Happy New Year - Welcome 2016

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone has a healthy 2016 and that it is kind to us all!.

Sadly I ended 2015 attending the funeral of a lovely young man, close friend and school friend of my eldest son.  St Wilfrid's Church was filled to capacity with people standing as all pews were taken.  This young man made an impact on so many and the attendance at his funeral was testimony to this.  Sleep tight Jonathan (Khany).  Having known him since a small child, I will always remember his cheeky smile and personality.

I also spent the week before and after Christmas sorting problems for people in Standish who come to me for help as local Councillors do so little. Getting the bins empties of a resident who has assisted bin help and whose bin was missed just before Christmas was just one example. Reporting flooding on local roads to get signage to warn drivers was another.   My heart goes out to those who were affected by the floods.  This year Carl and I sent a donation to the flood appeal rather than sending Christmas cards.

2015 was a very mixed bag.  The threat of redundancy, great nieces and nephews being born, and happy fun times with grandchildren and family.    

May saw us lose the local election by a very small margin, more than doubling our votes and getting far more than Gareth Fairhurst did in the whole of Wigan in his quest to become an MP.  He lost his deposit!  Let us hope that in 2016 his lies, slander and electioneering fairy stories stop and that he finally produces audited full accounts of the money raised for the 'Save Ashfield' fund.  A park that never needed saving in the first place and cost us taxpayers nearly £40,000. 

2016 brings us much to look forward to.  I have been selected to stand for our party for Standish in the local elections.  I declined requests to stand in other Wards as I feel that having lived and worked in the community in Standish for 40 years, my heart and soul are here and Standish is worth working and fighting for.  Let us work together to make it a better place, to make the best of the new houses we have been forced to accept and to fight to stop more being built!  I will continue as a member of Standish Voice to keep Standish a place we all want to live in.

An end of a year makes you reflect and I thought about community activities - here are some of the things I have helped with in the Community:

• Held roles of Chair/Treasurer and Secretary of St Wilfrids Primary PTFA
• Ran school bank for St Wilfrids
• Delivered cookery lessons for pupils at St Wilfrids
• Chair of joint schools PTFA, St Wilfrids, St Maries, Woodfold and Standish High raising much needed funds for refubishment of St Wilfrids swimming pool (even dressing up as tweety pie!)
• Chair of Standish High Friends Association
• Raised funds to buy the school mini bus
• Worked at Standish High School for 17 years
• Curriculum Staff Governor of Standish High School
• First Aid Instructor, instructing officers of Church Lads and Church Girls Brigade, Girls Friendly Society and members of the Community
• Led Friends of Standish Library to raise funds
• Installed 2 defibrillators in Standish for 24/7 access, linked to North West Ambulance '999' service, winning Gold Award for their installation
• Organised over 40 theatre trips for members of the community
• Assisted in removal of fly tipped furniture
• Assisted with parking dispute involving local councillor painting double yellow lines on the road
• Worked with all schools in Locality 1(Standish, Shevington, Aspull, Beech Hill, Whelley and Ince) to raise standards of Mental Health Awareness, assessing and awarding schools with Bronze, Silver or Gold awards and organising presentation event.
• Ward and Hospice in the home volunteer for Wigan and Leigh Hospice
• Bereavement support volunteer for Wigan and Leigh Hospice. Experienced in bereavement support

These are just some of the things I have worked on over the last few years, there are many more,too numerous to list but I have plans for more in 2016 to benefit Standish and its residents.

I love Standish!  Happy New Year to you all!

Another Good Week!

Gold!

Last week I was invited to the North West Ambulance Cardiac Smart Awards and was proud to go and receive a Gold Award for the installation of the 2 defibrillators in Standish.

I am very proud to have been able to provide these for Standish and hope to get another one at the other side of Standish next year.

 

The awards ceremony was very emotional with approx 12 survivors of cardiac arrest attending, many along with those who had performed CPR on them and saved their lives.

I have delivered 3 training sessions in Standish Library as I am a First Aid Trainer for North West Ambulance Service 'Heartstart'.   I will organise more in the new year as I am passionate about First Aid and teaching others how to save a life.   Most First Aid incidents happen to people we know, family and friends and not strangers.

  

I have also been asked by Standish residents to deliver training to younger people.  Having delivered in schools for many years, I will organise training for young Standishers also in the New Year (fully qualified with Enhanced DBS)

Cumbrian Floods

I watched the news with sadness at so many people having so much damage to their homes.  There is no good time but just before Christmas makes it all seem worse somehow.  

Instead of sending Christmas cards to work colleagues this year, I will be donating to the flood appeal.  If anyone else would like to donate the link is here

http://www.cumbriafoundation.org/.  

Several years ago I had a house fire, we lost everything and had to move out of our home for 12 weeks. We were lucky and insurance covered the damage, something many residents in Cumbria have not been able to get due to previous floods and companies being unwilling to cover them.

Christmas

As we all start to prepare for Christmas, my journey to work, which I undertake every morning at 7.30am and the return journey, getting home at 6.30pm, is made a little better with the sight of so many twinkling Christmas lights on the drive. 

As a Bereavement Support Worker for Wigan & Leigh Hospice, this is a difficult time of year for many who have lost loved ones, I have new clients to see and I will also be doing my Ward shifts over the Christmas period. The 'Light for a Life' tree was lit this week in the Hospice grounds and it looks fabulous, the photo does not do it justice! 

Thank You!  I would like to say a personal 'thank you' for the nearly 100 messages and emails of support I have received this week following the libellous lies and allegations made against me this week.   

This Week's Blog

Doing the Job Your Councillors Don't!!

Before

This week I have been involved in removing rubbish after fly tipping at the top of Ormsby Close.   

Residents contacted me to complain about the furniture dumped on the footpath.   Working with Councillor George Davies (Labour - Wigan Central)  We were able to get the Council to remove it immediately.

After

This route is frequently used by one of your local Councillors but no action was taken - another example of their ineffienciency and lackadaisical attitude whilst drawing their Council allowance!

Tuesday 

On Tuesday evening I attended the AGM of Standish Voice at The Unity Club.  The Committee was re-elected.  I have attended most of the meetings in the last year and Standish Voice are doing a great job in preparing the Neighbourhood Plan to protect Standish, our Village!.

Wednesday

Wednesday saw the Council Representatives attend the Drop in Session I organised at Standish Library for residents to view the Allocations Plan and ask questions.   The drop in was well attended.  Thank you also to Standish Voice for attending to also answer questions and who will be giving their opinion on the plan.  You can have your say until 15th December when the consultation finishes.   http://wigan-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/allocations_plan_initial_draft

In the evening, I delivered another Free First Aid Session which was again well attended.   I also showed the Landlady of the Silver Tally, with the rest of the group how to use and check their Defibrillator which she had brought with her.  Thank you.   There will be more free courses in the New Year and perhaps one for 10 - 16 year olds which has been requested.  

We tested the new first aid dummies, very different to those I used over 20 years ago but much easier to transport. 

Thursday

On Thursday evening I attended the General Meeting of Wigan CLP where the speaker from SWAP gave a very good outline of their work with the asylum seekers and refugees in Wigan (do you know the difference between an Asylum Seeker, a Refugee and a Migrant?).  There were some touching and painful stories and we must continue to help these people who are not here as economic migrants but are frightened and looking for a better life for themselves and their families.  There is no truth to the rumours of a rise in crime, indeed the Police stated it has dropped over the last 2 years, of a break in at the Methodist Church (the Minister confirmed this) and there has been no Asylum Seekers photographing young girls at the High School!.  

Lisa Nandy gave a heartfelt talk about the decision to bomb Syria soon to be taken in Parliament and asked for our views over the weekend.  As she said, she has to face the parents, friends and relatives of those in the armed forces who will be involved and it is a decision that needs to help make us more secure, so the decision has to be the right one.  We all know Jeremy Corbyn's views and I feel that a free vote would be the way to go.

UPDATE:  See Lisa's decision and why 
 http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/wigan-mp-to-vote-against-uk-air-strikes-on-syria-1-7599955

I was voted onto the new Greater Manchester LCF Committee.  The first meeting will be held in the New Year, enabling Wigan Labour to have a say in Devo Manch. 

Planning Application - Langham Road

Wainhomes have put in outline planning permission for another 80 homes at Langham Road site.    We need as many people to object to this as possible to ensure that this goes before Planning Committee and that permission is not granted.   Building these houses would create a 'rat run' so that cars could travel from Pepper Lane through the new houses currently being built and exiting on Langham Road/St Stephens Road. 

Please lodge your objection by writing to the Council at  Wigan Council, Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan, WN1 1YN  

Should you wish there is a draft letter here which you an copy and paste, print, sign and post.

Wigan Council,

Town Hall,

Library Street,

Wigan, WN1 1YN

For the Attention of Planning Department

Re: Application Number  A/15/81542/OUTMAJ – Langham Road

I wish to strongly object to the planning application by Wainhomes for outline permission to build 80 houses on Langham Road site.

These houses would add to the current traffic problems, creating a ‘rat run’ from Pepper Lane, through the new housing estate currently being built at Cat I’th Window/Pepper Lane and opening the road between Langham Road/St Stephens Road would create unnecessary traffic flow onto the already busy main road.

The additional 80 houses are not wanted in Standish and the Core Strategy target has long been reached.

Please put these plans in front of the planning committee where I recommend the plans be rejected.

Yours faithfully

……………………………………………. Signed

……………………………………………..Address

This week's blog

Firstly my apologies as there was no updated Blog last week as I have been quite ill and was sent to hospital.  On the mend now though so thank you to those who sent messages. 

Asylum Seekers at The Britannia Hotel

Standish Branch of the Labour Party discussed this at our Branch Meeting this week.   It was agreed that there is a lot of mis-information around the asylum seekers, because that is what they are and that we should be helping.   They are not economic migrants as stated on a Facebook Page and The Wigan Evening Post has published articles as has Lisa Nandy MP. (See links below).  The police have refuted claims of a rise in crime and the Headteacher of Standish High has also put the record straight. These people are unable to claim benefits and Serco give them a daily allowance only for essentials.  Much has been made of the fact that many of them carry smart phones.  Asylum seekers are not necessarily poor, they are fleeing from their countries in fear of their lives.  If I had to do this, leaving behind friends etc, my phone would be the first thing I took.  Many are targeted in their countries as Doctors, Accountants etc but are unable to work here for 12 months until the Home Office approves their status, if they are allowed to work they then pay their taxes and National Insurance here, contributing to our country.

Serco has said in the paper that the asylum seekers are in the Hotel temporarily for 3 weeks until other suitable accommodation is found and that the figures of over 100 there are vastly exaggerated. 

Using a hotel like this is not ideal by any stretch of the imagination, residents and Wigan Council were never consulted on this.  The owners of The Britannia are profiting by selling rooms to Serco in this, and other hotels in their chain.

Mass graves of both women and children have been uncovered just this week in both Iraq and Syria.  In my work I interviewed a lady from Somalia who had watched her husband, her brother in law and her 2 sons aged 15 and 19 shot and killed in front of her.  She fled her after being threatened, she had no friends or family but was helped by a Wigan Church.  This lady was so sad, as if the life had been sucked out of her.  Should we really turn our back on someone like this?

The myth that living in a hotel is easy is far from the reality. I lived in a Wigan hotel with my family for 3 months following a house fire several years ago.  Like the residents at the Britannia, I was unable to do washing and cooking and relied heavily on friends.  The asylum seekers do not even have these to fall back on.

A Hotel is not the ideal place to house anyone, but Serco and the Owner of the Hotel have done a deal.  No additional money for food etc is paid for by the tax payer and all are funded by Serco's money from the contract. Wigan Council have no control over Serco or the Hotel owner in this and indeed raised concerns way back in July this year about the inappropriate housing of asylum seekers at the hotel.

These people are frightened, scared and far away from home. I will be liaising with Lisa Nandy MP on this.  Lisa is working hard to get answers from both The Home Office and Serco as her letter in this week's Wigan Observer shows.




http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/claims-asylum-seekers-at-hotel-led-to-rise-in-crime-denied-by-police-1-7566882

http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/truth-behind-hotel-petition-claims-1-7577990

Drop in Session at Standish Library - Wigan Allocations Plan

Members of the public can discuss the contents of the draft plan with officers from Wigan Council’s planning department at the following drop in session:

Wednesday 25 November 3 pm – 7 pm

Standish Library, Cross Street, Standish - Come along and have your say!  The consultation ends on 15th December.  Happy to have organised this for Standish!

Joke of the Week!

After winning by a whisker at last May's Local Election Cllr George Fairhurst has drawn his full allowance despite having just 38% attendance at Council Meetings.    Now his son Cllr Gareth Fairhurst has started a petition for his Dad to become Mayor (this is after a previous petition asking for a referendum on this)  Do we really want someone who gives 38% effort to be Mayor of Wigan?   I for one do not!

North West Ambulance Service - Cardiacsmart Award

Following the installation of the 2 defibrillators for Standish NWAS has awarded me and my colleagues at Friends of Standish Library with a Gold Award.

This Week's Blog

Remembrance Sunday

Standish paid its respects this morning remembering the fallen in an impeccably kept silence.  Many, many people came out in the cold and the rain to remember those injured and lost in battles,past and present.

Many families are touched in some way by wars including mine.   My late Grandad survived the beaches in Normandy, my late Father-in-law fought in Greece.  

One of my sisters served for 25 years as a Corporal in the R.A.F. serving during the Falklands conflict and was invalided out due to an injury sustained whilst in the R.A.F.  

My partner served in the Army in Germany.

My Dad who has just turned 80 was conscripted into National Service in the Army and then served as a red beret (paratropper).  He still has his beret and kept his boot brushes from all those years ago.  He recently gave his brushes to a close family friend's son who at 16 has just finished his GCSEs, joined the Army and is undergoing training in Harrogate.  A new generation to serve our Country.

Although at the service this morning, I went back later today to pay my personal respects to members of my family who served.

Remembrance Day is on Wednesday and I know  workplaces, shops and others will be observing the 2 minutes silence at 11 a.m.

Accident/Traffic in Standish

During the week there was a crash at Standish traffic lights involving a Range Rover and an HGV. The driver of the Range Rover had to be cut free but was thankfully not badly hurt. For such a busy junction, accidents are infrequent, thank goodness.

Wigan Council held a review this week over the proposed new road at Junction 26 of the M6 which will provide a faster route into Wigan and could cut the amount of traffic through Standish as many come off at Junction 27 to go back into Wigan thinking it quicker. I think that if Lancashire County Council opened up a proper entry/exit road at Charnock Richard Services this would also help. Although some do use the services to get on and off the motorway it is illegal and Police do prosecute people using it as such. http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/mixed-views-over-new-link-road-scheme-1-7555620?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Free First Aid Course

If you would like to learn essential life saving skills including CPR, I am delivering the third in the series of free first aid courses on Wednesday 25th November at 6pm in Standish Library. Ring the Library to book a place 01257 400496

Full Council Meeting

This week's Full Council Meeting was held on Wednesday at Leigh Town Hall. The meeting asked for full published accounts for the money collected by Cllr Gareth Fairhurst's 'Save Ashfield Fund' As the Council has published its accounts, let us all hope that Cllr Fairhurst now does the same as many people in Standish are asking where their money went.

2nd November 2015

Last Week..... Half Term

This week's Blog is a little shorter than usual as I spent last week away.  I drove to my eldest son's to collect my 7 year old grandson and drove to Kent to spend the week with my daughter, her husband and my other 7 year old grandson!  I had a lovely week culminating in a halloween party with eyeball jelly and a firework display.    Phew.....went back to work today for a rest!

Allocations and Development Management Local Plan Consultation

Following the consultation announced by Wigan Council, I have negotiated a drop-in session to be held on Wednesday 25th November between 3pm and 7pm at Standish Library.  Council representatives will be there to answer questions about the Plan.  Report H3 is specifically for Standish.  The consultation ends on 15th December and you can have your say.  Follow the link for more information and to give your views.  http://www.wigan.gov.uk/Council/Strategies-Plans-and-Policies/Planning/Allocations-Plan/Allocations-and-Development-Management-Local-Plan.aspx

Have you registered to vote?

The rules on voter registration has been changed.   Households can no longer register to vote and individuals must register themselves.   To ensure you have the right to vote in all future elections and referendums, register here https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Coca-Cola Truck Tour

Following a leak, it has been confirmed that the Coca Cola truck will be visiting Wigan.  The truck will visit ASDA, Soho Street on 6th December between 11am and 7pm.  

Remembrance Day this Sunday

This Week's Blog

Local Elections 2016

This week Standish Labour Branch held their Selection Meeting.  I am very proud to say that I was selected to be the Labour Party Candidate in our Ward. I am dedicated to working hard for the benefit of Standish and its residents and hope you will support me next May.   

I look forward to meeting you on the campaign trail!  

In the News! 

Did you get your copy of The Wigan Courier this week? Read about the true cost of the Ashfield Park Public Inquiry here: http://issuu.com/markstephenashley/docs/wigancourieroctober_21st15_422f9f36fcddd9

Also published in this week's Wigan Observer and also online at Wigan Today was the reported profanity of Cllr Gareth Fairhurst  http://www.wigantoday.net/news/local/dispute-over-park-inquiry-costs-1-7529785

My late Grandmother always taught me that to swear was to lose an argument as you had nothing real to say..... I think she was right! 

Standish Voice

Following our Selection Meeting I went across to the Unity Club for this month's meeting of Standish Voice.  Standish residents should by now have heard of our Neighbourhood Forum who are consulting with residents and businesses to create a Neighbourhood Plan.  

Mike Worden is the Assistant Director Planning and Transport at Wigan Council and came to explain the Allocations Plan and the consultation process.  This can be found at https://www.wigangov.uk/Council/Strategies-Plans-and-Policies/Planning/Allocations-Plan/Allocations-and-Development-Management-Local-Plan.aspx

It was good to hear how Wigan Council have listened to residents and included Policy H3 for Standish.   You can have your say on the plan until mid December. 

I have been in discussion with the Council and have organised a drop in session to be held at Standish Library so that all who want to see the plan and discuss its implications with the Council have a chance to do so.   The date is being finalised but will be either 24th or 25th November.   I will update you as soon as possible.

At the Meeting The Chair Gill Foster handed Mike Worden the first of the 'assets of community value' which is land or property of importance to our community and offers a level of protection.  These included: Ashfield Park, Standish Library, Standish Community Centre, The Line and The Wreck. 

Greater Manchester Mayor and PCC Tony Lloyd 

visits Wigan 

Tony Lloyd this week visited a Wigan Labour Party meeting.  Many of us do not agree with the way that Devolution has been inflicted upon us but I thought Tony spoke with honesty and conviction.   He answered questions and those he couldn't answer he was honest to admit and promised to find the answers 

 .