Arley News Online

More people are starting to contribute to the magazine, but I would really like to encourage more people to put pen to paper and submit articles. Either one off articles or regular features, all would be welcomed. How about the young people out there who are interested in journalism? What better way to start off your career and gain experience than help out your local community and publish material? Please contact me by email or leave details in one of the boxes situated at the Post Office in New Arley or at Rowley’s Butchers in Old Arley if you are interested. I would also like to have some ‘reporters’ on the team too, people who would be willing to go out and ‘interview’ people about local interest stories.

A big thank you must continue to go out to our deliverers who ensure that you get your copy of Arley News through your letter box. We are trying to deliver to everyone in New and Old Arley, so if you could offer some time to deliver to your street, please contact Arley News. Deliverers especially required for Bournebrook View, Willow Walk and Station Road. I understand there have been some disappointed residents who have not been receiving their copy of the magazine. We are trying to iron out these gaps, but again, let us know if there is a problem.

Forward In To the Future With Faith

Supporting a football team takes faith and dedication. You watch them play every week, sharing their glory or disappointment. How do you feel when they lose a vital match? Do you abandon your support, or have faith that next time you’ll be winners?

God is a bit like that some times. You feel as if He has abandoned you, but all the time He was supporting you, just in a different way to what you expected. We have experienced this over the last two years. We were planning on building a new Church, but unfortunately, this wasn’t to be. We were uncertain of our next step and contemplated closing the church. We thought that God had given up on us. In reality, He hadn’t abandoned us; He just had a different path for us to follow.

Firstly he sent Sister Sue Fry and the Rev. Hubert MacKenzie to support us. Both ministers have great faith that the Lord will provide, if only we ask. We began a prayer group and asked for guidance. The answers came quickly: open the church up to everyone in the community; apply for grants and start to fund raise. Nothing happened for ages and we were beginning to lose faith. Then, we received a cheque for the heating, another for roof repairs, a third from the Parish Council for Youth Club equipment. This encouraged us to persevere and more money arrived.

Now we are thanking God for the gifts he has, and continues to shower on us. Thanks to the grants and generosity of the local people, we now have a warm, waterproof and safe building, with a new kitchen. We have lots of weekly activities for the community to enjoy. Our faith is paying off. Thanks be to God. Carole Jackson - Church Council Sec., Arley Methodist Church

Arley Community Association News

Meeting with CISWO With Regard to the Miners’ Welfare Hall

At the end of March 2005 ACA and other community representatives met with CISWO’s new Regional Manager. CISWO say they don’t have cash to give us from the sale of the site but can offer negotiation skills and help to pull in funding. The Trustee’s of the Arley Miners Welfare Charity will finally decide on the sale of the site and disposal of funds with the approval of the Charity Commission.

CISWO appear to be unsure about what stage the liquidation is at because they find it difficult to contact the liquidator, who may be waiting for the outcome of the local plan inquiry before proceeding. CISWO does have the right to approve / disapprove the sale, within limits, basically CISWO and the liquidator are required to get the highest price for the land but If there were, for example, two offers on the land, one for housing and one for a community building, CISWO could choose. Once local plan issues have been resolved we will be informed of offers that have come in.

How will the money from the sale be spent?

There are four ways that the money might be used:

• 1) For mineworkers in and around Arley
• 2) For mineworkers in and around Warwickshire
• 3) For mineworkers nationally
• 4) For the residents of Arley

ely option to be approved as there must be a link to mineworkers.

If you are a former mineworker, please contact ACA as you may be able to help!

The Community Association will be working with CISWO to try to retain some money or benefit for Arley. Apparently CISWO cannot ‘gift’ land to the community because it would be against their charitable objectives but we could explore ways of buying or leasing some of the land.

What next?

In order to move things forward CISWO have asked ACA to undertake a feasibility study to assess the need for a community building. This will involve

• A survey of local services
• Mapping of community buildings
• Service shortfalls
• Survey of residents

is currently trying to find funding for the feasibility study, this is a huge undertaking. We need more help from more residents if we are ever to have a new community building!

Local Plan Inquiry - We now have to wait for Inspector’s report which will completed sometime in September or October 2005.

New Youth Club in Arley - In the survey of 2004 many of you felt that there was nothing for children and young people to do. To try to address this, a group of residents and young people are proposing to start a youth club in New Arley. More adult volunteers are needed as the group would like to be able to organise a variety of trips and activities. If you want to get involved please contact Helen, Paul or Vanessa. Volunteers will receive ongoing support and training from qualified youth workers.

For more information on anything in this article please contact: Paul: 07708 479796, Vanessa: 07808 297967 or Helen: 07977 723397

Future ACA meetings will be held on:

The first Monday of every month, 7.00pm at St Michaels Church, New Arley.

Next meeting, Monday 4th July, 7.00pm

Gun Hill Infant And Nursery

Nursery - We still have some places available in our Nursery for September. Any child (in Arley or further afield) who will be 3 years old by 31st August 2005 is entitled to a FREE place at our excellent Nursery for 5 morning sessions (9.15 - 11.45am) each week. Please contact the school for more details.

Open Evening - Everyone in the community is very welcome to pop into the school on Wednesday 13th July from 3.30pm - 5.30pm or 6.00pm - 7.30pm to look around our school and see what we have been ‘getting up to’ this term.

Sports Events - Weather permitting, why not join us for our sports events of Friday 15th July. Nursery is in the morning and the main school in the afternoon. Come and join in the fun!

Vouchers - Thank you to those people who have been collecting Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers, Tesco, Vouchers for Schools and Nestle box tops. We are collecting these for additional sports and ICT equipment for the school. If you still have any at home, please bring them in.

A Busy Term - We are having a very busy and exciting term with trips to Avon Croft Museum for Key Stage one; A visit to Cotswold Wildlife Park for Reception children and Year two have the opportunity to attend the Rotary Club’s Safety Show at Weston Hall.

Contact the school on 01676 540347

Youth Consultation Film Project
February To April 2005

Young people aged from 10 - 16 years have had the opportunity to star in their very own film in New Arley. The opportunity arose as part of a wider youth consultation project delivered by North Warwickshire Rural Youth Project - (NWRYP). Young people in six ex coal mining villages were consulted about their community, raising awareness of safety issues and the lack of youth provision in rural North Warwickshire.

In New Arley young people took the filmmakers on a tour of the area pointing out areas of interest and discussing the needs of the community and how they felt their area could be improved. High on the agenda was their interest in environmental issues discussing damage to the area through vandalism and anti social behaviour. The members emphasised the point that if there was a youth club in the area with educative, developmental and fun activities for the young people to participate in these areas of concerns could be addressed positively.

Matt Mancini a youth worker on secondment to NWRYP who was leading the project discussed; New Arley is an area with a lot of potential, the young people in the area have raised some clear concerns for their community. The majority of the youths actually share a similar opinion of the area as the adults, with a sense of commitment and pride. When consulted, they often come up with achievable goals for themselves and the community.

The film project culminated with a presentation of the film at St Michael’s church, with a great turn out. Young people, parents, members of the Parish Council, North Warwickshire community workers and most importantly of all, local residents were in attendance in what was a very positive evening with seven adults signing up as volunteer youth workers.

The film has and will be used as a tool to generate interest from the community, relevant agencies and funders to help develop the youth provision and the community as a whole. As a result a new youth club will commence on Tuesday 17th May from 7pm and fortnightly thereafter at St Michael’s Church New Arley.

Matt Mancini would like to thank, Ellie Orton, Ten o Clock Productions, Rev Peter Alan, Jean Sunter, Positive About Young People, Crime Beat, WCVYS and all the young people for helping to make this project a success.

If you are interested in viewing the film then please contact Ellie Orton (North Warwickshire Rural Support Worker) on 01827 721225

Parish Council News

At a recent meeting of Arley Parish Council, Constable Drinkwater & Sergeant Fildes joined councillors to discuss police matters in Arley, covering many subjects including the possibility of a surveillance camera being introduced, however, it seems residents are reluctant to report crimes resulting in low records for our area. The police suggested that to increase our chances of having such a camera we should be more active in reporting crime. We are under the jurisdiction of Atherstone police. When reporting an incident always ask for an incident number and if you wish to report something in confidence, you can always ring crimestoppers anonymously on freephone 0800 555 111 .

A problem that is repeatedly being brought to the attention of the parish council is that of obstructive parking, obscuring junctions or obstructing pavements and although Arley is struggling to cope with the volume of cars, a little consideration for others could go a long way. A blocked pavement for example, is difficult for anyone to pass but is particularly dangerous for mothers with pushchairs and disabled people trying to use motability scooters.

Some of the other topics for discussion were: the general state of village cleanliness, the next phase of development in New Arley recreation ground and the finalisation of the Old Arley multi games arena (joint efforts of Arley parish council and North Warwickshire Borough Council) our thanks to former councillor John Sutton for his extensive works on the latter. We were pleased to swear in a new member Mr Brian Franklyn to the team and he has already been talking to members of the community to address their concerns.

Please remember the parish council is the first layer of local government and despite limited powers and funds we are here to serve the parishioners, by either helping directly, or guiding issues to the proper channels. Everyone is welcome to attend the regular meetings or alternatively, if you want our assistance write to the clerk Mr G Brough, 19 St Mary’s Road, Fillongley.

June sees the AGM, where we will have Richard Thomas of North Warwickshire Borough Council as our guest speaker who will be dealing with such things as walkways, paths, greens etc, further topics for discussion will be posted on the agenda inside the Arley notice boards.

• Meetings are held 1st Thursday of every month, 7.15pm Arley Parish Rooms, Hill Top
• Notice boards can be found at: St Michaels Church, New Arley & Old Arley Post Office
• Minutes from each meeting are posted in the notice boards

Arley Parish Council

text2talk

Warwickshire Police in partnership with the County Council, Connexions Youth Service and Stagecoach in Warwickshire, has launched an innovative service to support young victims of bullying and racial harassment - text2talk.

Throughout the country, bullying causes distress and anxiety to many children. Victims often avoid reporting the problem because they feel uncomfortable about telling their teachers or family, or they fear reprisals. By consulting with groups of young people about how best to report these incidents and acknowledging the fact that over 80% of young people now own or have use of a mobile phone:
The text2talk service has arrived

Text2talk is a new mechanism where young people can text in a message to help them ’stand up to the bullies’ without using more traditional and face to face methods.

The young person texts in 07786 200 999 to report bullying or racial harassment. If the incident is bullying then ‘bully’ is texted in. If the incident is racial harassment then ‘racist’ is texted in. If the young person doesn’t want further contact with the partnership, then ‘No’ is texted in. If the person texting the message wants help and support from the Warwickshire Partnership, then ‘Yes’ is texted in.
The service is confidential

The text message is received at Warwickshire Police headquarters where it is evaluated by a call handler working within the Communications Centre. If the message is ‘Yes’ then the message will be passed to the appropriate partner agency to support and help the young person. If the message is ‘No’, no further contact will be made.

Every message will receive an automated response immediately and any call back contact requested is guaranteed within five working days.

Text2talk is being promoted at secondary schools throughout the county at school assemblies and also by posters and marketing material distributed around the schools. Details about text2talk will also be displayed in libraries, doctors’ surgeries, on parish council notice boards, in community centres and on local buses.

The service is funded by grants from the Home Office, the local Positive About Young People group and Warwickshire Police.

Rubbish!!!

Fly Tipping is against the law and makes an eyesore in our beautiful countryside. The Council can take action only if the rubbish has been left on Public Land. However, action can also be taken if it has been dumped on private land and there is a risk to public health or the material is hazardous. If someone is caught fly tipping they can be fined up to £2000.00

If people have bulky items they need to dispose of the Council will collect them for £15.50 for up to six items (this cost includes collecting and the cost of land filling the items) - obviously, it is worth people chatting to their neighbours if

they only have one or two items and a few of them cover the cost.If anyone has any query with regard to disposal of bulky items, contact: Bernard Woodhall on 01827 719440.

Arley’s Angels Learn To Fly

On Monday nights between 8.15 to 9.15 at the new Multi-Use Game Area in Old Arley you can find a competitive buzz in the summer air. Athletes training hard in the dying embers of the day. Shouts of enthusiasm & roars of laughter can be heard in the dusk. New friendships formed & old friends reunited all in the name of NETBALL.

Arley’s Angels are a brand new team open to all those ladies between the ages of 11 to 60. It’s about fitness & fun. Those who come along range from serious players to ladies who haven’t played it since school. All abilities are welcomed & catered for.

The ambition of the club is to foster new talent in the Coventry & Nuneaton League. To inspire cohesion within the village & promote inspiring female athletes as role models.

The team is sponsored by local businesses POLA & Purple Flame, many thanks to them for supporting a local enterprise.

Anyone interested in being the next Miss Neville ( England’s GA ) please contact Karen on 01676 549035. We are also looking for anyone interested in becoming trained as an umpire (£15.00 an hour)

Buzzard

This is a new wheelchair accessible bus service to Nuneaton and Coventry from the rural areas (including New and Old Arley). The service was launched in January and has funding for 1 year. If future funding is to be secured then a good case needs to be put forward - so start using it!

If you have a mobility problem that requires you to be picked up from your home and taken straight to your destination, this is not a problem as all buses are fully trained. Fares are no more expensive than conventional bus services

Buzzard operates every Thursday

All you need to do is call 01827 722617 to book your seat on the bus. You can book your seat up to 8 days before you want to travel, the bus will pick you up from your home, drop you in town and then take you home. Anyone can use the bus, which is adapted for use for those with mobility problems.

To book or for more information, contact Car-go-Bus on 01827 722617 (mon-Fri 10 - 3pm)

ACA Summer Fete

Arley Community Association want to organise a Summer Fete in the village, hopefully, (with the permission of the Parish Council,) on the recreation ground in New Arley. However, anyone who has been involved in organising these events before, knows that it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to make it successful.

If you are interested in helping out, maybe organising the games/ stalls/ food/ leisure facilities, then please contact either Arley News or one of the ACA committee members (numbers in previous article) to offer your time and energy.

To make things work in your community, then we need the community to pull together and help.

Parking

Everyone In Arley knows how frustrating and difficult it is to park up after a hard day at work or that busy shopping trip at the weekend. I ask that fellow residents also consider the manner in which they park their vehicles.

Many Arley Residents are Elderly and Infirm or Young Parents pushing their Babies and Young Children in prams or buggies. Sometimes negotiating parked vehicles is a difficult and dangerous task, often resulting in such pedestrians needing to pass vehicles by travelling in the road.

May I ask that all drivers show a little consideration for those less fortunate than themselves and park their vehicles in a manner which affords others safe passage along the pavements.

Paul Reader, Parish Councillor.

Friends Reunited

Carol Worthington (nee Eason) contacted Arley News after coming across our website. Carol lived in Gun Hill, opposite the school and left the area 36 years ago and is now living in Derbyshire. She would love to hear from old friends and reminisce about the ‘old’ days of the Carnival and the Dances In the Welfare Hall. You can contact Carol at brian@bworthington.freeserve.co.uk

Church Services And Community Activities

St. Michael’s, Gun Hill and St. Wilfrids’s, Arley

Peter Allan (Rector) 02476 399070

We are delighted to welcome the new youth Club to St. Michael’s on Tuesday Nights. This expands the range of activities which already includes Mimimikes (0-5); Megamikes (9 - 13) and St. Michael’s Over 60’s club. New Way Credit Union visits and Challenge (Challenging Alcohol Abuse) should be starting shortly. We are also looking for people to train to lead a playgroup - let me know if you are interested. To cater better for all the groups we are hoping to improve the facilities at St. Michael’s. To allow more to take place than we could possibly host, we wish the Arley Community Association every success in their bid for a purpose built community centre in New Arley. In the mean time we are happy to help in every way we can.

Dennis McDermott has been doing a wonderful job in looking after St. Michel’s churchyard. He needs help. We have brought new equipment but need volunteers. Thank you to those who have already come forward. We could do with more people who are ready to commit perhaps an hour a week to keep the place looking good. Contact Keith Asbury (warden) 01676 540001

Those of you who live in Old Arley will be aware that we are hoping to convert the Old Barn beside St. Wilfrid’s Churchyard to provide an attractive small hall for a wide range of community activities. Thanks to those who have returned their forms. Many thanks to those who replied to the questionnaire and in particular to those who offered help. As far as the premises allow we will get as many activities going as quickly as we can. If you received a questionnaire, you will also receive a summary of the results in the near future.

Do join us at our Sunday Worship:

St. Wilfrid’s Old Arley - 9.00am Holy Communion every Sunday

St. Michael’s New Arley - 10.15am 1st and 3rd Sundays Holy Communion; 2nd 4th and 5th Sunday’s All Age Worship.

St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Spring Hill

Fr Stephen Day 02476 392365

Sunday Mass 11.00am

St Joseph’s is served from -

St Anne’s Catholic Church, Camp Hill Road, Chapel End, Nuneaton

Mass Every Sunday at 9.00am

Arley Wesley Hall Methodist Church and Community Centre

Minister: Rev Hubert McKenzie. Tel: 01827 715600

(For Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Visits etc.)

Family Service: 2nd Sunday of the Month 10.30am

Other Sundays:

Sunday school: 2.30pm

Evening Worship: 6.00pm

Midweek Activities:

Tuesdays: Sparkle Club for 4 -7 Year Olds 5.30pm - 6.30pm

Youth Club for 12 plus 7.00pm - 9.00pm

Wednesdays: Mother and Toddlers 1.00pm - 2.30pm

Line Dancing 6.45pm - 7.45pm

Thursdays: Jaffa Club for 7 - 12 Year Olds 5.30pm - 6.30pm

Fridays: Sequence Dancing - 2.45pm - 4.45pm

Pop - In for Tea, Coffee and Cakes or just a chat, 3.00pm On the First Thursday of the each Month.

Library News

"Toys for Tots" library

There’s nothing worse than buying an expensive toy for a child, and finding they don’t want to play with it; or buying toys to keep a grandchild amused on a weekend visit, but by their next visit find that they have grown out of it. The answer could be to borrow a toy from your mobile library!

This new service is available only at Kingsbury library, and the mobile library. Browse through our catalogue of toys and storysacks suitable for under fives; put in a request ; and the toy will be with you two weeks later when the mobile library calls again. The catalogue contains a picture of each toy, the contents of each bag and the age of child it is suitable for.

The toys can be borrowed for just 50p for 2 weeks.

It is free to join the library, and the ticket you receive entitles you to borrow books from any Warwickshire library - and did you know you can return books to any library not just the one you borrowed it from?

If you need any further information call Gwyneth on 01827 712395 or 0774 747 5055

Home delivery of books

Do you have trouble getting to the mobile library, or have no one to fetch library books for you? We provide a service which will deliver books to your home. It is a regular monthly delivery of books chosen especially for your taste. It is free, and if you would like to know more please phone Susan Healey on 01827 712395

Warwickshire And Northamptonshire Air Ambulance

From the 1st June 2005 - 31st May 2006 the Air Ambulance is running its GOLDEN HOUR APPEAL.

We all a know that receiving appropriate medical care in the first hour after an accident, heart attack, stroke etc., gives the patient a better chance of recovery; so the appeal is aptly named. The aim of the appeal is to raise 1.4 million to buy the Helicopter which is currently being leased. If this can be achieved, the Service can go 24 hours instead of the current 10 - 12 hours.

The Helicopter is an Augusta 109 and is the fastest in doing this work, reaching anywhere in Warwickshire within 8 minutes. To date it has proved to be the busiest in the country. The service does not receive any funding form the NHS or Lottery but relies on funding from businesses and public donations.

Warwickshire have very few fundraisers in the North of the county. CAN YOU HELP? Currently I am running monthly Quiz Nights at The Boot Inn, Ansley with thanks to Alan and Margaret. The next ones are on 3rd July and 31st July. £6.00 per team of 4. Come along and have fun whilst supporting the Appeal.

Thanks too to the Arley folk who entered my Cryptic Car Quiz. £114.00 raised so far.

If you feel you can help by a one off donation or by organising an event then please contact Jo Payne at Coventry Airport Tel: 02476 639043 or Sue Ricketts Tel: 02476 398342. THANK YOU

Local Activities During Summer

For those of you struggling to keep the children amused during the Summer Holidays, Arley News has been informed of the following local events:

Falconry Course, Ansley Sports, adjacent to Ansley Hall.

Thursday 28th July; Thursday 11th August; Thursday 18th August; Thursday 25th August

10.00am - 4.00pm

Costs: 8 - 7 years, £20,00; 18 + £25.00.

Places are limited so booking essential. Tel 01827 719207 to book a place.
Fly Fishing, Shustoke Reservoir

Wednesday 10th, 17th,24th August

10.00am - 2.00pm

Cost: £15.00 per child.

Children must be 8 years +

Places are limited so booking essential. Tel 01827 719207 to book a place.

Details of further playschemes can be obtained on our web site: www.northwarks.gov.uk Go to Leisure and Tourism and then playschemes.

Summer holiday activity booklets are available from:

Paul Taylor , Community Development Officer (Environment)

North Warwickshire Borough Council, The Council Office, South Street, Atherstone, Warwickshire, CV9 1BG

Tel: 01827 719270

Annual Horticulture and Agriculture Show

In the grounds of Blyth Hall, Shustoke. 30th July, 10.00am - 6.00pm

Many attractions including Birds of Prey, grand ring events, farm animals, rabbits and horticulture exhibition.

The comments expressed in this newsletter
are those of the contributors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the editorial team.

Please note: Articles for inclusion in the Autumn edition of Arley News (for distribution mid September) to be received no later than 26th August 2005.

©2005 Arley News. Editor Clare Brady.