East Leake
COMMUNITY AWARD. October and November saw the residents of East Leake voting for their community award winner for 2020. This award given in recognition of people or groups who have made a significant contribution to village life during the past 12 months.
Previous winners have been Mel Roper, Kevin Shaw and Canada Oatey. This year saw the highest number of votes cast. Usually the trophy would be presented during the village Christmas lights switch on, but Covid meant that couldn’t take place this year.
The winner of the East Leake Community Award 2020 is Maggie Gordon
Maggie joined East Leake Community Care in the 1980s. She then became Chair of Community Care in the 1990s and has for over 40 years worked tirelessly for the benefit of the local community.
She was instrumental in setting up the Bereavement and Befriending groups but is also greatly involved in the Memory Cafe, Afternoon Tea and the Luncheon Club, all of which have been important support to local people.
During the Covid-19 pandemic she has continued to support vulnerable residents by arranging shopping deliveries and even dog walking. During this time she has also had frequent contact with people within her groups to make sure that they have no urgent requirements.
Throughout these activities she has retained a sense of humour and fun and has a very persuasive manner in attracting other volunteers to help out in the various groups. Congratulations Maggie.
ACADEMY MESSAGE. Chairman of East Leake Academy governors’ Mr. Marc Baker is encouraging students, families and staff to work together in these pandemic challenging times.
Mr. Baker said in a message on the Academy’s website: “On behalf of the governors at East Leake Academy, I would like to thank staff, children and parents for their resilience, thoughtfulness and flexibility you have all displayed since returning to school from lockdown.”
He continues: “The academy has been in a very challenging position, trying to interpret and apply the changing rules in ways that protect our families, protect the staff and deliver an excellent education for our children”
Mr. Baker praised the Academy’s staff. He said: ”Staff, in particular, are on the front line of these efforts and it has been fantastic to see them all cope with the challenges of delivering a learning environment while often having to care for loved ones at home and deal with the anxiety that comes with thinking that maybe they are exposing themselves to increased risks of contracting the virus.”
He emphasises a team approach. He said: ” The way to beat this virus is for us all - parents, children and staff alike - to work together to ensure we do not expose ourselves to unnecessary risks through complying with the precautions that the academy have put in place. Thank you to all the academy staff who are working together to ensure that our children do not suffer in later years from the lack of an education today.”
TRAIL. During the season of Advent a ‘Jesse Tree Trail’ has been set up in St Mary’s Parish Church in East Leake Parish Church, offering a space to pray and reflect on the promises of God in Jesus’s coming. The church will still be open as normal for private prayer so parishioners have been told that there may be some noise in the background.
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David and is the original use of a family tree.
It originates in a passage in the biblical Book of Isaiah which describes the descent of the Messiah, and is accepted by Christians as referring to Jesus.
The various figures depicted in the lineage of Jesus are drawn from those names listed in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.
MEADOW PARK. Friends of Meadow Park in East Leake have adapted their work practices in order to continue volunteering in the Park in these difficult times.
Work party sessions were stopped after the one in March due to Covid 19. During the following months, individuals carried out tasks such as pruning path edges etc. on their own or in household groups.
One of the Friends of Meadow Park Committee volunteers for Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and they have created a set of guidelines to enable small work parties to meet. The volunteers at Meadow Park have been able to use these guidelines to begin work in the Park again.
Only six people can work at a time (12 if there are two team leaders - five volunteers plus one team leader per group). The two metre distancing rule applies. Volunteers have brought their own equipment and tools and a significant amount of work has been done.
The work parties have been on any day of the week to suit those willing to join-in and able to come along. A Covid-19 Risk Assessment guided the work. and East Leake Parish Council provides insurance so long as the park volunteers adhere to the guidelines.
One of the most important jobs the work parties have undertaken was repair to the log circle for the Forest School which re-started in mid-September. The wire fixings had been prised apart and the logs displaced. The posts that carry the tarpaulins in wet weather had been dislodged. Volunteers mended everything and re-set the posts in time for the first time the children met in the Park.
ZOOM CHOIR. Choristers at St. Mary’s Parish Church in East Leake have been busy with Zoom meetings and recording music to include in on-line worship.
Several Zoom meetings have taken place and over the summer the choir met to record some pieces in the on-line worship.
Each part was frecorded separately and then mixed together. This was a new experience for the choir and the result is described as “excellent”
Choir members have been thanked for being so enthusiastic with all challenges they have been faced with over the past six months.
FESTIVE MYSTERY. Brookside Primary School Fundraising group in East Leake are organising a Christmas Mystery for villagers.
Local people are encouraged to purchase a sheet for £2 and follow the clues around the village to find the letters that spell a Christmas themed word.
The organisers encourage people to “have fun exploring our wonderful village and get to know some of the new street names and places.”
Clue sheets are on sale at the Greengrocers with lots of prizes to be won.
The Brookside Fundraising Group (BFG) page on Facebook may give additional help with the clues and the names of the winners.
Completed sheets should be submitted to The Greengrocers in the village by December 15. Sheets that have completed all the questions correctly will be entered into a draw to win a prize.
ONLINE SERVICES. Residents in East Leake affected by the current coronavirus pandemic situation are being invited to make use of an on-lines service to contact friends and others by the village Traders group who are working with the village Crisis Response group.
The Traders, well recognised for their progressive outlook, have given advice to residents on how to connect to and use Zoom, the system being used by hundreds of people to make contact with others during the current coronavirus pandemic situation.
In a message to the village, the Traders say anyone needing help can go to their website at www. eastleaketraders.co.uk or look them up on facebook, and find the links to get advice on down loading the Zoom facility link to their own device. “It will ask you for a password.
When connected you will get advice on how to make sure your microphone or camera are turned on.”
Those using the system will make contact with some of the village traders, the parish council and a member of the East Leake Crisis team, who will be happy to help. “It could be about any concerns you have, a question for the council, or something you need help with at home You may be lonely and like just to chat or connect or just see people from the village. It’s a way of sharing and communicating.”
The crisis group continue to run the village food bank which is based at the village hall.
NATIVITY BAGS. Advent Nativity Bags with activities to make, bake and solve have been prepared for children at St. Mary’s Parish Church in East Leake.
Bags for Under 5s/Key Stage One and Key Stage Two and are available to order. Each bag has things to make, bake and solve plus a Mystery Envelope to be opened during a Facebook Live event on Sunday 20th December.
The Under 5s/KS1 event will be at 3.30pm and KS2 at 4.15pm.