As this edition lands on your doormat, we will be looking forward to celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and enjoying an extended Bank Holiday. Whatever you are doing, whether you are attending events/street parties, spending time with friends and family, or just enjoying a few quiet days watching the events on television, I hope you all have a great time and spend a moment in awe of this momentous occasion.
God Save The Queen
I had two lovely evenings at the National Space Centre for our ‘Celebrations of Achievements’ awards for Leicestershire children in care. These events allow us to celebrate our amazing children and treat them to a great evening out. There was one evening for our younger children and one for our older children. Beacon Voices, our children in care choir, sang for us on both evenings and all the children had an opportunity to look around the space centre and watch the moon landing show in the Planetarium. I was also fortunate to see the show in the Planetarium and it is well worth a visit. I did have to smile when I was asked if I was an astronaut!
Ukraine
Leicestershire residents are beginning to welcome Ukrainian refugees into the area, and I was delighted to meet a young lady who had just arrived in Woodhouse Eaves at the recent Annual Parish Council meeting I attended.
Just over 300 refugees have arrived in the county so far, with many more visas approved and sponsors registered. There is a wealth of information for sponsors and for anyone supporting refugees in other ways on our dedicated web page on the county council’s website: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/support-for-ukraine
The main issues that I am being contacted about are the emergency £200 payment to each refugee on arrival and school places. Sponsors need to email: [email protected] when their refugees arrive, and the payment card will be sent out that day. We do not receive notification when refugees arrive, so it is important that the sponsors let us know. Regarding school places, the normal councils school admissions process is followed, but Ukrainian children are guaranteed a school place. There is information on the website but here is the extract about school places:
School Places for Ukrainian Refugees
Welcome to all children and families from Ukraine who have decided to settle here in Leicestershire.
If your children are of Primary School age 4 - 10 years old, or of Secondary School age 11 - 16 years old, the best way to apply for a school place is through our online school application process below. Please declare that you are making an application for or on behalf of a Ukrainian refugee.
If you would like to speak to us about school places, please call 0116 305 6684.
Please note: We are experiencing a very high volume of applications for school places, and we appreciate your patience and understanding whilst we process these. As it can take up to 15 school days to reach and communicate each decision, we politely request waiting for this length of time before contacting the service to follow up on an application.
Roads
Some of the roads across Leicestershire will be treated this summer to help reduce the chance of potholes developing. Leicestershire County Council will carry out this preventative maintenance with the equivalent of 75 football pitches worth of roads over the coming months.
These improvements will help maintain the condition of the roads. The works, known as surface dressing, provide the roads with an additional protective layer by sealing the surface with bitumen and stone chippings. The new layer prevents water and air penetrating the tarmac underneath, preventing potholes, while the stone chippings increase the texture of the road surface. The process also adds anti-skid properties to the road, increasing road safety.
With more than 2,575 miles of road to maintain across the county, this effort to tackle problems on the roads before they form, can reduce reactive maintenance and save our council money.
Roads in my Division that are programmed in for this surface dressing are in Anstey and Woodhouse which are planned to be completed during June.
Shire Grants
A pot of £600,000 is available for schemes and projects that help people who are struggling. Small grants of up to £3,000 or larger sums of up to £10,000 are available to help with costs including staffing, buying equipment and room hire for community projects which help disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Leicestershire.
Leicestershire County Council has launched its SHIRE Community Grants Scheme again this year to support projects run by community groups, charities, not-for-profit enterprises and town and parish councils.
The SHIRE Community Grants programme aims to fund projects that help elderly and frail people, those with disabilities, special educational needs or mental health conditions as well as carers and those experiencing financial hardship, social isolation and poor access to services.
Applications for the current round of grants are being accepted until June 8th, 2022, but further grants will be available in September and November 2022.
Groups wishing to apply must be based in Leicestershire. More information can be found on the Leicestershire Communities website: https://www.leicestershirecommunities.org.uk/grants/shire-community-grant.html
New Technology
The homes of elderly and vulnerable adults in Leicestershire are being fitted with equipment such as fall detectors to help keep them safe 24 hours a day.
Leicestershire County Council has launched a new technology service with the potential to boost people’s independence, improve their quality of life and reduce the amount of support they need.
Care Technology (CT), sometimes referred to as telecare, involves monitoring and alert equipment to help people to remain independent in their home and in the community. This equipment will provide residents, their carers, family and friends with the reassurance that help is available round-the-clock, seven days a week.
It allows people to be monitored by trained staff in case they should fall ill or have an accident so that help can be quickly summoned whilst reducing the pressure on 999 services.
Care Technology covers a wide range of equipment, such as alarm systems, falls detectors and GPS location trackers. User-friendly technology will be tailored for each person’s circumstances, helping them to live safe and independent lives.
The Care Technology Service is available at no charge for adults who meet the eligibility criteria.
More information is available on the council's website: https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/adult-social-care-and-health/living-independently-at-home/care-technology
A Net Zero County by 2045
A major consultation has been launched by Leicestershire County Council on proposals to make the county cleaner, greener and healthier. Residents, businesses, councils, universities and others are being urged to help shape ambitious plans to make Leicestershire a net zero carbon county by 2045 by getting involved in the consultation.
Leicestershire County Council is inviting people to comment on how changing the way they travel, how they run and maintain their homes, and how what they buy from day-to-day can help to protect the environment.
The consultation focuses on a net zero action plan which sets out key goals including:
- reducing carbon emissions generated by transport;
- reducing energy use in buildings – plus improving energy efficiency and adding new renewable energy generation;
- supporting businesses to go green and grow the low carbon economy;
- supporting communities to tackle climate change;
- increasing the removal and storage of carbon in natural systems like soil and forests.
The consultation is open until 26th July 2022 and includes a social media campaign with the hashtag #NetZeroLeicestershire, a Facebook live and discussions with young people - as part of the wider engagement process.
For copies of the questionnaire in other formats, please email [email protected]
To learn more about our net zero ambitions and to fill in the survey, please visit the council’s website.
If you have any issues or concerns, I’m here to help.
