The newsletter of your Newsome Ward Green Party councillors NEWSOME WARD SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS DIGITAL GREEN NEWS EDITION PLEASE SHARE! Covering Armitage Bridge, Ashenhurst, Aspley, Berry Brow,e Newsome, Lockwood, Longroyd Bridge, Lowerhouses, Primrose Hill, Rashcliffe, Springwood, Taylor Hill, Town Centre OUR FIRST DIGITAL NEWSLETTER To protect our local leafleters, and stop the spread of the virus we have decided to suspend our regular newsletter deliveries. To help you keep up to date with what we are doing we have launched our first eNewsletter! Please share it widely among people you know in the Newsome Ward either by Email, Facebook, WhatsApp or Twitter. We want to keep in touch with as many KIRKLEES COUNCILLORS COME people as possible. If you want to be added to our TOGETHER DURING CRISIS newsletter mailing list please email [email protected] Councillors from across the political spectrum come together with your name address and email to ensure council is still able to provide key services address. The coronavirus crisis means Councillor Andrew Cooper as leader Kirklees Council is having to of the Green Party group on Kirklees LOCAL ELECTIONS maintain many essential services Council is represented on the group: like bin collections, adult and “It is inspiring to see political POSTPONED children’s social care, schools for differences being put aside for the the children of key workers and common good Local elections for Kirklees Council vulnerable children. “It would be good to see this sort of will be postponed for a year to positive working together continue While many Council meetings have May 2021 due to the coronavirus beyond this crisis. been suspended, The leaders from all outbreak. party groups on Kirklees Council are “It’s vital that we know from local Councillor Andrew Cooper has said, coming together each week (virtually) people how their day-to- day lives “Delaying these elections was what with the Council’s Chief Executive on could be improved and problems had to be done. the Public Health Emergency Advisory they may be having that we can help “The health and welfare of our Group to work together on addressing with and so I can feed this into these community and our activists absolutely the crisis. meetings.” must be top priority.” YOUR GREEN COUNCILLORS REPRESENTING YOU DURING THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS EXTRA FUNDING FOR LOCAL AREAS Kirklees Green Party Leader and “The funding is not limitless but I’m Newsome Ward Councillor Andrew keen to harness the power of local Cooper said “This funding provided by people to help us through this public the Council at this most difficult of time health emergency. is very welcome. Karen, Sue and I have been impressed “What Newsome Councillors want to by the willingness of people to do is get people to give us their ideas. help their neighbours in this most “The sort of ideas we are looking unprecedented of circumstances. Kirklees has provided £50k for for are things that help morale in “These are the people who can see each of the Council’s 23 Wards to the community, provide support to needs that may not be being met and help communities deal with issues vulnerable people and ensure that the things that may make life a little related to the current coronavirus we come out of the crisis with local better.” crisis. businesses intact. THREE MONTH RENT HOLIDAY FOR KIRKLEES BUSINESS TENANTS Following a proposal by Councillor Andrew Cooper, Kirklees Council “When things return to normal, we will has announced it will be giving need them to bring life back to our a three month rent holiday to its town centres. commercial tenants. “There is now a challenge to Councillor Andrew Cooper said, “I commercial landlords of Huddersfield want to ensure small independent town centre businesses. businesses across Kirklees retailersare “If councils can do what is right to able to survive this crisis intact. protect the longer-term interests of our local economy so should you. Councillor Andrew Cooper proposed the rent “Many retailers, pubs, cafes and holiday to help small business across Kirklees. restaurants rent their properties direct “A three month rent holiday for your from Kirklees and this will help them tenants now could well ensure they during this challenging time. are your tenants in the future.” GREEN COUNCILLORS MEET (VIRTUALLY) Your Green Councillors meet regularly each week but with social distancing rules in force this has to local projects and keep on top of local be using video meeting software. casework which hasn’t gone away Councillor Karen Allison said, “It has during the Lockdown. worked really well. “We have had Council officers join us “We share information we have picked for meetings when we have needed up about local concerns and issues, them and it has gone better than I see how we can help with funding expected.” YOUR GREEN COUNCILLORS working hard for NEWSOME WARD all year round LOCK-DOWN LITTER PICKING Getting out and about is limited Cllr Sue Lee-Richards said, “This at the moment but your local is something we can all do to councillors Karen Allison and improve our local area. Sue Lee-Richards have been out “It doesn’t take long and with so around where they live litter- many of us limited about how far picking. we can go it makes it even more They have been using their daily important that the places around exercise time to tidy up their where we live are as pleasant as Councillors Karen Allison and Sue Lee-Richards litter neighbourhoods. possible.” picking (photos taken by family members). BE OUR EYES AND EARS Your Newsome Ward Green Councillors ask local people to survey their streets for issues. not as easy or justifiable for us to be “So we need you to let us know if you out as much as we would like so we see these sorts of things. are appealing to local people to let us “If you let us know of things, please know what issues need dealing with also give us location information (e.g. on their street. which house, street light number the Your Newsome Ward councillors have “We normally see things like potholes, issue is near) and it helps if you can asked local people to let him know of blocked drains, street lights that aren’t send us photos of the problem”. issues and concerns on their street working as well as litter and fly tipping Please send to any of your local during the crisis. when we are out and about doing our Councillors. Councillor Andrew Cooper says, “It’s job as councillors. HELP EXERCISING PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN HOME Pilates Instructor Lynne Ellis of Almondbury recently to help those with less is able to help so many people extended her classes to mobility keep in shape. Then stay active even when they include those who need the coronavirus stopped all are confined to their homes a more gentle form of group activity! for much of the day. exercise. Newsome Green Party Lynne runs six sessions a She converted her sessions so Councillor Andrew Cooper week, two at each level - that the exercises can be done contacted Lynne and beginner, intermediate and on a chair. suggested using Zoom, a advance. This was particularly popular video conferencing app, to Membership is just £20 a with older people wanting to keep her Pilates sessions calendar month and gives keep active and healthy. going virtually. access to 2 sessions per These classes ran in Councillor Cooper said, “I’m week. Community Halls and were so pleased Lynne’s classes For more information email sponsored by Kirklees Council are going so well and that she Lynne - [email protected] YOUR GREEN COUNCILLORS working hard for NEWSOME WARD all year round IMPORTANT LOCK DOWN CONTACT DETAILS WANT TO Volunteer? JOIN YOUR LOCAL GROUPS Or need help? ON FACEBOOK The coronavirus lockdown has seen many people Facebook groups have been set up to support in our community at their best. people in different parts of Newsome Ward. Local people have come forward and offered their help Newsome Green Party to the more vulnerable and elderly. Newsome Community Ward Forum Kirklees Council has been coordinating offers of help and Lockwood & Thornton Lodge COVID-19 Support seeking to link those offers to the people who need it. Berry Brow Community Action - Covid-19 Crisis To volunteer of to ask for help ring the Kirklees on 01484 Newsome Community Kindness 226919 OR follow this link. Taylor Hill Matters Report domestic Advice from the Kirklees Citizen Advice Bureau is abuse being delivered by staff working from home who will need to call email clients back. Domestic abuse or violence is a crime and should be reported to the police - there are also other organisations Website: www.kcalc.org.uk who can offer you help and support. Telephone: 0344 848 970 Call 999 if it’s an emergency or you’re in immediate (Calls will go through to Citizens Advice call centre who can pass danger. The police take domestic violence seriously details back to the local team) and will be able to help and protect you. They can help with issues including debt advice, Other organisations who can help: housing (they are focusing resources on homelessness National Domestic Abuse Helpline - 0808 200 0247 / other housing queries should be directed to Fusion Pennine Domestic Abuse Partnership - 0800 052 7222 Housing), community care, discrimination, asylum (NOT other immigration advice), EU settlement Men’s Advice Line - 0808 801 0327 scheme and Employment Galop (for LGBT+ people) - 0800 999 5428 follow us at: facebook.com/NewsomeGreenParty get in touch cllr andrew cooper cllr karen allison cllr Sue Lee-richards 07721 348619 07816 759868 07976 681354 @ [email protected] @ [email protected] @ [email protected] @clrandrewcooper @greenpartykaren @SueLeerichards1 Promoted and published by Andrew Cooper on behalf of Newsome Green Party, 76 Brockholes Lane, Holmfirth HD9 7EB.