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Police gained entry through 3rd Floor window at Vestry house after a stand-off to help a injured man who had barricaded himself inside tonight. Police had to gain entry to a flat via a 3rd floor window tonight at Vestry House on Humberstone Gate in Leicester, with the help from the Fire Service aerial platform. The incident happened around 4.30pm, Humberstone Gate was closed to all traffic and buses, for about a hour during the incident. The bus services near to the incident had to be diverted and temporary bus stops was put in place on Charles Street. The two police officers had to be assisted by Leicestershire fire & rescue service, the police had to wear fall protection safety harnesses and be securely attach to the platform cage. after kitting up and safety checks by the fire service the two Police Officers was lifted up to the open window and gained entry to 3rd Floor flat. East Midlands ambulance was also in attendance. Pictures by Leicester Media online On lookers said "why can't they use the front door of the flat. This Justed Released 21:00 On a tweet from Leicestershire Police, they confirmed officers attended the address after concerns from ambulance service for a man inside the flat. "Police were called at 4.30pm today by the ambulance service concerned for a man inside an address. Officers entered and found a man injured inside. He was taken to hospital for treatment. Part of Humberstone Gate was closed while incident was ongoing" Full statement released by Police Concern for the welfare of man in Vestry House Issued on 13/3/19 at 8:08 p.m. At around 4.30pm this afternoon (Wednesday 13 March) police were called by East Midlands Ambulance Service reporting concern for the welfare of a man inside an address in the city centre. Officers attended the flat in Vestry House, where a man, in his 40s, had barricaded himself inside. With the assistance of the fire service, officers were able to enter the property where they found the sole occupant of the address with injuries to his hands and neck. The man was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary for treatment. Humberstone Gate at the junctions of Charles Street and Wharf Street North was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident – the closure has since been lifted. Officers would like to thank the public for their patience while the incident was ongoing.

PARTS of Leicester will be transformed into a giant game this spring, as thousands of residents compete to see if their school, community or business can walk, run or cycle further than its rivals. Running from 13 March to 24 April, Beat the Street is a free, fun challenge where people are rewarded with points and prizes for exploring their neighbourhood on foot or by bicycle. Sixty special sensors called ‘Beat Boxes’ will soon appear across central and north-west Leicester, stretching from Leicester city centre to Belgrave, Dane Hills and Beaumont Leys. Those taking part in the six-week challenge will tap the Beat Boxes with special cards and fobs to track their journey – and the more Beat Boxes they swipe, the more points they’ll earn for their team. Schools and community groups across Leicester will be competing against each other to see who can travel the furthest and climb the leaderboards – with hundreds of pounds worth of sport and fitness equipment up for grabs for the winners. Families are encouraged to play for their local school, while the wider community can create their own teams by emailing team.leicester@beatthestreet.me If players have no team to support, they can help support a local charity when registering – players can support The Laura Centre, which provides bereavement support for parents, Baby Basics, which support new mums, and Prostaid, which cares for local people living with prostate cancer. At the end of the game, the charity whose supporters have scored the most points will receive £500. In addition to the leaderboard prizes, registered players can also win weekly ‘Lucky Tap’ prizes for playing along – including sports and fitness vouchers and experience days. To get involved with Beat the Street, residents can pick up free Beat the Street cards and maps at Beaumont Leys Library, Fosse Library, New Parks Library, Rushey Mead Library, Abbey Lane Asda and Beaumont Leys Health Centre. Cards and fobs will also be distributed via participating primary schools in the area. Dr William Bird, CEO Intelligent Health said: “We are incredibly excited to be bringing Beat the Street to Leicester and can’t wait to see how far everyone is able to walk, run, cycle and scoot during the challenge. “Anyone living, working or studying in the area is able to get involved in Beat the Street – it’s completely free to play and is a great opportunity to go outdoors, spend time with your friends and family and get moving. Watch out for Beat Boxes popping up in Leicester soon, pick up a card and get involved.” Councillor Adam Clarke, deputy city mayor with responsibility for the environment, public health and health integration said: “Around a third of children in Leicester do less than 30 minutes of physical activity each day, which is why it’s so important that we find new ways to make exercise fun. “By bringing Beat the Street to Leicester, we hope we can encourage thousands of people of all ages to incorporate more walking, cycling and physical activity into their daily lives.” Beat the Street Leicester is delivered by Intelligent Health and supported by Leicester City Council. It’s one of 59 Beat the Street games that will be set up across the South West and East Midlands using a new £3.3 million National Lottery funding grant from Sport England. More than 900,000 people have played Beat the Street to date with previous games taking place in London, Dublin and Belfast. More information about Beat the Street is available at beatthestreet.me/leicester To start playing visit https://beatthestreet.me/leicester

Leicestershire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner have presented a cheque for £4000 to a Leicestershire children’s charity ‘Wishes 4 Kids’. The fundraising was prompted by Caroline Neal, a Human Resource Manager at Leicestershire Police, whose own daughter, Hope, was granted a wish from the charity. The money was raised at a charity ball last November which raised £2000 – a sum which was matched by Lord Bach, the Police and Crime Commissioner, from The Police Property Fund bringing the total to £4000. Proceeds raised from the sale of recovered and stolen property is sold at auction if, after a period of time, it hasn’t been claimed or returned to its rightful owner. All awards from the Police Property fund must be used for charitable purposes. Wishes 4 kids (W4K) is a local charity which provides wishes to poorly children living in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland who are either life limited, terminally ill, have experienced life-changing physical or emotional traumas. Founded in 2002, the charity provides experiences such as a three day VIP trip to Euro Disney or meeting a celebrity. The average wish costs the charity around £700 and they rely solely on public donations. Caroline’s daughter, Hope, is now fourteen-years old. She was the first person in the UK to be diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer called Nephroblastomastis when she was one. Hope spent two years in hospital fighting her cancer battle through regular sessions of chemotherapy. She is now a healthy and happy teenager and has been inspired from her experience with the charity and time in hospital to become a child’s cancer nurse. In 2008, Hope’s wish to meet a Disney princess came true thanks to W4K. Hope and Caroline were collected in a limousine and flew to Euro Disney in Paris. They were made to feel special from start to finish with amazing attention to detail like meals that included Hope’s favourite food. Caroline said, “I am the lucky one, I walked out of the hospital with my daughter. W4K gave me happiness in a world where there is sometimes no happy ending. "I am very grateful to the force and the PCC for supporting Wishes for Kids and making such a considerable contribution to their fundraising. They will be able to help many more children like my daughter." Caroline is running twenty miles in the ‘Ashby 20’ on Sunday 24 March to raise even more money to add to her already outstanding figure of £30,000. Caroline has set up a donation page for people who would like to contribute to her charity run. www.wishes4kids.co.uk Wishes 4 Kids 67 Regent Road Leicester LE1 6YF Telephone: 0116 2543491 Facsimile: 0116 2543492 Email: info@wishes4kids.co.uk

Final touches are being made to a £15.8 million expansion of a city secondary school, in time for pupils to start using the new facilities next term. Fullhurst Community College, in Imperial Avenue, Braunstone, has expanded onto the 5,000sqm site formerly occupied by Ellesmere College. Work on the new campus began in January 2018 and has included the refurbishment and extension of the existing building, as well as the building of a new teaching block to the rear of the site. From August 2019, the new teaching block will act as a base for the school’s year seven and eight pupils, with just year seven using it next academic year. The expansion will allow the school to continue to increase its capacity from 900 to 1,500 pupils. The new teaching accommodation, which has been constructed by Willmott Dixon, includes 21 new classrooms, three science labs, a music room, food and design technology workshops, and drama studio. Outdoor areas have been landscaped, with car parking and new play areas, and a new courtyard with outdoor dining facilities has been created. The flat roof of the new classroom block has been fitted with 274 photovoltaic panels. The clean energy produced will help the school cut its CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 33,000 kg per year. The new panels will also help the school significantly reduce its energy bills and the £130,000 system is expected to have paid for itself in about eight to ten years. Steve Piggot, Principal of Fullhurst Community College, said: “Our aim as a school is to provide the highest quality education for every student, helping them to thrive in a supportive and inspiring environment. The learning environment is a vital part of that. “This new state of the art teaching block will bring huge benefits for students and staff. It will allow us to welcome more new students to our school and help us continue to raise standards.” City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Our ambitious school expansion programme represents a huge investment in the city’s future prosperity. “With over £90milllion earmarked for new school buildings, this is the single biggest area of capital investment that the council is making. The new learning block at Fullhurst is an example of what can be achieved. It has created a first rate new facility for pupils at the school and helped make excellent use of a building that was previously standing empty. “The project team has done an excellent job and should be congratulated.” Cllr Sarah Russell, deputy city mayor and lead on children and young people’s services, said: “Fullhurst is a popular and successful school that continues to go from strength to strength. This has been reflected in the number of families that now apply for places there" “This new expansion will mean that the school can accommodate more of those pupils in coming years and will play a really important role in helping us achieve our ambitious expansion targets over the next five years.” The multi-million pound project is part of Leicester City Council’s ambitious plans to invest up to £90 million in a major programme of school expansion. This will provide more than 3,000 new pupil places across all secondary school year groups over the next five years, with an additional 600 year seven places by 2019/20. The work is partly funded by the city council’s Basic Need allocation from the Department for Education, which is intended to ensure that there are enough school places to meet demand. Visit the college web site https://www.fullhurst.leicester.sch.uk

Canteen for its 2nd birthday brought together some of the best traders in the UK for a weekend of awesome food and drink and some entertainment. Friday 8th March and Saturday 9th March at NEW MARKET SQUARE Leicester Canteen for its 2nd birthday brought together some of the best traders in the UK for a weekend of awesome food and drink and some entertainment. The canteen was on the New Market Square Leicester. near the market place the home of Alice Hawkins, The square looked so inviting with the smells of freshly cooked street foods from all around the world, there was something for everybody’s taste. If you missed tonights not to worry, it’s on again tomorrow Saturday 9th March 12 to 11pm Visit the Facebook event page for more details https://m.facebook.com/events/394556121373157?ti=icl Fancy this awesome twist on a chip butty? The Vada Pav from Goody Gujarati will be available today. With their very special coriander & tamarind chutney, peanut crunch, dry coconut sambol with a sprinkle of Bombay onions and crunchy battered crisps this is an explosion of flavours. The potato vada is coated in a spicy chilli batter that packs just the right amount heat for a true expression of Indian flavours! Entry was free before 7pm and then just £1 afterwards. Under 14s was free. By Craig Thorpe #leicestermarkets #streetfood #canteen

Severe-looking road traffic accident on Narborough Road, Leicester. Car collides with a tree; 2 rear passengers trapped. We have no details on how many people were traveling in the car. Lead Image by Craig Thorpe for Leicester Media © 2019 Updated News Police have release the following statement “Police were called at 8.03pm last night to a single vehicle RTC at Narborough Road, EMAS and Fire were also called, there was a report of two people initially trapped, road closures put in place between Braunstone Lane and Fullhurst Ave junctions, three people injured, driver and two passengers, all men, all went to University hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire, driver and passenger described as minor, second passenger described by doctors as sustaining life changing injuries, road was reopened around 10.50pm” Pictures by Leicester Media Incident Location: Narborough Road Leicester, near to junction of New Fields Square - City bound 08/03/19 Fire and Rescue Service Vehicles Attended: 1x appliance from Western Fire Station, 1 x appliance from Central Fire Station, Technical Rescue team from Southern Fire Station

A police officer from Leicestershire has won a national award for delivering outstanding neighbourhood policing to the community he serves in the West End of Leicester. Chief Constable Simon Cole presents award PC Matt Eld Image courtesy of Leicestershire Police PC Matthew Eld, known to many as Matt, is the beat officer for the Westcotes neighbourhood in Leicester. He has won the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s ‘Community Police Officer of the Year Award’ after being nominated by his sergeant. Matt received his award last night (Tuesday 5 March) at Hinckley Island Hotel with the other winners from across the country and celebrated with a dinner. Matt said: “I am honoured to receive this national award and very grateful for the recognition. “I thoroughly enjoy my job and look forward to many more years on the beat in the West End of Leicester. Thank you!” This isn’t the first time Matt has been noticed for his hard work. Only a few months ago Matt was nominated by the public for ‘Beat Bobby of the Year’ award. Matt’s work goes beyond policing, he identifies ‘wider’ issues affecting his beat, including working with internal and external partners and is known for taking personal ownership in seeing things through to conclusion. Most importantly, Matt is learning Polish in his own free time to assist in improved communication with his community members. Learning Polish has enabled Matt to build a strong network with ‘Project Polska’, a community organisation which works towards improving social and cohesion and wellbeing of the Polish community in Leicestershire. Breaking down barriers within the community has enabled Matt to earn the trust of local businesses and residents. Sergeant Spencer Dyer, who nominated him, said: “Matt consistently demonstrates exceptional enthusiasm and passion as a neighbourhood officer. He has an excellent relationship with key members of his community and is always willing to support colleagues and provide valuable advice. Inspector Rob Randell, who endorsed the nomination, said: “All police officers are expected to have an understanding of diverse communities and Matt has gone above and beyond this. “He understands the demographic by becoming part of the community and has successfully demonstrated positive Simon Cole the chief constable of Leicestershire Police said. “Matthew is a fantastic example of how local neighbourhood officers can make a difference to their communities. The force is extremely proud of his achievement and it is thoroughly deserved.” More awards Neighbourhood officers honoured at inaugural Local Policing Awards ceremony The efforts of response teams, call handlers, PCSOs and Special Constables across the country were recognised at the first ever National Local Policing Awards. Leicestershire Chief Constable Simon Cole, who presented the awards as part of the National Police Chiefs ‘Council’s conference on local policing, said they were: “an opportunity to celebrate the innovative and valuable work that is undertaken daily throughout Local Policing to ensure that our communities are safe from harm.” Officers from Essex Police won the award for Response Team of the Year for their work on a number of high profile, serious, and emotionally challenging incidents, as well as targeting and tackling gang activity. The officers from Chelmsford Local Policing Team’s C Shift were the first on scene following the murder of John Pordage in August 2017 while two members of the team were injured by a woman with a knife found to be in mental health crisis in December of the same year. Sergeant Kiersten Knott of West Yorkshire Police won Response Officer of the Year for having demonstrated great leadership, strength and resilience that resulted in the arrest and conviction of a male for abduction and assault of a child. PC Matthew Eld, beat officer for the Westcotes neighbourhood in Leicester, won the Community Police Officer of the Year Award. He was recognised for going above and beyond to identify ‘wider’ issues affecting his beat, including working with internal and external partners. He has even begun learning Polish to improve his links with part of the local community. Other categories included Outstanding Contribution to Child Centred Policing; Innovation in Community Policing, PCSO of the Year and Call Handler of the Year. #leicesterpolice #leicspolice #nationalpoliceawards

Britain’s Asian Wedding Awards 2019 Asian Clothing Boutique of the Year: Nims Boutique Winners are now revealed for Britain’s 3rd Asian Wedding Awards 2019 following the stunning awards ceremony at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London on 6th March. The award ceremony was held to celebrate the hard work and commitment of Britain’s ever-growing Asian wedding industry, to reward the graft of exceptional suppliers, and to thank those who go above and beyond to make someone’s special day the most memorable of their life. Nimmi Goswami at Last nights award ceremony in London Nims Boutique, based on Narborough Road Leicester, has won the award 'Asian Clothing Boutique of Year' at Britains Asian Wedding Awards 2019 It was lovely to be nominated, and it’s amazing to win. Thanks to all my customers Narborough Road Shop Nims Boutique is an absolute passion for the owner Nim. Nims Boutique has been featured in Asiana Magazine, the Lubna Rafiq Academy, Kaniz Ali Academy and also her jewellery has been worn by Celebrities Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Bambi Bains and Zukreat. Nims Boutique have a unique collection of jewellery for every occasion. From stud earrings to Bridal jewellery, Nims aims to provide you with the latest celebrity looks at affordable prices. And the jewellery is surprisingly lightweight too. Just read some of the reviews from her happy customers to see how amazing the shopping experience is. Shop in the Leicester Boutique to experience our welcoming and calm Indian Shopping Experience. You can browse in the contemporary boutique, try things on the luxury changing rooms, take pictures and purchase everything you need for your upcoming wedding or party. Nims Boutique also have a selection of Readymade & Semistitched Lehngas & suits for you to purchase online or try on in store. Nims has recently launched a range of Gifting products too. Sari Bags, trays, money wallets, Bangle Boxes and Gift Boxes for all your wedding needs. Nims Boutique 211-213 Narborough Road, Leicester LE3 2QR Tel 0116 2896570 https://nimsboutique.com https://www.facebook.com/Nimsboutique/

Always & always facing toward the Light Here in Leicester tonight we witness the remarkable and inspiring story of Leicester suffragette Alice Hawkins. The amazing 3D show brought to life with live performances, an incredible choir and a spectacular video projection on the historic Corn Exchange building. Thousands of people attended tonight at the New Market Square to watch one of the three shows. It was truly a great way to remember Alice and her fellow suffragettes. I’m sure that history was made in our city of Leicester has the Statue of Alice looked down upon us all tonight with tears of joy rolling down her face and knowing that her fight for equality was achieved. This Event was truly rememberable, one of the best I have covered here in Leicester and we should all be proud of our history and the diversity of our great city of Leicester. Great work from all involved with this event, it was well organised. with good security, along with great work from Maggie Shutt’s team at the Leicester city council events. Watch the Video of the event. Video By Leicester Media online 4K Ver 1:01 Alice Hawkins Alice Hawkins (née Riley) was born in 1863 in Stafford into a working class family. One of nine children, Alice went to work at the age of 13 and met her future husband, Alfred Hawkins, at a socialist meeting. Alice married Alfred in 1884 and moved to Leicester, where she lived and worked for the rest of her life. Alice raised a family of six while working at the Equity Shoe Factory on Western Road, where she quickly focused on the issues affecting women working in the shoe trade. An active member of the newly formed Independent Labour Party, Alice went to London in February 1907 to join a suffragette protest outside Parliament. Along with 28 other women, Alice was arrested that day and subsequently spent 14 days in Holloway prison. This period of incarceration – the first of five – galvanised Alice’s resolve and she formed the Leicester branch of the Women’s Social and Political Union just a few months after leaving jail. Four years later, in 1911, Alice co-founded the Women’s Independent Boot and Shoe Trade Union. Although her time as a suffragette came to an abrupt end in 1914, when women were asked to cease their militancy, Alice continued to be an active trade unionist and a Labour party member until her death in March 1946, where she was buried at Leicester’s Welford Road Cemetery Votes for Women! It’s a hundred years since the Representation of the People Act gave some women and all men the right to vote. During 2018-19, the city is marking the anniversary by remembering the women who played such a key role in the suffragette movement, including Leicester's very own Alice Hawkins. Alice Hawkins Statue New Market Square, Leicester Market Leicester’s statue of Alice was unveiled in February 2018 a hundred years after the Representation of the People Act gave some women the right to vote. Leicester is one of seven cities in the Centenary Cities project marking 100 years of Votes for Women funded by the Government Equalities Office with a range of exhibitions, events and the launch of the Alice Hawkins statue last year. Tonights event was a free, with wristbands issued to allocate the show times, along with discounts for venues. This major event - celebrating Alice’s story and closely linked to International Women’s Day on March 8th – is not to be missed. Share Space and Light used 5 projectors to create a projection that covered the entire Corn Exchange building. Each projector will project 30000 lumens of light. 1 lumen = the light of 1 candle. All to help bring the story of Alice Hawkins to life 100 years on! Pictures taken at the event. www.sharedspaceandlight.com to find out more about Alice Hawkins www.storyofleicester.info This Event produced by Leicester City Council in partnership with Big Difference Company. This article by Craig Thorpe for Leicester Media Online Follow and Like Leicester Media on Facebook For more Pictures of this event. www.facebook.com/leicestermediaonline

Lead Picture by Leicester Media © 2019 Joy riders ends up in deep water The Rally Soar Lane Leicester. Police incident BMW car in water. Reports of fail to stop for Police, all 3 emergency services are in attendance. What we know so far the car was being Chased by police, with the aid of the police helicopter after failing to stop, the car crashed through the railing into the Grand Union Canal. just after the bridge. Occupants rescued from water and taken to hospital. Updated Police Statement Issued on 2/3/19 at 8:30 p.m. Police are investigating after a car failed to stop in Vaughan Way, Leicester, around 9.15pm yesterday (1 March). Officers attempted to stop the vehicle following concerns about the manner in which it was being driven. The car left the scene and was followed by officers on to Soar Lane where it collided with fencing and entered the Grand Union Canal. The four occupants of the vehicle were taken to hospital, where one currently remains. Her injuries are not believed to be life threatening or life changing. Initial enquires suggest the car had been stolen from the Metropolitan Police force area. Three men – aged 28, 24 and 23 were arrested on suspicion of failing to stop and theft of a motor vehicle. They have since been released on police bail. A 23-year-old woman has also been arrested on suspicion of the same offences. A scene preservation was on in Soar Lane while officers carried out initial enquiries but has since been lifted. Pictures of the scene at Soar Lane Leicester (Grand Union Canal) By Leicestermedia online BBC News Report (Video and Pictures By Leicester Media) A 2 hour recovery operation to remove a stolen BMW from the Grand union Canal Soar Lane in the early hours of Saturday morning. The incident happened after Failing to stop for police around 9.30pm Friday night, Ending with the car and 4 occupants crashing through the railing ending up in the water at the Grand union canal The Rally community Park. The operation to recover the vehicle from the water was a Long and Tricky operation. Video By Leicester Media Online © 2019 Recovery operation Pictures and Video by Leicester Media Leicester Media is looking for News stories and incidents. Tel news desk 0116 233 9000 email news@leicestermedia.online Please follow and like Leicester media on Facebook www.facebook.com/leicestermediaonline

The Mint itself may be clear. But the future for the Leicester factory is not. The factory that makes Fox's Glacier mints could close under merger plans. Glacier mints have been made here in Leicester since 1918. Big Bear Confectionery, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, is also behind other brands, including Poppets, XXX mints and Just Brazils. A spokeswoman for Big Bear and Tangerine Confectionery, both owned by Valeo Foods Group, said employees and trade unions had been informed. The consultation period is expected to last until the end of April. Pictures by Leicester Media online

Alice Hawkins Event Sunday 3rd March 2019. Free event get your wristbands now. YEAR-LONG national celebration marking the centenary of the first British women getting the vote culminates in a spectacular finale in Leicester next month – and you’ll be able to reserve your place at the free event from Monday (4 February). The story of the suffragette Alice Hawkins – the shoe factory machinist who led the women’s suffrage movement in Leicester in the early 1900s – will be brought to life on Sunday 3 March in a stunning event that will use large-scale projection to create an unforgettable experience for spectators in the city’s new market square. Video mapped imagery projected onto the rear of the Corn Exchange will transform the building, with light, sound and archive footage being used to help tell Alice’s story like never before. Organisers say it’s the first time that an event of this kind has been seen in Leicester – and it promises to be an experience that no one, of any age, will want to miss. Geoff Rowe of the Leicester-based Big Difference Company – which is co-producing the event – said: “It’s going to be absolutely brilliant! “We’re proud to have worked on huge Leicester events in the past and have brought together an amazing team to produce this latest event. Anyone who joins us on Sunday 3rd March will remember this event for the rest of their lives so I would urge you to save the date in your diary and reserve your place now.” Called ‘Always and always facing toward the Light’ – the motto of the Leicester suffragette movement – the free event is supported by funding from the Government’s Centenary Cities fund. It will be repeated three times on the evening of Sunday 3 March – at 6.30pm, 7.45pm and 9pm – with each performance lasting 30 minutes. Admission to each show will be by wristband, which will be available – free of charge – from Visit Leicester on Gallowtree Gate from Monday (4 February). Anyone unable to pick up their wristband in person can write to Visit Leicester, enclosing a stamped self-addressed envelope with their request. Inspired by Alice’s life, the show will also focus on the growth of the suffragette movement and the legacy of the suffragettes’ fight for equal rights, with interviews with women and girls from present-day Leicester bringing the story right up to date. Live performance, a bespoke soundtrack and a 40-strong choir will also feature in the event, which will bring the UK’s centenary celebrations to a close, just a few days before International Women’s Day. Deputy city mayor and heritage champion Cllr Adam Clarke said: “The UK-wide year of events commemorating the centenary of the Representation of the People Act started here in Leicester with the unveiling of the statue of Alice Hawkins. “A year on from that ceremony, we’ll be returning to the new market square – close to the site of so many of Alice’s public speeches – to mark the end of the centenary year with this spectacular event. “With International Women’s Day taking place on 8 March, it’s fitting that our final event in Leicester will honour not just Alice, but everyone who challenges inequality in our society.” Shared Space & Light – the company behind the spectacular Lighting of the Torch Ceremony for the 2012 Paralympic Games, as well as amazing installations at Durham’s world-class Lumière Festival – have been brought in to create the event for Leicester, which is being produced by Leicester City Council in partnership with Big Difference Company. Free wristbands for the event will be available from Monday (4 February) from Visit Leicester on Gallowtree Gate. Anyone unable to pick up their wristband in person can write to Visit Leicester, enclosing a stamped self-addressed envelope and a note saying how many wristbands they would like for the 6.30pm, 7.45pm or 9pm shows. Anyone wishing to receive their wristbands by post should make sure their stamped self-addressed envelope is delivered to Visit Leicester by Friday 22 February. Requests should be marked ‘Wristbands’ and sent to: Visit Leicester, 51 Gallowtree Gate, Leicester LE1 5AD. Always and always facing toward the Light is part of a programme of events in Leicester supported by a grant of £189,500 from the Government’s Centenary Cities fund. Since February 2018, when the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage was commemorated in Leicester with the unveiling of a statue of Alice Hawkins, a programme of talks has been taking Alice’s story to children at schools across the city and the county, while around 500 children took part in a centenary event in Leicester’s new market square last July. Pictures by Leicester Media There’s also still time to visit a free exhibition at New Walk Museum that features memorabilia from Alice’s life. Alice Hawkins and Votes for Women! continues until Sunday 24 February. #alicehawkins