Two women who conned a local council and a cancer charity out of thousands of pounds have been convicted after a four-week trial. Between June 2012 and April 2015, Kalvinder Garcha, Sharon Reeve and a third woman, Lynn Middleton, were involved in defrauding Oadby and Wigston Borough Council and the charity, Coping with Cancer in Leicestershire and Rutland, out of more than £40,000. Garcha, 50, of Carisbrooke Road, Leicester, was Head of Corporate Resources at the Council and used her position to help her colleague Middleton, 49, of Arbor Road, Croft, create a “phantom” employee. Middleton was Head of Human Resources at the Council when these offences occurred. Both Garcha and Middleton were also board members at Coping with Cancer. Middleton’s sister, Reeve was the “phantom” employee - an individual who existed but never worked for either organisation. Reeve, 50, formerly of Olympic Close, Glenfield, was paid for working for the Council for two years and the charity for seven weeks. The salary Reeve received was then transferred to Middleton. Garcha was also given a cut of the salary. Reeve didn’t actually keep any of the money for herself. At a hearing in July 2019 Middleton pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and two counts of conspiracy to money launder. More than two weeks into the trial Reeve pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to money launder. Today (Friday 10 September) Garcha was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud and two counts of money laundering after a trial at Leicester Crown Court. They are due to be sentenced to 1 October. Detective Sergeant Matt Swift from the force’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “This has been a lengthy and complex investigation spanning more than four years. “Both Garcha and Middleton abused their positions within both organisations for their own financial gain, with no regard for the fact that they were not only conning a local authority but also a local cancer charity. “We are pleased that this case has now, after many years, come to a successful conclusion and we’d like to thank Oadby & Wigston Council and Coping with Cancer for their support and co-operation throughout the last few years. “Middleton did the right thing earlier in the legal process and admitted her involvement in these offences and also agreed to assist the prosecution. “We hope this outcome reassures organisations who are there to serve our communities that we will pursue any reports of wrongdoing, no matter where they happen or by whom.” Bill Richmond, Chairman of Sue Young Cancer Support, the new name for Coping with Cancer, said: “We are grateful for today’s guilty verdict which draws a line in the sand after a very difficult time for the Charity while the police investigation was underway. “We have supported cancer patients and their families across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for 40 years during what is often the most difficult time of their lives and will continue to do so. We thank Leicestershire Police for their diligence and persistence in bringing these three individuals to justice. We now look forward to moving on to doing what we do best; providing vital services to ensure that the people who need us get the very best help that they fully deserve.” Leicestershire Police News - 10/09/21

Twenty-two members of a gang, who ploughed more than £20 million-worth of high purity illegal drugs around the country over the course of 12 months, have been jailed for more than 200 years. Sold on the street, the drugs were worth up to £60 million. Major enforcement across eight counties in two days in February 2019 brought the illicit operation – which was being coordinated out of Leicestershire, with main stash sites and supply routes in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and the West Midlands — to an abrupt end. At Leicester Crown Court this week (Monday 6 to Friday 10 September 2021), 11 people were sentenced for their involvement. They follow 11 others, who were sentenced previously, but can only be reported on now following the lifting of restrictions. In 2017, an investigation by the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) was joining the dots on a massive drugs plot to move various controlled substances around the region and beyond. In October 2017, 111kg of amphetamine seized during a raid by Nottinghamshire Police at a house in Radford revealed links to this operation. Some of the harmful substance was found in a household freezer among ice cream. Later that month, 20kg of cannabis was also seized from boxes in a car in Derby, leading to 189kg of rare and potent anabolic steroid hexadrone in heat-sealed bags stuffed in six suitcases at a storage unit in the city. Two months later, 35kg of cocaine – some of which had been branded with ‘K Crown’ stamps – was seized from a van north of Stoke-on-Trent. More cocaine was recovered from a house in Willenhall in Wolverhampton. At the same site 100kg of powerful sedative ketamine, kept in boxes marked as shoes, was recovered. The investigation identified that the organised crime group handled more than a tonne of Class A and B drugs (500kg of cocaine, and 500kg of amphetamines, cannabis, hexadrone and ketamine) throughout 2017. The importation and onward distribution of the drugs was arranged by Ardeep Takhar, from his semi-detached home in a Leicester suburb. Jasbir Sangha and Daljit Pamma managed its transportation to Lawinder Bahia’s home in Willenhall, which had been specially adapted to create an annex off the entrance to the main house for the drugs storage. They also arranged delivery to a key ‘client’, namely Sukjinder Sandhu in Derbyshire, who worked with and Adam Dooley, also in Derbyshire, David Moth in Nottinghamshire and Marc Unsted, who was based in the West Midlands, to prepare and distribute large quantities of illicit substances across the country. Sandhu counted on runners Claire Smallman, Zahid Quayum and Jamie Brear. Moth was assisted by Robert Buttar, Laurence Smith and self-proclaimed ‘chemist’ Mark Thone. The gang also had links into a storage site in Slough and the EMSOU team found further reach into other towns and cities across the country, including Leeds, London, Middlesbrough and March in Cambridgeshire, as well as up to Edinburgh. Enquiries made by EMSOU on this investigation also led to the uncovering of a separate six-year conspiracy between Unsted and Dooley to supply steroids, between 2013 and 2019. (Clockwise, left to right): Claire Smallman transporting drugs to and from the gang’s storage unit in Derbyshire; A suitcase filled with hexadrone seized from a storage unit; drugs seized from the house in Radford; Drugs stored in a freezer in Radford; Ketamine stored in shoe boxes at a house in the West Midlands; Cocaine embossed with the ‘K Crown’ stamp; Blocks of cocaine seized from a van Detective Inspector Harry Rai, who was the Senior Investigating Officer, said: “This gang had a profitable enterprise going, bringing a tonne of dangerous drugs into the UK. They showed no care for the incredible damage this sort of criminality causes, rather used it to line their own pockets – on the face of it, benefitting by tens of millions of pounds – and bolster their reputation. “At the top of the tree was Ardeep Takhar, who kept his hands relatively clean by controlling the whole illicit operation from afar in Leicester. He arranged for Lawinder Bahia, Jasbir Sangha and Daljit Pamma to do most of the leg work, receiving the secret shipments as they were brought into the country and then transporting it between counties, over hundreds of miles. “Sukjinder Sandhu and David Moth commanded their own gangs and, in partnership with Adam Dooley and Marc Unsted, went on to flood countless communities with millions of pounds-worth of deadly drugs. “This investigation has been a massive undertaking for EMSOU, supported by the National Crime Agency and Border Force, not just in terms of the scale of resources involved, but also in that we were able to take out the whole illicit operation – from the ones at the top pulling the strings to bring the drugs into the country, to those on the streets supplying the final product, and everything in between. “I’d like to sincerely thank all those at EMSOU who have contributed a sustained effort into this lengthy investigation, as well as those in the forces who supported us in our enquiries and during the arrest phase. “This investigation has been far-reaching not only with the seizure of a massive amount of controlled drugs destined for all corners of the country, but also in that it has attracted significant sentences for those responsible. All this goes a long way to preventing further damage to our communities. “The war against drugs may be long-fought, but this is another battle won by law enforcement in our quest to keep harmful substances, and the violence they perpetuate, off our streets.” Efforts to identify and seize money or other assets gained from the crimes are underway under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. Below is the full list of those sentenced this week under this operation: Sukjinder Singh Sandhu, aged 38 and formerly of Radcliffe Drive in Derby, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was jailed for 22 years, six months. David Moth, aged 47 and formerly of Hogan Gardens in Nottingham, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs. He was jailed for 14 years. Marc Edward Unsted, aged 42 and formerly of Cheslyn Way in Walsall, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs following a trial in April. He previously pleaded guilty to offering to supply Class B drugs and two counts of conspiracy to supply Class C drugs. He was jailed for 20 years. Adam Ellis Dooley, aged 42 and formerly of Wilsthorpe Road in Breaston, Derbyshire, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs, following a trial in April. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to fraudulently evade the prohibition on the importation of goods, conspiracy to produce Class C drugs and conspiracy to supply Class C drugs. He was jailed for 20 years. Claire Louise Smallman, aged 45 and formerly of Arthur Street, Derby, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs. She was jailed for eight years. Robert Buttar, aged 38 and formerly of Holborn View in Codnor, Derbyshire, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs. He was jailed for 11 years. Mark Anthony Thone, aged 57 and formerly of Gregory Boulevard in Nottingham, pleaded guilty during trial to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was jailed for ten years, six months. Laurence James Smith, aged 32 and formerly of York Avenue in Sandiacre, Derbyshire, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was jailed for three years, one month. Baljit Singh Kandola, aged 44 and formerly of Markmanor Avenue in London, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was jailed for two years, six months. Daniel Henry, aged 44 and formerly of Jennison Street in Mansfield, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, as well as 160 unpaid work. Lee Vaughan, aged 36 and formerly of Kenilworth Road in Balby, Doncaster, previously pleaded guilty to being concerned in the production of a Class B drug by another. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, as well as 150 hours of unpaid work. The following people were sentenced over the summer: Pavendeep Dosanjh, aged 43 and formerly of Donington Drive in Derby, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. In August he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, as well as 160 hours of unpaid work. Furhan Mahmood, aged 43 and formerly of Halbutt Street in Dagenham, Essex, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. In August he was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, as well as 160 hours of unpaid work. Aiste Balasaityte, aged 37 and formally of Cheslyn Way in Walsall, was found guilty of two counts of converting criminal property. In July, she was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for two years, as well as 150 hours of unpaid work. The following people were sentenced at the end of 2019 into 2020, following a trial: Ardeep Takhar, aged 45 and formerly of Staveley Road in Leicester, was found guilty of conspiracy to import and supply Class A and Class B drugs. He was sentenced to 29 years imprisonment. Lawinder Bahia, aged 52 and formerly of Shoreham Close in Willenhall, was found guilty of conspiracy to import and supply Class A and Class B drugs. He was sentenced to 23 years imprisonment. Jasbir Sangha, aged 40 and formerly of Narborough Road South in Leicester, was found guilty of conspiracy to import Class A and Class B drugs, and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. Daljit Singh Pamma, aged 50 and formally of Rosemead Drive, Oadby, Leicester, was found guilty of conspiracy to import and supply Class A and Class B drugs. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment. Jamie Clifford Brear, aged 35 and formerly of Border Crescent in Derby, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and Class B drugs. He was sentenced to six years, eight months imprisonment. Zahid Quayum, aged 53 and formerly of Porter Road in Derby, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment. David Gunn, aged 55 and formerly of Gainsford Crescent in Nottingham, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class B drugs. He was sentenced to three years, three months imprisonment. Kelly Bates, aged 39 and formerly of Besecar Avenue in Gedling, Nottinghamshire, previously pleaded guilty to allowing her premises to be used for Class A drugs supply. She was sentenced to two years imprisonment, suspended for 24 months. Leicestershire Police News - 10/09/21

Police are investigating a collision in Broughton Astley following which a man has since died. Officers were called at 3.45pm yesterday (8 September) following a report of a man injured at the fuel station in Main Street. Early enquiries suggest that a grey Mazda CX5, which has unoccupied, began to roll away from the pump as the driver was preparing to refuel. The driver attempted to stop the car but was struck by the vehicle. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and died later yesterday. Enquiries are continuing into the incident and anyone who may have witnessed what happened and hasn’t as yet contacted police is urged to get in touch. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting 21*522686.

A murder investigation has been launched following an incident in Melbourne Street, Leicester. Picture by Leicester Media Police were called to the area at 11.45pm yesterday (Wednesday 8 September) following a report of a serious assault. Officers attended and an 18-year-old man was found with multiple stab wound injuries. East Midlands Ambulance Service were also in attendance and the man was taken to hospital. The man died in hospital during the early hours of this morning (Thursday). Officers remain at the scene and enquiries are ongoing. Detectives are appealing to anyone who was in the area late yesterday evening (Wednesday) or during the early hours of this morning (Thursday) and who has any information to make contact. Detective Chief Inspector Joe Banfield, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “We have a dedicated team carrying out full enquiries including speaking to witnesses, analysing CCTV and carrying out forensic enquiries. A scene remains in place in the area while these enquiries are ongoing. “We understand there were a number of people in the area around the time of the incident and are appealing to anyone who was in the area and who has any information to make contact. “Please think back - were you in the area of Melbourne Street, Maidstone Road, Garendon Street, Maynard Road or Kent Street late yesterday evening (Wednesday) or during the early hours of this morning (Thursday)? Did you see or hear anything which caused you concern? Do you have any CCTV or dashcam footage from the area which could assist our investigation? If you do, please get in touch with us. “We understand that the incident will have caused concern in the area and our officers do remain in the area speaking to people and offering reassurance.” Anyone with any information should contact 101 quoting incident 680 of 8 September. You can also report online at www.leics.police.uk

There's waterside fun in Leicester this weekend as the city hosts a programme of activities on and off the river that people of all ages will enjoy. Splash on the Soar will bring live music and street performance to the city’s Castle Gardens on Saturday and Sunday (11-12 September), with the city council’s Kingfisher boat offering views of Leicester from the water. On both days, local bands playing acoustic sets will draw visitors to the stage near the maypole in Castle Gardens, with talented youngsters from Stars Performing Arts School opening the programme at 12 noon on Sunday and The King Brasstards bringing the festival to a close with their New Orleans sound at 4pm on Sunday. Strolling street artists, including a pair of cheeky Girl Guides and some balloon-modelling clowns, will bring pockets of fun to the festival, while a Bubble Fairy will use her magic wand to capture passers-by inside a giant bubble. Youngsters will also be able to slide down an inflatable helter-skelter and check out their muscles on an inflatable ‘test your strength’ game. There’ll also be the chance to watch archive footage of Britain’s waterways in a pop-up cinema, while a petting zoo will let children get close to rabbits, guinea pigs and meerkats, as well as to snakes, cockroaches and other creepy-crawlies. Food and a bar will be available in the area in front of the castle, while local artists will display their works on the railings in Castle Gardens. Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair said: “Splash on the Soar will be a family-friendly waterside festival that we hope local people will enjoy. “With Covid infection rates still high, all our events this year have been of a much smaller-scale to ensure they can be run safely, but I hope that this festival will encourage people who live in the area to get out and about and explore Leicester’s waterside.” Admission to Splash on the Soar is free of charge. Splash on the Soar runs from 12 noon until 6pm on Saturday, and from 12 noon until 5pm on Sunday. For more information, go to visitleicester.info Leicester City Council News Published on Monday, September 6, 2021

Plans for a major revamp of Leicester’s Abbey Park Road – including a new bike-friendly footbridge across the River Soar and major junction improvements – have been announced by the city council. The £7.5million scheme – which will also see new bus lanes introduced and footpaths improved to create a safer and more attractive route for pedestrians and cyclists – is supported by the Transforming Cities Fund as part of an ambitious programme of investment in sustainable transport across the city. The striking centrepiece of the scheme will be a new 3.5metre wide footbridge which will run parallel to the existing road bridge across the River Soar, helping to ensure that there is enough space for all road users to use the busy route safely and efficiently. Extensive maintenance work will also be carried out to the two existing road bridges which cross the river and canal. New camera-enforced bus lanes running in both directions along the road will give more priority to public transport in a bid to improve journey times and encourage more people to use the bus. Although general traffic will be reduced to one lane in either direction, the scheme has been carefully modelled and designed to ensure that traffic capacity will be maintained, avoiding delays and congestion. Footpaths will be widened to provide safe space for pedestrians and cyclists and two new road crossings will be created. A small area of car parking immediately in front of the main gates into Abbey Park will be removed, and the area revamped to create a more welcoming approach into the award-winning, historic park. A new e-bike docking station will also be installed to the west of the River Soar as part of electric bike hire scheme launched earlier this year by the city council in partnership with Santander. The council also intends to carry out road resurfacing as part of the planned scheme. Alongside this, the city council is planning extensive improvements to Abbey Park Road’s busy junction with the A6 Abbey Lane and Blackbird Road, and also at the nearby junction with Exploration Drive. Work will be carried out to remodel both junctions to give greater priority to buses and encourage more people to use public transport. Currently, the single lane right turn from Abbey Park Road onto Abbey Lane is a pinch point for buses and gets congested at peak times causing delays for all traffic. The city council is proposing to reconfigure the junction to allow traffic to turn right onto Abbey Lane from two of the three lanes at the junction of Abbey Park Road. This will involve remodelling the existing splitter islands and major realigning of the junction. At the same time the existing traffic signals upgraded and pedestrian crossings improved. Works will also be carried out to address delays at the junction of Abbey Lane and Exploration Drive and to improve access to Pioneer Park. A longer right turn lane will be created for outbound traffic turning right into Exploration Drive from Abbey Lane. This will run from the junction of Byford Way to Exploration Drive. Existing pedestrian crossings in the immediate area will also be upgraded. Initial works on Abbey Park Road are due to begin in September 2021 and the scheme is expected to take up to 18 months to complete. Works on the junction are due to begin in October and will take around six months. Extensive maintenance work on the existing road bridge is scheduled to start from spring 2022 and will require an extended road closure. More details will be publicised nearer the time. Deputy City Mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transportation, said: “[DRAFT] It is vital that we continue to invest in encouraging more people to make the shift to cleaner, greener, healthier and more sustainable transport, not least because traffic is responsible for a quarter of our city’s carbon emissions. “This ambitious proposal to revamp Abbey Park Road will help radically change the way that people think about travelling on this busy route. As it stands, the existing road bridge can be a daunting prospect for cyclists, and the introduction of a new footbridge will make this a much more appealing and safer route for all road users. “Ensuring our bus services are reliable and have priority over general traffic on important routes is really important in encouraging more people onto buses. We know the introduction of new bus lanes on busy routes can have a major impact on bus patronage, with increases of up to 13 per cent. “Along with the expansion of the citywide network of safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists, investment in public transport will be vital to meeting our commitment to help further improving the city’s air quality and helping Leicester in its response to the climate emergency.” Leicester City Council is carrying out an ambitious £80million citywide programme of investment in sustainable transport, backed by £40million from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF). The package of work will focus on major sustainable transport improvements to provide attractive choices for people to get to work, education, local and other facilities supporting the city’s growth and deliver on the council’s climate emergency, air quality and healthy living commitments. Match funding for the programme is being provided through the city council, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and other partners. Schemes include the development of new bus priority corridors linking the city centre to city neighbourhoods and suburbs, and the continued development of a network of high-quality cycling and walking routes throughout the city building on the success of Connecting Leicester. It has recently seen the introduction of electric buses onto the Park and Ride Services and the launch of a new electric bike hire scheme in partnership with Santander. To view the plans for Abbey Park Road and junction improvements in more detail, visit www.leicester.gov.uk/transformingcitiesfund Over 1,000 letters have been delivered to residents and businesses in the area to inform them of the proposals. People will have until Friday 24 September to comment on the schemes. Leicester City Council News release

Parents and carers need to apply for their preferred schools by Sunday, 31 October 2021. Parents and carers with children due to start secondary school in Leicestershire in September 2022 can now apply for school places. The application process is now open, and parents need to apply for their preferred schools by Sunday, 31 October 2021. More information about schools in Leicestershire and the application process can be found at here. "We know this is a really important decision for families across the county, and we will work with parents and carers to support them during the application process. We’re proud that last year over 95 per cent of children received a place at their preferred school but would like to remind parents and carers that to help increase their chances of securing a place they need to apply for three schools, including their catchment school. No school will automatically allow your children admission so it’s crucial that applications are submitted before the 31 October deadline." Councillor Deborah Taylor, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for Children and Families Parents can find out more information about schools and admissions in the council’s ‘Your Guide to Education’ which is available here. For further advice on your preferred schools and information around virtual open days, please contact individual schools directly. Parents unable to apply online can call the Customer Service Centre on 0116 305 6684 and request a form to be sent out. 7,400 on time applications were received for autumn 2021 start, of which: • 88.9 per cent secured their first choice (89.2 per cent in 2020) • 95.4 per cent secured one of their top three choices (95.6 per cent in 2020) Leicestershire County Council News Release

Leicester's City Mayor has set out his commitment to support Afghan refugees in response to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Sir Peter Soulsby says the city council’s housing, education, social care and public health teams are already beginning to help families who have arrived in Leicester fleeing the Taliban, and he expects the full support of Government to provide the resources needed. “Leicester has a long and proud history of welcoming people to our city,” he said. “We will provide refuge for those who are fleeing conflict and oppression, and we pledge to provide support for Afghan refugees in light of the desperate circumstances in their own country. “As well as helping to process the applications of Afghans who will settle in other parts of the UK, we will be providing permanent homes in Leicester for a smaller number of Afghan refugees as the resettlement scheme establishes itself. Initially, we have pledged to take in 10 families or up to 60 people in total. We will work closely with the local Afghan community and charities to extend a welcome to these refugees who want to make Leicester their home. “The process and scheme will be supported by Government funding to local authorities and charities, and it is vital that the Government provides the full resources we will need to fulfil these responsibilities effectively.” The city council says the numbers of those arriving are still to be established, but the council is in close contact with the Home Office and awaiting further information. In the meantime, the city council is supporting the families which have already been offered resettlement in Leicester by meeting with housing providers to organise more long-term accommodation for them. The council’s school admissions team has also been in contact with these families to arrange for school places, and it has worked with the local NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCG) to arrange health registration. The city council’s specialist STAR Amal team will also go in to provide support to Afghan refugees. STAR stands for Supporting Tenants and Residents, while Amal is a word which has its origins in Hebrew, Germanic and Arabic. In Arabic, this name means to have hope. STAR Amal’s specialist workers – who have experience of helping Syrian refugees to resettle in Leicester – have multiple languages and full experience of providing new arrivals with reassurance and orientation as well as practical support with housing, healthcare and education. A hotel in Leicester is being used as a base for Afghan arrivals after they have completed coronavirus quarantine at hotels in other parts of the country. However, not all of those in the Leicester hotel will necessarily stay in Leicester permanently – the Home Office is managing the distribution of refugees. The Home Office is also responsible for their care while in the hotels, with the city council working with the Home Office to offer support. Peter Soulsby added: “At the moment, it is not clear how many Afghan refugees may settle in Leicester beyond the 10 families we have made an initial offer to - as it is still a moving picture. It is vital that we receive proper Government funding to help us provide the support needed.” Leicester City Council News

Find out more about the help and support available to victims of crime and why, in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, victims and witnesses receive an award winning service. From starting in an administrative role at the age of 23 to becoming its Head of Service just three years later – Manjeeta Sunnar-Atwal is passionate about Victim First – the service that offers emotional and practical support for victims of crime in Leicestershire. In fact in Leicestershire, Victim First has won a Catch22 Service of the Year Award three times in six years and is one of only three victim support services in the country to be awarded a Victims Choice Quality Mark in 2020. If that wasn’t enough the service has also been awarded a DeMontfort University LGBT+ Inclusion Award in recognition of the accessibility and support the service offers to diverse communities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Manjeeta is rightly proud of those achievements which she puts down to an excellent but small team of just 16 people who support on average 15,000 victims of crime every year. They are referred to Victim First by police officers, other organisations or by self-referral. Manjeeta Sunnar-Atwal holding the DeMontfort University LGBT+ Inclusion Award Born and bred in Leicester, Manjeeta is from a Sikh family. At the heart of the Sikh faith is a strong belief in helping others and being part of the community and that shaped Manjeeta’s thinking about where her future might lie. After considering becoming a police officer, and following work experience in a solicitor’s office and at the Harborough Mail, Manjeeta knew neither of those career options were for her. What she really enjoyed was volunteering for victim services which she had done throughout her degree in Criminology at Loughborough University and her Master’s at the University of Leicester. She said: “When I started volunteering my intention was to get a bit of experience to put on my UCAS form to get into university but I really did enjoy it. I enjoyed talking to people about what they had been through and seeing the difference I was able to make by talking to them and showing them where they were and how far they had come. I believed in the whole ethos of victim support so decided that’s where I wanted to develop my career.” Victim First is a service that is commissioned through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner. Following a competitive tendering process in July 2015, an organisation called Catch22 successfully secured the contract to run the service across the force area calling it Victim First. Manjeeta joined Victim First in a full-time position doing admin support and data analysis. Manjeeta said; “I was excited to be involved at the beginning of something new and see where it took me and how it could develop. When I started in 2015 no one had been in that role before so I was able to develop it and our Head of Service at the time was great and if I came up with ideas he’d say ‘yup let’s give it a go.’ I started to mentor some of the volunteers because I wanted to develop that leadership skill and I wanted to give back as I had so much experience of supporting victims myself from my volunteering days. “I created a case management system by looking up ‘how to code a document’ on Youtube and although it isn’t perfect it is a system we still use. This job has given me so much creativity and I’ve been able to develop in areas I didn’t even think I could do. I am not much of an IT savvy person but if you do concentrate on things, and you’ve got that passion to learn something, you can do anything.” In January 2017, just two years after joining Victim First, Manjeeta successfully interviewed for a Senior Caseworker role and then just a year after that the Head of Service position became available. “I applied for the role to get more interview experience and I did not think in a million years I would get it but I did and I’ve been doing it for four years now!” But if anyone needed proof about the impact this award wining service can have on people then the feed back from this victim says it all; “I would like to give my feedback regarding the service from Lauren [a caseworker]. She has provided the BEST service I have ever had supporting my mental health. Lauren has arguably saved my life no words can express how amazing she is at her job! Before speaking to Lauren I was in a dark place but Lauren has empowered me to gain control of my life and chase my dreams. Thank you, Lauren, and Victim First for your amazing service.” And another; “They were very helpful, she called me and she listened to me for 30 minutes and she was so supportive. She was trying to put herself in my shoes, she calmed me down and she was very nice to talk to. I felt listened to and reassured. She posted me an alarm too, so I can use it when I feel unsafe.” What service does Victim Support offer? Victim First offers a free, independent and confidential service for victims and witnesses of crime across the force area. Initially, a caseworker will assess how each person is mentally and physically and whether they have support networks around them or not. The caseworker will listen to the victim and work with them to establish what support they feel they need. Everyone is offered bespoke support from a team of experienced and professional case workers to help them cope and recover. They offer a service tailored to adults as well as young people over the age of 13. The case workers work very closely with a wide range of counselling and support services such as UAVA which supports victims of domestic abuse; Juniper Lodge which supports rape victims; Witness Care; Citizens Advice; Crimestoppers the Crown Prosecution Service and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and many others. The service is not just for victims of crime either, it also supports the family and friends of victims and witnesses who can also find themselves struggling with the aftermath of a crime. Restorative Justice Another service Victim First offers is Restorative Justice (RJ). A Specialist Caseworker facilitates RJ which offers the victim the chance to safely communicate with the offender. RJ enables victims to talk about the incident and the harm it caused them and the impact the actions of the offender has had on them. For many it is an opportunity to ask questions and can provide a means of closure and the chance to move forward. This has proved increasingly popular which maybe because of the pandemic because it offers the victim a voice in a controlled and safe environment to make sense of what happened and why. Manjeeta adds; “Quite often with victims of domestic burglary, for example, people can feel very violated and vulnerable and ask ‘why me?’ When they get the chance to talk to the person who burgled their home to ask them those questions the offender often says they ‘just saw it as an opportunity’ this can go along way to reassuring the victim that they weren’t deliberately singled out or targeted.” Practical help Victim First can offer very practical help as well an emotional support. They work closely with an organisation called ‘24/7 Locks’ who will visit people at home to review their security and offer new locks if necessary or provide personal alarms to make them feel safer. Manjeeta concludes by saying; “Every victim of crime has 12 rights which list the statutory level of service they are entitled to receive from the police and criminal justice system after they have fallen victim to crime. “One of those rights is to be referred to services like Victim First. Not everyone takes up that offer but here in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland we have an award-winning service which is staffed by dedicated and trained professional. “We work closely with Leicestershire Police to promote our service and ensure every police officer refers every victim to us. We can do so much to help officers and take a considerable work load off their shoulders but victims can also refer themselves, just by picking up the phone, so please don’t struggle on your own we’re here to help.” How to contact Victim First You can call Victim First whether the crime is recent or not. They will support you even if you choose not the report the incident to the police. You can call the helpline on 0800 953 9595 or email support@victimfirst.pnn.gov.uk or go the website at www.victimfirst.org they are open from 9am to 8pm.

Schools across Leicester will be joining a nationwide call for action on climate change next month when the first ever Great Big Green Week gets underway. Organised by the Climate Coalition, the Great Big Green Week will run from 18th to 26th September and aims to biggest event for climate and nature ever in the UK. Thousands of events are due to take place across the UK to celebrate how people are taking action to tackle climate change and protect green spaces. In Leicester, the city council has successfully bid for funding to host a week of activities aimed at children and young people and offer grants for local schools and groups to hold their own events. The week's activities launch in Leicester on Monday 20th September with a four-day green-themed film festival at Phoenix cinema. All screening will be free of charge for schoolchildren and their families and friends, but tickets must be booked in advance. Then, on Tuesday 21st September, schools will take part in a UN-style climate conference hosted by the city council. The young delegates will be invited to represent a range of countries present their nation’s pledges on climate action in the morning, before taking part in activities based on Leicester’s Climate Emergency Action Plan in the afternoon. Leicester’s week of activities will culminate in a schools’ climate action march to a celebratory plastic-free picnic in Abbey Park on Friday 24th September, where they will be making their own climate action pledges to share with the major UN climate summit, COP26, due to hosted by the UK in Glasgow this November. The week will also feature awards and celebration events for the Jane Goodall Roots and Shots program ‘Letter to the Future’ competition and the city council’s Eco-Schools and Food for Life schemes. Great Big Green Week in Leicester has been organised by city council’s environmental education team, which is also helping local schools lead the way in the national Eco-Schools Green flag scheme. In total, 52 schools in the city – including primary, secondary and special schools - now have an Eco-Schools Green Flag – the highest number in any local authority area in England. The Eco-Schools Green Flag – handed out by Keep Britain Tidy – recognises excellence in schools across a wide range of environmental activity. For example, projects which reduce waste or energy in schools, help pupils learn more about living sustainably, or examine environmentally-friendly ways of travelling to school could all contribute towards a Green Flag. Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transport, said: “The forthcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow this year means the UK has a real opportunity to raise its ambitions in terms of the action it is taking on climate change. “I know personally that our schoolchildren want to hold decision-makers to account. Hosting the city’s first ever young people’s climate assembly played an important part in the development of our local response to the climate emergency. “In Leicester, we so proud that our schools and children engage so meaningfully with issues around the climate emergency and nature conservation. We wanted to celebrate this during the Great Big Green Week, and make sure that our young people’s voices are heard as part of this national call for action on climate change." Schools can still apply for mini-grants of £100 to host their own events and activities within their school or local community. More information is available at https://schools.leicester.gov.uk/GBGW For more information on how your school or group can get involved email eco-schools@leicester.gov.uk Leicester City Council News 31/08/2021

A 41-year-old man who indecently assaulted a young girl in Leicestershire and also downloaded indecent images of children has today (Tuesday 31 August) been jailed. Graham Moulds was sentenced to a total of five years and three months when he appeared at Leicester Crown Court. Moulds, of no fixed address, sexually abused his young victim in 2017 – when she was just eight years old. In October 2018 – at Leicester Crown Court – he pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a girl under 13 by touching. He then stood trial at the same court in July this year, where he was found guilty of two counts of attempting to arrange to meet a girl under 16 following grooming and one count of making indecent images of children. He is also subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. He was subject to an investigation by two force departments – the Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU) and the Paedophile Online Investigation Team (POLIT). Detective Constable Emma Burrows, from the CAIU, said: “I’ve little doubt that Moulds will have thought his victim wouldn’t tell someone about what he’d done. She’s shown great courage in coming forward and speaking to us about the abuse she was subjected to.” “Offences of this nature are always taken extremely seriously and are subject to a full and proper investigation by specialist officers. “The sentence handed to Moulds today will give time for him to reflect on his actions and the impact this has had on his victim.” Detective Constable Tom Cane, from the POLIT, added: “It is clear from his offending that Moulds has a sexual interest in young girls. I hope the fact he is now serving a prison sentence will provide reassurance to the public that the force will always endeavour to bring those committing such horrific crimes involving children to justice.” There are a number of different agencies who are able to offer independent help and support to victims of sexual offences in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Further information on these services and details on who to contact if you have been a victim of a sexual offence can be found by visiting http://leics.police.uk Leicestershire Police News 31/08/2021

The series is made with Wood Green, The Animals Charity in Cambridgeshire who specialise in matching their rescue dogs with would-be owners. The Dog House follows this process, getting to know the characters and histories of the rescue dogs, an array of people from different walks of life and watching the beginnings of brand-new relationships between them. In previous series, we found that there were many reasons people might be considering bringing a dog into their life – companionship, loneliness, extra company for a child, to encourage exercise, to live in the moment more, and following a bereavement. It’s a very heart warming and fun show, if you haven’t seen it I’d recommended it a rainy day! Click here to find out more https://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-dog-house REGISTER TO APPLY FOR THE DOG HOUSE https://www.channel4.com/4viewers/takepart/the-dog-house