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Meet Olivia Nightingale, Gedling’s latest 4Uth award nominee

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Meet Olivia Nightingale from Arnold. She’s one of the latest top young achievers to have been nominated for this year’s 4Uth awards.

The annual 4Uth awards recognise the outstanding achievements of young people across the county for a variety of different areas such as outstanding achievement, caring for others, making a vital contribution within a local community and overcoming adversity.

14-year-old Olivia, who lives on St Mary’s Close, has been nominated for the 4uth Achievement award, as she has been a positive influence and member of the youth centre since joining as a junior member in September 2015.

People at the centre said Olivia has grown in confidence and maturity encouraged other young people to join the club and regularly comes up with suggestions for the youth club programme.

Youth worker Cathryn Reade said: “Olivia values the provision here at Redhill Young People’s Centre, and the fact that there is somewhere for young people to meet up after school and in the evenings.

“Olivia has said that sometimes she felt low and lacking in confidence, but has been able to work on these issues at the youth club, through taking part in a range of activities, meeting new friends and talking with youth workers.”

PICTURED: Olivia Nightingale

After taking part in an activity day at the Mill Adventure Base in 2016, Olivia was keen to arrange an overnight residential for other young people in her age group. She was instrumental in organising a residential for eight young people, which took place in July 2017, and contributed greatly to the group planning process. During the residential, Olivia challenged herself through a number of adventurous and team building activities.

In 2017, Olivia expressed interest in volunteering opportunities to develop her personal and social skills, and to explore future career options in Health and Social Care. Since May 2017, Olivia has been volunteering at Gedling Sport Plus (GSP), a sports club for young disabled people.

Olivia has been interacting with the group members, showing respect and sensitivity to their issues, but not treating the group members as “other” or different. She also started to learn a few Makaton signs, as she recognises the value in new skills to communicate with others who have different learning and communication needs.

Maureen Fox, the group leader said that Olivia shows enthusiasm to help others, she is kind, empathetic and has formed positive relationships with the group members.

Since September, Olivia has been working on her Sports Leaders Award at school, and is aiming to use some of the practical skills she has learned with the GSP members.

Olivia’s mum Zanam said: “We have recognised a wonderful maturity and understanding of diversity and that Olivia has continued to grow in confidence and self-esteem as a result of her engagement with the Youth Service.”

Councillor Tracey Taylor, Vice-Chairman of the Children and Young People’s Service, at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “We are delighted to hear that Olivia has been so involved in a wide range of activities which has helped her develop her confidence.

“She is helping her peers with her efforts and it is wonderful news that she has been nominated for this year’s 4Uth awards.”

For more details about the awards visit the Nottinghamshire County Council website: www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/4uth  and #4Uth  on social media.

Claire Richards ‘steps up’ search for Arnold’s Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year

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Steps superstar Claire Richards is calling on stylish glasses wearers in Arnold to have a go in a contest – with a £10,000 cash prize up for grabs.

To mark the launch of Specsavers’ annual search for the Spectacle Wearer of the Year 2018, Claire took part in a sensational new photoshoot, showcasing her own fabulous specs style.

Glasses wearers from Arnold, aged 16 and over, can put themselves forward for the prestigious accolade.

Finalists will attend the uber-glam awards ceremony in London, with one overall winner scooping the top award and cash prize.

Having picked up the Specs Appeal gong at last year’s awards, pop star Claire said: ‘I’ve been a glasses wearer for a few years now and I absolutely love it. I love to mix things up and try a geek-chic frame one day and then a sexy cat’s eye the next.

“Winning the Specs Appeal award last year was incredibly flattering and it was an honour to share a room with so many proud and fabulous glasses wearers.

“I can’t wait to see all the nominees this year – I’m sure there’s going to be some real corkers.”

Claire Richards took part in a photoshoot to promote the new campaign (IMAGE: Joseph Sinclair)

Claire Fletcher, store director at Specsavers Arnold, says: ‘We’re asking all glasses wearers in the area to pucker up and share their best selfie. Not only is it the perfect opportunity to showcase their personal specs style to the country, each entry helps raise funds for anti-bullying charity Kidscape.’

The competition has raised more than half a million pounds for anti-bullying charity Kidscape over the past nine years.

Claire added: “Bullying is an issue that has always been close to my heart so I’m proud to be representing a competition that supports a charity like Kidscape.

“The work they do to support individuals and families affected by bullying is invaluable.”

The competition has five age categories – 16-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-59 and over 60s – plus a Facebook favourite voted for by the public.

A winner from each category will win a VIP makeover and mingle with celebrities at the awards in London in October.

One pound will be donated to Kidscape for each entry made.  The money raised will help to support the charity in providing practical support to children and families affected by bullying, including advice resources, phone support and workshops.

To be in with a chance of scooping the biggest accolade in the specs-wearing world, glasses wearers can enter the competition online at specsavers.co.uk/loveglassescomp. Deadline for entries is 1st July 2018.

Fire advice for residents after chip pan blaze kills Bestwood man

​A chip pan caused the death of a Bestwood man during a fire, investigators have confirmed.

Mr Ben Williams, aged 30, was house sitting for a friend when he is thought to have returned from a party and cooked chips using a chip pan on the hob, which was later involved in fire.

Assistant Coroner for Nottinghamshire, Mrs Heidi Connor, heard of how Mr Williams died from inhaling smoke and fire gases following the fire on December 4, 2017.

The inquest heard that the kitchen was severely damaged by fire, and that the most likely scenario leading to the death of Mr Williams was that he became distracted while cooking, something which Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) would like others to be aware of in their home fire safety routine.

Returning her conclusion of accidental death, Mrs Connor heard evidence from Fire Investigation and Arson Reduction Officer, Lucie Poxon, who attended the scene and explained that Mr Williams would have quickly become unconscious due to the smoke produced from the fire.

Mrs Connor, said: “I would like to acknowledge that this is such a sad loss of a very young man.

“These circumstances which led to the death of a young man whose family have explained him as ‘happy go lucky’ are incredibly tragic and I would like to offer my condolences to the friends and family of Mr Williams.

“I am satisfied that the most likely scenario is that Mr Williams returned from a party in the early hours of the morning of 4 December and decided to cook a meal using a chip pan, which unfortunately resulted in a fire.

“This case particularly highlights the dangers of cooking using oil and becoming distracted and I would like to urge others to be aware of these circumstances.”

Following the conclusion of the inquest, NFRS has taken the opportunity to refresh the safety messages surrounding cooking.

Station Manager Tom Clark, said: “Firstly on behalf of the Service, I would like to express our condolences to the friends and family of Mr Williams.

“Almost one year ago I attended an inquest of another young gentleman who died as a result of becoming distracted by cooking following drinking alcohol, and I cannot stress enough that it is very important to keep an eye on your cooking, as sadly, incidents like this can happen very quickly.

“We know that when you are in your own home you will naturally do as you please, but if just one person takes note of this tragic case and changes their routine because of it, that will be one more person aware of the dangers.

“We are by no means discouraging cooking with oil, but would instead like to reinforce that there are safe ways to do this.

“If you have been drinking, it is best not to attempt cooking, but should you do this, please make every effort you can to not become distracted. Other alternatives are getting a takeaway or even using a thermostat controlled deep fat fryer to regulate the cooking process. Remember, when attention stops, fire starts.”

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has a range of advice on cooking safely:

  • Never fill a pan more than one third full of oil.
  • Never cook under the influence of alcohol or drugs as this can impair your judgement.
  • Keep cooking appliances clean and away from flammable items such as curtains and tea towels.
  • If a fire does occur in your property, get out, stay out and call 999.

Get a glimpse inside abandoned former station building in Gedling

For nearly 100 years Gedling Station played host to thousands of passengers taking trains to and from Gedling.

But sadly, the shutters were finally brought down on the station back in 1962.

The building was then given a new purpose – housing one of the area’s popular youth clubs for over forty years.

The kids have now long since left as the club was closed during the early part of this century, leaving this historic building in a state of disrepair.

But a team of volunteers have plans to breathe new life into the former Gedling Station building and celebrate its heritage.

To promote their campaign, the building was today opened by Friends of Gedling Station to visitors who could explore the once-magnificent Victorian building and learn more about it’s history.

Evidence of its use as a youth club still remains and these pictures will hopefully bring back memories for those using it as  station and also people who spent the best part of the teenage years there when it hosted the Gedling Youth Club.

Gedling Eye would like to thank Francis Rodrigues and Friends of GedlinG Station for the tour and allowing us to take pictures.

Tours of the building for the public are arranged on a regular basis. Look out for more info about tours and also the group’s campaign to save the station at their website: gedlingstation.weebly.com on twitter: https://twitter.com/GedlingStation

Man arrested after shooting after Bestwood pub

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Police have arrested a man after an 18-year-old was shot in a pub in Bestwood.

It happened at the Duke of Albans pub in Bestwood Drive at around 11pm on Saturday, February 10, 2018.

The teenager’s injuries were serious but he is now recovering well.

A 26-year-old man was taken into custody yesterday (Thursday, April 12) on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. He’s been released on conditional bail while investigations continue.

If you have any information, please call us on 101 quoting incident 932 of 10 February 2018. You can also contact Crimestoppers completely anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Residents’ anger over delays to utility roadworks in Gedling village

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A delay in the completion of repairs to a water pipe and electricity cable in Gedling village has left residents fuming.

Severn Trent Water began making repairs to a water pipe on Lambley Lane after it burst last month. The road has been closed since mid-March at the junction with Jessops Lane to allow work to take place, causing long diversions for those trying to gain access to the village.

Since the leak, water continues to spill out onto Jessops Lane before flowing down into the local drainage system.

Residents are now growing angry over the length of time repairs are taking and also the lack of manpower being allocated to the job.

Local resident Philip Oddie contacted Gedling Eye about the issue earlier this week.

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ANGER: Residents are frustrated by the delays over repairing a pipe on Lambley Lane (PICTURE: Philip Oddie)

He said: “Residents support and understand the need for the repair and also appreciate the size of the job being undertaken, but I’m frustrated that Severn Trent seem to be putting so few staff into the repair which, we believe, has resulted in severe delays in getting the pipe repaired and the road reopened.”

Mr Oddie said he visited the site on Tuesday (April 10) and was shocked to discover only two workers were undertaking repairs.

Now, having suffered the inconvenience of this road closure for the last month, local residents have now had a second utilities company, Western Power, starting additional road works on Main Road to repair an urgent  ‘LV cable fault’.

Mr Oddie said that the company arrived on Monday (9) dug a small hole in the pavement and installed temporary traffic lights, using cones to reduce the width of the road to a single carriageway.

He said: “This has caused significant disruption to motorists, with long queues forming during peak periods.

“whilst residents recognise the need for urgent repairs, it is frustrating to find that Western Power have not returned to the site since the first day. It appears that they have dug a hole, placed traffic lights and abandoned the work for four days’.

He added: “We believe that utility companies must be required to complete road works as a priority and this does not appear to be the case in Gedling. Surely, the objective must be to reduce public disruption to the absolute minimum by ensuring the work is completed as quickly as possible.”

Gedling Eye contacted Western Power for a response.

Their spokesman said: “We did carry out works on the Monday and throughout the night to repair an underground cable fault in the area. The repair was complete on Monday night. The remaining works required one of our contractors to reinstate the surface and we have been assured that this work will be done and completed by the end of the day today.

He added: “We’re sorry for any inconvenience that has been caused to residents.”

A spokesman for Severn Trent Water told Gedling Eye: “We’re busy working to fix a burst pipe on Jessops Lane, Gedling. It’s one of our biggest pipes at 27 inches diameter, and as you can imagine, it supplies an awful lot of people in the area with water.

“We understand the frustration that local people may be feeling about our work, in that it’s taking a long time and it may look like not a lot is happening. But we need to make sure that we can do the work in such a way that means we don’t cut off water supplies to the thousands customers supplied by the pipe.

“This means that we need specialist equipment and specially manufactured parts. We’ve had to dig down to the pipe to take exact measurements to have those parts made, so now there is an open hole and less activity on site while we wait for those parts to be made.

They added: “Next week we’ll be doing some work on another pipe in the area that we also need to use while we do the repair on Jessops Lane, and we’ll also be installing the new specially made parts. The repair can then start in earnest.

“We’re really sorry for any inconvenience that this emergency work may be causing – we promise that we’re doing everything we can to get the pipe repaired quickly and everything back to normal as soon as we can. But we really need to make sure our customers still have a water supply while we do it, and that is making a difficult job that bit more tricky.

“We’re currently aiming for all work to be complete by the end of April.”

Arnold slapped with dispersal order in bid to clamp down on anti-social behaviour

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A dispersal order is being slapped on Arnold town centre in a bid to clamp down on anti-social behaviour

The 48-hour dispersal order will start from mid-day today (Friday 13).

While the order is in place, police officers and community support officers will direct anyone (10 years or older) to leave designated areas if they are involved in or likely to be involved in anti-social behaviour, crime or disorder.

If those warned return to the specified area, they can be arrested (under section 35 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014).

Areas include: Coppice Road, Leivers Avenue, Bonington Drive, Hallam’s Lane, Nottingham Road, St Albans Road, Furlong Street and streets and car parks within including the area around McDonalds on Sir John Robinson Way.

The dispersal order will end at midday on Sunday (15 April).

There will be an increased presence and CCTV operator coverage during this period. Police officers and PCSOs from across County South will work together with Gedling County Council to enforce the order this weekend.

Sergeant Dan Skoraczewski said: “The dispersal order will be in effect again from Friday to Sunday to move on anyone who is causing problems. Additional officers from Nottinghamshire Police and Neighbourhood Wardens from Gedling Borough Council will be tasked with patrolling the town centre area during this period and will make full use of these dispersal powers which they have been authorised to use.”

Literary lovers await annual second-hand book sale in Carlton

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Preparations are now underway for the biggest event of the year for book lovers in the borough.

The 2018 Masked Charity Booksale opens to the public on Friday, April 27 and will be held over two consecutive weekends.

Each year the event, which takes place at a house on Vernon Avenue, raises thousands of pounds for local good causes by selling books rescued from landfill or donated by members of the public. Last year’s booksale raised £2299 for good causes.

Proceeds from this year will be shared between Nottingham and Notts Refugee Forum Destitution Fund and Haywood House – a charity helping people at the end of their life.

Thousands of books will be up for grabs and start from as little as 10p. A number of rare publications will also be on offer – although priced a little higher, they will most likely be cheaper than you’ll pay for them on eBay.

LOTS ON OFFER: Books from last year’s event

You may noticed books being sold by people wearing masks during the event. This is to honour the tradition started by Josiah Saithwaite, founder of the Federation of Masked Booksellers who are the group who organise the event.

Saithwaite believed in doing good by stealth and decided therefore that the identities of all who helped out on his bookstalls should be concealed behind masks.

Organiser Chris Cann said: “Our stall appears at events and festivals, but our annual sale is the only chance to browse our entire stock.  Our rescued books cover most genres and we also stock the odd really weird book that you wouldn’t believe could, or maybe should, exist.  There are also DVDs and handmade bags. We always have low prices (starting at 10p), to make books accessible to everyone.  Even our collectable or scarce books are priced more cheaply than online.

The event will be opened by the Mayor of Gedling, Cllr Vivienne McCrossen at 10am on Friday, April 27.

Those who wear a mask will get a free raffle ticket. Visitors are also being urged to bring a donation of food which will then be handed over to Netherfield Food Bank.

The sale takes place at 16, Vernon Avenue and will run between 10am-6pm on Friday, April 28 – Monday, April 30. It will then reopen on Friday, May 4 until Monday, May 7.

You can find out more information at the charity’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExLibris-the-Masked-Booksellers-282980251719330/ or follow them on twitter: https://twitter.com/ExLibrisMasked

 

 

Did you see suspicious group of men before attempted robbery at Sherwood store?

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Police are appealing to the public for information following an attempted robbery at a store in Sherwood.

It’s believed three men entered the Mansfield Road store in Sherwood on Wednesday (11). One was carrying a knife but they escaped empty handed.

The men were all white and aged between 18 to 20 years. They were wearing:

1. A navy blue puffer jacket zipped all the way up, black trousers and dark coloured trainers with a white sole. He also had a scarf covering his face and wearing gloves.

2. A black jacket zipped to the top, blue jeans and black trainers. He also had black gloves on and a black balaclava.

3. A black coat, dark trousers and dark coloured shoes. He also had a dark coloured scarf covering his face.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “If you saw them or have any information that could help, please contact us on 101 quoting incident 767 of 11 April 2018.”

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Arrests made after properties searched in Bestwood

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Police have arrested a man and woman after searching properties in Bestwood yesterday (11) following firearm discharges in the area.

Officers executed a warrant at an address in Wendling Gardens, Bestwood, at about 7.20am. They found ammunition at the property as well as quantities of cash and cannabis.

A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing ammunition, cannabis and criminal property. He has subsequently been released on bail.

A 17-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing ammunition, cannabis and criminal property. She has been released under investigation.

Police said enquiries are ongoing.

Anyone with any information about the recent incidents is urged contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.