To mark World COPD Day on November 18, health professionals from NHS Westminster and Central London Community Healthcare will be holding stalls at Westminster City Hall, Victoria Street, from 10am-noon, and at Sainsbury's supermarket, also in Victoria Street, from 1pm-4pm.
]]> The Government is currently developing 'The National Clinical Strategy for COPD' to be published in spring 2010, and these events will help raise awareness of respiratory disorders and the importance of quitting smoking.It will also identify any people at risk of COPD and offer advice and education, together with lung function testing.
COPD is a term for conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema which are largely caused by cigarette smoking.
It is a progressive lung disease which kills around 30,000 people a year in the UK.
It is estimated that 3.7 million people in the UK have COPD, yet around 2.8 million remain undiagnosed.
The theme of this year's World Day is 'Breathless not Helpless!', promoting the messages that early diagnosis and effective treatments are available to help people with COPD feel better and live more active lives.
Gillian Schofield, Lead COPD Nurse Specialist at Central London Community Healthcare, said: "'We are delighted to be holding these events to mark World COPD Day.
"It will allow people in Westminster to see what local COPD services are available across the area.
"COPD is on the increase nationally but it is still underestimated in many areas.
"In Westminster, approximately two to three thousand older people may be living with a respiratory disease such as COPD.
"The true figure could be much higher as it is often dismissed as smokers' cough, bronchitis or a chest infection.
"COPD is both preventable and treatable and early diagnosis and treatment can slow the progression of the illness."
If you are a smoker and aged over 35 years and have symptoms such as cough, large amounts of phlegm, wheezing, shortness of breath, visit your general practice for a lung function test.
For help to stop smoking, call the Westminster Stop Smoking Service on freephone 0800 328 8537.
]]>The Ebury Gardening Club meets twice a week at the Ebury Lodge, on the Ebury Bridge Estate, in Ebury Bridge Road.
]]> To get involved, turn up on Monday or Thursday from 4pm to 5.30pm, or from 12pm to 3.30pm in the school holidays.Alternatively, call Mike Smith on 07961 909520 for more information.
]]>Jason Dennis, 39, left goods including a set of crockery given to him by his mother who died when he was 10, in a storage shed underneath Tintern House, on the Abbots Manor Estate, Warwick Way.
]]> As a tour manager, he went away to Europe for a month and when he returned, he discovered all his possessions were gone.Believing he had been robbed, he informed the police.
He then told the estate's office, run by Westminster Council's housing arm CityWest Homes (CWH), where staff admitted they had destroyed his possessions.
The housing organisation has now offered to pay compensation of £1,272 to Mr Dennis, as a gesture of goodwill.
A CWH spokeswoman said: "We accept that the correct procedures were not followed in respect of clearing the belongings from the shed, and that Mr Dennis has also received a personal apology from the contract manager for the way in which the matter was handled."
However, Mr Dennis believes he should have been given around £2,000.
He says the goods, which were removed from the storage unit at some point between July 1 and July 26 when he was away, included plates, a suitcase with £700 worth of designer clothing, a hoover, pots and pans, a wine rack, colour TV, video and DVD players, videos, glasses, a food processor, a toaster and tour guide books.
Mr Dennis said: "It's good news for me because CityWest Homes have realised they are in the wrong, but the amount they have offered me was a little bit under what I was expecting.
"I kept receipts for some of the things, like the clothes, but for others, like the crockery set, I didn't have receipts so I can't prove how much they were.
"I'm getting something, which is better than nothing, and they have apologised, which is worth it's weight in gold."
The outcome of Mr Dennis' appeal is expected to be revealed towards the end of November.
]]>The 22-year-old woman was followed across the station by a man, who kept trying to talk to her, at around 5.10pm on October 9.
]]> Despite her telling the man to leave her alone, he forced himself on her, touching her indecently.The attack occurred in the forecourt area to the right of the main entrance arch, by the back of the Iron Duke pub.
The attacker immediately fled the scene, and the woman returned to the station to report what had happened.
Detective Constable Andy Parkinson, investigating officer for the British Transport Police, said: "We are working to establish the exact circumstances of what happened outside the station and are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or has any information that may help our investigation to come forward and contact police.
"Victoria is a very busy place, especially at this time of the day, so there would have been plenty of people about who will have seen something.
"I am especially keen to speak to a female passenger who the victim reported the matter to as she re-entered the station.
"She is believed to have been catching a train on platform 2 heading toward the Medway, Dover and Ramsgate areas."
Anyone who has any information about the incident can contact British Transport Police on Freefone 0800 405040, quoting incident number 429 of 9/10/09, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
* A 37-year-old man was arrested on Thursday 15 October on suspicion of sexual assault and has been bailed until late December.
]]>Get Your Head Around This, performed by the Olive Branch Theatre Company, will help young people think about issues around mental health in a positive way.
]]> The evening, which includes a free buffet, advice and information on how to cope with problems, and a prize-giving ceremony to celebrate the achievements of young people across London, starts at 5.45pm tonight at the Abbey Centre, in Great Smith Street.The event has been organised by the Peabody housing association and funded by Big Lottery Fund, in celebration of this week as National Youth Work Week.
Head of Peabody youth services Simon Claridge said: "Get Your Head Around This will explode some of the myths around mental health and emotional well-being.
"We hope participants will leave with an improved knowledge of where to go for help if things in their lives get difficult.
'We recognise that as the recession continues young people in particular will struggle to find work and pursue their careers.
"Get Your Head Around This is part of a wide range of programmes and activities that we offer to young people to help build resilience, foster creativity and encourage entrepreneurship."
To find out more, email well.being@peabody.org.uk or call 0800 587 8215.
Tonight's event runs from 5.45pm to 9pm.
]]>The historic towers were chosen by residents as the image representing the borough of Westminster on the Landmark London pin badges, which will form part of a collection with winning landmarks from all 33 London boroughs.
]]> The other landmarks shortlisted for the Westminster badge were the Royal Albert Hall and the Eros statue in Piccadilly Circus.The badges will go on sale next year.
]]>Tutors can cost between £20 and £50 an hour, so parents are instead turning to free after-school homework clubs, taught by expert library staff and volunteers.
]]> Figures show more than 3,200 children attended one of Westminster Council's clubs in 2008/09, a 30 per cent increase on 2007/08 in which 2,400 children went. The clubs are attended by students of all ages and operate five nights a week, from nine council-run libraries.Sessions last almost two hours and attendance is free.
Sally Booth, 43, from Pimlico, who has four children between the ages of three and nine, said she is considering using a homework club in Victoria Library, in Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria.
She added: "Private tutors can be quite expensive and homework clubs seem like a great alternative, especially if you have more than one child."
Mary O'Sullivan, whose daughter Chloe, nine, attends the homework club at Pimlico Library, in Lupus Street, Pimlico, added: "My daughter has been coming for the last four years and I have always found the volunteers and other staff very helpful and patient, and as I can't afford private tutors I'd be stuck without the library homework club."
Westminster Council's libraries boss Cllr Ed Argar said: "Our homework clubs are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the current economic climate, and they provide a valuable service to many of the city's children."
]]>The new "wave and pay" technology, which is being trialled by Westminster Council, scans the cards with a magnetic reader attached to the parking machine, similar to an Oyster card.
]]> The readers will be rolled out for three months across 20 pay and display machines in the West End from the New Year, and if successful could be expanded across the borough.Safeguards to protect users of contactless technology against loss or theft include a £10 limit for payments without identification, and a cap on the number of consecutive transactions.
The cards also include a "spot-check" security function that requires the cardholders to confirm their identification with a chip and pin transaction on a regular basis.
]]>Any mum in the borough who is currently not working or works fewer than 16 hours a week can come along to a free session at Cardinal Hume Centre, in Arneway Street, Pimlico, for help and support.
]]> Women Like Us organisation is holding the meeting for women who feel they face barriers to work - from being caught in a 'benefits trap' to parents for whom childcare is too expensive.The event will be held on November 6, at 10.15am.
For further information or to book a place - which is essential - call Vicky on 020 7561 3786 or send an email to victoria.cain@womenlikeus.org.uk
Nominations can be made in four categories - changing the lives of younger people, changing the lives of older people, helping people live a healthier life and making the community feel safer.
]]> Short-listed candidates will be invited to an awards ceremony at the Institute of Civil Engineers, in Great George Street, Westminster, on January 7, and the winner of each category will walk away with £1,000 in prize money.Any adult who lives and works in Westminster can be nominated.
Nominations are open for entry until December 7.
They can be made online at www.westminster.gov.uk/leadersawards, or by sending an email Stephanie Matheson at smatheson@westminster.gov.uk or by calling 020 7641 2412.
]]>Minkie, who can regularly be seen prowling Page Street, has made a shortlist of the 13 spookiest cats out of 1,100 entrants from across the UK.
]]> The criteria included flawless black fur to blend in with the night sky, balancing ability for broomstick travelling prowess and a faultlessly arched back and hiss to scare off unwanted visitors.The rescue cat, who has lived with the Robling family for around a year, has been described as the boss of her own coven.
Owner Stephen Robling said: "She is friendly and affectionate, although one friend thinks she is a bit scary. We think she had a bit of a tough life before she came to us, because she was bullied by her three brothers. She was stressed and she had some health problems, but now she really likes being the only cat of the house."
Shunning treats such as smoked salmon and chicken, Minkie prefers to tuck into tinned tuna when her owners feel she has been good.
Her talents have put her in the running to become the official cat of the Wookey Hole Witch, where her portrait will hang in the Wookey caves, in Somerset.
The owners of the winning cat will also receive a £250 donation to the animal charity of their choice, a £100 animal gift hamper and a framed picture of their cat in its new role as a witch's cat.
The results of the competition, launched earlier this month by pet insurance provider Petplan, will be announced on October 29.
To see all 13 shortlisted cats, visit the National Petrait Gallery website at www.petraitgallery.co.uk
* Minkie sadly lost out on the top prize in this competition.
On Thursday, October 29, it was announced that the winner was a cat named Tiny, from Edgware, north London.
]]>The commercial vehicles will be introduced to Westminster Council's car club fleet as part of the authority's commitment to providing a cost effective and environmentally friendly transport solution in the borough.
]]> Initially two VW Caddy vans will be available, one in the south and one in the north of the city, with further delivery vehicles set to be introduced next year.Members are charged under a pay as you go style tariff with hourly rates starting at £5.95 for vans.
The new vans are aimed at everyone from those who would normally hire a "man with a van" such as people moving home, to small businesses wanting to make deliveries without the cost of having to own and maintain a commercial vehicle.
A number of other cost saving benefits are also available to members including one hour's free parking, no congestion charge, and a low rate annual membership fee of £25.
This sum is then reimbursed with the equivalent amount of vehicle hire time.
Every vehicle is also located in a dedicated parking bay, saving motorists time and money otherwise spent on finding a space to park and all vehicles in the club are located within easy walking distance of homes, offices and work places.
With a fleet of 20 hybrid vehicles and the country's first all-electric car club vehicle Westminster operates the most environmentally friendly scheme in the UK.
The council aims to have a total of 400 car club vehicles available by 2012 - approximately 30 percent of which will be hybrid vehicles.
Studies show that each car club vehicle removes up to 20 privately owned vehicles, and that members reduce vehicle miles travelled by up to 40 per cent.
The car club is jointly run by Westminster City Council and Zipcar, the world's largest car club operator.
]]>The building in Bessborough Street, which currently houses a nursery run by the London Early Years Foundation and healthcare clinic, is in desperate need of refurbishment.
]]> The £4.6million project, funded by Westminster Council, NHS Westminster and the Governenment's Department for Children, Schools, and Families, will enable a range of new services to be delivered from this site.The facilities to be provided include a nursery offering full day care for children up to the age of five with a number of affordable places, a children's health centre, better quality outdoor space, a baby clinic and a variety of drop-in services for children families.
The building will also provide a new base for school nurses, health visitors, social workers and education welfare officers operating in the local area to help them work together to identify children who are in need of support at the earliest opportunity.
Families in Pimlico's Tachbrook, Churchill, Warwick and Vincent Square wards will also be able to access ante-natal classes and nutrition classes, a crèche and advice sessions on housing, debt, benefits and employment.
Cllr Mark Page, Westminster Council's cabinet member for children and young people, said: "We want to help families improve their circumstances and to ensure that parents have the advice and support to give their children the best start in life.
"This new hub will be a huge boost to people living in this part of the city as more and better services will be on offer from helping them to find a job to accessing childcare."
June O'Sullivan, chief executive of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), said: "At LEYF, we have continued to enjoy building a better future for London's children since 1903.
"With our roots very much in and around Pimlico, we have been equally proud of our key role in the local community as nursery provider at Bessborough over the past four years.
"Now, thanks to this exciting new project, we hope to enjoy many more."
The nursery will be closed from October 30.
During the work, the clinic will be temporarily relocated to the South Westminster Centre, in Vincent Square, while all 40 children at the nursery will move to a facility in Page Street.
]]>On October 31, Tate Britain, in Millbank, is holding a free family festival with activities ranging from trick or treat costume workshops to spooky storytelling.
]]> Kids aged five to 12 will encounter the Chinese Hungry Ghost festival by watching traditional opera and make puppets inspired by the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations.The event lasts from noon to 5pm.
All activities are free, and some may require booking.
For more information call the Tate on 020 7887 8888, or see www.tate.org.uk.
]]>The cash, given to Westminster Council by the government's Future Jobs Fund, will create jobs in a variety of sectors including childcare, clerical and hospitality for 18 to 24-year-olds who have been out of work for at least nine months.
]]> Recent figures show that youth unemployment in Westminster grew by 62 per cent between July 2008 and July 2009, from 665 to 1,075.Cllr Brian Connell, Westminster Council's cabinet member for economic development and family policy, said: "This cash is a big boost to the local economy as many young people are finding it hard to access employment opportunities at the moment.
"Over the next few months we will focus our efforts on helping young residents not in education or training so this funding has arrived at an important time and will give them the chance to learn key skills that will prove crucial in the future."
The jobs will be coordinated in conjunction with Westminster Kingsway College, environmental charity Groundwork and other local employers.
JobCentre Plus will screen potential candidates.
The funding was announced at a meeting last week of the Citizens and Business Policy and Scrutiny Committee.
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