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Surge in numbers using foodbank in Bestwood

Gedling Eye
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Surge in numbers using foodbank in Bestwood

Latest figures have revealed a big increase in people using a foodbank in Bestwood.

Nottingham now has 13 food banks whereas in 2010 there were none. Now figures this week released by the Bestwood and Bulwell foodbank have revealed user numbers are continuing to rise.

The figures released this week revealed that:

  • 3,251 three-day emergency food supplies were given to local people in crisis by the Bestwood & Bulwell Foodbank in 2016/17 (This compares to 2,805 in 2015/16).
  • Over 1,466 food parcels went to children.
  • Local increase due to people struggling with continued issues with benefit payments; Universal Credit roll out in the area; low wages; insecure work; closure of local charities offering crisis support
  • The Bestwood & Bulwell Food bank has seen an increase of 15% in three-day emergency food supplies in 2016/17 – the number of emergency food supplies to children has increased by 20%
  • The top three reasons for food bank referral were: benefit delay 21%; benefit change 21%; low income 30%.

Nottingham City Council deputy leader Cllr Graham Chapman has raised concerns that the use of foodbanks is likely to rise further without changes in policy on pay, housing and measures like Universal Credit.

He said: “Seven years ago, there were no food banks in the city, now there are thirteen.

“We are grateful to those people who volunteer to run them but it’s not acceptable or civilized that they have become necessary.

“The Government says they are making savings but in reality, it’s a false economy.  We know that as people are driven into poverty the social costs elsewhere rise, child protection costs rise, homelessness costs rise, the long-term costs in education rise and it divides society.

“The council is doing what it can to help those facing these problems, by continuing to fund welfare and debt advice services, continuing to top up discretionary housing payments and provide support with the bedroom tax and through good budget management, provide an extra £500,000 to combat homelessness.

“Ultimately, though, we want to work towards a day when food banks are once again unnecessary.”

East Midlands Flower Show returns to Newstead Abbey this July

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East Midlands Flower Show returns to Newstead Abbey this July

Newstead Abbey is to again play host to the East Midlands Flower Show over the weekend of July 1-2.

The abbey grounds will once again open their gates to fabulous show gardens, designed by local nurseries, horticultural colleges, landscapers and our volunteer teams.

There is also inspiration for the amateur gardener with a day of opportunities to meet growers and garden centres on hand to showcase their gorgeous plants, shrubs and trees. There is also a home and garden marquee for seasonal plants, gifts, and garden furniture. Once you are shopped out – relax and listen to some live music with some great local food and drink.

There will be talks throughout the day from a team of experts to help get the most out of the garden or to learn how to use home grown produce to create fabulous seasonal food.

Garden experts attending the event include BBC Radio Nottingham’s John Stirland and Paula Rutledge and also Sean Murray, winner of BBC 2’s The Great Chelsea Garden Challenge.

Advances Tickets are available now at the Early Bird price of £8 for adults with Under 16’s FREE (Advance tickets will be available until 29/06/2017 – On the day tickets £10 Under 16’s FREE)

 

Cllr Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for leisure and culture said; “We are so pleased to be having the East Midlands Flower Show at Newstead again this year.

“The first show last year was very popular and featured some beautiful displays with something for the budding professional down to the person that wants a few plants and some advice on how to improve their window box.

“There are some really interesting local experts to see too. I’m sure the show will become one of the ‘must visit’ events in every gardener’s calendar for many years to come.”

Go behind the scenes at nursery in Woodthorpe Park on open day

Gedling Eye
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Go behind the scenes at nursery in Woodthorpe Park on open day

Visitors will be able to get a rare peek behind the scenes of a renowned plant nursery in Woodthorpe during a free open weekend later this month.

The nursery at Woodthorpe Park grows well over a million plants each year – not only for displays organised by Nottinghamshire’s councils, but also for neighbouring councils and others further afield, including Blackpool.

The glasshouses will be open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21 so that visitors can see the plants before they are distributed next month.  Planted wicker sculptures will also be on display.

A wide range of plants, shrubs and trees will be for sale at the adjoining Woodthorpe Park Plant Shop, including bedding varieties to be used in the city’s summer displays.  Customers will also have the chance to design and plant up their own hanging basket, with advice from Nursery staff.

Councillor Dave Trimble, Nottingham City Council Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, said: “Many councils no longer run their own nurseries, but here in Nottingham we have built on our longstanding reputation for producing quality plants in order to secure commercial customers from across the country.

“In the past year or so we have invested in a variety of equipment to enable vast quantities of plants to be grown from seed by our small nursery team.  May is the best time to visit the nursery to see everything ready to burst into bloom and we hope that many people will take the opportunity to visit.”

The open days will also include a variety of other attractions for all the family.

On Saturday, the Royal Horticultural Society will run free planting activities throughout the day.

There will also be guided visits to the beehives in the old kitchen garden with Nottingham Bee Keepers’ Association, craft activities, stalls from local organisations and food producers; animals from Stonebridge City Farm, Forest Kids activities, a scavenger hunt in the Tropical House, and a café run by 111th Nottingham Scouts.  On Sunday there will also be a variety of craft stalls.

Ravenshead pensioner receives Legion d’Honneur

Gedling Eye
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Ravenshead pensioner receives Legion d’Honneur

A Ravenshead war hero was yesterday presented with France’s greatest military honour at a reception held in his honour.

Nonagenarian Don Sutton was presented with the Legion d’Honneur at the reception held at Gedling Borough Council’s Civic Centre in Arnold.

The award was presented to Mr Sutton by French Consul in the east Midlands, Jean-Claude Lafontaine.

99-year-old Mr Sutton received the award for his role in helping liberate France from Germany during the Second World War.

His regiment, the North Somerset Yeomanry, one of the last horseback regiments who fought on horseback, played a large role in the liberation of France.

Also in attendance will be Mr Sutton’s family, his carers and senior military officers including the Vice Lord Lieutenant.

The Mayor of Gedling will also be present along with Councillors and members of Gedling Borough Council’s senior leadership team.

Cllr Meredith Lawrence was one of the dignitaries who attended the event.

In a Facebook post he wrote: “It was an honour to hear about Don’s military life: we owe so much to men and women like him.”

Carlton pensioner conned out of £4,000 in HMRC scam

Gedling Eye
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Carlton pensioner conned out of £4,000 in HMRC scam

An elderly woman in Carlton has been conned out of £4,000 by criminals claiming to be from HMRC.

Police are asking people to be vigilant after the 85-year-old from Carlton was contacted on Wednesday (10) by someone with a foreign accent claiming to be from HMRC telling her she owed £4,000 in tax dating back to 1969 and that if she didn’t pay, the police would come and arrest her straight away.

They demanded her mobile number and kept her on the phone for most of the day.

She was instructed to go to a supermarket in Arnold and purchase iTunes vouchers, however they only had £2,000 worth of cards available.

The staff did ask her why she was buying so many but she told them they were a present for a relative abroad- as instructed by the suspects.

She was then instructed to go to a supermarket in Castle Marina for the other £2,000 worth of iTunes vouchers. Again, she was asked about her purchase, but gave them the same story.

After this, she was instructed to read the card numbers out to the offender on the phone which she did, but after feeling wary, she took a taxi home.

The pensioner then told her neighbour who called the police. She was then contacted by the suspects yesterday who said they would send someone round to pick up the vouchers. Officers have put measures in place to protect her but believe the offenders are abroad.

Detective Sergeant Nikki Smith of Nottinghamshire Police said: “We’ve had several incidents like this where the suspects purport to be from HMRC and demand the purchase of iTunes vouchers to settle the bill, it’s believed to be a national scam. iTunes have a warning on their website but not many elderly people will see this.

“Additionally, although on both occasions this victim was challenged by supermarket staff, this is unusual and we would ask retailers to be even more robust in their questioning of people purchasing large amounts of vouchers in these circumstances, particularly the elderly.

“We would like people to become more aware of these kind of scams and certainly, HMRC do not operate in this manner to recover any taxes outstanding. We need to look out for our most vulnerable people who could be at riskfrom fraudsters, and challenge them if we become suspicious. You can also report any concerns to 101.”

A HMRC spokesperson said: “HMRC takes security extremely seriously. We are aware that some people have received telephone calls from individuals claiming to be from HMRC.

“We are a well-known brand, which criminals abuse, to add credibility to their scams. HMRC will never request tax debts to be paid in payment vouchers and we are clear that they cannot be used to pay tax.

They added: “We recommend that if you cannot verify the identity of a caller that you do not speak to them. We encourage you to check GOV.UK for information on how to avoid and report scams, recognise genuine HMRC contact and make payments to HMRC.”

Scam warning to NatWest customers in Gedling borough

Gedling Eye
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Scam warning to NatWest customers in Gedling borough

NatWest customers in Gedling borough are being warned about a new scam that allows fraudsters to steal their cash.

The ‘smishing’ scam sees criminals sending unsuspecting victims a text message that appears to be sent from their bank.

The message will ask the customer to verify their account details by clicking on a link which then takes them through to what looks like NatWest’s genuine website.

They are then encouraged to log into their online banking account, which then gives the scammer access to their details and their money.

NatWest has confirmed that this is a scam and advises people not to click on the link.

A spokesman said: “We are aware that a small number of customers received scam text messages this morning.

“Once we became aware of the issue we worked to close down the URL contained within the text messages as quickly as possible.”

The bank is reminding their customers that it will never ask them for their password, full pin, card details or security information via text, over Twitter, on the phone or when they log in to the online banking system.

If you suspect a scam you can report it to phishing@rbs.com or phishing@natwest.com.

Bogus tree surgeon warning to Gedling borough residents

Nick Salt
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Bogus tree surgeon warning to Gedling borough residents

People in Gedling borough are being warned to be on their guard against bogus tree surgeons.

Nottinghamshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service has responded to several incidents in the area over the past month involving bogus tree surgeons.

Elderly residents have been cold called at the door and then large amounts of money have been demanded for unnecessary work.

Bogus tree surgeons often use vehicles that look legitimate, which are sign written and are also towing equipment.

A spokesman for Trading Standards said: “This time of year does see a rise in fraudulent activity related to garden and house maintenance.

“Never buy from uninvited callers, especially at the door.  Always tell cold callers you are not interested. We would advise you to always get 3 quotes and use http://www.checkatrade.com to find legitimate traders.”

Fencing stolen from Gedling Country Park

Gedling Eye
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Fencing stolen from Gedling Country Park

A number of wooden panels and wire fencing have been stolen from Gedling Country Park

Gedling Borough Council has appealed for information after noticing parts of the fencing near the lagoon by the Lambley Lane entrance were missing.

BEFORE: Fences before panels were stolen
stolen-fencing
AFTER: Fencing after being targeted by thieves

The council posted on Facebook: “Did you see anything? A number of wooden panels and wire fencing have been stolen from the country park near the lagoon by Lambley Lane.

“If you saw anyone moving the panels or have any information please contact us 0115 901 3801 or call 101. Please share.”

Five burglaries reported in one week in Mapperley Park area

Gedling Eye
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Five burglaries reported in one week in Mapperley Park area

Police are to step up patrols in the Mapperley Park area after five hosue burgalries were reported over the past week.

Officers have said that four of these occurred between the hours of 10pm and 7am.

The burglaries occurred on Esher Grove, Shirley Road, Tavistock Drive and Zulla Road.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “Can you please be vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

“Police will be conducting high visibility patrols in the area over the next few days.”

Please see http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/advice/prevention for crime prevention advice.

Skimming machine found on cashpoint in Sherwood

Gedling Eye
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Skimming machine found on cashpoint in Sherwood

Police are urging people to check their bank accounts after skimming machine was discovered at a cashpoint in Sherwood

The ATM’s targeted were at TSB bank on Mansfield Road, Sherwood, but police believe there could have been others.

The machine swallowed their card and they have since realised that money has been withdrawn from their account.

The bank are aware and the ATM’s have been checked and the device has since been removed.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said: “If you used any ATM in the Sherwood or Carrington area this past week, we would recommend checking your account for any unusual withdrawals of cash.

“If you have been a victim, please report it to your bank immediately and contact ACTION FRAUD on 0300 123 2040.”

Police have issued the following advice when using cash machines in the area:

• Check for any abnormalities to the cash machine before inserting your card. If something looks out of place or unusual it probably is. Do not insert your card and report it immediately.

• Always protect your pin, from behind and above, to guard against hidden cameras and someone looking over your shoulder.

• Don’t let yourself get distracted. Don’t use ATMs whilst wearing headphones or on a phone call. If someone starts talking to you for no reason and appears to be trying to distract you, either finish your transaction before speaking to them, or cancel it. Never turn your back on the ATM to talk to someone while you’re using it.

• If your card is taken unexpectedly, don’t walk away from the machine. Contact your bank and, unless it’s been genuinely been withheld because it’s out of date or you’ve forgotten your pin number, have them cancel or put a block on your card.

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