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Please either select a category below for a particular article or scroll down to read the whole Newsletter.

• Chairman's Introduction
• Maintaining our Parish
• Whitmore Festival 2010
• Events in Aid of the Village Hall Fund
• Spanish for Holidays
• More Dates for your Diary
• Whitmore & District Horticultural Society Annual Show
• Rural Runabout & Information Centre
• Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Figures for Greater Whitmore Neighbourhood Area
• What's On at Whitmore Village Hall
• Swim 4 Life, Swim 4 Free
• Adult Education Program

View a full list of Councillors and their contact details.

From the Chairman

Since our last newsletter there have been several good news stories worthy of note. Firstly, Newcastle Borough Council rejected the Maer Hills wind turbine project. It is good news for Maer Hills, but the developer can still appeal and continue to develop the counter arguments to the objections. The Parish Council has received some criticism for objecting to the proposal but remain firm in its objection. We all understand the benefits of green energy and that it needs to be developed, but at what cost? Destroying an area of natural beauty, a wonderful amenity on our doorstep, for a comparatively small gain in our view is not acceptable. We await the next move.

Good News! The Whitmore Horticultural Society has been reinvigorated. A new set of committee members has been formed and is being led by Mike Deaville. Plans for the 2009 Show on Sunday 13 September are well underway and a schedule will be published soon. You don't have to be a fantastic gardener to enter! It is open to everyone with vegetable, flower, art, craft and domestic classes. There are even classes for children to enter. The day will be a fantastic community event even if you just want to come along and admire the exhibits.

You will see in the Newsletter that we have other numerous social events taking place throughout the coming months particularly with the Village Hall celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Village Hall is also the center for a number of educational activities from first aid training to IT classes. All the contact information is enclosed.

The Village Hall also contains the Parish Council Information Centre which is open on a Thursday afternoon. It has taken some time to set up but I am pleased to inform you that we now have the facility and means to issue bus passes.

I hope you find this newsletter informative. We always welcome feedback from Parishioners and there is always 15 minutes of time set aside for the public to speak at our regular monthly meetings. Alternatively you can feedback using the village website (address below) which is full of community news including past and current newsletters, Parish Council minutes, Village Hall information and soon to come, information on the Whitmore Horticultural Annual Show.

Finally within the Newsletter are the latest crime and antisocial statistics for Greater Whitmore Area – an area slightly larger than the Parish. It is hoped that this will become a regular feature of future newsletters.

Nick Hopper
01782 662323

Maintaining Our Parish

Spring is with us and we hope a good summer season is to follow; with this comes the growing season for beautiful trees, shrubs, plants, lawns and hedgerows. Many of us, as residents or visitors, enjoy our village areas at this time of year but unfortunately trees and hedges overgrowing footpaths often spoil this enjoyment. There are also areas that are unkempt and often sprayed with litter, broken bottles and beer cans (not to mention dog fouling).

As landowners, householders and businesses in the area, you have to carry some responsibility towards maintaining and keeping your areas and boundaries in order and, if you wish, attractive.

As a Parish Council we do what we can with our limited funds and small budget to maintain some of the open areas including the children's playground, playing field, various roadside grass verges and floral tubs etc. We have also now arranged to maintain the ground area and hedge around the Village Hall.

If and when funds are available we hope to tidy and maintain other areas within the Parish Council. If you want to suggest any areas that could benefit from general ground maintenance, please contact me, Peter Ford on 680955. A proposal can then be made to the Parish Council when funds are available. Have a good summer.

Councillor Peter Ford
01782 680955

WHITMORE FESTIVAL 2010

We are hoping to run a (second) Whitmore Festival in September 2010 with a format comparable to that of the 2008 festival but not necessarily the same individual events.

Whilst every event in 2008 was a success, there is scope to include new events or to adapt existing events rather than just run exactly the same again.

If there is any aspect of the 2010 festival that you would like to become involved with, or any help or advice you can give, then please contact Bill Murray on 01782 680252. Help and advice from young people within our Parish would be particularly welcome.

Councillor Bill Murray
01782 680252

Events in Aid of the Village Hall Fund

More Dates for your Diary

Whitmore & District Horticultural Society After 40 very successful years, Whitmore & District Horticultural Society is building for the future with a new team. As may be expected, this will lead to a few new and innovative ideas to augment the tried and tested main theme of the Show. It is open to all and we do hope to see you on the day, either trying your luck as an exhibitor or just popping in to marvel at the splendid array of prize winners. Either way, book Sunday 13 September at Whitmore Village Hall in your diary and we'll see you then. Mike Deaville 01782 681049

WHITMORE VILLAGE HALL INFORMATION CENTRE The Information Centre is open again every Thursday from 2.00pm till 4.00pm at The Village Hall, offering;- Printing Photocopying Faxing Email Service Local Information Anyone interested in training/helping as an Information Officer please contact John Pedley by telephone 01782 681037 or email johnpedley@whitmorepcinfo.plus.com		Where will you go with the Rural Runabout? Group Outings Supermarket Garden Centre Seaside Call 01782 751 164 to start your adventure

Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Figures for Greater Whitmore Neighbourhood Area

Whitmore Village Hall

Find Out What's On at the Whitmore & District Village Hall.

SWIM 4 LIFE, SWIM 4 FREE

It's free to swim for people 60 and over, from 1 April.

Whether you're a seasoned swimmer, want a bit of practice or you're a complete beginner, there's never been a better time to dive in! Public pools across the borough of Newcastle are free for you to use.

Have fun and stay healthy.

Contact;

Jubilee Pool - 01782 616606

Chesterton Community Centre - 01782 563716

Kidsgrove Sports Centre - 01782 786162

WHITMORE & DISTRICT VILLAGE HALL ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM The following courses are provided with the help of Staffordshire County Council Adult & Community Learning Service and Whitmore & District Parish Council.   I.T. TRAINING The latest course has just finished satisfactorily with all students relatively intact after the experience, but much better informed. The current course is for beginners and improvers and commenced on 16/04/09 for eight weeks until 04/06/09. We have increased the total capacity of the I.T. Centre to eleven students at any one time by means of two extra loan computers. The final course for this financial year (ending 31/07/09) will run from 11/06/09 to 30/07/09. This course will probably be for beginners and improvers as previously. Next financial year is as yet an unknown quantity, but hopefully finance will be available to continue as we have been doing. Our intention is also to hold a one off course on "spreadsheets" using Microsoft "Excel" if sufficient students enrol (a minimum of eight is required). Contact: John Pedley 01782 680985 / Wendy Wood 01785 859413   FIRST AID CLASSES Staffordshire County Council is providing, free of charge, First Aid classes given by the St John Ambulance. The first of three 2-hour classes will begin on Tuesday 8 September 2009. The second three classes will begin on Thursday 1 October. Both classes are 7.00 to 9.00 pm. It is essential to pre-book as places are limited. To book please telephone Betty Deaville on 01782 681049.

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