Travis Perkins to sponsor Northampton Pride for second year

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Travis Perkins plc will be sponsoring the Northampton Pride festival for a second year
Travis Perkins plc will be sponsoring the Northampton Pride festival for a second year as the event returns to the town centre on Saturday, 8 July.

The event, which gives residents in West Northamptonshire the opportunity to come together to celebrate and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ communities, will take place from 11am to 6.30pm, starting in Abington Street, Northampton, before finishing at the University of Northampton’s (UON) Waterside Campus where there will be a full programme of entertainment and a range of community stalls and food vendors.

Travis Perkins plc, which has offices located in Lodge Farm, employs 20,000 people at home and abroad, including 1,600 people in Northamptonshire. They will be supporting the Pride Parade whilst highlighting what they do to support members of the LGBTQ+ community they employ and serve.

The Parade will set off from Abington Street at 11am and arrive in the centre of the Waterside Campus at around 11.50am, where the event will be officially opened with a minute of noise.

Entertainment on the day will include rainbow stilt walkers, hula hoopers, Burlesque dancers, Drag Queens and a variety of onstage musical performances. This year’s main stage is sponsored by Northampton Town Council.

Cllr David Smith, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services, said: “We are once again delighted to have Travis Perkins – a valuable local employer, supporting our Northampton Pride festival alongside Northampton Town Council.

“Travis Perkins is a household name employing thousands of people in West Northamptonshire and I am thrilled to see the company stepping forward to support the local community and stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community.”

All 20,000 Travis Perkins plc colleagues are being encouraged to use Pride to educate themselves on what it means to become good allies to the lesbian, gay, bi, trans and questioning (LGBTQ+) community and will mark the celebrations by taking part in a range of activities, including training, talks and debates.

They will also be encouraged to mark the occasion by wearing rainbow laces or dress brightly during June to show their support.

Dean Pinner, Managing Director of Keyline and sponsor of Travis Perkins Group’s LGBTQ+ colleague network, said: “At Travis Perkins plc we understand the need to build a more diverse workforce that better reflects all of the communities we serve, and as a major local employer, we are really proud to sponsor our local Pride Parade again.

“We have a Proud network that aims to give a voice to and raise awareness of the issues faced in our business by our under-represented LGBTQI+ colleagues, so we can drive positive change.

“As a business, we will use this year’s Pride to share our thoughts, ideas and experiences of the progress made, and where there is still work to be done. We will also encourage more of our colleagues to complete a training module to help us all become better allies and show that we’re tied into Pride by wearing our rainbow laces with Pride. We also very much look forward to coming together at the Pride Parade to celebrate diversity and support our colleagues and everyone from the local LGBTQ+ community.”

Grant funding for West Northants voluntary and community sector is now available

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Voluntary and community sector organisations who deliver important services in West Northamptonshire can now apply for grants of up to £15,000.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has opened a fresh round of Discretionary Community Funding Grants from Tuesday, 30 May 2023.

Applications for this round of funding should be submitted no later than Wednesday, 28 June 2023.

Councillor David Smith, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services, said: “These grants allow us to support the local voluntary and community sector who are providing vital services to our communities.

“These organisations are highly connected and can react quickly to specific needs. They are an important partner and we’re delighted to be able to offer them this much needed funding which will help to support our local communities.”

The grant scheme is open to local voluntary and community sector organisations, registered charities and not-for-profit organisations, for projects or services that support one or more of the Council’s strategic aims, objectives and priorities.

You can find out more about the criteria and who can apply for a grant on the WNC website and in the Council’s Community Funding Grants Framework.

If you are interested in applying for a Discretionary Community Funding Grant, you will need to complete an Expression of Interest Form, which is available on the WNC website.

If you would like to speak to the Community Funding Officer about your eligibility to apply for a grant, please call or email Peter Worth. Email: peter.worth@westnorthants.gov.uk Telephone: 01327 322227. Further rounds of Discretionary Community Funding Grants of up to £5,000 will be announced in the summer and autumn. The dates can be found on the WNC website.

Historic and cultural sites invited to take part in Heritage Open Days

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Historic and cultural sites across West Northamptonshire are invited to take part in this year’s Heritage Open Days, which will take place between 8 and 17 September.

Venues such as stately homes, buildings of historic interest, museums, places of worship and archaeological sites can now register to participate in Heritage Open Days, which is England’s largest annual festival of history and culture.

The festival offers the public free entry to places which might normally be closed, or have an entrance fee, and many venues taking part will be connected by Northampton Transport Heritage buses, offering a free hop-on hop-off service.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is an official promoter of the event and a list of all participating attractions and events is available on the Council website to endorse the festival and boost visitor numbers. This will be updated as more attractions register, so make sure to keep checking back!

Councillor Adam Brown, Deputy Leader of WNC and Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure, said: “West Northamptonshire has a wealth of historic and cultural sites and Heritage Open Days are a brilliant opportunity to showcase them to visitors from all over the country, helping to promote tourism and boost local the local economy.

“With increased numbers of people expected in town centres during the week-long festival, businesses in the Brackley, Daventry, Towcester and Northampton areas also have a great opportunity to promote themselves and show visitors what they have to offer, and the WNC Economy Team will be on hand to help with this.

“I strongly encourage any historic and cultural attractions to sign up and get involved – let’s make this year’s Heritage Open Days in West Northamptonshire the biggest and best yet!”

Registration can be completed by emailing economy@westnorthants.gov.uk. For more information, please visit the Heritage Open Days page on the WNC website. Sites can also register on the national Heritage Open Days website.

Community Safety Partnership reinforces commitment to make communities safer

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The West Northamptonshire Community Safety Partnership (CSP) has launched its 2023/24 strategy reinforcing its commitment to make West Northamptonshire a safer place for residents and visitors by taking a partnership approach to reducing crime, serious violence, and anti-social behaviour.

The responsible partners for the CSP include West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire Probation Trust, Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board and Northamptonshire Fire Service.

The strategy has been co-produced with members of the community, elected members and the Voluntary and Charity Sector to help refresh the priorities for the partnership. The current volume of crime and community concern, and impact on communities and victims were also taken into consideration.

Key priorities of the strategy include:

  • Working with communities to ensure our neighbourhoods are safe spaces for everyone
  • Targeting those causing the greatest harm and tackling the causes of crime through prevention and early intervention
  • Reducing incidents of serious violence including domestic abuse, sexual offences and knife crime
  • Protecting vulnerable people and safeguarding those at risk of exploitation

To ensure it is accessible for all, the strategy has avoided using a multiple page document and is instead laid out in sections on the CSP webpage. The webpage will feature quarterly live updates to reflect how the CSP has delivered against its key priorities. 

As part of the strategy, partners have a commitment to deliver the Serious Violence Duty in accordance with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which is intended to ensure relevant services work together to share information and collaborate on interventions to prevent and reduce serious crimes within their local communities. 

These services include:

  • Police
  • Justice
  • Fire and Rescue Authorities
  • Health
  • Local Authorities

The specified services have a collective responsibility under the Act to assess serious violence in their local area and produce and implement a delivery plan to address this by January 2024. Funding attached to the delivery of the Duty will be allocated to the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) and distributed by the responsible authorities.

Cllr David Smith, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services, said: “Keeping residents safe is one of the Council’s top priorities and it’s really important to us that people feel safe wherever they are, whether it be in their homes, businesses and their communities.

“I’m delighted we have been able to strengthen our commitment to achieving this by working with partners to deliver this strategy and enforce measures to help reduce crime across our area.

“This strategy is a perfect example of partnership working, with agencies coming together to support each other with one shared purpose – safer streets in West Northamptonshire.”

Projects already delivered by the CSP include providing a critical response to incidents of knife crime and supporting Police with knife amnesty events, working with youth providers such as Free2talk to offer mentoring and support to young people involved in gangs and knife crime, and the launch of an animation for young people highlighting key community safety subjects including fire and water safety, child exploitation and online safety.

In addition, the CSP partners between them secured Safer Streets funding of more than £1.7 million, which enabled projects, programmes and physical improvements, including installing ‘Help Points’ on the Racecourse and Becket’s Park as part of ‘safer routes’ in Northampton town centre, reinstating CCTV cameras across Northampton, improving street lighting, and alleygating anti-social behaviour hotspots.

Partners have also worked together to deliver more than 60 community engagement events, bringing communities together and celebrating diversity, including Srebrenica, International Youth Day, International Women’s Day, Northampton Pride, Diwali and Stephen Lawrence Day, and support campaigns including 16 Days of Activism, Serious Organised Crime week of action, Operation Revive and the launch of the Flare app.

West Northamptonshire Local Policing Commander, Superintendent Rachael Handford, said: “Fighting crime and protecting people are what drives us every day and working closely with partners helps to enhance the work we do.

“Working together we can better tackle the issues that concern people such as anti-social behaviour, knife crime and gang activity which can lead to issues such as drug dealing and cuckooing.

“Not only are we able to take action against those committing crimes, joint working means we’re also able to provide support for victims and those affected by the actions of others, as well as provide effective education and advice to local communities.”

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold, said: “No single organisation can make our communities safer by working alone.

“Everyone involved in West Northamptonshire Community Safety Partnership is focussed on playing their part and, working together we have delivered some very successful schemes. 

“I’m looking forward to using the relationships we have built as a strong basis to deliver on our responsibilities under the Serious Violence Duty, to tackle the root causes of violent crime in our area.”
More information including the CSP strategy and full list of partners can be found on the CSP webpage.

Meet West Northamptonshire Council’s new Chairman

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West Northamptonshire Council’s new Chairman is sails into his role with enthusiasm in a bid to boost civic pride and better connect communities across the area.

Cllr John Shephard received the ceremonial chains of office from outgoing Chairman Cllr André Gonzalez De Sávage at the Council’s Annual Meeting in Northampton’s historic Guildhall last night (Thursday, 18 May). Cllr Jo Gilford, ward member for Woodford and Weedon was appointed as his vice-chairman.

It’s a little-known fact that John took a commission in the reserve forces whilst at university and subsequently joined 4th (Volunteer) Battalion Royal Green Jackets, seeing short periods of service in Cyprus, Germany and Belize. He’s been a local councillor for over 40 years – and he plans to be equally active and dedicated in the year ahead as Chairman of West Northamptonshire Council, supporting local communities and businesses whilst also fundraising for his two chosen charities, Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT)  and the Army Benevolent Fund. 

John, the WNC councillor for Moulton Ward, said: “It’s an honour and privilege to be Chairman and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can in the coming year to further raise the profile of West Northamptonshire and the many great communities we have.

“It’s really important that our council fully supports and connects with our residents, businesses and community groups and I will be working hard to continue to build these links as well as helping to showcase their amazing achievements.”

Originally from Bedford, where his parents were both teachers, John read law at Worcester College, Oxford and qualified as a solicitor in London before he moved to Northampton in the late 1970s to join Becke Phipps (known as HCR) where he was a partner for 35 years, practising in property and administrative law. Shortly after he started his political career serving Daventry District Council as an elected member for the Spratton Ward alongside this role John also chaired a number of committees, was leading on various projects across the area . At WNC he has been a member of the Governance and Strategic Planning Committees. John’s passions outside the district have always been sailing, and his family being a proud dad and grandad.

Cllr John Shephard added: “I have chosen to help raise invaluable funds for the Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts Trust (NMPAT) as I would like to praise and celebrate the work done by the NMPAT and other musical groups in the area and the Army Benevolent Fund providing support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families.”

The role of Chairman is a non-political, civic role, which involves representing the Council and West Northamptonshire at events and functions, as well as chairing Council meetings to ensure they are properly run in accordance with the Constitution.

As part of the role, the Chairman is keen to meet and engage with local businesses, schools, community and voluntary groups and other organisations to help raise their profile – if you are organising an event, activity or function and would like the Chairman to attend, please contact the Chairman’s Secretary at chairman@westnorthants.gov.uk.

Find out more about the Chairman and its role on our website.
Contact Information

West Northamptonshire Council Communications Team
communications@westnorthants.gov.uk

Never bin batteries – they cause fires

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Following a series of fires, residents across West Northamptonshire are being urged to help reduce risk to lives by disposing of batteries safely.

People are being urged to ensure that they only recycle batteries using specialist recycling services to help tackle the cause of fires happening in refuse collection vehicles and waste facilities.  

Household batteries that are being thrown away in rubbish and recycling bins have caused a number of incidents, including causing refuse collection vehicles to catch fire. West Northamptonshire Council, with the support of Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service, are issuing a warning never to bin batteries in household waste after a series of vehicle fires. There is a serious risk of fires happening in both homes and Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC) if batteries aren’t disposed of properly.

There are three simple ways residents can reduce the risk of fires:
1.Never put any kind of battery into your wheeled bins
2. Use the Council’s separate battery recycling collection, take batteries to supermarkets, or to a HWRC (please let staff know of any batteries when you arrive)
3.Remove all batteries from old electrical or battery powered items before recycling electricals using the separate small electrical recycling collections. If you can’t remove the battery out of an item, if it fits in a carrier bag – this can go with the separate electrical recycling collection, if it is too big – please take this to your nearest HWRC.

Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste, said: “Battery fires can start just as easily in someone’s home as they can in one of our refuse trucks or at one of our waste and recycling centres.

“We want to ensure that all residents are aware of the risks of not disposing of batteries correctly and know where they can take batteries to be safely recycled. Please, let’s work together to avoid risk to life and prevent any future fires.”

Lisa Bryan, Prevention, Safeguarding and Partnerships Manager at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We are happy to be supporting West Northamptonshire Council in this campaign to help avoid preventable fires caused by incorrectly disposing of batteries. Batteries are safe during normal use but can present a fire risk if they are damaged, short circuited or if they are submerged in water.

“The advice being given is designed to avoid fires occurring in either recycling vehicles or at household waste recycling centres. We are urging people to dispose of batteries using the specialist services available in the county and not to throw them into recycling bins or general rubbish bins.

“Many people do not realise the importance of the correct disposal of batteries so this simple advice can make a real difference in preventing waste fires.”

Domestic batteries can be put into a small plastic bag and tied to the handle of your wheeled bin for safe collection and recycling.  Please put them on the following bins: 
Blue lid recycling bin in Northampton

Black lid general waste bin in Daventry

Either bin in South Northamptonshire

To find out more details of where you can recycle household batteries visit: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/batteries 

West Northants residents invited to ‘make some noise’ for IDAHOBIT

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Residents and communities in West Northamptonshire are invited to take part in a ‘Minute of Noise’ to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
The day aims to raise awareness of the work still needed to end discrimination towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) people and will be marked in West Northamptonshire with an event embracing this year’s theme: “Together always: united in diversity”.

The event will take place at midday on Wednesday, 17 May, in the Guildhall Courtyard, Northampton, and will start with speeches from the Chairman of West Northamptonshire Council, Cllr Andre Gonzalez De Savage and the Chair of West Northants LGBTQ+ and Allies Forum, Matthew Toresen MBE.

It will conclude with a ‘Minute of Noise’ to commemorate all those who have suffered LGBTQ hate and discrimination and for all those who cannot have their voices heard, and the lighting of a candle. The LGBTQ+ flag will also be raised from 8am to 8pm. The Lowdown charity will be present to provide information and advice, and refreshments will be served in the Court room.

Cllr David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement said:?“On this International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, let’s pledge to support our LGBTQIA+ communities. “This important day reminds us how far we’ve come but can also inspire us to continue progressing towards a community where residents feel safe, included and accepted reminding us of the importance of tolerance and respect. Together, we can break down stigmas and create a safe and respectful community for everyone.”

The date of May 17 was specifically chosen for IDAHOBIT to commemorate the World Health Organisation’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder. Matthew Toresen MBE, Chair of West Northants LGBTQ+ and Allies Forum, said: “IDAHOBIT is a chance to remember and commemorate all the LGBTQIA+ people around the world whose voices are silenced by oppression.

“In a time where the progress made by our LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide is increasingly at risk, it is crucial to recognise the power of solidarity, community, and allyship across different identities, movements, and borders. “By coming together and raising our voices, we can make a difference in the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities worldwide.” People can help spread awareness about IDAHOBIT by sharing the social media hashtags #IDAHOBIT #IDAHOBIT23 #diversityandinclusion. The Lowdown charity offers support to anyone struggling including counselling, wellbeing and emotional support, sexual health and contraception.

Public Health in West Northamptonshire urges 70- to 79-year-olds to take up the shingles vaccine after latest data shows a decline in vaccinations

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People aged between 70 to 79 in West Northamptonshire are being encouraged to get their shingles vaccine to lower the chance of developing the infection.
Shingles are a painful infection that can cause a headache, high temperature and an itchy rash, often accompanied with a burning, throbbing pain. The rash usually appears on the chest and abdomen (tummy), however any part of the body can be affected, including the face and eyes.

As older adults are more at risk of developing shingles it is important that people above the age of 70 years old get their free shingles vaccine to help lower the chance of catching the infection and reduce the nasty symptoms that can be experienced from it. Dr Annapurna Sen, Consultant for Health Protection at Public Health West Northamptonshire Council said: “In Northamptonshire, the number of those who have been vaccinated against shingles has declined, with only around 44% of people eligible having received the vaccine. The symptoms experienced from this infection are severe and can be life changing, therefore the vaccine is important in helping to protect people from this infection and help relieve the symptoms if they do catch it. So, please take the time to protect yourself from this infection.

“If you have not yet taken up the free vaccine and you are eligible to do so, please do get booked in via your GP or local pharmacy. If you have not yet been contacted that you are eligible, but think you should be please do speak to your GP or pharmacy who will be able to advise you further.” The shingles infection cannot be caught from another person, however someone who has had chickenpox is at higher risk of developing the infection. After having chickenpox, the virus stays in the body but remains inactive. As people age, their immunity weakens which means the body cannot protect itself against infections or disease the same as it did, and as a result the virus can be reactivated later in life, causing shingles. Most people will recover fully from this virus, but for some they may experience complications for several months or years.

If you are over the age of 70 and have not yet had your vaccine, please contact your GP or your local pharmacy to discuss how you can arrange to get protected.

£2.86 million investment to improve West Northamptonshire’s roads

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Road users across West Northamptonshire are set to benefit from an additional £2.86 million investment into the road network across the area.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is investing an additional £1 million for 2023/24 into our roads. The Council is also looking to invest in new technologies to help maintain the roads it is responsible for more efficiently and to a better standard.

In addition to the Council’s additional investment, WNC has been awarded £1.86 million from the Government to boost the planned improvements for the year ahead.

As part of the new Highways contract which kick-started in September 2022, WNC is working with Kier to deliver a multi-million-pound plan to maintain our road network through the Community Enhancement Plan. This work has reached over 161 parishes, clearing nearly 4km of vegetation and cleaning more than 1,500 road signs to date. Alongside this, Kier has also rectified over 1,688 road and footpath defects, and 6,771 carriageway repairs.

Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste, said: “We are committed to working with Kier to manage the Highways network across the area better.

“We have a planned programme of works to repair our roads, and we will always do our best to act on reports of potholes. In addition to the £1 million boost we’re investing into our planned programme; we welcome the news that the Government has provided a further £1.896 million towards improving the road network in West Northamptonshire. There is a vast amount of work to do to improve the state of the roads across West Northamptonshire, but this investment is a step in the right direction.”
John Coombes, general manager at Kier Highways, said: “This investment is welcomed and will allow us to accelerate our maintenance and repair works across West Northamptonshire. Working collaboratively with the council and our specialist supply chain partners, we are committed to providing a high-quality service and improving the network for road users.”
As part of the new contract, Kier set out their commitment to working with WNC on sustainability goals to achieve net zero emissions by 2030, as well as increasing social value to benefit the wider West Northants community and economy, such as supporting local disadvantaged groups and working with local sub-contractors.

To find out more about the Highways services across West Northamptonshire visit: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/highways or visit @WNHighways on Facebook and Twitter.