FREE CHRISTMAS PARKING

 A Christmas boost for Erewash shoppers and businesses has been lined up by the borough council – which is to scrap charges in three key town centre car parks for a fortnight. Drivers will be able to use them for free from 10am each day from Saturday 16 December. Two are in Ilkeston – the Lower Bath Street one off Brussells Terrace and the Club Row car park behind Greggs. 

In Long Eaton the car park at Waverley Street West will be similarly free to use. The suspension will last until New Year’s Day before charges resume on Tuesday January 2nd. The car parks usually cost £1 for up to three hours, after which the charge is £3. This is from Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm. They are free on Sundays and bank holidays. Councillor Alex Breene, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Town Centres, Regeneration and Planning, said: “Our car parks are already incredibly cheap but every little helps during the cost-of-living squeeze. Our hope is that this will encourage more residents to back our tremendous local businesses by shopping in our towns.” 

MAGGIE THROUP

 Sir Elton John honoured in Parliament ahead of World Aids Day 

Maggie Throup, Member of Parliament for Erewash, recently joined fellow MPs at a Parliamentary reception held in Speaker’s House to pay tribute to the music icon Sir Elton John and the personal contribution he made to the fight against HIV/AIDS. 

 

Members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV/AIDS listened as Sir Elton spoke about his enduring commitment to eradicating the virus and remove the stigma for those currently living with the disease.  At the event the new Health Secretary, Rt Hon Victoria Atkins MP, announced that the Government is providing £20 million of funding to expand its hugely successful opt-out HIV testing to 46 new Emergency Departments across England.  

Maggie commented: “Perhaps my greatest achievement during my tenure as Minister for Public Health was to launch the Government’s National HIV Action Plan, backed up with £23 million of funding to support the scaling up of HIV testing in targeted, high-risk populations and increasing access to the antiviral drug PrEP. I was therefore delighted that the new Health Secretary, Victoria Atkins, used the event to announce that the Government is investing a further £20 million to fund the expansion of the hugely successful opt-out blood borne virus testing programme for HIV and Hepatitis to 46 new Emergency Departments across England, including Derby and Nottingham. This highlights the Government’s committed to ending new HIV transmissions in the UK by 2030.” 

Since it was founded in 1992, The Elton John AIDS Foundation has raised over £500 million to support HIV-related programmes in over 55 countries. 

LENS

LENS 2023 Christmas Quiz and Social Evening Wednesday December 13th at 7.00pm. 

 Your host for the evening is Fay Blackburn. 

Bring one food item and one raffle prize if you can. Meet in the United Reformed Church, Midland Street, Long Eaton NG10 1HQ. 
Cost £1.50 for members, £2.50 for visitors.  
Disabled access. All welcome. Meetings usually last 2hrs. 

 We wish you all a Happy and Healthy Christmas 
with all good wishes for a Prosperous New Year. 
  

from Marion and the LENS committee. 
Marion Bryce 

Hon Sec LENS Wildlife Group 

CHURCH WILNE ROTARY

Our Club recently welcomed Mike Grimmett of Derbyshire Blood Bikes to our speaker meeting. They provide a FREE medical courier service to the NHS across Derbyshire. Last year they saved the NHS £600,000, driving 250,000 miles, all 100 members are volunteers and rely on donations and gifts from their supporters. They operate 24hrs a day, 365 days a year, with 12 bikes and 4 cars, spending £20,000 on servicing the bikes and another £20,000 a year on fuel. We heard about many touching stories of the team providing care and support to the local community. Deliveries have risen from about 800 per year in 2017 to about 8,000 2022. Could you help, they are looking for volunteers in three areas: Riders and drivers, Controllers, Fundraisers Full industry-standard training is given to all volunteers. Further details are on their website: www.derbyshirebloodbikes.org or telephone them on 07305 582050. We will be making a donation to Derbyshire Blood Bikes to support them in their excellent support to the community. Further details about Church Wilne Rotary may be found on our website here: https://www.churchwilnerotary.org.uk/index Or you may contact the Secretary at rccw1220@gmail.com 

Rotarian Dr John A Cook. 

WHEELIE BINS

 Bins: Dates you wheelie need to make a note of 

The last chance this year for Erewash residents to get their garden waste collected by dustcarts is looming – as their brown bins switch to being used for cardboard, cans and other recycling items during winter. The final green waste collections in Ilkeston and surrounding areas will be in the week starting Monday 27th November.  

The following week – beginning Monday 4th December – sees the last 2023 collections in Long Eaton, Sandiacre, Sawley, Risley, Draycott, Breaston and Borrowash. Brown bins will resume being used for garden waste at the start of February. Full details are on the Erewash Borough Council website. 

The garden waste collections will initially continue to be free but owing to intense financial pressures on the council the authority is having to bring in a charge for the service from the beginning of April. Information about how to sign up for early bird discounts will be issued soon. Residents are also reminded that their bin days will be different over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Full details can be found on our website. 

These changes include bins that were due to be emptied on Monday 25th December being collected on the previous Friday (22nd December). A similar switch applies to New Year’s Day (Monday 1st January) with bins being emptied on the previous Friday (29th December). The festive season will see the town halls in Ilkeston and Long Eaton close at 2pm on Friday 22nd December until Tuesday 2nd January, when they will reopen at 10am.