Eight boys from the Under 10’s kwik cricket section of Syston Town cricket club took part in the 6th Thrussington fun run to raise funds for their club. The event took place on Saturday 3rd March in Thrussington and the boys had to cover the three quarter mile circuit whilst negotiating monster hay bales and water crossings.

They all thoroughly enjoyed it and between them they raised over £200, of which Matthew Evans individually raised £61. He was awarded a £20 gift voucher to use at Talent Cricket in Loughborough to kit himself out for the coming season.

The kwik cricket section have a thriving group of children from age seven to ten years. If your child is interested in having a go at cricket, then come along to one of our training sessions on a Wednesday night. The outdoor training began on Wednesday 11th April from 6.00pm to 7.30pm at our Potters Lane ground. For further information visit our website www.systontowncc.com or contact Liam Tailby on 07989 561 373.

Before that meeting Councillor Midgely has arranged to meet with Helen Myles, a detached youth worker, and students on 30th April in Central Park in order to listen to their concerns and ideas about the provision of facilities on the park.

From 13th to 15th February I was selected to take part in RAF Non-Commissioned Aircrew work experience at RAF College Cranwell. There were 12 cadets selected from all over the UK to attend this experience. During the first day, we had a tour around the main RAF College building where we were informed of the building’s history and looked around the memorabilia on display. We then took part in a physical fitness test, visited the safety section and the crewman-training centre. On the next day we had a visit out to RAF Waddington and whilst on the base we visited No 54(R) Squadron and No 8 Squadron to see the E-3D Sentry AEW1. Then we visited No 5 Squadron to visit the Sentinel R1 aircraft. This was a very enjoyable experience and I would recommend it to anyone as it can give a really good insight to RAF life and the jobs that you can do.
Sgt Andrew Norman
(16 yrs old)

1181 Squadron meet on a Monday and Thursday from 7.00pm to 9.30pm and are based in the ATC hut in the grounds of Wreake Valley College. We are actively recruit new members and any interested parties should contact Flying Officer Kenyon on oc.1181@aircadets.org

“It’s really good fun” Eleanor Claasz aged eight.

“We do lots of dancing and play lots of games” Hollie Lewis aged eight.

“You get to meet lots of new friends” Sophie Heaps aged eight.

For more information contact Mark Smith 07795 821 368.

Mark@iwanttopass.co.uk

There is also a senior group for ages 12+ who are currently having fun working on an Elvis Murder Mystery.  They have in the past worked on musicals, pantomimes, talent shows and short plays.  All new members are welcome, come and give us a try.

Two Air Cadets from 1181 (Syston) Squadron, Leicester woke up early on the first day of half term to catch a train from Leicester station to Bury St Edmunds, where they would start their week of work experience with the Royal Air Force Regiment. When Cadet Corporal Mott and Cadet Syrett both arrived at RAF Honington, they were given a number, bed and bedding and sent to dinner whilst the other cadets were arriving. Later that night, they were briefed on what to expect of their week and the activities that they would be taking part in.
On Tuesday morning, all of the Air Cadets woke up at 6.00am and were ready to be formed up outside at 6.30am to head to breakfast. After breakfast, the cadets had to head back to their rooms to clean up before making their way to RAF Honington for the day’s activities. They spent most of the day out and about with the RAF Regiment, taking part in physical activities including the bleep test, push ups, sit ups and even a swimming test. The hardest of these proved to be the Skirmish Exercise which is a non stop one hour physical training session. Later in the day they were given the chance to have a look at some of the firearms that the RAF Regiment use before returning to their accommodation to relax for the evening.
On Wednesday, cadets took part in an obstacle course, activities with the RAF recruitment teams and a look around the RAF Regiment Museum. After a busy day of activities, the cadets were given the chance to relax and sort out their personal admin.
On Thursday, the cadets woke up knowing that it was the last full day, which was to be packed full of activities! In the morning, there was a presentation that the cadets had to give followed by a tour around the force protection squadron at RAF Honington. After lunch, the afternoon was full of great activities including lots of fieldcraft.
It was a fantastic week and I’ve learnt so much from it!

Cadet Sean Syrett
(Aged 16)

Since writing this article Cadet Corporal Mott has enlisted to the  RAF.

1181 Squadron meet on a Monday and Thursday from 7.00pm to 8.30pm and are based in the ATC hut in the grounds of Wreake Valley College. We are actively recruit new members and any interested parties should contact Flying Officer Kenyon on oc.1181@aircadets.org

Counsellors at the ChildLine base in the East Midlands received 528 contacts from children about self harm last year, 2010/11. This is a 32% increase on the previous year. The main concerns that children mentioned when they contacted ChildLine about self harm were depression, family relationships, mental health issues and suicide. X-Factor and N-Dubz star Tulisa is backing the campaign and encouraging young people to talk to someone:

“It’s incredibly sad that so many young people are using self-harm as a way to deal with their issues and that many are suffering in silence. I’ve experienced difficult periods in the past but having somebody to talk to makes a world of difference. I know many young people don’t have this and I hope they can be made aware that they can contact the charities supporting this campaign to give them the care, help and support they need.”

The survey also showed that:

• 86 per cent of respondents had injured themselves, the survey is not representative of the whole population.
• Respondents cited feeling depressed as the main reason for hurting themselves. Feeling lonely and family problems also accounted for a high proportion of self-injury cases. Cutting was the most common way of self-harming with 81 percent of young people adopting this method. Scratching was also high at 71 per cent.
• Boys are significantly less likely to tell anyone about their self-harming behaviour than girls.

Speaking on behalf of the four charities, Sue Minto from ChildLine said: “We’ve seen from rising hospital admissions and requests for all services that self-harm is a critical issue for young people. Nationally ChildLine alone has seen a 59 per cent increase in the number of self-harm related counselling interactions in 2010/2011 compared to the previous year. The overall number of ChildLine counselling interactions, across all issues, increased by 42 per cent, so the proportion of self-harm related activity is rising at a significantly higher rate.

“Speaking up about self-harm is not easy, and this is particularly the case for young men. Our charities are coming together to raise awareness of the range of support available for children, teenagers, parents and those working with young people. Whether someone is experiencing self-harm themselves, or becomes a trusted confident for someone who is, we want to ensure they are able to easily access appropriate support.”

In 2010/11 the East Midlands base received 308 contacts from girls compared to just 29 contacts from boys.

The charities, who between them offer helplines, online and face-to-face support and training for those who work with children and young people, are calling on anyone who knows a young person who is, or is at risk of, injuring themselves to get in touch with the relevant charity, who can provide the advice and support they need.

A video supporting this campaign and further information can be found at http://www.childline.org.uk/selfharm

The team, also known as The Hawks, play at Wreake Valley Community College. They will be moving up to play 11 a side football next season.

The team trains on Saturday mornings and plays matches on Sundays. It is a friendly team which is aimed at allowing the children to enjoy their football. Players in any position would be welcome to join.

If your child would like to play football, and is in the last year at primary school, contact manager Robbie Nixon on 07889 994 881.

I was also an active member of 1181 Syston Squadron, where I fulfilled the rank of cadet sergeant. I had been in the ATC for just over five years and had achieved more than most could imagine. Throughout my time in cadets, I had gained my solo silver wings, region marksman, BTEC in public services with a distinction, bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh?awards and also 500 hours V Inspired award but most of my time spent in cadets was doing sports. I had represented my wing and region at virtually every sport possible and I had also captained the Corps cross country, athletics and hockey squads respectively. I was the reigning cross country and athletics champion and had held the title from the day I joined the Corps. This led to me being selected to complete the CCU walk down in Cyprus as part of the ATC team that flew out; and I was lucky enough to be a part of the winning team on the day over the tough 23 mile course. I had been on all of the overseas camps the ATC had to offer, plus the cadet 150 tour to Lesotho, South Africa.

Just as I thought my life couldn’t get any better, my whole life changed in an instant. I now wasn’t this 18 year old who had everything going for me, I was an 18 year old fighting for my life.

In early August whilst living in America I suffered a severe lower T7-T8 spinal fracture, along with a serious brain injury, leaving me paralysed from the mid torso. I spent many weeks in Intensive Care and on a High Dependency unit fighting for my life whilst I lay in a coma; oblivious to the fact of how ill I was. As the weeks turned into months I gradually regained consciousness and become stronger and stronger each day; eventually being able to communicate with my family.
It wasn’t until now I could see how much of a strain this whole accident had put on my family. My family were hit very hard by this, my mother had to take weeks off work until she knew I was more stable, my father became very ill due to the stress caused and my sister missed weeks of college as it had hit her the hardest. Myself and my sister, Alice, are extremely close. For her to see my as ill as I was and in a coma, not knowing the outcome, it left her distraught with fear. Alice spent almost everyday by my side keeping me company, reading me magazines, pampering me and also helping me regain my memory as I suffered severe memory loss, to the point where I had forgot even some of my family members.

After four months I eventually became strong enough to begin physiotherapy. Although I was very weak, the physio’s could work on me enough to prevent too much muscle wastage, getting a foot drop and also limiting the chance of getting a pressure sore. I continued with physio and occupational therapy daily, although making very little improvement which was very frustrating as I was working so hard.

Now I am eight months down the line, I have made leaps and bounds. More than what I would have ever imagined as I now look back at how ill I was just eight months ago fighting for my life. I am now out of ITU and High Dependency, although I’m still in hospital, I will hopefully be moving into a spinal rehab unit fairly soon to continue with my ongoing care. I am now strong enough though to sit up by myself, and I am regularly causing havoc around the ward when I’m in my wheelchair as I’m still not very competent with driving it! I think I still need a lot of practice. My brain injury is healing well, although not fully recovered yet. I’m still struggling a lot with my short term memory, as I can’t remember less than 24 hours ago, but the doctors reassure me that this will come back over time, even though I don’t suppose it’s the end of the world if it doesn’t!

I have recently been allowed on day leave and have been lucky enough to spend Christmas and New Year at home, which was incredible fun. I could forget about everything that was going on and it also gave me time away from what I called my ‘home’ which was the hospital! I have also been shopping with my family in Leicester, out for meals with my friends but best of all I have most recently been to the Leicester Tigers game vs Aironi which was the first game I had been to since my accident. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, especially as they won, but I actually felt ‘normal’ there, like I was accepted for who I am now!

Days out when you are in hospital really help you not only psychologically but also physically when you are learning to come to terms with your new way of life. Just these little things really help you come to terms with going back into reality and getting a little bit of independence back. Also it’s a time where you get massively treated too and if your anything like me, get to spend your parents money! Retail therapy is very therapeutic when you’re in hospital!

When this accident first happened I was in denial, as I didn’t want to accept the fact that I would never walk again. From going from a very active and healthy teenager, to being wheelchair bound had hit me extremely hard. I became very depressed, which made the situation very stressful and which wasn’t very good for my recovery or my parents own health. I very often snapped and shouted at those close to me, although I never meant to but it always seemed to be the ones closest to me that got the full brunt of my feelings.
I finally got a clinical psychologist and a councillor who really have helped me come to terms with this. I have learnt that sometimes you just need to accept help from people rather than push them away.

As the time has gone I have learnt to accept this injury more and more. I now look on the bright side of this accident. I have met lots of incredible people including Matt Hampson, who I perhaps may have never met before this accident. Matt has been one of the people who met me early on after the accident, and from day one has always kept me very positive no matter how tough times have been. I couldn’t have wished to have met a more incredible person with a huge wealth of knowledge that was incredibly helpful to me.
I now just have different goals to the ones I had before but I still have the ambition to become a doctor and I hope that one day in the future I will qualify and not only defy what the doctors have told me, but make my parents as proud as I can by them seeing me at my graduation.

One of the biggest goals that I have though is to learn to walk again. I have the determination in my mind to do it, and I will push myself as hard as I can, but like I have said earlier on, if I don’t walk again it’s not the end of the world, but what’s the hardship in trying. If I don’t succeed then so be it but at least I’ll know that I did my utmost and gave myself the best chance by trying.

Once I am well enough I am going to begin training again. Now it just means that I get to learn a new sport with different rules, and meet lots of new people in the same situation as myself. I will still have lots of goals to achieve although they will now just be different to the ones that I had before hand. Maybe instead of playing at the Olympic Games I can aim for the Paralympic Games.

Just remember that being in a wheelchair doesn’t mean that you have to stop doing the things you enjoy or perhaps were good at before your accident. Just remember you never loose your talents or skills. It just means that you have to slightly adapt the way you live, but never the things you do!

Never give up, because no matter how hard times may be, you’ll always pull through them and it will only make you a stronger character!

Charlotte Wilkinson-Burnett.

Girls football mania came to Syston’s Central Park on Saturday 25th February as part of the FA Women’s and Girls football focus week. It gave women and girls a chance to try football and there was a good turn out, with girls of all ages getting involved with coaching practices, small sided and fun games.

For further information regarding the Syston Girls Football Academy please contact Richard Gunn, Syston Town Girls Academy Coach on 07884 117 116 or visit it http://www.systontownjuniorsfc.co.uk/