People are being advised to be prepared and take care when enjoying themselves during the Bank Holiday weekend. 

Doing simple things like making sure you have all the medicine you will need, storing key telephone numbers on your phone, and looking out for vulnerable neighbours, are just some of the things you can do to help be prepared for the three-day break. 

If you do require medical assistance, then it is also important that you choose the right place for help when you need it.  For example, Accident and Emergency centres and the ambulance service should only be used for life-threatening and critical situations, and can be much busier during the Bank Holiday periods. 

Emergency Medicine Consultant Dr Subramanian Kumaran, from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, said:

“Bank Holiday weekends can be busy times for Accident and Emergency departments, so we would urge people to take extra care while enjoying themselves over the coming weekend. 

“These extended weekends tend to see more people carrying out DIY at home, enjoying more outdoor activities and having barbecues, especially when the weather is good.  So we would urge people to take extra caution during the coming Bank Holiday weekend, and also to keep a check on how much alcohol they are consuming. 

“It is also important for people to keep an eye on elderly and vulnerable neighbours, especially if the weather is hot, and make sure they have enough medicine to last them over the Bank Holiday periods.

“If anyone does need medical help or advice they should only go to A&E or call an ambulance if it is a life-threatening or critical situation.  There are other options open to the public, like walk-in centres, minor injury units, or Shropdoc.”

More handy tips issued by the local NHS for Bank Holiday health include:

• Make sure you have enough medicine to last you over the Bank Holiday periods.  During these holidays pharmacists are only open at certain times, and your local pharmacy may not be open at all. 
• Call the Shropdoc the out-of-hours GP service on 0844 406 8888 if you do need medical advice or you need to speak to a GP out of normal office hours, when your normal GP practice is closed. 
• Accident and Emergency centres (A&E) and the ambulance service should only be used for life-threatening and critical situations, and can be much busier during the Bank Holiday periods.  Please only go to A&E of call an ambulance if it is a life-threatening or critical situation.  There are other options open to public, like the Walk-In Centres in Shrewsbury and Telford, or the local minor injury units in Oswestry, Bridgnorth, and Ludlow.  More information about other these and other local health services is available from: www.shropshireccg.nhs.uk , www.telford.nhs.uk/Telford-and-Wrekin-CCG , www.sath.nhs.uk and www.powysthb.wales.nhs.uk.  
• Keep safe over the Bank Holiday and follow safety advice to avoid injuries from DIY and leisure pursuits.

Injuries from tools and machinery account for nearly 40% of all injuries of DIY enthusiasts turning up at hospital every year (RoSPA, 2010), and with another Bank Holiday coming up this week, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust is reminding Shropshire patients what their options are if they need care for a minor injury. 

People across the county are being reminded that a local Minor Injury Unit (MIU) in either Oswestry, Ludlow or Bridgnorth can provide them with an alternative to travelling to an A&E department, if they need treatment for a minor injury over the May Bank Holiday period. 

By making use of the more local service, patients may not have to wait so long to be seen, and they will also be helping to keep main hospital A&E departments free for those with the most serious or life-threatening conditions. 

The MIUs are open across the weekend and Bank Holiday (except Whitchurch MIU, which is temporarily suspended at the weekend and Bank Holiday, and will reopen from 9am till 5pm on weekdays from Tuesday 28 May 2013) and treat a range of conditions, including:

• cuts and lacerations
• soft tissue injuries, for example, sprains and bruises
• bites
• wound infections
• foreign bodies in the eyes, nose or ears
• head injuries (with no loss of consciousness)
• fractures that require plaster only
• burns and scalds. 

Gilly Scott, Clinical Lead for the MIU service at Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, said:

“The MIUs are staffed by experienced nurses and specifically-trained emergency nurse practitioners.  They are trained to be able to treat a range of different conditions which means that local people can get local care. 

“Bank Holiday is often a time when people like dust down their tools and to do some DIY, and we often see people come to the MIU with cuts, sprains or other DIY-related problems.  Most of these can be treated quickly by one of the county’s MIU teams, rather than having to go to an A&E department.” 

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA, 2010) highlights that the top ten of DIY injuries are: 

• Knives and scalpels (21,300 accidents in the UK each year)
• Saws (15,100)
• Grinders (6,400)
• Hammers (5,800)
• Chisels (3,900)
• Screwdrivers (3,400)
• Power Drills (3,000)
• Axes (2,200)
• Planes (2,100)
• Welding Equipment (2,000). 

Gilly Scott continues:

“If we are not able to treat a specific condition, we will provide advice on the best place to go – this may be to a pharmacy, A&E department, or may be a phone call to their doctors when they reopen after the Bank Holiday.” 

The MIU at Oswestry Health Centre is open 8.30am until 1pm everyday, weekend and on Bank Holiday Monday.  Normal weekday opening hours are 8.30am until 6pm. 

The MIU at Bridgnorth Hospital is open 8am until 9.30pm everyday (including Bank Holiday Monday). 

The MIU at the Ludlow Hospital is open 8am until 8pm everyday, including Bank Holiday Monday. 

Local people in Whitchurch and surrounding areas are being reminded that the Minor Injury Unit (MIU) at Whitchurch Hospital is temporarily suspended over weekends and this includes Bank Holiday Monday, but will reopen from 9am till 5pm on weekdays from Tuesday 28 May. 

Patients that have chest pains, major head injuries or who face life threatening health conditions should not come to the MIU; they should call for an ambulance on 999. 

When the MIU is closed, medical cover will be provided by Shropdoc (which can be called on 08444 06 88 88), but anyone who has chest pains, difficulty breathing or faces a life-threatening situation should call for an ambulance on 999. 

Further information 

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust is the NHS organisation responsible for providing community health services to the people of Shropshire, and Telford and Wrekin. It has brought together and directly provides the health services previously provided by Shropshire County PCT and NHS Telford and Wrekin. 

For more information about the Trust contact Mathew James, Communications and Marketing Manager on 01743 277662, or email mathew.james@shropcom.nhs.uk.

Police in West Mercia will give the public a live insight into how officers patrol town and city centres during the Spring Bank Holiday’s busiest night-time period.

Officers across Shropshire, Herefordshire, Telford and Wrekin and Worcestershire will use twitter to give a running commentary on policing experience between 9pm on Saturday 25 May 2013 and 6am the following morning (Sunday 26 May).

They will be joining police colleagues across the country in a national social media ‘twitterthon’ aimed at raising awareness of alcohol and the impact it has on local communities. 

Tweets will be under the hashtag #alcoholharm.  Follow West Mercia Police’s force-wide account @wmerciapolice for more information about who will be tweeting in each local policing area on the night.

The nine-hour period over the Bank Holiday promises to be one of the busiest weekends of the year, with extra police on duty in main centres to ensure people can enjoy a night out without fear of violence or disorder.

Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said:

“We are making greater use of social media as a means of engaging with the public.  We recognise it provides an effective and instant form of communication with local people.”

He said the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was encouraging police forces nationwide to take part in the weekend twitterthon event, following several successful tweeting sessions by individual senior officers in different parts of the country.

The Association highlighted Superintendent James Tozer, West Mercia’s Shropshire commander, as one of those who used twitter to good effect.  He attracted widespread media coverage for a series of tweets while on duty in Shrewsbury town centre on New Year’s Eve. 

One newspaper commented: “What Mr Tozer did in taking the decision to tweet from the streets was not only give people an insight into the work of local bobbies, but also present a human side to policing.  By engaging in social media in such a way, he provided a valuable link to the boys and girls in blue.”

Mr Morgan said it was important to keep people informed, while at the same time giving advice and tips on personal safety. 

“I hope members of the public see it as a positive move and I am sure they will be quick to respond to some of our tweets.  We will be able to convey information on all manner of things, including public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder.”

He stressed the police tweets would be balanced and not just focussing on the negative aspects of alcohol. 

“We hope to explore opportunities to celebrate the successes of the night-time economy while also presenting a balanced impression of the negative impact alcohol misuse can generate.

“Nearly 50 per cent of all violent crime is alcohol-related, and excessive drinking clearly increases a person’s likelihood of committing a crime or becoming a victim of crime.  I hope the weekend’s twitter activity will provide a real insight into the demands on policing and highlight the impact alcohol can have on people’s lives.”

Mr Morgan added:

“We will also be urging our partners to link in and retweet our messages.  At the end of the evening, we hope to have given a snapshot of policing and public activity in a number of town and city centres across West Mercia.

“As always we will undoubtedly face a variety of challenges, but the bottom line is we want local people to be able to enjoy their Bank Holiday night out in safety.  To this end, we will have sufficient officers on duty to deal with any incidents of disorder.”

Yeaton Bridge, which carries a minor road over the River Perry between Yeaton and Grafton, was due to be closed this week (20 May) for up to four weeks, but has been delayed by the knock-on effects of a busy spring for the contractors.

The work is to repair the damaged bridge parapet that will need to be taken down and rebuilt after it was hit by a vehicle.

The work will be carried out by Ringway on behalf of Shropshire Council.

Unfortunately for the work to be carried out safely and due to the narrow width of the road over the bridge, it is not possible to keep the bridge open for vehicles to use while the repairs are carried out.

However, access will be maintained for pedestrians, cyclists and horses to pass while the bridge is closed to traffic.

When the road is closed there will be a signed diversion route taking traffic through Walford Heath and Leaton Heath.

Left to right: Dan Wrench, Joshua Lewis, Amanda Crane, Riley-Cole Holloway, Ian Horton, Chris Huss (head teacher), Kayla Dixon, Lennon Griffiths.

Shrewsbury pupils and teachers are beginning to see the fruit of their labour as their latest project to enhance their school’s outdoor environment takes shape.

Students and staff from The Wilfred Owen Primary School in Monkmoor have been working with Shropshire Council’s natural environment team to create new wildflower gardens in the school grounds.

The school’s Headteacher, Chris Huss, has shown a real enthusiasm for improving the school sit,e and is beginning to see the latest long-term project show promising signs.

The school recently received 20 tonnes of soil from Llynclys quarry – free of charge thanks to Tarmac Lafarge – as wildflowers had been colonising piles of soil rapidly at the quarry.

Wild strawberries have been spotted growing in the soil, along with some more uncommon species of wildflower like the native Goldenrod.

Dan Wrench, Shropshire Council’s bio-diversity expert, visited the school recently and was greeted by the school’s gardening club – who jumped at the chance to learn more about what was going on in their backyard.

Dan told them about the more rare flowers that were growing, and about what they were hoping to see appear later in the year.

Dan Wrench said:

“It’s great to see such early success for this project to create a unique habitat and also see how enthusiastic both children and staff are for improving their school grounds for wildlife.  Such initiatives make a big difference for wildlife in Shropshire.”

Chris Huss said:

“We are really pleased to see such early results here.  Our meadow is beginning to thrive and the children are really excited by the prospect of having this on our site.”

The inquisitive children were interested to see what was growing, asking Dan what every plant they saw was.  When Dan appeared to have an answer for everything, one child asked: “How do you know all this?” A fellow pupil quickly responded: “Because he is a grown up.”

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services – transformation and safeguarding, said:

“It’s encouraging to see the school take on these projects as they give the pupils the opportunity to see and experience nature firsthand at school, helping their learning and development.”

Last summer the school laid freshly cut green hay from Rea Brook Nature Reserve to induce the growth of native wildflowers.  This was the first time this technique, which has worked well in areas such as Venus Pool Nature Reserve, had been used in this way locally.

The chance to get the most recent updates and discuss how different ways of delivering services are being prototyped in Church Stretton will be available at the event for the community at the Silvester Horne Institute on Tuesday 4 June 2013.

People are invited to stop by any time between 6.30pm and 8.30pm to find out the latest, chat to the teams, and share their thoughts on this new ‘local commissioning’ approach.

The different ways of delivering services which are being explored to the end of June focus on working better together to look after the town, support people into work, and in turn, having an economically vibrant community, as well as supporting older people to live independently for longer at home.

These prototypes aim to ensure that partners work effectively together, services are shaped for the community, don’t cost more than they should, focus further support where it is most important, are delivered by the best people to do the job, and support local jobs and economic growth.

They have been developed after talking to as many people in Church Stretton as possible about what really matters.  Shropshire Council and its partners have been busy gathering statistical data, financial information, speaking to frontline staff and capturing people’s real-life stories to find out what goes on in Church Stretton, how much time, effort and money is being spent, and what is important to people who live in the area.

Leaders from across the community, including councillors and representatives from the police, fire service, health, housing, voluntary and local organisations, came together at the end of April to hear the views that had been shared, discuss all the findings and plan the new ways of working tailored to the town.

Lee Chapman, local Shropshire Councillor for Church Stretton and Chair of the Governance Board for the work, said:

“Partners will be on hand at the event to share how they are working together to get the most from the funding, expertise and resources in Church Stretton, to meet the community’s needs.  We would urge people to come along to talk to the teams, find out more and tell us their thoughts.

“People from right across the community have been, and continue to be, involved in developing the new ways of working – from sharing views to delivering services differently on the ground.  The event will also provide a chance to say a big thank you for their invaluable contribution.

“We are looking for more people to step forward to be part of the prototypes and we welcome the opportunity to discuss how people – whether they have been involved to date or not – can help us in making these changes for the benefit of both residents of and visitors to Church Stretton.”

Leaders will come together again at the beginning of July to look at what has worked well and what differences have been made.

Following the work, and reviewing where further refinements could strengthen this in Church Stretton, it is intended to extend this way of working to the rest of Shropshire.  It is planned to do this in stages to make sure that services are effective and appropriate for each area.

For further information on local commissioning go to shropshire.gov.uk/commissioning.

For more details on the community event call Lisa Bedford, Shropshire Council’s senior community action officer, on 07582 002010, email lisa.bedford@shropshire.gov.uk.

The Rainbow Pack is the first ebook published by Shropshire Council and is available to download to your Kindle, iPhone or iPad from Amazon for just around £0.77 pence, which covers the cost of hosting the ebook on Amazon.

Research shows that parents of children with a disability face additional barriers to accessing accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive information to support them in their role as a parent.  With this in mind, the Family Information Service are keen to make information available through as many routes as possible to make it easy for parents to access the information they need.

The Rainbow Pack also includes information about local and voluntary agencies, and is divided into seven main sections:

• People you may meet
• Benefits and money
• Having fun
• Early years and childcare
• Education
• Rights and responsibilities
• Organisations that can help.

Shropshire’s Family Information Service is a free and confidential service providing impartial information, advice and guidance on a wide range of subjects relating to children and young people aged 0 to 19, and covering all aspects of family life. 

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services – transformation and safeguarding, said: 

“Parents and carers with children with disabilities or special needs may have to contact a range of organisations for advice and support.  The best thing about The Rainbow Pack ebook is that you have all the information in all one easily accessible place, and parents can access it anywhere at the touch of a button.”

The Rainbow Pack ebook is available at Amazon here.  

If you don’t have access to Kindle or an iPad or iPhone, hard copies of The Rainbow Pack are still available free of charge. To obtain a copy, please call the Shropshire Family Information Service on 01743 254400 or email ShropshireFIS@shropshire.gov.uk.

For more information about FIS visit www.shropshirefamilyinfo.co.uk.  Why not join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shropshirefamilyinfo and twitter: @ShropFamilyInfo.

Part of the meeting will focus on the first round allocation of the grants budget for the 2013/14 financial year.  The deadline for receipt of applications will be end of play on Friday 21 June, and applicants are asked to forward all completed applications directly to Andrea McWilliams, community action officer for the Shifnal area, as soon as possible before that date. 

There are two types of grants available; either the Community Chest for small grants of up to £250, or the remaining budget for larger grants of up to £1,000.  Levels of awards made from this budget will depend on demand, as well as meeting the other usual criteria. 

Councillor Stuart West said:

“We urge all local community groups to assess their requirements and see whether they are in need of financial assistance for their projects.  The committee are keen to spread this money far and wide amongst the local community groups to enable a wide range of worthwhile groups to be able to access the funds if they have eligible projects.”  

Councillor Kevin Turley said:

“This is a really important community meeting and everyone’s invited to come along and join in with discussions; we will try to answer as many questions as we can on the night.  To enable all the community to get involved, the venue for this committee alternates around the area.  The meeting is being held at Shifnal Village Hall this time – so put the date in your diary and come along and have your say.” 

Any groups wishing to apply for a grant from the LJC for a project that benefits the community should contact Andrea McWilliams, Shropshire Council’s community action officer for Shifnal at andrea.mcwilliams@shropshire.gov.uk or 07582 003518 for more information.  Andrea can advise and assist on the application process or with anything else you would like to know about the meetings.

A new sign is being put up opposite The Mere in Ellesmere this week to help promote the 11 annual events that take place in the town – including Ellesmere Food and Drink Festival, Ellesmere Regatta and Ellesmere Festival. 

The sign is being installed at the entrance to Castlefields car park so that it can be viewed by people entering and leaving Ellesmere.  Produced by Shropshire-based Shelley Signs, it has been designed so that it is in keeping with the Mereside interpretation. 

At the same time, a replacement noticeboard is being installed at Ellesmere Market Hall so that local organisations can promote their events and activities. 

And, following a review of the town’s ‘fingerposts’ to make sure they give the correct information, ten new fingers are to be added to the existing posts to direct people to the Ellesmere sculptures and Market Hall.  Refurbishment and repainting of the fingerposts will begin later this month and is expected to be completed by mid-June 2013. 

Meanwhile, an additional electronic poster to highlight local attractions and opportunities to visitors is to be put up at The Boathouse – a similar poster is already in place at the information centre in Wharf Road.

The new signage follows a public consultation which found that signage and visitor flow through the town was key to improving the vitality of Ellesmere, and that there was a clear desire to reinstate the events notice at the town gateway to raise awareness of the events taking place in the town.

The work is being paid for using funding from Shropshire Council’s Market Towns Revitalisation Programme (MTRP).

Under the MTRP, Shropshire’s 11 smallest market towns – including Ellesmere – were able to bid for a share of £500,000 to spend on projects that would enhance and boost their town.

Ann Hartley, Shropshire Councillor for Ellesmere Urban, said:

“Encouraging people to visit Ellesmere, and enhancing their stay in the town, is a key priority for Shropshire Council and for Ellesemere Town Council. This project has allowed us to work in partnership with Ellesmere Chamber Of Commerce and local event organisers, giving them an opportunity to get involved.  We are delighted that most of the work will be completed ahead of the start of our busy schedule of activities.”  

For further details please contact Julie Ruler, community action officer on 01691 677301 or email julie.ruler@shropshire.gov.uk.

Reports indicate that two or three men in white coats are knocking on domestic and business premise doors selling fish, allegedly from Whitby, from a hired Transit-type van.  Whilst there are legitimate food sellers operating in Shropshire, there are many dangers in buying from this type of seller, and the consumer should be aware of the following:

• They are likely to be unregistered and may not operate to the hygiene standards expected of food businesses that are inspected by Food Safety Officers.  Ask the sellers for their business details and any returns policies in line with your statutory rights.
• The source of their fish may not be known, and whether it has been prepared and stored to make sure it is fit for human consumption may not be known either.
• It may have been previously frozen, rather than fresh.
• The fish that is being sold may be misdescribed; often cheaper species of fish are used to substitute more expensive species.
• You may not get the weight or quantities that you paid for.
• You may be forced to buy more that you wanted.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member, said:-

“If any salesperson comes to your door, we’d suggest you take sensible precautions. We are asking the public to follow these steps to ensure that the food they buy is safe and is of suitable quality.”

To report any sightings or any suspicious activity in Shropshire call Consumer Direct on 08454 040506, or for any further information please contact the public protection team on 0345 678 9000.