East Leake

CHRISTIAN AID. The superb result of 2019 Christian Aid efforts UK wide – including East Leake - could suffer tremendous difficulties this year because of the coronavirus pandemic problems countrywide. This year’s special Christian Aid Week ended without any of the usual special activities aimed at raising funds.

Normally various events are held, and collecting elections taken round door to door in large areas of the village. But this year that has been lost because of the national situation.

Local Christian Aid active worker Judith James says the organisation works in 37 countries, in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“Christian Aid works with local partners and communities to fight injustice, respond to humanitarian emergencies, campaign for change, and help people claim the rights and services they are entitled to. It aims to end poverty and injustice worldwide by focussing on 7 key areas, with this involving working in partnership with local organisations, as well as with governments and the private sector.”

In 2019 Christian Aid raised £7.5 million during Christian Aid Week. It gave 58,000 people access to well-built health clinics, helping nurses to save lives. It trained 64,000 people in hygiene practices.

It gave 13,000 women the means to save, and pay for children’s education and transport to health clinics through community savings groups. “That’s just a few examples among many,” says Judith.

This year Christian Aid’s campaign was for climate and economic justice, with the aim being to be campaigning to equip vulnerable countries to adapt to climate change, and to address our overconsumption of, and reliance on, fossil fuels.

“They will support grandmothers like Rose, aged 67, in Eastern Kenya, who are suffering from severe drought and are spending whole days searching for water for themselves and their families. I can’t imagine that! Can you? A community built dam could provide a long lasting supply. In the Philippines, after the unprecedented Typhoon Halyan, the islanders feared that fishing was over on these fragile islands. But their lives and livelihood depended on that. The Christian Aid worker suggested growing edible seaweed as an alternative. One lady said ‘I am free. Free at last, because of seaweed.’ By growing seaweed she could pay off her debts and send her children to school, giving them better chances in life.

“So what on earth is our part in such overwhelming aims? Well, the old saying ‘Every penny helps’ is still true. And every bit of help counts too.”

Could you deliver just a few envelopes? Or shake a bucket for half an hour? If you could please ring 853126 and leave your name and contact details. And any offer would be fantastic!! Details of events during Christian Aid Week will be in the May Compass. But most importantly, you can pray for Christian Aid and all the volunteers who will be swinging into action during May. And, of course, put your donation into your envelope and take it to one of the collecting points!

CORONAVIRUS HUB. Kind-hearted residents in East Leake have been so generous to a local coronavirus community hub that it has stopped asking for donations for the time being.

East Leake Crisis Response (Coronavirus) is a Community Hub registered with Rushcliffe Borough Council and was set up to provide help and support to all residents across our community during the coronavirus pandemic.

Significant funding has been provided by Nottinghamshire County Council to support its work. Volunteers are working closely with the Parish Council and the Community Care Association in East Leake and have been operating since March.

They say the response from this village has been ‘overwhelming’ and they want to thank everyone who has donated, volunteered and supported the organisation over the last few months.

They say: “We are all incredibly proud to be part of such a generous and supportive community. However, you may have seen that we have recently paused taking donations. This is because the community has been so generous that we have received far more money and food than we have received requests for help.”

While the community hub as paused asking for donations, they are very much open and ready to respond to requests for help from people in the community. They can also continue to support those shielding or self-isolating by collecting and delivering prescriptions, walking your dog, or doing your shopping.

A food bank was set up to support the community and the community hub urges residents to continue to spread the word that they can help people if they are struggling to put food on the table and feed themselves and their family.

This is a confidential service and the community hub has a small dedicated team of volunteers who will maintain that confidentiality. Organisers say they do need to ask a few questions about people’s needs so that they can respond appropriately.

Clients do not need to have a food voucher or need to visit the food bank as they deliver once needs have been established. This can be done discreetly. If residents know anyone who is struggling they are asked to encourage them to contact the community hub for advice and support. They have a dedicated telephone line at 07909 563531, emailed at info@elcr.org.uk or people in need can message the organisation on their Facebook page: @ELCR19.

WILDLIFE PROJECT. Staff from the British Gypsum works at East Leake have collaborated with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust for many years but work over the past 12 months will really support nature’s recovery thanks to the transformation of a barren grassland area into a wildflower meadow adjacent to the charity’s Bunny Old Wood.

Since the 1930s 97% of species-rich meadows have been lost and last year British Gypsum joined Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to help restore the UK’s dwindling wildflower habitat.

The company has worked with the Trust to transform the field next to Bunny Old Wood, close to British Gypsum’s head office. The creation of the 3.3-acre wildflower meadow is an exciting contribution to the establishment of a Nature Recovery Network for Nottinghamshire, by allowing the area to regenerate and attract wildflower species.

A Nature Recovery Network is a connected system of places important for wild plants and animals. It allows plants, animals, seeds, nutrients and water to move from place to place and enables the natural world to adapt to change. It provides plants and animals with places to live, feed and breed. It can only do this effectively if, like our road network, it is treated as a joined-up whole.

Meadows are a brilliant habitat, supporting eight times more wildlife than mown grass. Rich in wildflowers, it will attract pollinators and other insects and act as a natural buffer to protect the ancient woodland habitat of Bunny Old Wood.

It will also provide food for birds and amphibians residing in the wood such as the natural hedges the British Gypsum Distribution Team helped to build – learning the ancient skill of hedge laying in the process. The wildflower seeds will also be a beneficial food source for the small mammals such as mice and voles that reside in the hedges and woodland.

Senior estates and minerals planner Jennifer Saunders stated, “The site is reaping the benefits and we were really pleased to see there were lots of species appearing already in our meadow at Bunny Wood last year– some of which may have been lying dormant for up to 20 years!

“Much more than just pretty flowers, meadows are unrivalled havens for wildlife, and we look forward to seeing what appears this year too as the species develop and we hope they can establish further afield in the network in the future.”

Jennifer continued, “All of us have a role to play and we are delighted we can get involved on a local landscape scale close to our place of work. Volunteering activity complements our corporate sponsorship which we are pleased to announce we have just renewed for another year,”

Ruth Grice of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said:: “We hope that by working with British Gypsum, it not only provides a start for a meadow recovery network in Nottinghamshire but also inspires the staff to get involved at home too as studies have shown the benefits of living and working close to nature.”

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and British Gypsum have plans for further engagement in 2020 to enhance habitat restoration at Bunny Old Wood and to inspire others to do the same with advisory reports detailing current levels of biodiversity. These will then go on to provide advice for future improvements and monitor how well the site is improving for wildlife.

GROWTH BOARDS. East Leake remains a part of the Growth Boards established in Rushcliffe alongside West Bridgford, Bingham and Radcliffe-on-Trent, Details are available on the Borough Council website, providing up to date information to local stakeholders, residents and business owners alike.

The groups are made up of public sector partners, local representatives of the community and business sectors who are working together to agree, plan and implement a long term vision in these towns and villages.

Former Borough Chef Executive Officer Allen Graham, said the facility ensures the areas concerned have the support and infrastructure in place to meet the needs of the existing and future residents as these settlements grow in the coming years.

Residents can find out more about the items and local issues the Boards have addressed so far and hear of updates at https://www. rushcliffe.gov.uk/business/ growthboards/

The Borough is growing significantly over the next decade with 13,150 new homes planned by 2028, including many in East Leake and the Growth Boards are an integral part of ensuring they proactively plan to create communities that will be desirable to live, work and play in.

Coun Andy Edyvean, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth and Business said: “This area of our website is now a central point for all enquiries for the latest in each of our Growth Board areas.

“It is important that we are keeping people informed of the work of the growth boards and how their plans are progressing and developing.

“Updates will be posted on the webpage following each quarterly meeting so we would encourage residents to look out for further updates.”

Activity undertaken across all of the Growth Board areas so far includes a retail health check of each area to understand the challenges and opportunities within Rushcliffe’s high streets and accompanying workshops for local businesses.

Rushcliffe is part of the WDYT ( What do you think?) campaign which measures the Digital Influence of 1,300 UK high streets and help them improve them for their local communities.

Coun. Edyvean says the WDYT social media campaign last year was also used to encourage more small independent retailers to adopt the use of social media and drive up footfall on the high street.

Shop front improvement grants have been introduced to support local retailers and the Great British High Street social media campaign championed Rushcliffe’s local high streets, which has evolved into a High Street Heroes campaign to further highlight their initiatives.

Examples of some of the activity for East Leake in the last year includes work to support and enhance the village centre including a meeting with NCC Highways to explore options for the T junction, sewerage and drainage, and completion of capacity assessment by Severn Trent Water to assess the impact of the housing growth in East Leake.

Coun. Edyvean says the outcomes of this work will be presented back to a Growth Board during this year. He adds that the group also held an action planning workshop which has resulted in the production of an action plan to help guide the groups work. combatted some of the effects caused by the imposed isolation and shielding measures.

The Leakey Pens felt it was important that this book reflected the seismic changes to every day life that we were all experiencing so that it will stand as testimony to a uniquely challenging time. It has become a document of social history.

The pieces in this book encompass various forms: poetry, prose, memoir, short stories and much, much more. There is humour, there is sadness, there is perception and keen observation here. There is truly something for everyone.

It reflects the work of this collection of individuals who meet together, share their love of writing, encourage each other’s work and who support each other in inumerable ways.

This diverse and talented group of people are affectionately known in this edition as The Leakies. They invite you to read their story.

And that story will continue..............