Complete Wasters is a local not-for-profit environmental group, established in 1996. The group relocated to Charnwood a year ago and are busy transforming a redundant Victorian building into a mini eco-centre called ‘The Green Place’.

As the name suggests the site is a little oasis of greenery situated in the centre of Sileby village, where you can:

• drop in for a relaxing cup of fair-trade coffee and a slice of chocolate cake

• browse through our display of eye catching and exciting green gift that 'don't cost the earth'

• be inspired with practical ideas by our wildlife area and organic garden

• join the digital age with our range of low cost computer system

• take home your own wildlife friendly plant or healthy herb from our plant shop

• volunteer on our environmental projects, from event recycling to tree planting

• look out for our plant swaps and fair-trade markets running throughout the year.

The Green Place is at 6 Cossington Road, Sileby (next to Chine House vets) and is open Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday 9am till 5pm and Saturday 10am till 4pm. Call us on 01509 815181 for more information.

Keep up to date with new developments, special events and mail order gifts by logging onto our website www.completewasters.co.uk

Special offer
voluntary organisations and community groups who bring along this article can get a broadband capable computer system and laser printer for only £55.
By Deborah Parker

Age Matters is a new group that will meet quarterly in John Storer House at 2pm. The group’s aim is to bring together older people, retired people, and people who have an interest to discuss services and all issues that affect retired and older people.
There will also be a ‘show and tell’ slot to ensure a little humour, and I’m sure light-hearted debate.
The meeting dates are:
15 June, 7 September, 7 December.

If you would like more information, please ring Vivienne Holmes on 0797 318882.
By Vivienne Holmes

Here at Victim Support we deal with the whole range of victims of crime, but just at the moment I wish to highlight an increase in distraction burglaries, and want to give as much publicity to this crime as possible.

Over the past few months there has been an increase in distraction burglaries here in Charnwood. In particular with bogus callers attending addresses of elderly people. In some cases the suspect has introduced himself as a police officer and fooled the householder into believing they were there to check that they have enough security. In others and the most common is someone saying they were from the Water Board and working on a water main down the road. Through this article we want to make as many elderly people as possible aware that this crime is going on, so that they can take necessary precautions to avoid being a victim themselves.

One of the arms of Victim Support is the PRIDE “Protection and Reassurance Initiative to Defend the Elderly”. Pride is a local charity and the alarm consists of:

• an alarm box fixed to the outside of the house

• a control panel which plugs into any domestic 13amp socket

• a small panic button which may be carried on the person.

When the panic button is activated the alarm will flash and emit noise notifying neighbours that there is an incident in the home or that the person is unwell.

The PRIDE alarm is available to all those aged 60 years and over who have been victims of crime in their own home. However PRIDE can be purchased privately if the person has not been a victim of crime in their own home but feels vulnerable.

For information on this please contact Victim Support – Charnwood on 01509 268545.

The Patient and Public Involvement in Health Forum for Charnwood & North West Leicestershire is part of a nationwide network of bodies, established by the government, to increase participation by the public in local health decisions, planning, and issues in the delivery of services.
It is worth a mention that there is some scope for confusion as there are other patient involvement groups who are associated to the PCT or other parts of the NHS. This Forum is wholly independent of the NHS and of the local Primary Care Trust, although there are obviously links in order to obtain information and answers, to promote understanding to allow considered judgements about issues affecting all those who use any of the services commissioned by the PCT.
This Forum has been set up by Government, and therefore has a number of statutory powers to make it effective. It has the power to inspect NHS premises, and the premises of those organisations providing a service commissioned by the NHS. It also has powers of scrutiny, consultation and the right to refer matters of concern to higher authorities.
It is generally accepted that these forums represent the greatest opportunity so far for the public to have an input into how the NHS is run, and is an opportunity that should not be passed by. Anyone living within the area that has an interest in the standards of health services should consider becoming a member. Although members are all voluntary, full travel and other expenses are met and there is plenty of opportunity for training if required.
The Forum meets locally, approximately monthly at different venues around the area, some of the meetings being open to the public.
Anyone wishing to join the Forum, or to make contact regarding local health issues should contact PPI Forum’s Leicestershire Office on 0116 273 6506.
By Lyn Doubleday

Two meetings have been held recently in Shepshed for voluntary and community sector groups. The forum’s first meeting was well attended and the initial outcome from the group was to collate a community directory, to share information and connections, and to put together a local database. A further meeting held in April has taken this forward.
For further information, please contact Sally Bardsley on 01509 508040 or
svc@shepshed-vol-centre.freeserve.co.uk
By Sally Bardsley

Leicestershire ProHelp is a network of professional firms offering free professional advice and strategic support for one-off projects for the voluntary and community sector.
Member firms include solicitors, website developers, graphic designers, marketing consultants, accountants, architects, IT experts, and surveyors who commit to offering support free of charge each year on a range of projects such as feasibility studies, business planning, structural surveys, marketing plans, legal, IT, and accountancy advice, planning applications, etc.
“We have benefited enormously. We have gained valuable skills and knowledge and as a result of the support received we can respond to the significant changes in our sector with increased efficiency. (ProHelp) has greatly exceeded our expectations”. Action for Sick Children
“Leicestershire ProHelp acted as an invaluable catalyst to launch the start of the whole project and we couldn’t have done any of this work without their help”. Hugglescote Community Project.
Please contact Katharine Lightbown, Community Development Coordinator, at Leicestershire Cares for an application pack and further information 0116 275 6469 or katharine@leicestershirecares.co.uk
By Katharine Lightbown

Health & Social Care Involvement Worker
As many of you may be aware the Primary Care Trust, Strategic Health Authority and the Ambulance Trust, are all facing organisational change.

On the 30th of January at John Storer House, we held an event to give members of the local communities the opportunity to hear in more detail what the proposed changes are, and what they involve.

Mick Wells and Sue Ellerby of the Primary Care Trust were in attendance and spoke about the consultation process and what it could mean to us locally. The focus of the event was on the proposed changes to the way that the Primary Care Trust is structured.

There were many questions on the day. The majority of concerns were on whether local services would be affected by the proposed changes. Many concerns were about the future commissioning of services and move toward achieving a ‘Patient Led NHS’, rather than the actual reconfiguration of the Primary Care Trust.

If you would like a copy of the meeting notes, please contact Sallianne Thomas, Health and Social Care Worker for Charnwood and North West Leicestershire on or email sallianne.thomas@charnwoodcvs.org.uk.

Sallianne Thomas, Social Care & Involvement Worker

Sally Bardsley, from Shepshed Volunteer Centre, is jointly working with CVS staff, Vicci Barrett, CVS Capacity Builder, and Cath Walker, Information Officer to establish a Shepshed Community Forum. A meeting will be held on 20 March, 6.30pm, at Charnwood Road Community Centre to see if the idea has support amongst community and voluntary-sector groups active in the Shepshed area.

CVS staff will also be talking about their roles and how they can help community groups and voluntary organisations build capacity through funding and resources, learning and skills, using quality assurance systems etc.

For further details contact Sally Bardsley at Shepshed Volunteer Bureau on or svc@shepshed-vol-centre.freeserve.co.uk.
Cath Walker, Information Officer

Shepshed Volunteer Centre and Charnwood CVS and are putting on Funder Finder Sessions in Shepshed Library on Friday 7 April, 10am-1pm.
Funder Finder is a computer software package which helps community and voluntary groups find funding. There will also be the opportunity to use Trustfunding website - a subscription-based website which gives additional information about funding opportunities. The session is free; you will need to spend a minimum of an hour at the Library with possible follow-up sessions. To book a slot, please contact Sally Bardsley, Shepshed Volunteer Centre 01509 508040

Cath Walker, Information Officer

As well as being located at the CVS, at John Storer House we will be taking out Funder Finder and Trustfunding website to other parts of the borough.

If you are part of a community or voluntary sector group, and would like to use these resources either at the CVS or elsewhere, please contact Cath Walker on 01509 631784, cath.walker@charnwoodcvs.or.uk or Vicci Barrett on 01509 631787 vicci.barrett@charnwoodcvs.org.uk

Cath Walker, Information Officer