East Leake
COMMUNITY CARE ASSOCIATION. Volunteers from East Leake Community Care Association have remained active within the village during the Covid-19 crisis.
Thanks to the volunteers and new helpers who joined after the beginning of the lockdown, residents in the village have been helped with various tasks including tasks such as shopping, prescription and medication deliveries, plant watering and dog walking.
Befriending people, some of whom have become even more isolated during lockdown, have been an important focus for the association. Residents who have been supported in this way have appreciated regular calls from a friendly voice on the other end of the telephone.
Members of all the various groups supported by the Association are looking forward to a time when they can re-start activities with the appropriate safety measures in place.
Hospital appointments have restarted, and the volunteer driver car scheme volunteers have been making journeys as well as taking passengers for medical appointments at the health centre.
Volunteers from the association are happy to reassure local people that they are ready to help in any way they can. For help or advice please telephone an area organiser. Phone numbers can be found on the village website or phone 01509 853866.
LENT PRAYER MEETING. St Mary’s parish church at East Leake have a Lent prayer meeting planned for today ( Wednesday March 3), starting at 7.30pm, on Zoom.
The Rector, the Rev Tim says they will hear the latest news on the planned appointment of a Children and Families Minister, spend time thinking about what it means to discern our calling as Christians at this time, and pray in smaller groups. Zoom details will be sent out in ‘ The Loop’ weekly email, but if you do not get this, please contact the Curate, the Rev Michael Ellen.
PLANS. A planning application has been submitted to Rushcliffe Borough Council calling for permission for demolition of an existing property at East Leake and for construction of a new replacement single storey dwelling and new boundary front wall at 52 Oldershaw Road at East Leake.
CRIME UPDATE. Only two crimes were reported to Rushcliffe police in East Leake during January.
On January 5 an unknown suspect caused damage to a window on West Leake Lane by throwing a stone at it.
In the following week on January 13 during the night suspects stole the front and rear number plates from a car parked on Sycamore Road
Details of the crimes committed during the month have been reported to the local Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator and to East Leake Parish Council
Any residents who wish to contact the local Notts beat officer responsible for the village – PC Kelly Carlisle – may contact her at Kelly. carlisle@nottinghamshire. pnn.police.uk
She can be followed on twitter @LeakeKworthCops or on Facebook at Rushcliffe South Police
Her mobile number is 07725925330.
If wish to contact her you can ring 101 ext. 3101530, or the control room where a message can be left. Her Sergeant is Sgt 775 Robinson based at Cotgrave Police Station (ext. 3100775).
HOUSING PLANS. Even more housing development is on the cards for East Leake as plans for 51 more homes to be built at an existing housing estate in the Nottinghamshire village have been given the green light.
Developer David Wilson Homes already has detailed planning approval for 235 homes on land off Rempstone Road, East Leake. And now the additional 51 homes have been given the go-ahead by Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning committee.
For the overall site for development provision of land has been allocated for a new primary school.
The approved single access point off Rempstone Road will lead to a loop road around the site, off which access roads would create a number of cul-de sacs.
Residents in the village have previously constantly raised strong fears about the impact an extension to the approved housing estate could have on the area.
Councillor Lesley Way, a leading member of East Leake Parish Council, has pointed out the size of the village had doubled in the last 39 years.
And worries have been raised in the past about the village’s infrastructure being unable to cope with the influx of the several hundred new homes it has experienced in recent years.
It is understood that in this latest planned development a range of two to five-bedroom homes will be built as part of the first wave of homes, with the second phase to build smaller two and threebedroom houses.
The plans were approved at the recent planning committee subject to a Section 106 agreement and an additional condition for electric vehicle charging points being provided. They had previously been recommended for approval by planning officers.
HIGHWAY RESTRICTIONS. Via in connection with Notts County Council have announced highway restrictions on Loughborough Road at East Leake at the junction with Rempstone Road currently and until Friday next week, March 12. There are 24 hours Restrictions Two-Way Traffic controlled with signals. The work being carried out is or installation of new HV power cables in verge next to the carriageway. The work is being carried out by Energetics Power Solutions and enquiries can be made to UK Power Solutions and to Bethany Graham on 0845 2577106
DIGITAL WORSHIP. East Leake St Mary’s Parish Church continue to offer Digital Worship: every Sunday on their website, Facebook and YouTube channels. They have a main service streaming at 10am and evening prayer at 6pm. Gathered Worship has resumed and as announced last week, the Parochial Church Coujncil’s January decision to suspend worship has been reviewed and it is felt appropriate to resume offering midweek services for those who wish to attend. Services will follow very strict social distancing and hygiene measures. Masks must be worn and, as stated in the guidance, there is to be no mingling between groups before or after the service. The situation will be kept under review. To help the church manage numbers, ring 01509 559702 to ‘book in’ a place or use the form on the website.
St Mary’s will also be open for private prayer most days of the week - though the church will be shut on Wednesdays, after communion, to allow for cleaning between services.
ACADEMY FRUSTRATION. East Leake Academy Assistant Principal Sarah Benskin, in a message to everyone through the school newsletter, says how frustrating it has been for them to find themselves in the position of empty classrooms and a return to remote learning.
But she adds: “We remain resolute in providing the best learning experiences we can for our students in any circumstance and we look forward to welcoming students back in to school at the earliest possible opportunity. We understand that this is a time of additional pressure for many parents and carers, the combination of working from home, caring for our loved ones and trying to educate our children is a difficult juggling act.”
The Assistant Principal added: “We have also been determined to improve our ‘online school’ provision for the children. While we know we did a good job in the last lockdown of keeping students engaged in their learning, we have also been determined to make our lessons even better.
“We have increased the level of interaction by including an even more ‘blended learning’ approach including pre-recorded and live content. We are following our regular timetable but have reduced the lesson by 10 minutes. Every lesson starts with a meet and greet by the teacher and a register is taken to monitor attendance. We want to provide them with the familiarity of their teachers and provide explanations and support that comes from us sharing our thinking with students whist allowing them independence and screen breaks. Thus a blend of teacher taught experiences and tasks and activities to work on away from live content provides opportunity to develop as an independent learner whilst having the support of the expert knowledge of the teacher.”
Sarah says she was fortunate enough to be part of interviewing approximately 40 students from Y7-10 about their online learning experiences in this second period of school closure and the feedback they gave us was overwhelmingly positive. They said they are finding the structure and routine of following their regular timetable helpful. They are really enjoying some of the wide range of interactive tasks staff are providing for them such as breakout rooms, jamboards, quizzing and mini-whiteboards”
Dr Benskin continued: “It was clear from their feedback that they felt they were well supported with their learning and were having a better experience than the first time we moved to a remote provision. Our staff are working hard to share best practice and top tips for lesson engagement that has been shared today. The staff contributions showed that already many of the East Leake Academy staff have moved far beyond the ‘expected level’ of quality we have asked of them, and are now rapidly becoming skilled experts in on-line education in their own right.
“In addition, our pastoral teams have been calling every student in the school for a check-in, and we have heard some fantastic feedback about how students have been engaging, not just with their studies, and our suggestions for personal development projects, but also their own ways of staying both physically and mentally well. A real credit to our students to see such resilience”.