Whether you are aged 10 or 110 we need your views to shape the future of Barwell. Please help us by telling us what you love, hate or want to change about Barwell and we will help your views turn into action!

Barwell will be undergoing significant regeneration in the next 15-20 years which will change the shape of this village forever. The Barwell Parish Plan Group was formed from local residents to devise an Action Plan for the parish which will be sent to the service providers for the area e.g. County Council, Borough Council and Police.

The group has currently distributed a short questionnaire to understand what the main concerns are from the local residents. This information will then form a more in-depth questionnaire to be circulated later in the year.

Please help this group by filling in the questionnaire either online at www.leicestershirevillages.com/barwell/parishplan.html or by obtaining and returning a paper copy from the Parish Council Offices, High Street, Barwell.

Charlotte Burt, who works for the Rural Community Council and facilitates Parish Plans in Leicestershire commented that “Parish Plans are a unique way of getting the local community to decide the future of where they live. This is not about service providers telling you what they can deliver, but instead about you telling them what you need”.

Whether you’re concerned about education or healthcare, environment or planning we need your views. Please help us shape the future of Barwell for the better.

Climate Friendly Communities
The Rural Community Council (Leicestershire & Rutland) in conjunction with ENABLE (Environmental Action for a Better Leicestershire)are arranging two events to help community groups to find out ways that they might work together in their communities to help to fight rising fuel costs and consider a number of climate change issues.

Parish Councils, Village Hall Committees, Parish Plan Groups and other community representatives are invited to attend one of the two seminars.

· October 22nd at KIbworth Old Grammar School Hall, School Road Kibworth Leic LE8 0EW at 6.00pm

or

· October 30th at Thornton Community Centre, 175 Main Street, Thornton, Leicestershire
LE67 1AH at 6.00pm

Please find a draft programme below.

Please note that it is anticipated that these events will be very popular and places will be limited so it is advisable to book early.

To book a place, or for further details please contact:

Diana Cook
Project Manager
Climate Friendly Communities
Rural Community Council (Leicestershire& Rutland)
133 Loughborough Road
Leicester
LE4 5LQ

0116 2689706

dcook@ruralc.org.uk

An interactive meeting is giving residents in the Hinckley area the chance to share their views on transport.

People can also hear the latest on buses and cycling from County Council officers and Leicestershire Police and ask any questions at the Hinckley Community Forum.

Residents will be able to find out more about road developments including the Earl Shilton bypass and influence spending on top priorities for the area as well.

The meeting on Thursday, 2nd October is open to anyone living in Hinckley, Burbage, Barwell and Earl Shilton.

Community forums are an interactive event allowing people to learn about bigger issues affecting the area, get answers to queries and influence local decision-making.

Anyone with a query about a local issue can also go along and and put it to officers from a range of agencies in a 'Question Time' session.

Roger Ellis, Chairman of Hinckley Community Forum, said: "I do urge people to come along and take part. A host of information has been given out at previous forum meetings and the public have had the chance to put their concerns directly to the service providers.

"Hopefully our next meeting will continue in the same vein and I look forward to a good attendance for these interesting topics that concerns us all.”

The meeting will be at 7pm on Thursday, 2nd October at AVIC/Vista Centre (off Moore Road), Barwell, LE9 8AF - residents who live in Hinckley, Barwell, Burbage and Earl Shilton are encouraged to attend.

For more information about this forum please contact Sabrina Malik on 0116 305 5951 or go to www.leicestershireforums.org

Details of other Community Forums in Hinckley and Bosworth are below:

Bosworth - Thursday, 9th October - this is for residents living in Market Bosworth, Barlestone, Sutton Cheney, Peckleton, Twycross, Witherley, Cadeby, Nailstone, Newbold Verdon, Carlton, Shackerstone, Stoke Golding, Osbaston and Sheepy.

Markfield, Ratby & Groby - Thursday, 16th October - this is for residents living in and around Stanton-under-Bardon, Markfield, Ratby, Groby, Bagworth, Thornton and Desford.

Notes:
Community Forums are part of a new county-wide initiative involving Leicestershire County Council, District and Borough Councils, Leicestershire and Rutland Primary Care Trust, Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire Together partners.

There are 27 forums across Leicestershire which bring together elected representatives across all tiers of local government - County, District and Borough and Parish, together with a range of other community representatives.

Although they do not have formal decision-making powers, forums are important bodies of influence - there is a 'duty to respond' to actions recommended.

A recent report that was submitted to Hinckley and Bosworth Local Strategic Partnership

More and more people are making use of their Community Forum to try and improve local services and raise issues of local concern.
- Residents in Birstall were unhappy that the swimming pool in Longslade Community College was no longer going to be open to the public outside school hours. Discussion at the local Area Forum meeting resulted in the College working directly with local users to find ways the pool can remain open.
- Following the Government’s shortlisting of ‘Pennbury’ as a potential Eco-town, the ‘Have your Say’ meetings in Kibworth and Tugby were the first opportunity for residents in the surrounding area to find out how the District and County Council were planning to respond to this challenge.
- At the Blaby South Community Forum residents and Parish Councillors from Sapcote, Sharnford, Stoney Stanton and surrounding villages expressed their concerns about the volume and speed of Heavy Goods Vehicles travelling through their villages. In response officers promised to look into a range of measures to reduce the impact of traffic and improve road safety in the short term, while explaining how they were looking to provide longer-term solutions.

Community Forums give you the opportunity to discuss local issues with your local Parish, District and County Councillors and representatives from the Police and the Health Service. There are 27 Community Forums across they county. To find out more about forum meetings in your local area, please visit www.leicestershireforums.org

Contact: Derk van der Wardt, 0116 3057581

The Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust are holding a public consultation from 16 June until 5 October 2008 on the future of community health services.
The review covers the future for community hospitals walk-in centres and GP services in Leicestershire and Rutland.

To download the consultation documents, find contact information and a list of consultation meetings, please click on the title of this news item.

This is an exciting time for healthcare at The George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust.

THE NEXT exciting phase in the history of the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust was launched on Monday, March 3.

The Trust in Nuneaton has decided to make an application to the Secretary of State for Health to become a Foundation Trust. This means that it would stay in the NHS and continue to share its values - providing free, high standard health care based on need. But it would involve the community much more closely in developing services to suit local needs.

This is your opportunity to share your thoughts about the future of our hospital. Please click on the above link to access the questionnaire.

This short footage shows what can be achieved through effective partnership working and highlight Leicestershire Together’s framework of engagement with local communities.

It has a focus on Community Forums - their rationale/development/benefits as well as filming of the Hinckley forum ‘area’ and its meeting.

You can see interviews with Cllr. David Bill as Leader of Hinckley & Bosworth District Council, Roger Ellis, Chair of the Hinckley Area Community Forum and Town Mayor of Earl Shilton, Millie Benson, Chair of Hinckley & Bosworth Youth Council, Police Inspector Martyn Ball and Sue Cavill, Associate Director for Communications & Engagement, Leicestershire & Rutland Primary Care Trust.

This footage was also shown at the 2nd Hinckley Area Community Forum on Thursday 8th May 2008.