Monday 11 March 2024

COUNCIL TAX

 Erewash pegs council tax rise at 2.99%   

Councillors in Erewash have voted for a below-inflation 2.99 per cent rise in the borough’s council tax. The decision came at a meeting of the full council on Thursday (7th March). It means an extra 12p a week for a Band D property as the borough battles to keep bills down despite facing a cash squeeze itself. Only a fraction of what people pay goes to Erewash – with the lion’s share taken by Derbyshire County Council.  

Erewash’s leader Cllr James Dawson has vowed that the authority will continue lobbying the Government for more funding after the borough was forced to introduce subscriptions to keep its green waste collections going from 1st April. Residents who want to continue getting their brown bins emptied will have to pay an annual £32 fee – although this falls to £20 for those signing up online before March 31st. 

Erewash remains confident it can balance its 2024/25 budget as it continues to explore savings. But like much of local government it faces huge deficits in 2025/26 and beyond. A survey asking residents what the council’s priorities should be found almost six in ten are happy with the services it provides. The same proportion – 59 per cent – said they also fully understood the cash-strapped authority’s financial situation and funding. Just 20 per cent were dissatisfied with the council’s services. The online survey saw almost 300 residents seize the chance to give their views. Cllr Dawson said: “I want to thank everyone for taking time to respond to the consultation. It is the first time the council has done budget consultation in this way. All the feedback is gratefully received and will be used by the Executive to shape how we engage with residents and how we deliver in the future.” 

Cllr Gordon Thomas, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Resources, told the council meeting at Ilkeston Town Hall how Government funding for the borough was “again below what was needed”. He and the leader had reacted to the initial offer by demanding a funding guarantee grant of at least three per cent more. They managed to get the sum upped by one per cent – £117,000. Cllr Thomas said of the council managing to set a balanced budget without dipping into its depleted reserves: “It’s a fantastic achievement.” 

Saturday 9 March 2024

NEW CAFE

  New café at Erewash Museum 

Erewash’s award-winning museum is to get a swish new café as the popular heritage community hub undergoes a major transformation to attract even more visitors. The refurbishment works will begin next week and will see the new café installed in the main building and connect with the existing museum gift shop. The work will take several days, meaning the museum in Ilkeston – which is usually open three days a week – will be unable to welcome visitors on Thursday 14th March, Friday 15th March and Saturday 16th March.  T

he museum expects to welcome back visitors the following week on Thursday 21 March – with the unveiling of the new café in April to coincide with the Easter school holidays. The revamp is being carried out in partnership with the Friends of Erewash Museum – which is a charity that fundraises to support it. The new café will offer visitors the opportunity to get a drink and a light bite to eat. Erewash council’s Deputy Leader Becca Everett, who is the Lead Member for Community Engagement, said: “The refurbishment comes hot on the heels of the museum becoming home to a life-size statue of a soldier that was made entirely of crochet. It has been attracting crowds to a poignant exhibition called Yarns of Valour – telling the stories of locals involved in conflicts around the world. Our new café will be selling a range of refreshments and snacks alongside the great offering of museum gifts – making it a perfect place to relax and another big draw for our wonderful heritage centre.” 

 Brian Parker, who is treasurer of the Friends of Erewash Museum, said: “The current Old Stables Tearoom is popular but fairly small, especially for big events. The new café at the heart of the museum means there will be more room within the main building alongside the option to reopen the tearoom when more capacity is needed.” 

The Erewash Museum near Ilkeston’s Market Place is open Thursdays to Saturdays from 11am to 4pm. Entry is free. 

Friday 8 March 2024

CHURCH WILNE ROTARY CLUB

 Speaker Evening – CPR Training with Alyson Whitaker (NHS) 


President Nigel welcomed Alyson Whitaker who taught us how to carryout cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Such a brilliant evening, teaching the club and guests how to save a life. The British Heart Foundation has an excellent website with a short training course. https://www.bhf.org.uk/how-you-can-help/how-to-save-a-life/how-to-do-cpr 

We practiced on several CPR training manikin’s, using defibrillators, and became quite proficient by the end of the training. There is an excellent app, for phones https://www.stayingalive.org Just touch the icon, and it talks and guides you how to carry out CPR. A great help in a stress full situation. Load it on your phones now! It also shows you where the nearest defibrillator is. Alyson offered to teach groups how to carry out CPR, just contact our secretary and we will pass your details onto Alyson. 

Further details about Church Wilne Rotary may be found on our website here: https://www.churchwilnerotary.org.uk Or you may contact the Secretary at rccw1220@gmail.com 

Rotarian Dr John A Cook. 

Thursday 7 March 2024

CULTURE BOOST

 ‘£5m’ Budget offer to boost Erewash culture 

Erewash council has welcomed a surprise levelling-up boost in the Budget – of a potential £5million towards “culture projects” in the borough. The sum emerged after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s speech in the Commons. Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young contacted Erewash’s leader Cllr James Dawson to outline what is being offered. His letter confirmed: “Erewash Borough Council has provisionally been awarded up to £5million of capital funding as part of the Spring Budget to support local culture projects in your area. This provisional funding recognises the crucial role culture can play in levelling up and supporting pride in place.” 

The council will be invited to submit an investment plan “focused on supporting cultural activity” in the borough. The ringfenced money will not go towards the cash-squeezed authority’s day-to-day finances. Mr Young said officials would be in touch, adding: “I look forward to working closely with you over the coming months.” Cllr Dawson said: “This is something that is sorely needed and we will be actively following up to find out more. The council will be working with key stakeholders to identify where the potential investment can be put to best use for the benefit of all residents across Erewash.” 

Friday 1 March 2024

MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES

 Maggie secures Government funding to support mental health facilities in Erewash 

Maggie Throup OBE MP, Member of Parliament for Erewash has successfully lobbied Government Ministers to secure funding to support mental health facilities for children and young people in Erewash. Erewash based charity P3 is one of 24 Early Support Hubs across the country that will receive a share of £8 million to help support children and young people with their mental health. The funding package, which Maggie secured, will improve access for children and young people to vital mental health assistance, offering early interventions to improve wellbeing.  

Maggie said: I realise that some children, as well as young people, across Erewash struggle to cope with the demands of life and need mental health support. I am delighted that I have been able to secure Government funding to support mental health facilities for our young people across Erewash. The funding will be provided to local charity P3, enabling them to provide immediate mental health assistance to those who need it the most. This means no child will have to suffer and will have access to the specialist mental health care they need. I know this funding will be well received and shows that this Government is committed to helping children and young people receive quicker mental health assistance. I would also like to pay tribute to all of the staff and volunteers at P3 for the fantastic work they undertake and their dedication to our community.” 

Early Support Hubs, which were successfully trialled in October 2023, provide a space for anyone aged 11-25 to go when problems first emerge, helping to prevent more severe or enduring mental health conditions from developing. Following the success of the initial ten hubs, the Government is now providing extra funding to expand the number to 24. Support offered at hubs include psychological therapies, specialist advice and wider issues which may affect a young person’s mental health, including sexual health, exam worries, jobs, drugs, alcohol and financial worries. P3 is a charity and social enterprise, with its Head Office based in Ilkeston, that provides a variety of services to those in need across the UK.