East Leake Mike Elliott 0115 937 6506 elliottnews@btconnect.com
MEMORIAL GARDEN IN HONOUR OF LUKE STAPLES. East Leake Academy are dedicating a memorial to a former student who died in a road accident near Kingston on Soar last September.
A new memorial garden has been created in honour of Luke Samples, a very popular Year 13 student. The garden will be officially opened by Luke’s family.
Academy Principal Mrs Kath Hardy has given special thanks to Rob Porter, of R C Porter Construction, for all their help in the project. “We wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without their help,” she says.
Students at the Academy raised £700 for the Luke Samples Memorial fund from their Christmas Jumper day. Luke was an 18 year old student at the Academy and a talented young football goalkeeper who was on the books of Coalville Town and who died in the car crash on his way home to Kingston on Soar.
Luke was praised by staff at the Academy for being a wonderful student and at its Certificate presentation evening the newly appointed Joint Academy Vice Principal Mr Blake Francis introduced a truly moving item on the evening’s programme by paying a sincere tribute to Luke.
Mr Francis said the phone call he received to advise him of the young students death shook him beyond belief. He said Luke had always been positive and was a wonderful young person.
The Vice Principal said the togetherness that was so evident in the Academy after the tragic accident had without doubt helped him and many others to get through.
At that event and in true football form Mr Francis asked for everyone to stand and take part in a one-minutes applause in memory of the former student.
Both staff and students from the Academy were among the large numbers of people attending the Luke’s funeral service.
East Leake Academy Principal Mrs Kathy Hardy issued a statement at the time in which she said that the whole community at the Academy were extremely saddened to hear the tragic news of Luke’s death.
She said: “Luke, who was in Year 13 and has been at the school since 2010, was a very popular student amongst both staff and peers. He was well known by everyone in the Academy due to his cheerful and likeable character; we will miss him dearly. We are extremely moved by the tributes of flowers, balloon and letters from both staff and students and we would like to express our deepest condolences to Luke’s family and friends at this very sad time.”
ANNUAL MOON WALK PLANS. Such was the success of the East Leake Moon Walk event earlier this month it has already been decided it will become an annual activity in the village.
Main organiser Tracie Waterfield told the Echo this week there would be an outcry if the event was a one-off.
“We had 195 people and a dog walking in our first effort and this shows the strength of the support for the event on May 13. Everyone said we had to repeat it and make it an annual affair,” she said.
Tracie, who has competed in two of the now-world famous London Moon Walks, said that event began with just a few ladies taking part and now has many hundreds.
This first effort at a village Moon Walk was raising money, amongst other good causes, for the British Heart Foundation and the local ‘Making Memories Fund’ set up in support
of Sarah West --a former teacher at the village Lantern Lane School and who was brought up in the village and whose parents still live there – who has been diagnosed with serious breast cancer – and whose supporters want to raise money so Sarah and her partner Rups and two young girls, Olivia (5) and Amelia (2) can go on a dream holiday. Sarah was one of the people taking part in the first walk.
The event will, it is hoped, have made up to £1000 for the two causes but .also very much more as those talking part were given the option after paying their entry fee of £5 which was divided between the advertised causes, One of the walkers was East Leake carnival organiser and local parish councillor Mel Roper. She raised over £200 for her good cause, the money going to the family of a good friend who had recently died from cancer.
Co-event organiser Jenny Mellors says she felt the actual walk night was amazing and said the day later she was still on a high.
“I just would like to say a massive thank you to Will Tansley for providing us with the music, Una Lacey for doing the warm up, Jill Arnold and Wendy Fernside for manning the registration desk -- which was pretty manic at times!! -- ) Kate Hennig for all her help especially putting all the arrows up along the route meaning she walked the route twice on the day, Mel Roper for helping sell the tickets and decorate the village, and the card shop for providing the balloons-shop for providing the balloons, Sarah West for obtaining the ridiculously funny outfit I wore , Greg Mellors for all of your help and support through out me organising all of this, Tracie Waterfield as if it wasn’t for you this event would never have happened and most importantly each and every one of the 195 participants as without you it wouldn’t have been the success it was and of course everyone who has donated money for the 2 good causes.
Jenny said thanks had to go to Tracie because without her the event would never had even happened.
BRING AND SING.
Approximately 50 members and friends of East Leake Methodist church attended the latest Bring and Sing morning. They raised about £180 for Methodist Homes. The morning took the form of a Bring and Buy stall, Coffee Morning with Hot Cross Buns and the singing of requested Hymns.
During the intervals between the singing Mrs Hirell Ferne and Pastor Chris Watkins shared with the group their own experiences of Methodist Homes which range from sheltered apartments, care for people with dementia, to care in the community. The support is not just for members of the Methodist Church but for anyone.
COUNCIL REPORT. The 2016/17 year has been one of consolidation for the new parish councillors at East Leake, and a year of steady improvement in the village amenities, says chairman Coun. Conrad Oatey in the annual report.
The report explains what has been delivered for the cost of the precept and other grants received by the council, with Coun. Oatey listing them as follows:
“The Health Centre car park has been extended by about 25%, and the new link path to the Coop appears to be very well used. In order to ensure that there is always parking space for users of the Health Centre, parking in this car park is now limited to a maximum of 4 hours. We hope that everybody will respect this.
“The renovation of the Rest Garden in the centre of the village is nearly complete. The new planting, done by villagers with the Parish Council, is establishing well, and it is nice to see colour in that area. A memorial bench, kindly donated by Mollie Jacques in memory of Dr Paul Jacques was recently installed. The covered shelter for the paved area at the rear of the site is expected shortly, and then the path will be resurfaced.
“The Glebe (on Station Road) looks much more colourful and welcoming. Much boring shrubbery has been removed by the grounds staff; beds created and planted. Some more colour will be added during the next year.
“Well on the way is the extension to the Parish Council Workshop, to house the equipment and materials and provide indoor working space for wet weather jobs. This will be followed by landscaping of the surrounding area during 2017.
“Although not visible to you, much preparatory work has been undertaken for roughly doubling the Gotham Road car park. This will be a big but important project in 2017. Planning permission has been granted and quotations for the work will be sought shortly.”
The chairman says that it goes without saying that an enormous amount of work goes on maintaining all areas of the village, be that mowing, litter picking, pruning etc. It may not attract the headlines, but we would all notice if the work stopped!!
FOOTBALL HOLIDAY CLUB. East Leake St Mary’s parish church have joined forces with the Star Strike Football Coaching to stage a football holiday club. It will operate from the village hall at Costock from Wednesday May 31 to Saturday June 3 and operate each day from 9-30am to 3pm.
The church and the Coaching organisation are inviting those interested to four days of football coaching, fun games, daily World Cup tournaments and other team activities for Year 2-6. Designed and delivered by FA qualified coaches. Half time Bible activity sheets will be asking ‘ Who’s the Greatest?’
The activity offers those involved a chance to develop their skills, be active and whatever their playing ability, to have a great time!
The sessions are open to girls and boys of any footballing ability. The cost is only £8 per day – book for all four days and win an engraved trophy!
For more information and to book contact Rob on 07775 687682.
REST GARDEN IMPROVEMENTS. Good progress has been made on a project by the parish council at East Leake to improve the Rest Garden in the centre of the village.
Planting of the cleared section of what is recognised as a very useful space in the village centre, opposite the Post Office, has now been completed.
A memorial bench is being provided in the planted area, and a covered seating enclosure to be sited on the paved area at the bottom of the garden. Another part of the project is for the path to be resurfaced and grass set in the area behind the telephone box. Attention will also be given to improvements on the opposite side of the main lawn.
WISHING BEST LUCK TO STUDENTS. East Leake Academy principal Mrs Kathy Hardy has commented to parents and carers in the penultimate newsletter of this current term that the examinations are obviously in full swing and so they wish all students the very best of luck.
She says to students involved that it is more than ever important to arrive to the academy in good time to be in the best frame of mind before entering the examination hall and to help towards that they provided Year 11 with toast and bananas before their English exam on Monday morning to help calm any last minute nerves and fuel for success.