4 The Chronicle, Thursday, 7th June, 2012. www.chronicleseries.co.uk

Open garden raises almost £2.5k

Fund-raising for Congleton NSPCC exceeded all expectations on Sunday, 13th May, thanks to the generosity of Gay and Phil Bagnall, who opened up their beautiful gardens at Oak Farm, Newbold Astbury, writes Congleton NSPCC’s Anne Platts.

Fortunately, the good weather encouraged visitors with over 200 people enjoying the colourful displays and the homemade refreshments served by the committee and helpers. Phil’s Bar and the various stalls did a roaring trade, selling home made cakes, a wide selection of plants and garden ornaments, and high quality cards featuring gardens photographed by Jane Roberts.

Altogether, with the raffle and competition, the open garden day raised just under £2,500.

Congleton

NSPCC

fund-raising committee thanked Gay and Phil Bagnall for their generosity and hard work, and everyone who attended and supported the event.

AP

(Submitted photographs).

92% of patients waiting less than 18 weeks for treatment

East Cheshire NHS Trust this week said it was meeting the NHS’s commitment that patients should not wait more than 18 weeks from the time they are referred to the start of their hospital treatment.

The standard is for 90% of patients to receive treatment within 18 weeks of referral from their GP.

Figures released by the trust show that 739 fewer patients were waiting longer than 18 weeks at the end of March 2012 compared with March 2011.

Kath Senior, director of nursing, performance and quality said: “The trust is committed to meeting the 18 weeks referral to treatment standards.

“We have introduced a number of initiatives to improve efficiency and waiting times in all specialities.”

She added: “The trust has been under extreme pressure during the winter months but we are pleased to be consistently achieving this important standard.”

The latest referral to treatment waiting times statistics issued by the Department of Health, show that for a third month in a row, the NHS has been meeting the new standard that 92% of patients are waiting less than 18 weeks for treatment.

Life’s a beach at Black Firs

Anyone who has ever bought a bag of sand or two from their local DIY store will know it can put a hefty dent in the wallet.

So when a Congleton primary school needed 50 tonnes of the stuff it knew exactly where to turn for help: luckily for Black Firs Primary, minerals processor Sibelco UK has a major plant just down the road and has in the past provided sand when asked.

Now the firm has stepped in again and delivered yet another load, completely free of charge. The school intends to use the material to reinstate its school beach, used by all the children at the school for outdoor play throughout the summer and a focus for the PTA summer fair.

Headteacher Martin Casserley was grateful for the gesture: “Over many years at Black Firs, we have a adopted the Sioux Nation’s cultural wisdom of tribal values in the Circle of Courage, a wheel with four spokes that portrays four universal growth needs of all children.

“One of those spokes is ‘belonging’ and by making this generous donation, which otherwise would have cost the school a lot of money, Sibelco has shown that it is part of ou community; it belongs here.

“We’d like to thank Sibelco very much indeed and also one of our farming parents Mr Farrell who moved the sand in his JCB loading shovel on to the school field.”

Rob Davenport, manager o Sibelco’s Bent Farm Quarry, said he was “delighted” to help out: “If we can’t respond from time to time to requests like that from Martin then it would be a pretty poor do,” he said. “We know our responsibilities go beyond the quarry gates, we all live and work in the area and have a vested interest in seeing ou communities thrive.

“Times are tough for all o us and we must make sure we look after our own whereve possible.”

(Submitted photograph).

Congleton Town Mayor Coun Sally Ann Holland dips her toes in the water at Congleton Paddling Pool with a group of youngsters looking forward to a splashing summer of watery fun. The Park Road pool opened on Saturday. Run by Congleton Town Council, it is a free facility for children aged 11 and under and will be open every sunny day from 10am to 6pm until at least Sunday, 9th September. (“Chronicle” photo. 2251/12). Your help could safeguard future of ancient woodland

People living on the Cheshire / Staffordshire order are being urged to get involved in a project to ring new life to the Dane Valley’s ancient woodlands which date back to the 1600s.

The Peak District ational ParkAuthority has won a £65,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help enhance and extend these historic woodlands and encourage local residents to get involved in safeguarding their future.

People will be invited to take part in community meetings and guided walks, and the authority would welcome their help with activities such as: practical conservation projects and treeplanting, bird, fungi and plant surveys and an oral history of life and work in and around the Dane Valley woodlands.

The authority is working with more than 20 different landowners along the River Dane and its tributaries, offering guidance and support with woodland management and creation, and project partners including the Forestry Commission, Natural England, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, the Woodland Trust, United Utilities and the Environment Agency.

Schoolchildren from Bosley School Eco Club have already been making bird boxes with the help of national park rangers, and they were delighted to hear that a pair of pied flycastchers had adopted one for their nest.

National park ecologist Rebekah Newman said: “Thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund we have a fantastic opportunity to enhance these important woodlands together with local people from the parishes of Wincle, Bosley and Heaton.

“This is a unique part of the area’s heritage and I hope the project is broad enough that everybody from schoolchildren to retired people will be enthused to help in some way.”

This area on the Cheshire/ Staffordshire border is one of the largest concentrations of ancient semi-natural woodlands in the Peak District National Park. Dominated by oak and birch, the woods are home to plants such as wood sorrel, wood anemone and bluebells, and woodland birds such as pied flycatcher, redstart and woodpeckers. On the rivers there are dippers and kingfishers.

The woods can be enjoyed from a network of footpaths including the Dane Valley Way and the Gritstone Trail.

Part of the project is to create new woodland on a 14-acre site which the authority owns near Danebridge, and to nominate it as one of the Woodland Trust’s Jubilee Woodlands to celebrate the Queen’s diamond jubilee this year.

Mrs Newman said: “We’d like to hear from local birdwatchers, naturalists and historians who would like to help with surveys or research. We would also welcome contact with people who could carry out practical conservation work.”

The Chronicle, Thursday, 7th June, 2012. www.chronicleseries.co.uk 5

Dane Valley in all its glory.

Mountain rescue team is championed by MP

Macclesfield MP David Rutley has met constituents who are members of Buxton Mountain Rescue Team.

Mr Rutley sits on an All Party Parliamentary Group on mountain rescue and is keen to sup-

ort local mountain rescue teams in the important work they do.

The Buxton Mountain Rescue Team is based in Dove Holes and works across the Peak District to rescue and recover lost and vulnerable people across the area. The team also supports the police in their searches for missing peo-

le. A large number of the team’s 45 active members live in the Macclesfield constituency.

As one of the busiest units in the Peak District, the team were called out 80 times in 2011. They have already attended 24 call outs this year.

In addition to the volunteers, the team also has two dogs that assist with searches for missing persons. The dogs are equivalent to 20 searchers in good conditions and more in poor conditions.

The team does not receive any public funding and must raise £30,000 a year to operate. The money goes towards operational callouts, new equipment, training and first aid costs. Anyone wishing to get involved or donate can find further details at buxtonmountainrescue.org.uk

NHS trust staff commended

East Cheshire NHS Trust celebrated the “outstanding work” carried out by its nurses and midwives over the past year at a series of celebration and good ractice events on 14th May at Macclesfield District General Hospital and Eagle Bridge Health and Well Being Centre, Crewe.

The events were organised to celebrate international nurses and midwives day and offered an opportunity for nurses and midwives to share and understand current best practices, future opportunities and challenges in nursing and quality of care.

It also allowed clinical staff to showcase and share innovations that have improved the patient experience at the trust over the past year.

Director of nursing, performance and quality Kath Senior said: “We are extremely proud of all the achievements made to improve patient care and experience since the integration of our community and acute services. I would like to take the opportunity to offer my personal thanks to staff for their hard work, compassion and commitment.”

Patients’ forum will discuss inflammatory bowel disease

People suffering from ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can have questions about treatment and medical services answered.

The next Inflammatory Bowel Disease Forum is on Wednesday (13th) from 5.30-.30pm at Macclesfield District General Hospital’s education and training centre.

Representatives from Crohn’s and Colitis UK, and the trust’s gastroenterology departments will be there

Liz Nelson, IBD specialist nurse, will talk about a recent IBD patient survey about medical services and patients’ experiences. She will also discuss IBD fund-raising events.

Dr Ramasamy Saravanan, consultant gastroenterologist, will discuss patient-initiated disease management and the services available to suite individual needs.

Patients and visitors can ask questions, have their say in the future of IBD services and share their experiences with other patients.

Inflammatory bowel disease consists of two main conditions: ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, which are chronic and cause inflammation in the gut. Common symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal pain and weight loss. IBD affects about 250,000 people in the UK.

Dr Saravanan said: “It is important patients are aware of the current research, modern technology and services on offer for IBD patients, which are empowering them with the knowledge they need to take charge of their disease.

“The IBD forum provides patients with educational content, expert advice and tools to help them effectively manage their IBD and achieve the best quality of life.”

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