Vital garden help

 

One of the biggest wrenches  for an older person giving up a family home because it is too much work is losing the garden. If only someone could do the heavy lifting! There is help at hand, however, from Age UK which CBC's Central Bedfordshire Together's ezine has drawn our attention to.

Visit 

http://www.centraltogether.org.uk/news/2014/03/19/over-50-and-need-a-gardener-age-uk-bedfordshire-can-help/

Tricky crossings

Crossing? Don't cross me

One of the trickiest points in Cranfield's whole traffic management system and its long delayed traffic calming was the Coop Junction. Even when the scheme was competed there were still worries about pedestrian access, especially for older people, coming over from Portnall Place. A proposal for a proper "zebra" crossing has been the inevitable outcome and this is now going through its various hoops -  or stripes as it were.

Graham Taylor of  Amey's Consulting, Rail and Strategic Highways is investigating the request from Central Bedfordshire
Council (CBC) to implement a raised zebra crossing in Mill Road at Portnall Place.   He says a site survey and initial layout design has been carried out  to install the raised zebra crossing between Portnall Place and the Co-op supermarket.   

If approved by the Parish Council the next stage would be  a notice in the local newspaper (presumably Cran X)  stating that  Central Bedfordshire Council intends to install a raised zebra crossing.   If there are objections at this point the scheme will be referred to the CBC Traffic Management Committee.

Could I what?

Well, could you foster? 

It might sound like a huge ask but there are around 50,000 foster carers in the UK looking after 60,000 children. It's not all full time as many do weekend respite, some do specialist support for children with disabilities and many combine it with a day job in the household. Fostering services will work as closely as possible to help you fit this role around your life and that of existing family members. See the full deal from Central Beds at fostering for Central beds  or call 0300 300 8181

Ordinary people wanted for extraordinary role…

A message from the Adoption and Fostering Team at Central Bedfordshire Council…

‘Chloe and Daniel are in their mid twenties. They have their own young family, yet made the exceptional decision to provide
short term foster care for children who are unable to be with their own families.
We asked Chloe what it was like to be a Foster Carer in Central Bedfordshire, and also what their friends thought about about them choosing to take on this incredible role.
How long have you been fostering?
We have been a fostering family for nearly two years, and hope to
be for many more years to come.
Why did you  choose to become foster carers?
We felt we could help children and babies from difficult circumstances. We wanted to give them a warm and loving family environment, and give them the right positive attitude and value towards their future.
What’s the best thing about being a foster carer?
Watching the child become more confident. Also the positive impact it has had on our own children who are 3 and 5 years old. They understand our  role and have flourished from having a foster brother or sister.
What is the biggest challenge?
The most challenging thing is settling the foster child into their  new fostering family, and of course the letting go aspect at the end is very difficult too. We try to reflect on this with all the great achievements we have made with the child. Working with birth families can be challenging but also very, very rewarding.

The back of nowhere

 We're stuck out in the back of nowhere and many people are dependent on lifts and community transport with various degrees of organisation. This training from a Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) could well enhance your ability to meet this need.

Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) offers a range of training for both minibus and car drivers (paid or voluntary), as well as passenger assistants, including:

-  MiDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) tuition, providing improved driving skills and vehicle size awareness for larger minibuses (up to 16 passenger seats)
-  MiDAS Accessibility module, providing skills in carrying and securing those in wheelchairs
-  MiDAS driving tuition and accessibility module for smaller vehicles (up to 8 passenger seats)
-  PATS (Passenger Assistant Training Scheme), providing training and information in the care of passengers, particularly those with mobility difficulties.
Courses are generally held locally, and successful completion will result in a certificate valid for four years, as well as increased driving, passenger handling and customer awareness skills.

Want to find out more?

Contact Neville Jephcote, Community Transport Manager on 
01234 345327
Email nevillej@bedsrcc.org.uk

CPRE summer walk

This is a bit off our beaten track but may appeal to some Crannies 

From: CPRE Bedfordshire <info@cprebeds.org.uk>
Reply-To: Nicola Scholfield <nicola.scholfield@cprebeds.org.uk>
Date: Monday, 23 June 2014 12:37
To: CPRE Bedfordshire <info@cprebeds.org.uk>
Subject: CPRE Summer's walk - Sundon Hills - Thurs 3rd July 6.45pm



Hello,

Please join us on our summer's evening walk around the lovely Sundon Hills on Thursday 3rd July at 6.45pm.

It will be led by local experts who will be talking about the chalk downlands and the future for the area, as we take in the striking views of the surrounding countryside from one of the highest points in Bedfordshire. There should be many flowers, grasses and butterflies in full splendour this time of year.

Start/finish point - Sundon Hills Country Park car park (on the road between Harlington and Upper Sundon).

Free for CPRE members, £3 for non-members. To book or for more details contact 01234 353331 orinfo@cprebeds.org.uk.

Hope to see you there!

Nicola

Contact number on the evening of the walk - 07903 111873
--





--
Campaign to Protect Rural England
Bedfordshire Branch
5 Grove Place
BEDFORD
MK40 3JJ

Tel./Fax 01234 353331
Email: info@cprebeds.org.uk
Website: www.cprebeds.org.ukRegistered Charity Number 1023435

Deliver Cranfield Express?

Volunteers required in Wharley End to help with distribution of Cranfield Express

 

Cranfield Express is a community paper, delivered free of charge by unpaid volunteers. We are in need of more volunteers to help with distribution at Wharley End. If you are able to give 30 minutes a month to deliver locally, please contact Margaret:

•

07889 926437

•

margaret.rooney3@btinternet.com

 

 

Cranfield Parish Council 18 June 2014

Wednesday, 18th June 2014 at 8.00pm
at Holywell School, Red Lion Close

AGENDA





1. To receive apologies for absence. PCllr P Meadows

2. To receive declarations of personal and/or prejudicial interests in any matter

3. To confirm the minutes of the last meeting[s]

4. Clerk's Report

5. Health & Safety

 

6. Reports from Committees

6.1. Finance and Grants Committee [Extraordinary meeting]

6.2. General Purposes Committee

6.3. Burial Grounds Committee

    6.3.1. Allotments and cemeteries questionnaire
6.4. Environment Committee

6.5. Planning Committee

    6.5.1. Housing for the elderly consultation




7. Financial matters and accounts for payment

8. Correspondence

9. Reports from unitary councillors (and any other representatives)

10. Highway matters

Housing for older people

Portnall Place, Mill Road

CBC is raising the issue about housing for older people in rural areas. This is absolutely right as the country's housing stock depletes and we do not keep up with the house building programme of the 1950s. Cranfield has first class provision, run by Aragon in Mill Road (above) but what's next? 

There's supposed to be more homes for older people on the Home Farm development, when that's built, but we are't holding our breaths. The Alms Houses, Goodman for instance, are still around but the Hartwell houses (see below) were no longer fit for purpose and have been sold to finance future housing for older people.

Hartwell almshouses - pretty but needing work

CBC wants comments on it newly adopted  Housing Allocations Policy to be implemented in the autumn. This asks that consideration be given  to older/retired people in rural areas, who may wish to downsize to a smaller property but remain in the area. The consultation runs between 2nd June and 30th June 2014. Personal and Parish Council views are invited. Responses via the Central Bedfordshire Council website: www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations This will be considered at Full Council tomorrow evening (18 June)

Turbine protest in Cranfield

The protest against proposed wind turbines on the old Brogborough landfill is site is scheduled for Saturday 21 June at 10.30. Get up to date with Against Cranfield Turbines (ACT) facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/cranfieldagainstwindturbines/

busy busy busy

Our local Central Beds ward - everything from Cranfield and Salford to Brogborough, Marston, Lidlington and Ridgmont has three councillors - all of them from Cranners. But what do they do when they get to CBC Towers near Shefford?
 
Here's the current set-up, agreed at the council's recent Annual meeting 

Sue Clark was appointed Deputy Executive Member for Children’s Services, and a member of the Development Management Committee. 


 
Alan Bastable was appointed Vice Chair of the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Ken Matthews was appointed Vice Chair of the Development Management Committee, General Purposes Committee, and the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

When will the bus be here?

Encouraging bus news was recently reported by Cranfield Cllr Ken Matthews : CBC budgeted for improvement to bus stops. The main bus stop at the university will be installed with "real-time" display ie an electronic message board telling you how far away the next bus is. There will be a further bus stop installed on University Way at Wharley End. Great news and now we need the same on the Village High Street.

and visit http://www.lutonsfc.ac.uk/News/Pages/Realtimedisplaywillhelpstudentscatchthebus.aspx
for a further explanation.