Foster Care Fortnight’s stories about some of the county’s carers continue today at Warwickshire’s fostering blog – www.warwickshirefostering.wordpress.com.
Read all about Lynda, a permanent carer who lives in Nuneaton and looks after three brothers. Lynda started fostering two years ago when her daughters left home and she found had extra time and space on her hands and was looking for a new challenge. She talks openly about the challenges and rewards of fostering.
The green cross code appears to have been rewritten as more as more pedestrians seem to stop, change a track, and make a phone call, than stop, look, and listen when crossing the road. 
Using MP3 players, mobile phones and similar devices when walking near roads is a major distraction for pedestrians so a new road safety poster campaign has been launched to remind people to avoid danger by giving traffic their full concentration.
In 2011, 33 pedestrians were killed or seriously injured in road accidents in Warwickshire and a further 122 suffered slight injuries. It’s unclear how many of these deaths and injuries were the result of pedestrian distraction, but road safety professionals are concerned that this plays a part.
The campaign to reduce distraction is running across Warwickshire and West Mercia. It urges pedestrians to ‘stay alert to traffic’ and to avoid using phones or other similar devices when crossing the road or walking near traffic.
Traffic is the biggest cause of accidental death of 12 to 16 year olds so campaign posters will be distributed to secondary schools across Warwickshire over the coming weeks to warn young people of the potential dangers. Parents are also being asked to support the campaign by talking to their children about the dangers of not paying attention to traffic.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, portfolio holder for community protection said: “The immense popularity of mobile phones and other portable devices presents a major risk to pedestrian safety. It’s not uncommon to see pedestrians so completely absorbed in their phones that they are entirely oblivious to where they are and what’s going on around them.
People are increasingly using mobile phones on the move to perform complex tasks that demand a huge amount of attention, such as texting, accessing emails and the internet, updating social media or making use of apps. If you are focused on texting or selecting a play list you can’t be fully aware of traffic. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
Warwickshire Police Head of Incident Resolution, Superintendent Adrian McGee added: “This may appear to be a trivial issue to some but the risks are clear. It is all too easy for an inattentive pedestrian using a mobile phone to take a quick glance before stepping off the kerb to cross when they should take the time to look both ways properly. This makes it easy to miss an approaching vehicle.
“Similarly a pedestrian listening to music impairs their ability to hear approaching traffic. Pedestrians need to be aware of the risks they are unknowingly taking and ask themselves how important is that text , everyone needs to take more responsibility for their personal safety.”
The all-new Small Fires Unit is now fully operational in Warwickshire and is undertaking a host of work in both tackling and preventing fires.
PICTURE SHOWS: Les Moore, Roly Bayley, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Cllr Richard Hobbs, Graeme Smith, Chief Fire Officer, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service
In the two weeks following it going fully operational on April 2, it engaged with more than 80 young people aged between 9 and 17 and attended five small fire incidents in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area.
And in the last couple of weeks the Small Fires Unit team have responded to a call for help from residents in the Whitestone area of Nuneaton, concerned at antisocial behaviour on Paul’s Land, an area of open space.
Since the concerns were raised the Small Fires Unit has visited the area several times with the Warwickshire Safer Partnership and Police Community Support Officers, and has actively engaged with young people in the area.
On 30th April the SFU found young people scaling the boundary fence. Names and addresses were taken and a Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service arson reduction officer and the local Police Community Support Officer are visiting the named youths. The area will continue to be visited by the SFU.
Meanwhile, action is also being taken to tackle small fires on Whittleford Park, a 600 acre overgrown site in the Camp Hill area.
The team will be regularly patrolling this area and tackling any antisocial behaviour they encounter.
Elsewhere in Camp Hill, Pride in Camp Hill has this week confirmed that 12 derelict properties, which have been causing issues with anti-social behaviour, are to be demolished in the next couple of weeks. So far 3 of the 12 have gone. These works have come about as a result of various partners working together to reduce arson in this area.
As well as a fire crew, a Police Community Support Officer and officer from Nuneaton and Bedworth Leisure Trust also travel on the SFU as part of their Outreach work. A drugs worker has also recently started going out on the SFU to help engage with young people and target problem areas.
The activities mentioned above are part of a wider scheme to target potential young fire starters using intelligence from the Police by visiting local schools and families.
Over the last 18 months there have been more than 30 Home Fire Safety Checks for vulnerable families through the Family Intervention Project in Nuneaton, helping them be safer in their homes. All this work is helping to target the most vulnerable to reduce the risk of fire.
Since October 2007 Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has been running an Anti Social Behaviour Intervention Team in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area.
This team have lead the way in helping to reduce the problems associated with Anti Social Behaviour, achieving significant reductions in deliberate small fires. Due to its success, the project was rolled out around the county in 2010.
Cllr Richard Hobbs, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, said: “The team relied entirely on the principle of engagement, intervention and education, but could not actually fight the fires.
“The launch of the Small Fires Unit is the next logical step, and Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has taken this principle and moved it forwards by introducing a dedicated Small Fires Unit.
“This unit is proving its worth in tackling small fires and carrying on the principles created by ASBIT that have proved so successful.
“The capability to extinguish a small fire with this unit ensures that our main fire appliances are still available to respond to other emergencies where life may be at threat and not otherwise occupied at a small fire.”
The vehicle has been designed by the Fire Service for the specialist role of tackling Small Fires and allowing engagement with people in local communities.
Chief Fire Officer Graeme Smith added: “It is far smaller than a main fire appliance and has 4×4 capabilities, which allows it to get to the right place at the right time. The vehicle also has a ‘fogging’ unit which is a new technique of fighting fires that uses minimal amounts of water to extinguish a fire safely and rapidly.”
Rachel Jackson, Communities Manager at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said: “We welcome the introduction of the Small Fires Unit and the continued focus of the Fire Service on providing interventions to reduce deliberate small fires in the Borough. The local Community Safety Partnership has identified anti-social behaviour, including small fires, as a priority for the next 12 months as Nuneaton and Bedworth remains the hotspot area for deliberate small fires within the county.
“We hope that this appliance will provide reassurance to communities that anti-social behaviour and fire setting will not be tolerated and as partners we will continue to work together to address it.”
Inspector Patrick Devereux, Neighbourhood Policing for Nuneaton and Bedworth, said: “This is an excellent example of how our partner agencies working together are having a positive effect for the people living in Nuneaton and Bedworth.
“The work the team is doing is helping to educate young people of the dangers of fire which in turn is reducing the number of incidents of anti social behaviour.”
The unit is based at Bedworth Fire Station and will cover the Nuneaton and Bedworth area.
For further information on the work of the Fire and Rescue Service visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue
Businesses that persistently sell alcoholic drinks to children could lose their license to sell alcohol in a matter of a few short weeks, thanks to new powers given to Warwickshire County Council’s Trading Standards Service.
Trading Standards Officers and Warwickshire Police can now stop businesses selling alcohol for up to two weeks where the retailer is found to have made two or more sales of alcohol to children in a three month period.
For many stores that rely wholly or predominately on the sale of alcohol for their profits, such as off-licenses, preventing a retailer from selling alcohol can often have a significant effect upon a business – effectively closing it for trade.
These new powers offer Trading Standards Services the opportunity to take quick and decisive action against problem businesses, whilst still allowing officers to take a full prosecution if a business transgressed further.
Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Hobbs, Portfolio Holder for Community Safety said: “Most retailers understand the problems caused by under-age drinking, to the health of young people and in terms of anti-social behaviour in the community. They take their responsibilities seriously and ensure that children and young people cannot buy alcohol.
“However, there remains a small minority who despite education, support and warnings, continue to sell to under 18s. This new power will help us to take quick and decisive action against them which will have an effect not only on their alcohol sales, but their entire business.”
In the latest undercover test purchase exercise, 17 alcohol retailers were visited across North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth and Rugby. Businesses that were suspected of selling alcohol to children were targeted and four sales of alcohol were made to 15 year old child volunteers.
Warwickshire Trading Standards uses information and intelligence gathered from local communities to target problem businesses and investigations by Warwickshire Trading Standards Service are now on-going.
Under 18?
Contact Compass Warwickshire for drug and alcohol advice, information and specialist treatment on freephone 08000 88 72 48. The service is available between the hours of 9am and 5pm. Please leave a message if your call isn’t answered – someone will get back to you.
More information from – http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/alcohol
In addition to the new powers detailed above, brought in following an amendment to the Licensing Act 2003, Trading Standards Officers also have the option to prosecute as an alternative. The offence of persistently selling alcohol to children now carries a maximum fine of £20,000 (raised from £10,000) and following conviction, a Magistrates court could suspend the retailers licence to sell alcohol for up to three months.
Warwickshire County Council is looking for people interested in the county’s history and future to take part in discussion groups which will help evaluate and shape services.
Three facilitated sessions will be taking place in Warwick over the next couple of weeks to get the views of local people who have previously used Warwickshire County Council’s Heritage and Cultural Services, including Museums and Heritage Education.
Hopkins Van Mil has been commissioned by the county council to undertake this review into people’s experience of services they have used. It is hoped these discussions will result in suggestions to improve local services and come up with ways to make services more resilient in the current economic climate.
The sessions for people who have used heritage and culture services are taking place at Northgate House Conference Centre, Saltisford, Warwick CV34 4JL on the following dates:
Tuesday 8 May – 2pm to 3.30pm
Wednesday 9 May – 11am to 12.30pm
Tuesday 15 May – 5pm to 6.30pm
A further session for people who have not used heritage services in the last three years will take place on either Tuesday 8 May from 5pm to 6.30pm or Tuesday 15 May from 2pm to 3.30pm depending on the preferred availability those who express an interest in attending.
To take part in one of these lively and interesting sessions please email Henrietta Hopkins at Hopkins Van Mil henrietta@hopkinsvanmil.com or call 07985 514638 stating which session and date would suit you best.
Places are limited so do express your interest as soon as possible.
All participants will receive £20 to cover expenses and other costs incurred. This is funded from Hopkins Van Mil’s project budget.
On Saturday 2 June 2012, Warwickshire County Council’s Heritage and Culture are hosting Jailhouse Jive – an authentic 1950’s night-out to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. 
From 7:30pm for an 8pm start, the night will go on until 11pm with a licensed bar.
The event will offer a unique opportunity to dance the night away to great live music within the historic surroundings of the Old Courts in Northgate Street, Warwick.
Authentic rock n’ roll and jive music will be provided by the local band Phoenix. Guests will also have the fantastic opportunity to learn how to jive with our expert dance teacher Beverley Drew, of Planet Dance and her demonstration couple.
For just £15.00 a ticket, a free buffet is included. Tickets are available from the Warwickshire Museum shop at Market Hall and at St Johns House Museums, or at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/jailhousejive, by post (see bottom for address), or by calling 01926 412069.
Tickets are non-refundable once purchased and will be posted within 7 working days of payment being received; in the event of cancellation by Warwickshire County Council, a full refund will be given.
To purchase tickets by post, please address the letter to ‘Learning and Community Engagement Team, St John’s House Museum, St John’s, Warwick, Warwickshire, CV34 4NF’.