GIVE SOME LOVE

Erewash Borough Council is supporting the national Love Parks campaign by celebrating all the borough’s green spaces. Love Parks runs from Friday 29th July to Friday 5th August, with the goal of promoting and having pride in the nation’s parks. The campaign is delivered by Keep Britain Tidy in partnership with Regatta. 

Erewash has 650 acres of parks, open spaces and nature reserves across 101 sites which are enjoyed by thousands of residents each year. Five sites in the borough have been given the prestigious Green Flag award, having been recognised for their impeccable quality - West Park, Victoria Park, Pioneer Meadows, Forbes Hole Local Nature Reserve and Straw’s Bridge Local Nature Reserve. Many of the larger parks have facilities including play areas, of which there are over 60 across the borough, many having been refurbished over the past 5 years.

Long Eaton’s West Park is the largest in the borough totalling 127 acres and dating back to the early 1900s. Today, West Park boasts an extensive range of sports and recreational facilities including: field sports, tennis, an outdoor gym, Skate Park, splash pad, bowls and a café. West Park is a community hub for social exercise with popular weekly Parkrun events and the annual Erewash Triathlon taking place in the park.

Victoria Park in Ilkeston acts as host location for several of the borough’s events, including the recent Summer Sounds concert. It is a shining example of the commitment by Erewash Borough Council’s parks teams to creating beautiful spaces for the community, with a variety of floral displays that are well maintained and change to reflect the seasons. Ilkeston is a finalist in Britain in Bloom 2022 and the RHS judges are visiting Ilkeston during Love Parks week

Councillor Carol Hart, Leader of Erewash Borough Council, says: “The Love Parks campaign is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the beautiful green spaces of Erewash. We are incredibly lucky to have so many parks and nature reserves to visit, it is important that we don’t take these special locations for granted. Whether you enjoy the natural beauty of Straw’s Bridge or the perfectly planned planting displays of Victoria Park, I encourage residents to take some time to appreciate the borough’s outdoor spaces this week.”

SMALL ARTS GRANTS

Erewash Borough Council is encouraging creative individuals in the borough to apply for funding to help them in their artistic endeavours. Arts professionals, inspired individuals, community groups, or arts organisation within Erewash can apply for a small arts grant of up to £800. Grants are to be used to help bring arts projects to life that will in turn benefit the local community. Small arts grants can help to provide marketing, to deliver creative workshops, working with groups with specific needs, setting up exhibitions and more. Last year’s successful applicants included Spiral Arts, which obtained a grant to deliver lantern making workshops to P3 Mental Health Charity in Ilkeston - with the lanterns going on to be a part of the Erewash Festival of Light which took place last winter.

The council is looking for inspirational ideas that will use art to build relationships between artists and the wider community. Small arts grants applications are being accepted until Wednesday 1st March 2023, though early submissions are encouraged. Available funding is limited, therefore once the budget has been allocated for the year the grant programme will be closed. Councillor Paul Maginnis, Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing at Erewash Borough Council, says:

“Our small arts grants programme is a wonderful opportunity for the many creative people in Erewash to get some funding for their fantastic ideas. Previous years have seen some brilliant projects come to fruition, and I look forward to seeing what our thriving creative community produce this time!”

For more information, please contact zoe.sussmeyer@erewash.gov.uk. 

AN INVITE FROM LENS

The Long Eaton Natural History Society are to visit Beeston Sidings Nature Reserve and Dunkirk Pond with Simon Jenkins on Monday 25th July. If you wish to join us meet in the car park near Lakeside Pavilion, East Drive, Nottingham University, NG7 2RD at 7pm. Please wear suitable footwear and clothing.

Cost: £1.50 for LENS members, £2.50 for guests.  For information, contact Joan Breakwell on 07527 007280.

LONG EATON COMPUTER GROUP

 Long Eaton 50 Plus Computer Group

Come on Monday to get help with P.C., Laptop, tablets and phones for Windows, Apple & Android

Don’t get worried, bring your I.T. problems to us. Let’s see if we can SOLVE / HELP.

It’s free, no problem too small, so don’t get embarrassed, we won’t. 

Come along, NO TESTS / HOMEWORK, just come and enjoy yourself.

AT

The ACE Centre, Community House, 173 Derby Road, Long Eaton, NG10 4LL

10am till 12 noon & 1pm till 3pm Through August.

Long Eaton Library, Tamworth Road, Long Eaton, NG10 1JG

Restart 12th September.

MAN DIES AFTER FALLING INTO EREWASH CANAL

A man has died after he fell into the Erewash Canal. Police and an air ambulance attended the scene along with Emergency services who rescued the man from the water. A police spokesperson said: "We were called to Ilkeston Road, Sandiacre just before 5.10pm on Monday 18th July after reports that a man had fallen in the canal. The man was rescued but sadly died a short time later. There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a file is being prepared for the coroner. Our thoughts go out to the man’s family at this sad time".