‘Stop this devastating closure’
ANGER AT ‘CALLOUS’ PLAN TO SHUT DAY CENTRE
PARENTS have condemned “callous” plans which could lead to the closure of a day centre for people with learning disabilities.
Summerwood Day Centre in Clifton has been described as a “godsend” by parents of service users, as it supports those with sensory, physical and learning disabilities to retain their independence.
Despite an inquiry, conducted in November last year, revealing day services for adults with learning disabilities account for just over 10 percent of the total financial commitment, Nottingham City Council has proposed the closure of the centre.
Letters explaining that a consultation was due to take place were recently sent out to service users, prompting public outcry.
Julie Hall, 60, whose 39-yearold daughter Stacey Chettle attends the centre, told the Post the closure would be “devastating”.
“My daughter has global brain damage. She was brain damaged at four years old through an infection,” she said.
“My daughter woke up this morning and asked if we were going to the day centre today, but how long can I keep telling her that?
“I’m so, so angry. I’m furious. This service is vital.
“My daughter has been there most of her adult life. We have got back some respite there. We have spent a lifetime fighting for her and quality of life for her.
“We have done the right thing and looked after our children.
The Government pay me £67 per week to look after Stacey, otherwise she would be in residential which would cost thousands, so we are saving the council money. “We want answers.” Lindsay Holland, 42, whose 22-year-old daughter Tonichia
(Tish) Elliott has Asperger’s and autism, says the proposals would mean her only other option would be to travel to another day centre in The Meadows.
This, she says, would not be pos- sible.
She added: “There is another day centre in The Meadows, but that is not an option for us.
“My husband works and I have other children to take to school. I do not drive. I do not have the time to do that.
“These people did not ask to be disabled. It would cost more for the council if we had them in the care system.
“My two boys have had a childhood thanks to this place. Tish cannot wait to go back. She has only left the house 10 times since March.
“It gives her a get up and go. The place is a godsend. It is nice for her to go and for us not to worry about her. The staff there are not staff, they are family.”
The Nottingham Independents Group, comprising of city councillors Kevin Clarke, Maria Watson and Kirsty Jones, said the proposed plans were “callous”, referencing a recently announced pay rise as well as losses from the Robin Hood Energy debacle and Broadmarsh project. The Nottingham Independents added in a statement: “The work that Summerwood undertakes is invaluable and we can say from personal experience that the staff that work there are utterly incredible. “This closure is not only ill thought out but is frankly cruel, targeting the people who are most vulnerable to this crisis we all currently face. “Although an organisation committed to resolving issues of accountability should be expected to take the results of a public consultation seriously, that has not been the case here. “The consultation received an unprecedented 232 responses, 160 of which were directly relating to the issue of day centre closures.
“Of those 160, 97 percent, expressed overwhelmingly negative opinions of the proposal and, like us, believe that it would be unnecessarily harmful to those at most risk during this already difficult time.”
A consultation period will now run from February 12 until March 26.
The city council said the rationale behind the decision to propose a closure was there would be sufficient provision at the Spring Meadow Centre, Martin Jackaman Centre and the Acorn Centre.
Councillor Adele Williams, portfolio holder for adult services, said: “We understand people’s concerns about this proposal but want to reassure service users and their families that no-one who is currently or would normally be accessing a day centre will be left without provision.
“It’s also important to make clear that no decisions have been taken yet – a consultation has only just been launched and will run until the end of March and we want to hear people’s views.
“The proposal is part of the difficult decisions we are having to make following years of cuts to our funding from government.
“We have responded to this with a long and detailed review into day care provision across the city, and we are now consulting on this proposal.
“We need to refocus our resources to respond to what current support is needed to help people to be more involved in their communities, access leisure, volunteering and so on. “Summerwood service users would be able to access similar services at two other day centres if the decision is taken to close this one.
“Day centres will always be part of any community offer, but increasingly young adults are making other choices.”
THE parents of a little boy with a rare form of cancer have vowed to do all they can to give him the best possible chance of survival – and they hope a treatment he’s recently started could be a “stepping stone” towards surgery.
Archie Warriner, whose hepatoblastoma liver cancer has spread to his lungs, has undergone six types of chemotherapy since he was diagnosed at the end of January last year, just after his second birthday.
Although there were signs some of the treatments seemed to be working, his family said his bones became extremely brittle during the cycle – and at the “slightest knock he got leg breaks”.
His mum Lucy Heavey, 35, who said they were told by an oncologist her son needed a “miracle”, sent a heartfelt video at the beginning of last month to the pharmaceutical company Bayer, explaining her son’s story and asking for the chance of Archie receiving the drug Sorafenib.
The oncologist from Nottingham Children’s Hospital also contacted the company about the prospect – and Bayer officials replied within days, saying Archie could have six months’-worth of the chemotherapy drug on “compassionate grounds”.
Miss Heavey said the treatment wasn’t available on the NHS for her son’s specific condition - and the family hope it could be a “stepping stone” with Archie in need of a liver transplant in the future.
“We just want to give him the best chance. The first meeting, when we came out his oncologist said we need a miracle,” said Miss Heavey.
“We came out of that and just went ‘even if we find 30 to 40 different trials and we get told ‘no’ to every single one, at least we’ve tried, at least we’ve gone out and we’ve done the research and we have given him the best possible chance.’
“Regardless of what the hospital say, we have got to fight – and we will fight.”
Nottingham Forest supporter Archie, now three, started his latest treatment last week and is able to receive it at the family home in Coronation Walk, Gedling.
Miss Heavey, who cares for her son full-time, said: “They are giving us the chance. If it works it’s amazing. If it doesn’t it’s just another devastating blow.”
Archie’s dad Michael Warriner, 41, a dry-liner ceiling fixer by trade, said: “Even though we have gone above and beyond to get this treatment, we still know this is not a cure.
“This is a stepping stone to the surgeries he needs and the eventual liver transplant he needs.
“This is the beginning of it. We are constantly looking for new trials around the world.”
Speaking of the latest chemotherapy, Miss Heavey said: “In theory, it should target both the liver and the lungs.
“We’ve got more of an issue with his lungs because, until his lungs are clear, he can’t have a liver transplant.
“At the moment his liver’s kind of holding up. He’s not got jaundice or anything like that.
“Some cancer cells when they’ve detached they’re floating around on their own – in theory, they shouldn’t survive because they’re not attached to anything.
“But some cells still pick up on growth receptors that are around them, even if they’re not attached to anything and they’re just on their own.
“This drug should attack the growth receptors.
“This drug should kill the receptors, so, therefore, it should kill the cell [on the lungs] – because it won’t be able to grow anymore.” Mr Warriner, who also cares for Archie on a full-time basis, explained that the couple initially thought their son had a virus before his liver cancer diagnosis.
He said: “Archie doesn’t talk, Archie knows nothing about this. He just thinks this is normal. “He doesn’t know he’s got cancer. He’s an everyday happy child who bounces off the wall, except he’s a bit more ill than others.” Mr Warriner’s friend Leigh Wood, the Nottingham boxer and Reds fan who knocked out Reece Mould to win the vacant British featherweight title in the capital at the weekend, arranged a signed Forest home shirt for the family just after Archie’s diagnosis last year.
As well as arranging the signed shirt, Mr Wood also gave Archie a Forest away shirt in what Mr Warriner described as an “amazing gesture”. Speaking of his son’s affection for the club, Mr Warriner said: “He loves watching the football. There’s not many things Archie likes watching because he’s a three-year-old.
“But one of the things he does like watching is the football and he gets involved, puts his kit on and he’s always been like that and it’s really nice to see because you don’t see too many kids just being able to sit and watch an actual full game.
“We are generations of Forest fans, my whole family.”
Meanwhile, Forest have pledged to send the family a new shirt signed by the current squad.
A spokesman for the club wished the family the best of luck, saying: “The club are there for them. Anything else the club can do, just let us know.”
A spokesman for Bayer said: “Bayer does not comment on individual cases and any enquiry should be directed to the treating physician.”
Money can be donated to support the family atgofundme.com/f/teamarchie-fighting-hepatoblastomaliver-cancer
Mr Warriner has also raised more than £3,000 for the children’s cancer ward Archie has been treated on, through a sky dive.
A PETITION has been set up to call for a “dangerous” road to be resurfaced.
Bestwood Road, which runs from Bulwell to Bestwood Village, is problematic for both residents and motorists.
Last year, speed humps paid for by a housing developer were installed on just one side of the road because work on the humps started before a public consultation.
Work was stopped until the consultation took place.
They have now been installed on both sides of the road.
Tom Reed, who calls himself “The Beast of Bestwood”, has campaigned on numerous occasions over road safety.
He claims the road’s surface is now in a “dangerous” state.
He said: “The road surface is super bad. It breaks up and they keep coming back to fix it, but because of the weather it keeps breaking up again. It is wasting money. After all that with the road humps it has made a mess.”
Mr Reed, a music manager and agent, set up a petition on Change. org and has so far gained more than 300 signatures.
Mr Reed previously managed to convince local authorities to fix flooding problems in Moor Road, which typically flooded every time it rained, breaking up the road surface.
He has now turned his attention to Bestwood Road, which he says has “one of the worst road surfaces” in the city.
“We only set it up on Friday,” he added.
“The amount of people who have had their cars damaged is endless.
“People are just really annoyed. “This road was already in a terribly dangerous state last year when Nottingham City Council promised that they would provide a new road surface once the new tax year started. “Enough is enough. We need a new road surface.” Nottingham City Council has been contacted for comment but had not replied at the time of going to press.
The amount of people who have had their cars damaged is endless. Peopl;e are just really annoyed
Tom Reed
THE grandson of a 96-year-old woman yet to receive her Covid vaccine fears she and others in her situation have been “forgotten”.
Nigel Owen, 43, says his grandmother Connie Allbrighton, who lives in Hucknall, has not yet received her jab through the roving vaccination service.
Mr Owen told the Post that she received her vaccination letter from NHS England on January 19.
Her brother, Terry Allbrighton, called the number and explained that she was housebound and unable to attend a vaccination centre.
He was told that the roving team would be in touch to administer the jab at home.
However, more than two weeks later, the family claim she had not been contacted.
“I do not think this is exclusive to Nottinghamshire,” Mr Owen said.
“She started seeing on the news that everyone in the top categories had been done and she feels forgotten.
“For all the positive news around the vaccine there seems to be a forgotten group here.
“She is one of the only people around who have lived through the Second World War, she has not had any state care, but when it comes to someone helping her no-one is there.
“My grandmother had a fall last week and we had a district nurse come round who confirmed she was on the roving list.
“How much longer can we wait?”
Mr Owen said he had been bounced between
NHS England and her GP surgery, Oakenhall Medical Centre, to no avail.
After chasing the issue up at the beginning of February, Mr Owen said the family received a call on Saturday, informing them Connie would be vaccinated on or before February 26.
The Government had planned to have all people in the top four priority groups vaccinated by February 15, after the very first jab was issued on December 8 last year.
“There was discussion that Connie might need to go into hospital and it is an at-risk area and she has not had her jab,” Mr Owen added.
“She is not sleeping, and we are worried she is going to get ill.
“It is not fair for a 96-year-old to feel like this, a woman who served this country during the war and who has cost the country barely a penny.”
The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) says the roving programme allows housebound residents to receive their jab while at home.
The roving team is made up of healthcare staff such as GPS and nurses, and those who are housebound will have been identified by their GP.
It says if someone has not received a booking letter, the vaccination booking line should be contacted on 0115 883 4640 to arrange an visit from the roving team. A spokeswoman for NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG said: “Any residents who are classed as housebound and in the current priority groups who have not yet had their vaccine are being contacted and will be vaccinated this week.”
She is not sleeping, and we are worried she is going to get ill
Nigel Owen
LEADING councillors in a Nottinghamshire village say a 322-home housing development will be a “disaster” – almost two years after developers won an appeal against the council.
The plans, at Beck Lane in Skegby, were rejected by Ashfield District Council in 2018 over concerns about “sustainability”, transport infrastructure and issues surrounding local services.
But the developers behind the scheme appealed against the refusal to the Planning Inspectorate, and it was reversed in 2019.
They are now pushing forward with the proposals, submitting documents to the council outlining the look and feel of the plans.
Councillors who opposed the move in 2018 have repeated their objections, suggesting the road gets “bottlenecked” at peak periods and that the development would be a “disaster.
Melanie Darrington, independent councillor for Skegby, who led the efforts to turn down the development in 2018, says: “It is frustrating, and the worst thing about it is that, week after week, I get complaints from residents about flooding on Beck Lane.
“None of the issues we previously put forward have been addressed, and everyone always asked how they will be able to build an extra 300 houses there.
“The road is gridlocked if the M1 has a problem, you hear on the radio to avoid Beck Lane because it’s bottle-necked, and these issues are only going to get worse with all these houses.
“Nothing was addressed at all.
“All we can do now as a council is try and make sure they’re good developers, if we can’t stop it, and to make sure it’s done properly.
“It’s really frustrating, especially for the people who live on Beck Lane.”
Helen-ann Smith represents the area on Nottinghamshire County Council and is also deputy leader of Ashfield District Council.
She said: “I still think any development up there without major traffic investment is going to be a disaster.
“We already know that there is not enough capacity at any local school or doctor’s surgery, and this is the problem with the Government overriding the local council.
“Fundamentally, you need to get the infrastructure in as part of the plan rather than an afterthought.
“The Government has approved all of it and we can’t un-approve it, despite the fact that there are other spaces for this development that would cause less harm.”
In its comments following the developer’s appeal, the Planning Inspectorate said that the proposals were “sustainable” and would not have an impact to the local highway network.
A statement read: “Local residents continue to have concerns in relation to traffic impacts and highway safety. I can understand their concerns.
“The highways experts who explained the scheme and its impacts at the inquiry are highly experienced professionals and, although I respect the concerns of the local community, I do not have any grounds to disagree with the technical evidence put before me.
“Overall I am satisfied that the appeal site is in a sustainable location and the proposal itself constitutes sustainable development. “This is a case where the adverse impacts of the proposal fall very far short of significantly and demonstrably outweighing the considerable benefits which the scheme offers.”
The Government has approved all of it and we can’t un-approve it
Councillor Helen-ann Smith
THE owner of the company that will run the catering at the revamped Nottingham Castle has described his vision for the project.
Raj Regmi, managing director of Meadow Brown Restaurants, which was awarded the contract which is said to be worth £7.5m, said that he wants to “make a statement”.
Meadow Brown will operate a cafe in the new visitor centre, a restaurant on the top floor of the Ducal Palace, and space for events including weddings and corporate functions.
Mr Regmi, who has operated catering businesses in high-profile locations including the Southbank Centre and
Hyde Park in London, and currently manages the Lakeside Kitchen and Bar at Nene Park outside Peterborough, is placing an emphasis on sourcing from local suppliers and reflecting Nottingham’s identity in his menus.
He said: “It’s such a unique visitor attraction. As a commercial operator we’re going to try to do it justice.
“It’s all about purchasing locally. We really pride ourselves on buying things from the local community. “I’m not interested in high-street restaurants; it’s more about visitor attractions; I’m interested in making a statement.
“We want to create a lovely destination where you can sit on the terrace and have a glass of champagne and enjoy yourself.”
The cafe and restaurant will form an integral part of the new castle following a £30 million redevelopment and redesign.
Mr Regmi’s comments come after new details were recently released of some of the new attractions coming to the castle, including a woodland adventure playground within the grounds, as a nod to Robin Hood’s stomping grounds in the wilds of Sherwood Forest.
Nottingham Castle Trust will run the whole site once the development works are completed. The attraction will open in June. Mr Regmi added: “The trust has got a really good vision for the castle.
“They have got to make a commercially viable business here, and as a commercial partner we want to work with them to make it a really outstanding place to come.”
As well as operating the cafe and restaurant, Meadow Brown will also offer catering and private hire services for a range of purposes from corporate events to private weddings.
The company will also provide catering for public events held in the grounds.
Debbie Beardall, director of commercial and customer services at Nottingham Castle Trust, said: “We’re delighted to have appointed Meadow Brown Restaurants as the hospitality provider at Nottingham Castle. “Their track record of running fantastic food outlets at other reputable attractions is excellent, and we’re certain that they’ll bring the same quality of food and service to both the coffee chop in our Visitor Centre and terrace cafe in the Ducal Palace.”
We want to create a lovely destination where you can sit on the terrace and enjoy yourself
Raj Regmi