Archive for year: 2019
Santa Route for Whetstone !
1st Whetstone Scouts … shhh
Santa is coming to Whetstone.
Monday 9th December : Foulds Lane, Vicarage Lane & Spinney Holt
Tuesday 10th December: Avon Drive, Anna’s Way, Attfield Drive & College Road
Wednesday 11th December: Burnham Drive & Laundon Way
Monday 16th December: Springwell Lane & Badgerbrook
Tuesday 17th December : Coales Ave, Wright Close & Hopper Way
Flood warnings and information
Flood warnings and information
With the current heavy rainfall, certain areas in the district are at an increased risk of flooding. If you’re in an affected area (or know someone who is) please follow the below.
Any flood warnings and/or road closures will be listed on this page as we get them
Flood Warnings
Use the Flood Warnings Information Service to find information for your location.
Road Closures
Check Area Traffic Control on Twitter or use the AA Traffic News website. BBC Radio Leicester will also have updates.
Leicestershire County Council also have a map with road closures.
Before travelling, check any roads both in the district or across the county to see if any roads have been closed because of excess water.
Sandbags
We have a limited supply of sandbags and can only use them to protect:
- Life and important buildings such as hospitals or substations
- The elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents
- Access for emergency vehicles
If your scenario is not covered above please buy sandbags from DIY stores or building merchants.
You can also prepare for any flooding by using the Bluepages Independent Flood Directory.
In a flooding emergency contact us on 0844 736 9545.
Valuables
If you are at risk of flooding we strongly recommend moving any valuables you have upstairs, or as far away from any potential flood damage as possible.
Dogs of Blaby competition returns
Dog-owning residents of the district can win a pre-Christmas present with the return of Blaby District Council’s Dogs of Blaby competition.
Between now and Friday 13 December anyone living in Blaby District can take a picture of their dog wearing an illuminated collar, lead or coat out and about on their daily walk.
The competition is part of the Council’s effort to ensure dogs can be seen in the dark winter months, reducing the number of potential incidents between dogs and vehicles, and to ensure they do not foul out of sight of their owners.
Entries can be made by posting a photo on the Council’s Facebook page, tweeting @blabydc with the photo, or emailing in a photo at .
The prize, donated by Jubilee Animal Feeds, Cosby, will be built around the breed of dog and include a bed, 5kg of dog food, dog toys and treats.
Michelle Ikin, Senior Animal Services Officer for Blaby District Council, said: “We really enjoy seeing all of the entries for this competition. Whilst we enjoy seeing them, our message is to please ensure your dog can be seen in the dark. Every year we see an increase in dog fouling on our streets and parks, mainly due to owners not being able to see their off-lead dog when it’s dark.”
The winner will be drawn at random and contacted following the draw. Full terms and conditions are available on the webpage.
Lightbulb Programme sees continued success
More than 5,400 people across Leicestershire have benefited from a pioneering housing support partnership in its first two years.
Lightbulb is a centralised service, hosted by Blaby District Council, in partnership with Leicestershire County Council, district councils, local Clinical Commissioning Groups, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
Fully launched in 2017, Lightbulb has seen a drastic reduction in the processing time for residents’ Disability Facilities Grant applications from enquiry to completion, reducing from 48.5 weeks before launch, improving to 32 weeks, and now standing at 20 weeks across all Districts.
The latest customer satisfaction ratings have seen 100 percent of those surveyed confirm that Lightbulb had met their expectations.
The improvement in the time taken to deliver adaptations in homes across the county has also ensured that focus can be spent on more complex cases, as well as delivering 37 percent more cases overall than was projected at the planning stage two years ago.
It has saved an estimated more than £360,000 for the local economy, with medium to long-term savings estimated at around £2.1 million.
From the installation of grab rails to small house extensions, Lightbulb is focused on making sure that residents can stay independent in their homes for as long as possible, benefitting both the local health economy and the wellbeing of those individuals supported through Lightbulb.
In one case, a lady in Melton was struggling to live in her property due to a combination of difficulties accessing the property and with using the furniture within it. Through one Housing Support Coordinator, the resident was able to have a comprehensive housing “MOT,” leading to grab rails being installed both inside and outside of her property, as well as a bed lever and a small armchair.
These relatively small changes have had a big positive impact, enabling – enabling this lady to live more comfortably in her own home, instead of having to consider a move to any sort of supported accommodation.
Jane Toman, Chief Executive of Blaby District Council, said: “As we reach two years of the service I think it’s important to highlight just how much of a positive difference Lightbulb is making across Leicestershire. This service supports vulnerable individuals and our priority has been to ensure the correct help they need is delivered to them as efficiently and quickly as possible.
“We have worked with partners from across the county working collaboratively together can make a huge difference and save hundreds of thousands of pounds for the local health economy.”
Lightbulb has been recognised with three awards, named ‘Best Collaborative Working Initiative’ by the Association for Public Service Excellence and Commended at the Home Improvement Agency Awards. It was also given the honour of best Public/Public Partnership at the 2018 Local Government Chronicle Awards.
Residents requiring minor or major adaptations can contact Lightbulb by calling 0116 305 0004 or visit www.leicestershire.gov.uk.
Whetstone Remembrance Sunday Parade and Service
The parade will meet at 9.50 am at Dog & Gun Lane, Whetstone. The parade will start at 10.00 am and then march down Wychwood Road, Laundon Way, Burnham Drive, Brook Street and finally onto High Street to the war memorial. The service starts at 10.45 am.
Minor delays can be expected as the parade passes. High Street Whetstone will be closed between 10.45 am and 11.10 am between Station Road and Wale Road.
All are welcome to join the parade and service
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Skills programme launched
A free programme to help residents gain key skills to secure work experience and employment has been launched by Blaby District Council.
The sessions run from 1pm-3pm on Wednesdays at the Council’s Narborough offices and delivered by experienced staff to ensure each session is tailored to individual requirements.
All sessions are free and open to any residents of Blaby District, and there is no obligation to attend all of the sessions, only those of interest.
Anyone taking part in the programme will have their needs assessed to ensure they get the maximum amount of support from the sessions, with the opportunity to be referred to services who may be able to help after the sessions have finished.
A list of the sessions on offer is below. For more information or to register interest to attend can contact the Community Services team by filling in the Contact form.
|
Date
|
Session
|
|---|---|
| Wednesday 24 October | Confidence Building |
| Wednesday 31 October | Cyber Security and Scams |
| Wednesday 07 November | Making the most of your community |
| Wednesday 14 November | Healthy Eating |
| Wednesday 21 November | Budgeting and Debts |
| Wednesday 28 November | Tenancy Management |
| Wednesday 05 December | CV Writing |
| Wednesday 12 December | Mock Interviews |
District heroes honoured at awards night
A fantastic celebration of those who make the District of Blaby a great place to live took place on Thursday 03 October, at the sixteenth annual Outstanding Achievement Awards.
Eight finalists along with their friends and family joined special guests and sponsors at the Marriott Hotel to enjoy the evening to honour the district’s unsung heroes. BBC Radio Leicester’s Ady Dayman hosted the ceremony.
Winners included Glen Parva’s Ann Dixon, who took Volunteer of the Year. Ann was founder and chair of the Blaby and Glen Parva Community Service for 53 years, which supported local people in the community.
Braunstone Town’s Julie Oldfield took the Good Friend/Good Neighbour honour. Julie is a pillar of support to 20 older people in the area, offering a helping hand to them for tasks from collecting prescriptions to cooking hot meals.
Six-year old Lydia Kettlewell has overcome a tough start in life to make great strides at karate, and took Young Achiever of the Year. Best Community Group/Achievement was awarded to Blaby Mind Matters, a group who battled back from losing their funding to continue offering vital support for their members.
Fosse Park, Leicester Marriott Hotel, Ford and Slater and Aggregate Industries were sponsors of the awards categories, as each winner deservedly took home £500 and runners-up won £250.
Councillor Terry Richardson, Leader of Blaby District Council, said: “These awards are our chance to say thank you to all of the people and groups who highlight how the District of Blaby is a great place to live.
“All of the nominations deserve praise for the selfless work they do in their local community. We know that the thousands of volunteers and hundreds of groups in the district really do make a huge difference to people’s lives.
“Every year I am amazed by the incredible work we get to hear about. We would like to thank everyone who nominated and I want to congratulate all the finalists and to personally thank our sponsors who make this event possible.
“These sponsors ensure the awards go ahead and contribute to Blaby District’s prosperous economy.”
Full list of winners and runners up:
- Good Friend/Good Neighbour – Winner: Julie Oldfield (Braunstone Town), Runner-up: Beverley and Ken Bunney (Kirby Muxloe)
- Volunteer of the Year – Winner: Ann Dixon (Glen Parva), Runner-up: Bruce and Andrea Carman (Stoney Stanton)
- Young Achiever of Year – Winner: Lydia Kettlewell (Narborough), Runner-up: Shantelle York (Braunstone Town)
- Best Community Group/Community Achievement – Winner: Blaby Mind Matters, Runner Up: Croft Good Neighbours
Flooding update
With the current heavy rainfall, certain areas in the district are at an increased risk of flooding. If you’re in an affected area (or know someone who is) please follow the advice in this email.
Flood Warnings
Use the Flood Warnings Information Service to find information for your location.
Before travelling, check any roads both in the district or across the county to see if any roads have been closed because of excess water.
Check Area Traffic Control on Twitter or use the AA Traffic News website. BBC Radio Leicester will also have updates.
Sandbags
We have a limited supply of sandbags and can only use them to protect:
- Life and important buildings such as hospitals or substations
- The elderly, disabled and vulnerable residents
- Access for emergency vehicles
If your scenario is not covered above please buy sandbags from DIY stores or building merchants.
You can also prepare for any flooding by using the Bluepages Independent Flood Directory.
In a flooding emergency contact 0844 736 9545.
Valuables
If you are at risk of flooding we strongly recommend moving any valuables you have upstairs, or as far away from any potential flood damage as possible.
Business Breakfast returns to Santander
Blaby District Council’s popular Business Breakfast event for businesses in the district is returning to Santander’s offices for the autumn meeting.
The free breakfast event takes place on Wednesday 30 October at Carlton Park, Narborough, LE19 0AL. Breakfast is served from 8am with the opportunity to network before the usual line-up of speakers.
Delegates will hear updates about key development sites in the district and the latest business support. Training provider ‘SERCO’ has information about fully funded skills support for the workforce. The support can lead to improvements to performance and to staff motivation.
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College will present their apprenticeships programme, and describe how the college works with businesses to improve productivity and teamwork with an apprentice.
A question and answer session with guest speakers and more networking opportunities are available at the end of the event.
The meeting is part of the fifth annual Leicester Business Festival – the region’s largest business festival, running from 28 October to 8 November across the county.
Businesses and individuals are being encouraged to book early and secure one of the limited places by contacting the Economic Development team.