Syston Schools raise over £1,500 for Haiti

People with long-term health conditions living in Leicestershire county and Rutland are being asked to have their say on personalised care plans and how they should be delivered.
NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland is inviting everyone with an interest in managing long-term conditions – patients, carers, friends and family – to have their say on how the plans should look.
The aim of a care plan is to help people mange their condition day to day, giving them information and support at the right time, as well as helping them to achieve personal goals, instead of letting their condition dominate their life.
It helps to promote independence and ensure the patient is positively involved in making decisions for their future, is actively engaged in self-care, understands the nature of their condition, treatment options and medication, and can monitor signs and symptoms of change in their condition.
Care plans will record information on the condition, any difficulties the patient has, where to go for help and support, and what medicines are being taken. They will be launched in the next few months and are ‘owned’ by the patient.
Ket Chudasama, NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland’s associate director for planned care, said: “It is important that we use and support personalised care plans as a tool to enable those with long-term conditions to self care.
“Care plans can also help patients reduce the amount of hospital admissions they have or GP appointments they use.”
NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland will use the results from the questionnaire to shape what care plans will look like and how they will be delivered, in partnership with patients. Personalised care plans will be offered to long-term condition patients by the end of 2010.
The questionnaire closes on 12 March and the results of the survey will be published on NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland’s website – www.lcr.nhs.uk – after this date.
To fill in the questionnaire or for more details on living with long-term conditions visit http://www.lcr.nhs.uk/Keepinghealthystayingfit-Healthmatters-Longtermconditions.cms

Melton Mowbray Area
£8.50 per hour
15 hours per week Monday to Friday daytime only.
A personal assistant is required to support an active 50 year old lady in a busy and dynamic household.
To provide some personal care, support in the home and with recreational and social activities.
Contact 0116 305 7990 or email dprecruit@leics.gov.uk quoting ref RK218.
Closing date 23rd March 2010

Residents are being urged to wrap up warm, put their best feet forward and get fit by taking part in a series of guided winter walks.
Charnwood Borough Council has unveiled its latest programme of walks leading into the spring.
These take place across Charnwood and are:
Guided Walk – 2nd March  -  Rothley. 10.00am from Town Green Street car park and go to the Golf Course and Thurcaston. Walking boots recommended. Cost: Free.
Guided Walk – 14th March  – Wymeswold. 10.00am from St Mary’s Church, Wymeswold for a five mile walk around the area. Walking boots recommended. Cost: Free.
Guided Walk – 17th March   – Queniborough. 10.00am from Britannia Public House, Queniborough round the area. Walking boots recommended. Cost: Free.
Guided Walk – Leicestershire Footpaths Association – 17th March –  10.00am from Quorn Church.  A six mile walk via Mill Farm, Woodhouse. Please contact Sheila Burbage for further information on 0116 220 3958.
Guided Walk – 18th March  - Grace Dieu Priory. Ghost walk around Grace Dieu Priory.  7.30pm from The Bull’s Head, Grace Dieu, Thringstone.  Please bring torches.  Booking is essential on 01530 454606. Cost: £3 payable to walk leader on the day.
Historical Guided Walk – 21st  March – Grace Dieu Priory. 3.00pm from The Bull’s Head, Grace Dieu, Thringstone.  Cost: £3 payable to walk leader on the day.
Blue Badge Guided Walk – 24th March – Loughborough -  7.00pm from Fearon Fountain, Loughborough Market Place. Cost: £4 on the day or £3 in advance to the walk leader. To book call 0116 261 1576.
Blue Badge Guided Walk – 3rd April  – Barrow Upon Soar – 2.00pm from Holy Trinity Church, Barrow Upon Soar.  Cost: £4 on the day or £3 in advance to walk leader. To book call 0116 261 1576.
Guided Walk – 6th April– Rearsby Circular – 10.00am from Pack Horse Bridge (park on Mill Road) and walk to Thrussington Mill. Walking boots recommended. Cost: Free. 
Cllr Peter Lewis, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure at Charnwood Borough Council, said: “The walks offer a wonderful opportunity to explore the borough’s beautiful countryside and meet new people.
“They are also ideal for anyone who may have overdosed on the Christmas pudding and feel they may benefit from a bit of exercise!”
People are advised to contact Nita Pearson on 01509 634 594 for walks that don’t need to be booked to check for any changes to the programme.
For more information about walking for health visit: http://www.charnwood.gov.uk/pages/walkingforhealth

Leicestershire Fire Authority has confirmed that two stations will close in the county despite opposition to the plans.
Moira and Syston fire stations will be closed, but not until replacement facilities in Castle Donington and Birstall are up and running.
Campaigners collected a 4,000-signature petition opposing the plans last year.
Deputy Chief Fire and Rescue Officer Ian Scarrott said the move would improve efficiency of the service.
‘Sophisticated planning’
Mr Scarrott said moving the location of the stations would mean crews could get to incidents quicker.
He said: “We’ve got some quite sophisticated planning now. We know where the risks are, particularly road traffic collisions in north west Leicestershire, and therefore there will be improvements if we are able to get our resources where the incidents are happening. What we’re charged with doing is putting our resources and our ability to respond where the risk is.”
He said that no timescale had yet been decided for the closures.

Self-service machines are being launched at Syston Library on 8th March to enable people to borrow and return books, CDs and DVDs quickly and easily. To allow for installation of these exciting new additions to Syston Library will be closed from Monday 1st march for seven days until it reopens with the new self service kiosk and a new library layout on Monday 8th March.
Ernie white, Cabinet member for libraries, said “The self-service machines will make the service quicker and easier for users and enable staff to help people around the library, instead of being confined to a desk. I know some people don’t like using self-service checkouts in supermarkets, but the library machines are much simpler, you can scan all your books at the same time, simply by putting them on the machine, and you can still get help from a member of staff if you wish.”
Features at Syston Library include: self-service machines, an extensive range of books, DVDs and music CDs and newspapers, comfortable seating, with special areas for children, free use of computers and internet access. Regular activities include, wiggly reader sessions for families and young children, chatter books reading groups for children and reading groups for adults.