 February 2013, officers from Barrow’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be speaking to shoppers and asking them to highlight the issues they want tackled in their communities so that local officers can focus on the problems that are most important to local residents.

The initiative has been arranged as part of Cumbria Constabulary’s ‘Community Policing Week’ which runs from 11 February –15 February 2013. The purpose of the week-long campaign is to highlight the work that goes on in neighbourhoods across Cumbria 24/7, 365 days a year to keep people safe and reduce levels of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Several police officers will be located within their local Co-operative food stores between 2–4pm on 13 February 2013. Members of the public will be able to pop into their Co-operative to catch up with their local police officers whilst doing their shopping.

Co-operative food stores in the following areas are taking part: Roose Road, Harrel Lane, Island Road, Plymouth Street, Oxford Street and Ainslie Street in Barrow and the Co-ops in Dalton and Askam.

Inspector Ian McClymont said “We are very pleased to be working with the Co-operative so that our local communities can get to know their local policing teams at a convenient time and within an environment that best suits them. This is a fantastic opportunity for communities to tell us what concerns them. When we have carried out these 'copinashop' events in the past the feedback has been very positive.

“We want to speak to as many local people as we can so that we can get a clear idea of the issues that matter most to each neighbourhood.

“People lead very busy lives and it is often hard for people to get to community meetings that we hold, visit police stations, or join our web-chats, so we are going to a local supermarket at a peak shopping time to make sure that as many people as possible get the chance to meet us.

We are always looking at new, convenient ways to speak to our communities and when we approached the Co-operative with our idea, they were very happy to help us. I would like to thank them for making this possible.”

Tony Pickford, Local Operations Manager for Co-operative Food for the area said “The Co-operative is a community retailer and all our store teams are committed to playing a real role in local life. We are proud to be able to support Barrow’s Neighbourhood Policing Teams and look forward to hosting their community surgeries next week.”

Cumbria’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes said “Finding out from local people about their policing priorities is very important. I will be in Barrow at the end of the February to find out what local people would like the police to focus on as part of a county-wide community engagement to influence the overall policing strategy. Please visit www.cumbria-pcc.gov.uk for further details.”

Questions about dementia?

Breastfeeding Conference - Ulverston 25 March

Cumbria Constabulary launches Community Policing Week

Cumbria Constabulary is today launching a week-long campaign to highlight what goes on in local communities to make Cumbria one of the safest places in the country.

The campaign will run from 11^th – 18^th February to coincide with the school half term holidays and will shine a light on the work that police carry out on a daily basis in communities across the county.

The week-long campaign follows on from the impressive statistics released by the Home Office last month which confirmed that crime had reduced by eight per cent in Cumbria in 2012 – a success that police officers put down to their approach to community policing.

In a bid to highlight what community policing means, police plan to do a week-long focus on the work that officers do within neighbourhoods so that residents understand exactly what is being done in their community and why.

Assistant Chief Constable Jerry Graham said “Our recent eight per cent reduction in crime is fantastic news for the Constabulary and the people of Cumbria.

“Cumbria Constabulary’s high performance is down to the strong relationship officers’ share with local communities. Local people care about making Cumbria a better place and we wouldn’t consistently achieve the low levels of crime and anti-social behaviour without local people working alongside us to improve the quality of life in the county.

“We know that the majority of the public work from 9-5 so may not be aware of what police do in their neighbourhood on a daily basis. This campaign is designed to show local people the range of things that police officers do to keep make our streets safer 24/7, 365 days a year.”

A range of activities and events are planned for the week – details of these can be found on Cumbria Constabulary’s website: www.cumbria.police.uk

Police officers will also be using social media to publicise these events and the good work that goes on with communities in Cumbria. A Twitter hashtag #cumbriapolicing will be used throughout the duration of the campaign.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Richard Rhodes added “Community policing is at the very heart of the police service in Cumbria and its success is down to visible pro-active policing in the community which is one of my proposed policing priorities for the next four years.

“Community Policing Week is a great way for the Constabulary to demonstrate their commitment to communities and showcase the excellent work that is being undertaken to build relationships at a local level.”

Wear A Hat Day! Charity Event - 30 March

‘Inspiring Barrow’ Project Vacancies - Co-ordinators Wanted!

Project Co-ordinators wanted ...

Following the award of Reaching Communities Lottery funding, the Inspiring Barrow Steering Group is seeking two freelance co-ordinators to oversee the projects’ activity programmes.

‘Inspiring Barrow’ follows a very successful year-long project pilot in 2010-11 and provides a range of community learning programmes and initiatives to create and promote lifelong learning opportunities, inspire children, young people and adults to live more healthily, improve their chances of employment and raise their aspirations and the quality of their lives.

The project is a collaboration between a number of partner organisations, principally:

Cumbria CVS, Neighbourhood Management, Cumbria County Council’s Children’s Service, Inspira, Lancaster University, NHS Cumbria Public Health Improvement Team and the Primary Schools Collaborative.

A wide range of activities are planned during the three-year project including:

-  Accredited learning programmes for creative activities and sports activities

-  Personal development programmes to raise people’s aspirations, confidence and

wellbeing

-  Training programmes, learning activities and events

-  Health and wellbeing activities and programmes

-  Developing informal learning and communication networks.

People interested in applying for the posts of a Community Learning Action Forum Co-ordinator (3 days work a month) and an Inspiring Barrow Project Co-ordinator (2.5 days work a week) should contact Cumbria CVS for an application pack. The closing date for application submissions is 1st March 2013. Enquiries should be made to:

Cumbria CVS, Lesser Kings Hall, Hartington Street, Barrow LA14 5SR

01229 813497 juliesh@cumbriacvs.org.uk  

Adult Social Care course running in Hindpool

Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team's photostream

Central and Hindpool Neighbourhood Management Team's photostream on Flickr.

The Gondoliers at the Forum

Footloose with Abbey Musical Society

Reading Rangers at Roose Library