The Blaby Topic March 2020

Contact details are:- Manager: Vicki Jepson Assistant Manager: Lauren Withers Events: Kerry Collings Blaby Civic Centre, 22-24 Leicester Road, Blaby, Leicester, LE8 4GQ Tel: 0116 2784728 Mobile: 07527 123492 E-mail: [email protected] www.blabyparishcouncil.org Follow us on Twitter & Facebook Meet Our New Councillors

Andy Gullick I was previously a Parish Councillor from 2012— 2014 but had to leave due to a career change. I have lived in Blaby for the last 8 years and live with my wife, Kathryn and two children. My career has always focussed on supporting vulnerable individuals and I have worked as a Probation Officer, a Governor in three prisons and now run my own social enterprise business. I feel that I can offer the Council my skills and experience of strategic and financial planning and my passion for supporting and representing the communities that I work and live in.

Matt Page I haven’t been a Parish Councillor before but I’d like to think that I am pro-active and would like to get involved with issues and events within the Parish. I feel that my skill set will benefit the Parish Council. I have lived between Blaby and Countesthorpe for most of my life and now live in Blaby. I am a family man and live with my wife, two children and two dogs. We regularly like to get out as a family to walk the dogs within the local parks and visit the shops. I used to go to Countesthorpe Community College and now work for UKGas as an Operations Manager, based in Groby. A PARISH COUNCILLOR’S LIFE

Have you ever wondered what a Parish Councillor does - not a lot you suppose! Well you’d be wrong. Although the job is not over-strenuous there are many aspects to the role.

Let me start by giving a brief overview of the Parish Council’s responsibilities. The Parish Council is the lowest tier of Local Government and has responsibility for providing some of the facilities in the village. In Blaby’s case these include looking after 4 parks, the allotments and the cemetery. The Council is consulted on local planning applications and other matters which are the responsibility of the District and County Councils. The Council also organises a Summer Fun Day, a Christmas Lights switch-on event and the Christmas Eve carol singing event in the precinct.

As a Parish Councillor you have the opportunity to influence all the above activities and determine how the Council spends its precept (the money raised from parishioners each year). In making these decisions you will determine the future of services and activities for Blaby.

The Council holds a full Council meeting, a Planning Committee meeting and Estates and Community Committee meeting each month. A Staff, Policy and Finance Committee meeting is held quarterly and a precept meeting each January. From time to time the Council may also appoint working parties to tackle particular projects.

Each year the Council elects a Chairman who is responsible for running the full Council meetings and representing the Council at a number of outside events. Committee Chairmen are also elected to run the various committees.

So as a Councillor you can influence how the Council spends their money and the vision for the future of our village. However, you personally cannot commit the Council to any particular action as only the Council can make decisions, not individual Councillors or Chairmen. You may like the idea of being a Chairman or may just want to work as an ordinary Councillor, either way you would be most welcome to join us.

We do not always agree or have the same priorities, but everyone has a right to their own opinion and all actions are agreed democratically by a majority vote of the Council or committees.

Anybody who can spare a few hours a month and feels they can contribute should contact the Council Manager. No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

300g digestive biscuits 2. Place the ricotta in the food 150g unsalted butter, melted processor and process until smooth. Place in a bowl, then fold in the 350g fresh ricotta mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla and 350g fresh mascarpone liqueur. Finely chop half of the 50g icing sugar, sifted chocolate and fold through the 1 tsp vanilla extract mixture. Spread the filling into the digestive biscuit base and chill for at 60ml coffee or chocolate least 1 hour. liqueur 300g dark chocolate 3. Meanwhile, melt the remaining chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the 1. Place biscuits in a food processor bowl touch the water). Stir until melt- and crush to fine crumbs. Add the ed and smooth, then spread over a melted butter and pulse to combine. flat tray and set aside at room tem- Press into base and sides of 23x3cm perature to harden. Using a sharp non-stick, loose flan tin. Chill for 30 knife or vegetable peeler, draw long minutes until firm. strokes across the top of the chocolate to make rough shards. Remove the cheesecake from the tin, place on a serving plate, then decorate with chocolate shards. Remembrance Sunday Parade 2019

Once again the people of Blaby supported Remembrance Day in their hundreds! The service was managed and led by Churches Together in Blaby and supported by so many groups including Serving Military Personnel, Veterans, The Blaby Scout Group, Blaby Parish Council and The Royal British Legion.

The act of homage was led by Dr Angela Lennox the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Leicester. Also present was The Chair of Blaby District Council, Chair of Blaby Parish Council and a senior member of the Police Force. Wreathes were laid by all representatives; many individuals also left their own personal tributes. Sergeant Paul Laird brought a group of serving soldiers from the Royal Anglian Regiment in Cottesmore including Corporal Oates, a Blaby man who laid the wreath on behalf of serving personnel, Drill Sergeant Che Royle Travelled from High Wycombe to lead the march.

This was a truly Blaby Village event, a local resident even turned out on the Saturday in the pouring rain to clear the leaves from the Memorial site. A most satisfying part of the service was that so many families and young people turned up to show their respect. A collection was made during the service for the Poppy appeal and a grand total of £628.20 was raised. Precept In January the Parish Council met to decide on its precept for the coming financial year (2020-21). The precept is the amount of money required by the Council to pay for the provision of facilities and services in the village. The agreed sum is added to the requirements of the District and County Councils along with those of the Fire Authority and Police and Crime Commissioner to make up the Council Tax for the year.

As well as the day to day provision of facilities and services, the Council looks at other areas of the village where expenditure can enhance the village or the facilities provided.

The precept for the coming financial year was set at £331,344 which equates to a Council Tax Band D amount of £151.46 a year for the Parish, which would represent a Parish increase of 5.80% and a 2.80% increase on a Council Tax Band D property from the current year. The expected income for the forthcoming year is £74,940.

The following provides a summary of how the Parish Council’s proposed expenditure has been allocated between the main budget areas:-

Running costs which include energy bills, insurance, office expenses and all other items required to maintain the day to day operations of the Civic Centre have been allocated a budget of £90,839.

Another area where the Council provides money is for events that it runs. The budget for these is £40,000 which covers the Summer Fun Day and the Christmas Lights Switch-on.

This year the Council is looking to enhance the play equipment on Northfield Park and has allocated £30,000 towards this. What new equipment would you like to see on Northfield Park? Let us know!

Finally there are a number of savings accounts which the Council maintains to pay for replacement equipment and vehicles, etc. for which a budget of £30,000 was allocated.

Blaby Parish Council have set aside £5,000.00 to support Blaby District Council to make improvements to the village. We Need YOU! Blaby Parish Council are working to create a Community Resilience Plan. This means that in the event of an emergency or crisis, the Parish Council will have the tools, resources and people on hand to work alongside the emergency services and resolve the matter as quickly as possible. We want to prioritise vulnerable people, the elderly and families with young children. We want to have a team of people on hand to co-ordinate and assist all Blaby residents should a crisis arise. We want to provide safety and shelter should there be a mass power outage, flooding, severe weather conditions, etc.

This is where YOU can help!

Do you have any skills that would be useful in a crisis? Do you want to get involved with a community project? Do you think you have what it takes to be a co-ordinator for our Community Resilience Plan? Do you want to know more?!

Contact the Parish Council on 0116 2784728 or email [email protected]

New to Blaby!

Iceland is delighted to announce the opening of its brand-new store at Johns Court, Blaby. Iceland has invested over £1million in a comprehensive makeover of the former Waitrose unit to create a new 6,735 sq ft flagship store offering not just the iconic Iceland range of frozen food, including exclusive brand offerings from Greggs, Slimming World and Gino d’Acampo, but also great ranges of chilled food, fresh fruit and vegetables, food cupboard staples, beers, wines and spirits. The investment in Blaby has created 15 new jobs for local people.

Greets’ Fruit & Veg We are a family run business selling quality, fresh produce for over 60+ years. We pride ourselves on selecting the finest produce from the UK and around the world. We have been standing many years at other markets around Leicestershire. Due to living in the Blaby area for many years we thought the time was right to bring our business to Blaby. We try to be plastic free as much as possible. So far we are very pleased with the response from the local community. We look forward to serving Blaby and the surrounding areas. You will find us in the precinct every Thursday and Friday. Here at the new Hays Travel Blaby branch we are very sad over the recent collapse of Thomas Cook, the news has hit us particularly hard as we all worked at the Thomas Cook Blaby store. We were delighted when Hays Travel offered us positions and an opportunity to continue to work together again as a team as well as employing new staff, to help us provide you with amazing holidays and service. Please pop in and see us and we will happily assist you in booking your next holiday as normal. We are excited to see what this next chapter brings as we move forward as part of the Hays Travel family. Keep your eyes peeled on our page for our fantastic offers. Located in Johns’ Court, the shop is open Monday to Saturday 9:15am—5:30pm and Sunday 11am—4pm.

Welcome to Touch Of Vape Leicester. Our mission is to bring the shopping centre to the high street and offer you the very finest experience in vaping. We are a family owned specialist vape boutique and e-cigarette store. Stocking all the leading brands of e-liquids and hardware for vaping and e-cigarettes. We take a consultative approach to each individual consumer to precisely identify which product suits them best. The business is now in its third year, we helped thousands of people switch to a healthier alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes and boast a very high success rate. Located on Enderby Road, the shop is open Monday – Friday 9am—6pm and Saturday 9am—5pm. British Legion becomes Blaby Antiques Centre!

It all began when a lady called Miss Walker bequeathed a hall to the British Legion. It was a big hall but didn’t stay that way for very long. It rapidly grew in size, taking over three floors and was extremely well used. It was in 1972 that ‘Royal’ was added to the name, making it the Royal British Legion. According to the rule book of the club, its purpose was “helpfulness, for mental and moral improvement and recreation”. However, the rule book also stated that misconduct of its members would not be tolerated! After a year of being a redundant Royal British Legion, the much-loved but sadly neglected building has now been given a new lease of life. The new owners felt strongly that such an important building in the collective life of the Blaby community deserved to be utilised in a way that meant it was still accessible to those who remember it as a club (and who no doubt have some stories to tell!), as well as attracting a wider audience who will appreciate the both the renovated building and the area. The team behind the Centre previously ran the popular Leicester Antiques Warehouse which for the 4 years prior to closure, was a popular venue for antiques and vintage lovers. The end of the lease at the Leicester Warehouse coincided with the acquisition of 21 Sycamore Street and the start of a new and exciting venture was born. Many of the dealers have moved with us, and around 60 dealers will be housed under one roof, offering a wide range of items, from traditional antiques to quirky vintage. We very much hope that the residents of Blaby will regard the Blaby Antiques Centre as a positive addition to the vibrant village centre, with all being welcome to come in a have a look around. Our opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10.00 am to 5.30pm and Sunday 11.00am to 5.00pm. Save the Date!

VE Day Celebrations Blaby Village Centre Saturday 9th May— 10:00am Family Activities & Children's Entertainment BLABY PARISH COUNCIL presents the BLABY ANNUAL SCARECROW FESTIVAL 20th – 27th JUNE Why not have a go at making a SCARECROW this year? The winning entrant will get a magnificent hamper, kindly donated by NEST. It’s so easy to enter… Simply complete and return the entry form below, together with your £5 ENTRY FEE EVERY PENNY OF THE £5 will be donated to The Bodie Hodges Foundation DEADLINES FOR ENTRIES IS: **** Friday 12th JUNE **** ALL OF THE SCARECROWS ENTERED WILL BE PHOTOGRAPHED ON Monday 15th June. The trail will be printed for public to view 20th-27th June so make sure that your scarecrow is outside your home or workplace. The photographs will then be displayed for a public vote at the SUMMER FUN DAY at Oakfield Park SATURDAY 27th JUNE

ENTRY FORM I wish to be entered into the Resident category ☐ I wish to be entered into the group/organization category ☐ Your Name…………………………………………………………………………………….. Address…………………………………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Email Address………………………………………………………………………………… Contact telephone number……………………………………………………………… £5 Entry fee to pay – Please make the cheque payable to Blaby Parish Council 100% of the entry fee will go to The Bodie Hodges Foundation Please return your completed entry form and payment to Blaby Parish Council, 22-24, Leicester Road, Blaby. LE8 4GQ by Friday 12th JUNE. Christmas 2019

The Christmas lights switch on 2019 was a huge success and enjoyed by all! In the Civic Centre car park was a temporary ice rink. Thanks to the businesses who helped Blaby Parish Council hire this; Blaby Chippy, Barry Botts, Edmonds and Slatter, Jenno’s, Millington Travel, Blaby Antiques Centre and Blaby District Council. A big thanks to Muzzy Izzet who kindly switched our lights on and stopped for photographs after the event, too!

Congratulations to Age UK in *** Terry Toone of Grove John’s Court for winning ‘Best Road raised £1550.00 with Christmas Window Display’! his Christmas Lights this year! That’s a total of £5550.00 raised over the last four years for Leicester Children’s Holidays! *** Fundraiser

Our Coffee and Cake Fundraiser took place on Friday 31st January 2020, to raise money for the British Heart Foundation in memory of Cllr Mohammed Parvez Sheikh who passed away last year. We have raised a total of £800.00! Thank you to all of the staff, volunteers and residents that attended the event, baked or donated cakes and contributed to our donation buckets. Thank you to Greets’ Fruit and Veg in the village for donating a beautiful fruit hamper to raffle. Our raffle made up £200.00 of our total raised. Send us your feedback about Blaby Parish Council events

On a Scale of 1 –10 (10 being the highest) how do the rate the following Blaby Parish Councils events

Blaby Summer Fun Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Scarecrow Competition 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The Christmas Lights Switch On 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Carol Singing in the Precinct 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Which events have you attended in Blaby

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Please tell us what you like about the events

Do you have any suggestions of ways to further improve the events

Please return your completed feedback form to Blaby Parish Council, 22-24 Leicester Road, Blaby LE8 4GQ

Alternatively you can email [email protected] or call 0116 2784728

2020 Dates for your Diary 2020 Dates for your Diary

The Blaby Bunny Hop Best of Blaby

11th April 2020 29th August 2020

VE day Celebrations Christmas Lights Switch On

9th May 2020 27th November 2020

5pm—7pm

Scarecrow Competition and Trail

20th – 27th June 2020 Reindeer Run

12th December 2020

Summer Fun Day—Oakfield Park

27th June 2020 Carol Singing in the Precinct

12pm—5pm 24th December 2020

4.30pm