CLUB CALL

Rotary Club of Church Wilne Guest Speaker Evening

World Vision by Sue Tinney

On the 17th May 2021 members of the Rotary Club of Church Wilne were treated to an informative and interesting presentation from Sue Tinney of World Vision on how the organisation is combating climate change and is helping the young and vulnerable to combat it and give them a voice to make their views known.

 Sue informed the members the bench mark was set out in the 2015 Paris Climate Summit. One of its objectives was to give children a chance to be heard and introduced a project to encourage youngsters to participate, make a difference and to take part in the next summit scheduled for later this year. The summit  also acknowledged an increase in global hunger and highlighted that more must be done to help the poorest become resilient to climate catastrophes'.

Climate change has  caused natural disasters such as floods, drought and famine with consequences such as migration and homelessness through people fleeing their homes. Two countries show contrasting causes of problems caused by climate change. Mali in West Africa has suffered significant loss in food production caused by drought.  World Vision established projects and employed agricultural engineers to train farmers to use different farming methods to increase farm yields. It showed them tree management techniques, new methods of planting and the use of drought resistant seeds to help them combat the drought and become self sufficient. Over the last four years the lives and livelihoods of the people in Mali have been rebuilt. 

In contrast, The Philippines have been severely affected by hurricanes, typhoons and flooding. World Vision has worked with the populous and the authorities to give training for disaster mitigation such as evacuating schools and other public buildings and clean up initiatives following flooding. They were trained in  disaster reduction strategies and shown how to build better houses with stronger structures to withstand these adverse events. The policy of world vision is that it is committed to ensuring vulnerable people have a future and can adapt to the problems caused by climate change. It is keen to give the younger generation a voice and seeks to encourage them to use it..

The vote of thanks was given by Rotarian Mick White who said we had learnt a lot and agreed children must be engaged in combating this problem. It was heartening to see that climate change was being confronted and positive action taken.

SAILING INTO HALF TERM

Boat magnets, crazy jumping birds and sailing boats are all part of the half term fun at Erewash Museum as popular family activities return following the  pandemic. In step with safety guidelines, however, booking for timed slots is essential for the activities which will take place 11am-2pm from Tuesday to Saturday next week in the museum gardens. To ensure everyone is safe only two households or six people can be booked per slot and those visiting will also be able to explore a fun trail and new displays - while the tea rooms will also be open. Contact the museum to book a slot on museum.bookings@erewash.gov.uk or call 0115 907 1141. Councillor Carol Hart, Leader of Erewash Borough Council, says: 

“It is great news that the museum is able to finally restart its popular events. We have to proceed with caution and safety at all times, but how wonderful it is to see a half term week back on the calendar again at our award winning museum. We have to keep our fingers crossed for the weather, but hopefully we can see the start of welcoming back visitors, old and new, to our hidden gem in the heart of Erewash.” 

Craft activities to make a sailing boat magnet take place on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday next week (1, 3, 5 June ) while children can enjoy creating jumping birds on Wednesday 2nd June and ice cream magnets on Friday 4th June. To ensure covid safety; hand sanitizers, regular cleaning and social distancing measures will be in place and toilets and baby changing facilities are available 

Erewash Museum is in Ilkeston town centre, a short walk from the Market Place. Admission is free. Contact 0115 907 1141, email museum@erewash.gov.uk  or visit the Facebook page /erewashmuseum. You can also follow the museum on Twitter @Erewash_Museum, and Instagram @erewashmuseum.

MAGGIE CALLS FOR BAN

Local MP, Maggie Throup, has given her backing to a Parliamentary petition established by a young Erewash resident calling on the Government to criminalise the distribution of unsolicited sexual images commonly referred to as ‘nudes’. This follows shocking statistics which show that 41 per cent of women aged between 18 and 36 have reportedly received non-consensual sexual images. Speaking about the campaign, Maggie commented:-

“I am delighted to back this campaign, which has been set up by a brave young woman living in Erewash, following her own her own personal experience of receiving unsolicited sexual images. In recent years, the Government has made significant progress in this area, banning the abhorrent practice of ‘upskirting’ through the passage of the Voyeurism (Offences) Act 2019 and ‘revenge porn’ through the Criminal Justice and Courts Act in 2015, and has made a commitment in this year’s Queen’s Speech to publish new strategies to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls and Domestic Abuse. Whilst these developments are to be welcomed, in an age where more people are now making contact online with people they do not necessarily know, it is important that Parliament continues to update the law to reflect the potential threats that this type of interaction poses.

The forthcoming Online Harms Bill provides us with a golden opportunity to close the gaps and I have already held discussions with the Home Secretary about how a ban on these types of unsolicited images could be included in the legislation.” 

 To view and sign the petition, please visit https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/579912.

PIECING TOGETHER MEMORIES

A landmark ‘memory quilt’, a tribute to the phenomenal work of the Long Eaton Scrubbers in supporting the NHS, will be showcased at Erewash Museum when it re-opens on Tuesday 18th May.  The Long Eaton Scrubbers, founded by co-ordinator Angela Manson, consists of over 40 women and girls who had never met, and came together in the first lockdown in March 2020 to make much needed items for NHS care workers after seeing a comment on social media highlighting the lack of scrubs. When the need for scrubs, bags, headbands and ear protectors reduced; 540 scrubs sets were distributed to hospitals, care homes and surgeries, a remarkable achievement. To mark their incredible journey, the group set about creating a special quilt with scrub fabric and by June 2020, exactly 3 months after the UK went into lockdown, they had not only helped and supported the NHS and care sector, but finished a memory quilt ready to be displayed around the borough which is a colourful commemoration of the pandemic times. Leader of Erewash Borough Council, Councillor Carol Hart, says

 “Of all the initiatives that have taken place during the pandemic in the borough, this is one of the most heart-warming and uplifting projects I have seen. The determination of these ladies to help provide our NHS care workers with much needed scrubs and other protective equipment is a shining example of how the spirit of Erewash has been used to full effect. The idea of a memory quilt to commemorate their shared experiences is lovely and I encourage everyone to visit the museum, safely, and take a look at their incredible creation.”

 The museum’s opening times are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays between 10.30am and 3pm - with admission by advance booking only to ensure the safety of everyone. The safety of visitors is paramount and a range of covid-secure measures are in place. Contact Erewash Museum on 0115 907 1141 or email museum.bookings@erewash.gov.uk Visit Facebook/erewashmuseum

MAGGIE URGES LONG EATON RESIDENTS TO BE VIGILANT

Following the significant outbreak of Coronavirus which was identified as originating at Wilsthorpe School in Long Eaton, Maggie is urging residents to be vigilant as cases increase. Commenting Maggie said:  “I have been in constant contact with Derbyshire’s Director of Public Health, Dean Wallace, in order to monitor the situation and to offer my support, and I would like to thank him and his team for the amazing work they have done so far to contain the spread. The management team at Wilsthorpe School also acted rapidly to contain the virus and have worked extremely hard along with the public health professionals. Testing is a key part of the effort and over the weekend 2,200 PCR tests were conducted which will undoubtably help to cut the number of community transmissions."

“I want to urge all residents with links to the school, who are not displaying symptoms and who have not already done so, to come forward and get a lateral flow test at West Park Leisure Centre as soon as possible. However, those displaying symptoms should call 119 to book a PCR test straight away at the testing site closest to you home. In addition, a dedicated website has been established to provide the community with updates as and when the situation changes which can be accessed at: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/wilsthorpe. This outbreak shows that the virus is still circulating in our communities and has not gone away, and it continues to be vital we all follow the simple rules of Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air.”