Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service are recruiting On-Call Firefighters at a number of stations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. On-Call firefighters play an important role to operational response, working alongside Wholetime Firefighters. Responding to emergency calls is only part of what On-Call Firefighters do; they face all kinds of challenges from floods to road traffic accidents, as well as informing communities about fire safety and prevention. As an On-Call Firefighter, you will carry an alerter and will respond to emergency calls in your local community, during periods when you are available. Many On-Call Firefighters have full-time jobs, others maybe self-employed or stay at home parents. If you want to combine an exciting and rewarding contribution to your community with opportunities for training and development affording you transferable skills, then this is the career for you. Callum Faint, Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, said: “On-Call firefighters play a vital role at Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and they help us provide the very best service to the local communities we serve. “It’s a real opportunity for those looking for a rewarding job where they are also able to give something back to their local community.” In order to respond to emergencies within set attendance times, you must live and/or work within a set travel time from the fire and rescue station you serve. Could you make a difference to your community, and help contribute to ‘safer people, safer places’? The recruitment website for applications for On-Call firefighter vacancies is now open. The deadline for submitting an application is 23:59 hours on Wednesday 20 October 2021, so don’t delay! For more information on our recruitment campaign and to apply for a firefighter position, visit www.leics-fire.gov.uk/on-call and follow the steps taking you through to the recruitment portal.

A £240,000 package has been agreed Thousands of Leicestershire families struggling with the cost of living will get help extra help to pay for food during October half-term, the county council has announced. School meal vouchers are to be available for some 14,000 eligible children so their parents and carers can buy £15 worth of food for the week-long break that starts on October 18. The county council is setting up the scheme so the vouchers become available, through schools, from next week. Leicestershire has received £3.6 million of Government cash from the Department of Work and Pension’s Household Support Fund, to help support those most in need with food, energy and water bills, as well as pressures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In total the Leicestershire October half-term school food voucher package will cost £240,000. As well as the 14,000 mainstream school children who qualify, there will be support for eligible youngsters who are in early years education or have special educational needs. Leicestershire Country Council News - Thursday, 7 October, 2021

A New COVID-19 testing facility for people with symptoms of the virus has opened in Leicester city centre. The city council has made its Phoenix House on Welford Place available to the Department for Health & Social Care (DHSC) to ensure local people have easy access to free PCR testing. Testing at the site is available for people with symptoms of coronavirus – a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to their sense of smell or taste. COVID-19 testing is also available at Phoenix House for those asked to get a test, which could be by NHS Test and Trace if they’re a close contact of a positive case, by a clinician or their local authority, by a testing pilot or via their work. Under-18s and people who are fully vaccinated no longer have to self-isolate, if they have been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19. Instead, they are advised to get a PCR test as soon as possible, even if they have no symptoms. Appointments for PCR testing at Phoenix House must be booked, either via the NHS website – nhs.uk/coronavirus – or by calling 119. Leicester’s director of public health Professor Ivan Browne said: “If you have developed a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss or change in sense of smell or taste, or you are asked or advised to get a PCR test, please book a test and follow any advice that you’re given. “As we head into winter, it’s really important that we continue to control the spread of the virus through regular testing and by isolating positive cases. “I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work with the DHSC to ensure there’s a PCR testing site in Leicester city centre, and I hope that the Phoenix House facility will make it easier for local people to get the tests that they need.” Phoenix House is the only PCR testing site in the city centre, now that the DHSC has removed its facility in Jubilee Square. Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should not travel to the site by taxi or public transport and should wear a face covering when travelling to and from the testing centre. Testing at the new site has already started, with appointments made available each day. To book, simply select ‘Phoenix House’ from the drop-down menu on the gov.uk website Phoenix House is opposite the Tesco Express store on Welford Place (LE1 3AF). Anyone testing positive for the virus will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and asked for information about their contacts. This will help identify who they may have been in close contact with, and protect others from further transmission. Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from NHS Test and Trace, asking them to stay at home for 10 days if they are not fully vaccinated to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. Rapid lateral flow tests for people without symptoms of coronavirus are available at the Fosse Neighbourhood Centre on Mantle Road from Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm, while free home-testing kits are available from most pharmacies. Regular testing, even by those with no symptoms of the virus, is critical to controlling the spread of the virus. It is estimated that one in three people with coronavirus have no symptoms but can still pass the virus on.

Resurfacing work will take place in two major arterial roads in the city during the forthcoming October half-term holidays. Works are due to be carried out on Stoughton Road in Stoneygate ward, and at Uppingham Road in the North Evington ward, between Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 24. A scheme on the less busy Lamborne Road in Knighton, is also due to take place, starting on October 18. In each case the existing old and damaged road surfaces will be planed off or excavated, and new surfacing put in place. The work at Stoughton Road will take place from its junction with London Road up to the boundary with Oadby and Wigston Borough Council, at the junction with Kingsway Road. Stoughton Road will be fully closed, with the works carried out in phases to minimise the impact on residents and businesses on the busy arterial route serving the south eastern corner of the city. Further north at Uppingham Road, work will focus on a section between Coleman Road and Overton Road, which will be temporarily made one-way city-bound, with a diversion in place for county-bound traffic. The route is also a major part of Leicester’s road network serving the east of the city. In each case, signed local traffic diversions will be in place, and letters are being sent out in the affected streets to ensure people are aware of the work, which is being carried out as part of the Leicester City Council’s highway capital maintenance programme. The scheme taking place at Lamborne Road – a residential street in Knighton – will focus on replacing old concrete sections of road which have cracked and failed over time due to wear and tear. The work will be carried out in stages over five weeks, with some disruption to parking and vehicle access at times. Buses will continue to run on Aberdale Road, but not on Hylion Road, Cairnsford Road or Lamborne Road during the works. Local traffic diversions will also be in place. Director of City Highways at Leicester City Council, Martin Fletcher, said: “Stoughton Road and Uppingham Road are both busy arterial routes in and out of the city, which have to cope with a large amount of traffic every day, and over time this has an effect on the condition of the road surface. “We will be removing the damaged, cracked and uneven surface, carrying our repairs, and then laying a new surface in place, which obviously we can’t do while the roads are open. “Similarly in Lamborne Road, we need to carry out urgent repairs, excavating and resurfacing sections of the old concrete road. “There are fewer vehicles on the city’s roads during the school holidays, so carrying this work out then will help lessen the amount of disruption to traffic. “We’re ensuring people in the areas concerned know about the work in advance, and also that clearly-signposted diversions are in place.” Details of all traffic and travel in the city are available from Area Traffic Control on twitter via: @ATCLeicester

With just under two weeks to go until the inaugural Leicester Restaurant Week launches, organisers BID Leicester are thrilled to announce the venues that have signed up so far and the mouth-watering offers they have on the table. Set to take place from Monday 18th – Sunday 24th October, the first-ever Leicester Restaurant Week will be shining a spotlight on some of the best restaurants in the city. It will give participating eateries the chance to showcase a specially selected, limited-edition menu or to get creative and offer something new and exclusive to customers for the duration of the week. Here are just some of the tasty deals and venues already confirmed: Orton’s Brasserie is to showcase a different food and drink pairing each evening: from Beer and a Burger to Venison and a glass of wine. Bodega Cantina will be offering two street food items and two cocktails for just £20; whilst Dama Rose will be hosting an Arabic-style afternoon tea for two for £20. You can try a Street Food Collective Tasting Board at Rutland & Derby for £14, or sample the sharing menu at Mowgli for £19.50. Get a taste of Argentina at Sonrisa and choose three small plates for £20 from a specially curated menu. Enjoy any beer and any burger from the menu at Parcel Yard for £15. Chutney Ivy, Queen of Bradgate, Middleton’s, 1573, The Globe, Knight & Garter and Prana are all offering set menus for two or three courses. St Martin’s Coffee Shop has the perfect Half Term offer with two sandwiches and two kid’s meals for £20, meanwhile ORSO is offering any food item from the menu, any coffee or tea and a glass of juice for £10 – there really is something for everyone’s pockets and tastes. Guy Kersey, Managing Director at Orton’s Brasserie, commented: “We are incredibly proud to be part of Leicester’s first ever Restaurant Week. It’s an amazing opportunity both for Orton’s Brasserie and other venues in the city to show diners what Leicester hospitality truly has to offer. We look forward to welcoming people in to our restaurant throughout the week and showcasing some of the amazing food our team has created.” BID Director, Simon Jenner, added: “Our aim with the first Leicester Restaurant Week is to showcase as many of our fantastic eateries as possible and it’s been encouraging to hear the positive feedback that we’ve had so far – as well as seeing so many great, one-week-only offers coming through.” “The week-long event will give locals and visitors alike the opportunity to try somewhere new or an excuse to head back to their favourite dining spot, and with so many delicious choices available, how can you possibly resist?!” Leicester’s first Leicester Restaurant Week will be running throughout the city from Monday 18th – Sunday 24th October 2021. To find out more about Leicester Restaurant Week, the venues that are involved and their special offers, please visit: www.leicesterrestaurantweek.co.uk If you’re a restaurateur or business owner who would like to get involved in Leicester Restaurant Week, please email: info@bidleicester.co.uk Follow Leicester Restaurant Week on social media for all the latest news - Facebook: @LeicesterRestaurantWk Instagram: @leicesterrestaurantwk Twitter: @LE_RestaurantWk

Expert advice is available to those looking to kick the habit. Smokers are being urged to kick the habit in October with the help of Leicestershire County Council’s Quit Ready service. Public health officials have already helped more than 2,700 people in Leicestershire give up smoking in 2021. And now they are hoping more people will come forward and seek help for the tenth anniversary of Stoptober – a nationwide month-long drive to improve people’s health and save them money by getting them off tobacco. Last year 320 people signed up for help from the council for the month. Councillor Louise Richardson, cabinet lead member for public health, said quitting smoking helps reduce the severity of symptoms of other illnesses and infections. She said: “We know quitting smoking is a really big challenge for people and often a daunting one but we are here to help people through it. “It’s always a good idea to think about stopping smoking but now with winter round the corner there couldn’t be a better time to take the next step and try it with our help. “Smoking increases our risk of developing respiratory infections, including Covid-19, and that it can cause more severe symptoms for those with such infections. “As flu season approaches, it’s wise to do all we can to reduce our vulnerability to the double danger of flu and Covid-19. “Our Quit Ready service is free to sign up to and offers expert advice and tailored support. “It can conveniently be delivered over the phone or webchat.” Research has shown that those who can go a month without smoking are five times more likely to quit for good and experts say that smokers who use a combination of specialist support and medication are three times more likely to give up smoking successfully. The council’s Quit Ready service pairs smokers, or recent non-smokers, with a dedicated stop smoking adviser. Across a 12-week telephone support programme, officials provide free, personalised advice and support as well as access to free stop smoking medication and quitting aids. Smokers who choose to quit with an e-cigarette will be offered a free starter kit and follow-on nicotine liquids. This year Stoptober is encouraging those taking the challenge to quit for 28 days to download the official, free NHS Stoptober app. People who sign up will receive access to support resources, a saving calculator, quick tips, and daily motivation. To get in touch with Quit Ready Leicestershire, call 0345 646 66 66, text ‘ready’ to 66777 or go to www.quitready.co.uk To find out more about Stoptober and the Better Health campaign, search ‘Stoptober’ or go to https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ Leicestershire Country Council News

New life-saving defibrillators have been installed at three community sites across Beaumont Leys following work by ward councillors with support from a local heart charity. The devices, which can be used by members of the public to help treat someone who is suffering a cardiac arrest, have been paid for using unspent funds from the Beaumont Leys community grant, which is designed for projects helping local people. Ward councillors had teamed up with the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT) – one of the key goals of the charity is to ensure public facilities across the city and county are equipped with defibrillators, known as AEDs, in places where they can be easily accessed in an emergency. The new devices have now been installed outside the LOROS Hospice, off Groby Road, and at Home Farm Neighbourhood Centre in Strasbourg Drive. An AED in a cabinet has also been installed in the residential area of Lady Hay Road. In each case, the equipment will be in a location which is accessible 24/7. The latest three AEDs in Beaumont Leys are in addition to 33 devices which have been installed in all of Leicester’s parks over the last few years. The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust was set up following the death in 2012 of 14-year-old Joe Humphries, who died while jogging with his friend. His death was a result of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), a lethal group of undiagnosed heart conditions that claim the lives of more than 12 teenagers and young adults, aged 12-35, every week in the UK. SADS conditions occur because the electrical system of the heart is not working properly, so that the heart beats with an abnormal rhythm. Since then, the JHMT has worked closely with schools, sports clubs and community groups across the city and county to raise awareness of SADS and to ensure more people have key CPR skills and know how to use a defibrillator, and that publicly-accessible defibrillators are available within communities. Cllr Hemant Rae Bhatia, one of three Beaumont Leys ward councillors, worked alongside the JHMT to find suitable locations and funding for three AEDs. The trust is also planning to deliver CPR and AED familiarisation training sessions in the Beaumont Leys community. Cllr Bhatia said: “With no events taking place due to lockdown restrictions we had to find alternative ways to support our communities. We decided to invest our ward community fund into something tangible and long lasting that would provide health benefits or could even be a lifesaver. “Thankfully we were in contact with city council officers who were already well-versed with installing defibrillators. These devices are lifesavers in the event of a cardiac arrest. We decided to fund three of them in different locations across the ward, thus ensuring wider coverage. “Home Farm Neighbourhood Centre, LOROS at Heathley Park and Lady Hay Road in Bradgate Heights now have fully functional and fully automatic, state of the art AEDs which are publicly accessible. “Even if we save one life through this, then it will be well worth it. There will be more coming to other parts of the ward too. “On behalf of my fellow councillors, Vi Dempster and Paul Westley, I would like to thank our community stakeholders, city council staff and the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust for their great support in making this happen. It would not have been possible without them.” JHMT’s Charles Poole added: “In the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest, CPR and rapid access to a defibrillator can increase the patient’s chances of survival significantly. “Accessed via the ambulance service when calling 999, these AEDs are designed to be used by anyone. The JHMT training in CPR and familiarising people with how to use AEDs will also help give added confidence.” October 4 to 10 is SADS Awareness Week across the city and county, an annual campaign where the JHMT undertakes awareness-raising work, including training for community sports clubs and groups. The work highlights the shocking statistic that 12 young people aged under 35 in Britain die each week from undiagnosed heart conditions like SADS. To find out more go to www.jhmt.org.uk Picture caption: Jo Kavanagh (LOROS), Cllr Paul Westley and Cllr Hemant Rae Bhatia at the installation of a defibrillator outside the LOROS hospice in Leicester.

On Friday 8 October, Firefighters from Kibworth Fire and Rescue Station in Leicestershire will be attempting to climb Mount Snowdon wearing full fire kit, in a bid to raise money for charity. They have set a sponsorship target of £1,085 – that’s £1 for each metre climbed to the summit of the Welsh mountain. The money raised will be donated to ‘The Fire Fighters Charity’ and ‘The Well,’ Kibworth. The Fire Fighters Charity is a cause that works to support firefighters and their families mentally, physically and socially if they need help. The Well Kibworth is a registered charity operating a food bank, café, charity shop and community support offering friendship and practical support for everyone in Kibworth and surrounding villages. The Well supports Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s aim of creating ‘safer people, safer places’. Kibworth Fire and Rescue Station has formed a partnership with The Well, and will be working closely with them to make sure that the vulnerable within the local community are as safe as they can be in their own homes and have the support they need. Any donations to these two great charities are warmly welcomed. You can donate via www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/MountSnowdonCharityWalk or by visiting Kibworth Fire and Rescue Station’s social media pages: Twitter @LFRSKibworth Instagram @LFRS_kibworth

You are not alone’ is the message being sent to victims of domestic abuse as part of a new campaign launched today. The campaign has been created to reach out to British Asian Indian women in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland and to challenge the perceptions of abuse in different communities. You are not alone’ is the message being sent to victims of domestic abuse as part of a new campaign launched today in Leicester. The campaign has been created to reach out to British Asian Indian women in Leicester and to challenge the perceptions of abuse in different communities across the city. It’s the result of work being done by Leicester City Council in partnership with local charity United Against Violence and Abuse (UAVA), and Zinthiya Trust. Research carried out by the partnership revealed that although 28% of the city's population is British Asian Indian (2011 census), only around 21% of people who give their ethnicity when contacting UAVA are British Asian Indian. The campaign aims to tackle this under-reporting by reaching out to women who may not be able to speak or read English and who may be isolated and not recognise themselves as victims of abuse. It’s based on the experiences of women of all ages who have been helped by UAVA, and who set out different kinds of abuse that some people may not define as such: this includes having your passport withheld from you; confining your use of the internet; limiting or controlling your food; and having someone control your finances. Asst city mayor Cllr Sarah Russell said: “It’s vital that anyone experiencing domestic abuse, men and women, know that help is available to them and how to get it. UAVA can be contacted on 0808 80 200 28, and I urge people to get in touch with them and make that vital first step to taking control. “This campaign is specifically aimed a group of women where we know abuse is under-reported and we want to do everything we can to make them aware that what they are experiencing is not acceptable and they are not alone.” Founder of Zinthiya Trust, Zinthiya Ganeshpanchan, said: “Some women don’t know they’re victims of abuse because their husbands’ and in-laws’ behaviours are common in many families. The figures on how many British Asian Indian women are victims of abuse are unreliable because I know first-hand that so many of them don’t – or can’t – come forward. While we recognise that more women from this community need to come forward, abuse can happen to anyone no matter their ethnicity, age, or gender.” Suki Kaur, Chief Executive of Freeva, which operates the domestic and sexual violence helpline for UAVA, said: “We talk to men and women every day and we know how hard it can be. What I can say is that you can live free from abuse and recover and heal; creating the life you may not think right now is possible.” The campaign uses snippets of conversation from real cases of women who have experienced domestic abuse, which are being aired on local community and Asian radio stations in English, Gujarati, Hindi and Punjabi. The radio campaign is being supported by a range of posters in council and community buildings and social media messages on Twitter @_HowmanyTimes Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Batchelor, lead for Domestic Abuse, Leicestershire Police said: “I really welcome this new campaign because we know that domestic abuse is underreported. We want all victims to have the confidence to report abuse and know they can safely get the help and advice they need. Please don’t suffer in silence there are lots of people from different organisations who can help.” The next stage of the campaign will see resources developed for use at GP surgeries, English language classes, schools, and by mobile hair and beauty professionals and religious community support providers to help them spot signs of abuse and know what to do if someone reaches out to them. UAVA can be contacted on 0808 80 200 28. In an emergency, when someone is being harmed, contact the police on 999 or you can report online at Report domestic abuse | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

A man who sent threatening messages to his ex-partner before setting her static caravan alight has been jailed for 12 years. On the evening of Saturday 28 November last year, Lord Curtis Lodge sent text messages stating he would “burn her place down” – referring to a static caravan she owned at a site in Hoton, near Loughborough. The victim was not at the site at the time, but in the early hours of Sunday morning, received a text message from a family member saying her static caravan was alight. A further message a short time later said it had been completely destroyed. The fire had also spread to a nearby static caravan – owned by another member of the victim’s family – where he, a woman and three children were sleeping. Thankfully they managed to escape uninjured. Lodge, 33, was arrested later that day and an examination of his phone confirmed that he had been sending the messages. The owners of both caravans have said his actions have had a major impact on their lives, stating they have struggled to sleep since – and that it his crimes have also taken away a source of income. Lodge, of Moorbarns Lane in Lutterworth, was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court today (Tuesday 28 September), having been found guilty of one count of arson with intent to endanger life on 1 July. Upon release, he will be placed on a three-year extended licence and is also subject to a restraining order forbidding him from contacting the victims or entering the borough of Charnwood. Lord Curtis Lodge Detective Constable Aimee Farmer, from the force’s Complex Investigation Team (CIT), was the investigating officer. She said: “Lodge set alight to the caravan with the intention of causing as much damage as possible. He didn’t care who he hurt – physically or emotionally. “Thankfully those who were sleeping at the time managed to escape unharmed, but they are still living with the consequences of his actions that night. “I know they are still trying to rebuild their lives, but I hope they can find some relief from the fact he has been brought to justice and will be spending time in prison, meaning that they may finally be able to move on.”

Concert goers were left with smiling faces and ringing ears after not one, but two nights of spectacular live music came to Uptonsteel County Ground, ‘An Evening of Tina’ and ‘An Evening of Queen’ Over 2,000 music lovers came together to dance and sing along to some of their favourite tunes performed by the incredibly talented cast leads of London West End shows of ‘We Will Rock You’ & ‘Tina The Musical’. The Grounds had been unable to host any live music events since ‘An Evening with ABBA’ three years ago because of the pandemic so both nights were eagerly anticipated and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Leicestershire County Cricket Club Event Manager Jack Bradley said ‘It was great to see many people at both nights having fun and enjoying themselves, we absolutely love welcoming families and friends to the grounds for events like these.’ ‘Both nights were a huge success, and we look forward to hosting many more live music events in the future as we further establish the Uptonsteel County Ground as the premier outdoor venue in Leicester as we start filling up our calendar with exciting events for next year.’ The club now looks forward to hosting its major Fireworks Evening which will be taking place on Friday 5th November at the Uptonsteel County Ground, tickets can be purchased in advance via the club website – leicestershireccc.co.uk.

Plaque to be unveiled next week A war hero who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions in the First World War and who later went on to become an MP is to be honoured with a Green Plaque by Leicestershire County Council. Captain Robert Gee was born in Leicester in 1876 and was orphaned just before his ninth birthday. He was sent to Leicester Workhouse, before being admitted to the Countesthorpe Cottage Homes for orphaned children, where he lived until 1890. He enlisted in the Army in 1893, joining the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers. He was commissioned in 1915 and served in Gallipoli, where he was promoted to acting captain. The following year, he was seriously wounded on the opening day of the Battle of the Somme and was awarded the Military Cross for displaying outstanding leadership. Then in November 1917, Captain Gee single-handedly attacked a German machine gun post at Masnieres and Les Rues Vertes in France. He captured the gun, killing eight of the Germans manning the post and was wounded. It was this action for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross and was decorated by King George V at Buckingham Palace in February 1918. After the war, Captain Gee began his political career, becoming Member of Parliament for East Woolwich in 1921, when he defeated the future Labour Prime Minister, Ramsay McDonald. He lost his seat in 1922 and after two unsuccessful campaigns in Newcastle and Bishop Auckland, returned to Parliament in 1924 as MP for Bosworth. He emigrated to Australia in 1926, where he died in 1960 aged 84. The Green Plaque is being unveiled on Thursday 30 September on the Bosworth Conservative Association building in Hinckley. "Captain Robert Gee was a true war hero, who was awarded the highest military honour – the Victoria Cross. He then went on to serve his country in another field – that of politics. He was a remarkable man – going from workhouse and orphanage to a life of incredible heroism and service and I am delighted to be able to unveil this Green Plaque in his honour." Dan Harrison, Chairman of Leicestershire County Council https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/greenplaques Leicestershire County Council News