Girls and women who are interested in a career in carpentry, plumbing, tiling or painting & decorating can take part in free taster sessions this half-term. Starting on Monday 14 February and running daily until Friday 18 February, the Women in Constructionhalf-day sessions run from 9am-12 noon, or from 1pm-4pm. Places on the workshops are filling up fast, so girls and women aged 16 and over are urged to sign up as soon as they can to make sure they get a place on a session that suits them. The free Women in Construction taster sessions are run by the city council in partnership with Leicester College, with the council’s own qualified female trades operatives running the classes. Those who enjoy the sessions and would like to embark on a career in construction will be able to apply for the city council’s craft trade apprenticeshipscheme, when it’s advertised at the end of the month. Maria Pancholi, operational development team leader from the city council’s Women in Construction team said: “This is a chance for women to try something they may never have tried before in a supportive environment. “They will be taught by women already employed within the council’s housing team who can be looked upon as a shining example of what can be achieved with drive and determination. “These taster sessions could be the start of a whole new career, with the opportunity to gain a qualification as a tradesperson with the council’s housing services.” Cllr Elly Cutkelvin, assistant city mayor responsible for housing, said: “We’ve been running these sessions for many years, and they’re a really good stepping stone for women who may not have thought about applying for a craft apprenticeship before. But because of the pandemic, we haven’t been able to run them for the last two years – and that’s led to a drop in enquiries from women about our apprenticeships. “I hope that this year’s programme will get us back on track, and encourage more women to find out more about a craft trade apprenticeship – and help us recruit a workforce that reflects the community we live in.” The free taster sessions will be held from 14-18 February at Leicester College, Freemans Park Campus, LE2 7LW. More information and an online registration form is available at www.leicester.gov.uk/womeninconstruction Applications for the city council’s craft trade apprenticeship scheme – which covers plastering, carpentry, painting and decorating, bricklaying and plumbing – are due to open at the end of the month. Five out of the city council's 26 current craft trade apprentices are women, while 30 out of a total of 184 trade operatives at the council are women.

A man has been sentenced to 29 years imprisonment for attempted murder after a woman was stabbed at her home in Oakham. Emma Wolfenden, 37, suffered serious injuries in the incident following the attack by 48-year-old Robert Truscott at her home in Bullfinch Close on the evening of 21 January last year. Ms Wolfenden, who knew Truscott, was taken to hospital where she remained for three months undergoing treatment and surgery before being discharged in April. Truscott was charged with attempted murder shortly after the incident. In June 2021, Ms Wolfenden sadly died at her home. Following a post mortem examination, it was found the cause of Ms Wolfenden’s death was not directly linked to the injuries caused by Truscott. He remained charged with attempted murder. Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court in January this year, Truscott, of Lowther Close, Langham, Oakham, was found guilty of the offence. He was also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm to a man who was also at the property at the time of the incident. Truscott had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article. Today, at the same court, he was sentenced to 29 years imprisonment for attempted murder. He was sentenced to serve 33 months concurrently for causing grievous bodily harm and 18 months concurrently for possession of a bladed article. Police had received a call at 9.10pm on Thursday 21 January last year from Ms Wolfenden reporting that two men had been fighting in her home. As police were attending the scene, officers were contacted by East Midlands Ambulance Service who had received a call from Truscott stating he had stabbed Ms Wolfenden. Police arrived at the address where Ms Wolfenden was found with multiple stab wound injuries to her chest and neck. First aid was provided at the scene by officers and Ms Wolfenden was taken to hospital by ambulance. Truscott was at the scene where he told officers the incident was his fault. He was arrested at the scene. The other man had sustained an injury to his hand during the incident. The man reported being in a fight with Truscott and then witnessing Truscott attacking Ms Wolfenden with a knife. Enquiries led to Truscott being charged two days later on 23 January. Following the trial last month, officer in the case, Detective Constable Gemma Allen said: “This was no doubt an extremely frightening incident for Ms Wolfenden and for the other male victim involved at the time. Ms Wolfenden remained in hospital for three months after the incident receiving treatment for serious injuries because of the terrifying actions of Robert Truscott. “My thoughts remain with everyone affected by this incident including the family of Ms Wolfenden who have suffered hugely throughout the past year. I know this incident will remain with them for the rest of their lives. “The investigation has been extremely complex and difficult and I would like to thank the team of officers and staff involved for their dedicated work and support which has led to this conviction of Truscott.” Following the trial last month, Ms Wolfenden’s family paid tribute to her describing Ms Wolfenden as a “kind and loving person” who “touched a lot of lives during her life”. Their full tribute to Ms Wolfenden can be found here - “A kind and loving person”: The family of Emma Wolfenden pay tribute | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)

Leicester city centre will be lit up with some extraordinary artworks next month, with the return of a world-class festival first held in the city in 2020. Light Up Leicester will transform the dark winter evenings with nine playful and illuminated artworks, creating a trail of light through the city’s streets. The four-day festival promises to showcase works from some of the world’s leading ‘light’ artists, with many of the pieces being brought to the city for the first time. The large-scale works that people will be able to enjoy include PULSE by Loop, which will feature a huge tunnel of light and sound that will create an immersive experience for visitors in St Peter’s Square. Also part of the festival will be Fantastic Planet (pictured), a large-scale work by the Australian visual artist Amanda Parer. The three giant, glowing humanoids will appear to have come from a faraway place, landing in Orton Square to explore our extraordinary planet. Together with installations at seven other locations, the nine artworks will create a fun night-time spectacle in Leicester city centre that will be free for everyone to enjoy. Deputy city mayor Cllr Piara Singh Clair said: “Light Up Leicester is the latest addition to the city’s growing programme of innovative arts and cultural events. “Each of the nine installations will help transform the night-time ambience in Leicester city centre during the four days of the festival. “We’re very grateful to Arts Council England for supporting this event, and we look forward to working with our partners to deliver what should be a very special festival in Leicester in March.” Simon Jenner, director of BID Leicester said “It’s incredibly exciting to see the return of Light Up Leicester to the city. Not only will we unveil brand new pieces of art, but we will also be working with internationally renowned artists in this area. “We’re thrilled to build on the success of the last festival in 2020 and to continue bringing events like these to the city centre. We’re expecting audiences of over 70,000 to attend across the four days of the festival, which is a fantastic boost for local businesses as well.” Light Up Leicester runs from 3-6 March 2022. The festival is presented by Leicester City Council, BID Leicester and ArtReach and is supported using public funding by Arts Council England. More information about Light Up Leicester is available at www.lightupleicester.com/

Two new children’s homes are set to be created by the city council to help boost the number of council-run homes for children and young people in care. Leicester City Council is seeking to expand its in-house provision by converting existing council properties into homes for children and young people who are not able to live with their birth families or foster carers. Plans have been drawn up to convert two former council-owned houses in Aylestone and a former children’s home site in Braunstone into homes that will provide places for five and six young people respectively, between the ages of eight and 17. The proposed expansion would mean the city council would be able to care for more children and young people in-house, increasing capacity from five children’s homes, caring for up to 30 children and young people, to seven homes caring for up to 41. Deputy city mayor for social care, Cllr Sarah Russell, said: “The city council is determined to provide the best possible care for the children and young people we look after. The vast majority of children who can’t live with their birth families live with foster carers, but this isn’t right for everyone, and increasing demand for children’s social care services in recent years means there has been a significant rise in demand for residential children’s homes. This is the case across the country. “This has led to an increase in the use of external providers. We will always need to do this, and they can offer a high standard of care, but we also believe there are substantial advantages to providing more of these homes and care ourselves. For a start, all our city council-run children’s homes are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, demonstrating our experience and expertise in providing quality care. “All of our homes are within the city, which means children and young people can continue to receive support within their communities rather than them moving away from Leicester. This continuity and stability can be very important to children experiencing major disruption to their lives. “There are also financial advantages to providing more places ourselves. External providers can raise fees and that is outside our control, but by providing places in-house we can control costs – as well as benefitting from economies of scale across all our children’s homes.” The estimated costs for creating each of the new homes are around £1,100,000 each. Leicester City Council has been awarded £500,000 towards the first home from the Department for Education’s children’s homes capital funding programme. Cllr Russell added: “We are proposing to use part of the council’s capital budget – the money we set aside for big projects – to fund the rest of the project. We consider this a really important use of our resources to help support and protect some of Leicester’s most vulnerable children and young people.” There are currently more than 50 children and young people living in external residential children’s homes at any one time, with an average cost of £3,900 per week. The average direct cost at an in-house home in 2020/21 was between £3,400 and £3,800 a week. Both proposals will be subject to planning application processes, which include an opportunity for members of the public to comment on the proposals. Leicester City Council News

This February half term school holiday period visitors are invited to join the National Space Centre’s Mission Commanders to discover the future of the UK in space. Families and children will be able to participate in live sessions looking at the new launch sites for rockets in the UK, as well as workshops, shows and science busking from the award-winning attraction’s teams. From 2022, rockets will be launched into space from UK spaceports for the very first time. These rockets will carry small satellites into orbit that collect information that can be used to protect our planet from climate change. Malika Andress, spokesperson for the National Space Centre, said; “It is a really exciting time in space right now, as NASA are looking to return to the Moon with the Artemis programme and organisations, such as SpaceX, are looking at missions to Mars and beyond, but many people are not aware of just how amazing our very own UK space industry is right here on our doorstep. Seeing these orbital launches for the first time will be amazing but looking at how they can help inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers is even more exciting for us.” From 2022, rockets will be launched into orbit from UK spaceports for the very first time. These rockets will carry small satellites into orbit that collect information that can be used to protect our planet from climate change. A test site is already under construction in Moray, the first launchpad to be built in the UK in fifty years. Space Hub Sutherland is the first of several planned launching stations around the UK, with more vertical rocket launchpads proposed to be built near the top of Scotland over the coming years as well as sites for horizontal launch vehicles expected along the UK’s west coast. All tickets purchased online are automatically upgraded to a FREE Annual Pass, so visitors can come back to see two brand new exhibitions launching later in the year. BOOK HERE

A cyclist has died after a crash which left a car on its side in a ditch in Sapcote this morning. A man has been arrested. Detectives are appealing for witnesses and motorists with dashcams to come forward following a fatal collision in Sapcote this morning (Sunday 30 January). At 10am, a report was received that a car – a silver Audi Q5 – had collided with a cyclist on Coventry Road, near to the junction of Sharnford Road. Officers attended, along with colleagues from the East Midlands Ambulance Service and the cyclist – a man in his 60s – was taken to hospital in Coventry but died this afternoon. A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drugs. He remains in custody at this time. Road closures remain in place while further enquiries are carried out. Detective Sergeant Paul Hawkins, from the force’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU), said: “I would like to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time the collision occurred and who saw what happened. “I’m particularly keen to speak to any motorists with dashcams and who witnessed the collision or saw either the silver Audi or cyclist prior to it occurring.” You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rti/rti-beta-2.1/report-a-road-traffic-incident/ and quoting reference 22*058247. Alternatively call 101.

A 29-year-old man has been found guilty of rape following a four-week trial at Leicester Crown Court. Cassius Povey had also pleaded guilty to a number of sex offences against children at an earlier hearing. He will be sentenced for all his crimes on Thursday 24 February at the same court. The investigation into the actions of Povey came following content of social media posts which was reported to police by members of the public. During the investigation, further crimes were uncovered which revealed the extent of his offending against women and girls and his deliberate targeting of vulnerable children. In his police interviews, Povey claimed that he thought all the girls were 16 or over at the time of the offences, which occurred between 2010 and 2016. Povey, formerly of an address in Leicester, was charged with a total of 22 offences, relating to nine women who were survivors of his crimes. Povey pleaded guilty to charges relating to the online grooming of children and to those charges relating to sexual acts with children, knowing they were under the age of consent. He continued to deny nine charges of rape in relation to five separate victims, four who were children at the time of the offending. Povey pleaded guilty to: One count of cause and incite a girl aged 13 to 15 to engage in penetrative sexual activity Eight counts of engage in a penetrative sexual act with a girl aged 13 to 15 One count of engage in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 One count of meeting a girl under 16 following grooming Povey was found guilty, yesterday (Friday 28 January), of: Two counts of raping a woman over the age of 16 Six counts of raping a girl aged 13, 14 or 15 He was found not guilty of one count of raping a girl aged 13, 14 or 15. Officer in the case, Detective Constable Kevin Sharkey from the force Signal team, said: “I’m pleased with the outcome at court today, and hope that it offers some closure to the survivors of Povey’s crimes. It’s been a long investigation with the gathering of a substantial amount of evidence. “I want to pay tribute to the strength and resilience these women have shown throughout the cases. The courage they displayed when giving evidence in court has been admirable. “These convictions clearly show that just because something happened a number of years ago, doesn’t mean nothing can be done. I would encourage any person who has found themselves abused in this way to speak with someone and contact the police as a first step to achieving justice and to get access to support.” Millie Gant, Manager of Juniper Lodge, Leicestershire’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) wants to encourage anyone that has experienced sexual abuse or assault to seek support. She said: “Our dedicated and specialist staff can offer support and options available to you, whether you report to the police or not. We are non-judgemental and work with partner agencies to ensure that you are supported in a safe way that meets your individual needs. “Every person is different and we understand that you may be apprehensive or worried about making that initial contact. You can contact us on 0116 273 3330 or online through our website – www.juniper.lodge.com.”

Officers are appealing for public help to identify a man who is believed to have witnessed a serious sexual assault at an address in Leicester. The incident happened at a flat in Millstone Lane in the early hours of Saturday 27 November last year. The victim – an 18-year-old woman – left a nightclub with two men, one of who later sexually assaulted her. Officers would like to speak to the other man, who did not commit any offences but may have seen what happened. He is black and at the time was wearing a grey and white camouflage jacket, with a black furry hood. He was also wearing a blue zipped jacket, black jeans, white trainers and was carrying a rucksack. A 23-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested in connection with the offence and later released on bail. Detective Constable Kerry Willden, the investigating officer, said: “I believe that the man who was with the other two people involved has information that could help my investigation. “I would like to assure him he isn’t in any trouble, but I believe he can help me establish what happened in the early hours of that Saturday morning. If you are that person – or you think you know who that person is – please get in touch or ask him to come forward.” You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/ and quoting reference 21*691079. Alternatively call 101.

A carer’s work in ‘going above and beyond’ to support people with dementia and complex mental health issues has earned her a prestigious award. Chris Smalley has been recognised in the adult social care category of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust’s ‘Caring at its Best’ awards. Her outstanding contribution in her role as a personal assistant with the Coalville-based care provider, Enrych, saw her land the award which was open to any adult social care professional in Leicestershire, Leicester, and Rutland. Chris is the inaugural winner of the category in the awards and, on receiving it, she said: “It was a complete shock and surprise. I’m so happy to have won this but there are lots of other carers out there just as deserving so it’s as much an award for them.” Chris has worked for Enrych as a personal assistant since 2014, supporting many individuals during this time. The role of a personal assistant involves supporting a person who has care needs to live independently in their own home and be a part of the local community. “Her kindness and friendship which Chris shows has made a huge difference to people’s lives and it’s heart-warming to know that her efforts have been recognised. “I’d like to thank all our care and support professionals for their continued work to help protect the most vulnerable”. Councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for adult social care Chris was nominated for the award by Bev Cowley, Enrych’s head of community development. She said: “Over the years, Chris has supported many people with complex mental health issues and each and every one of them receives first-class support. “Nothing is too much trouble for Chris and she takes time to find out about an individual such as researching information on their condition and exploring things that will interest them and brighten their day.” The award accolade for Chris has also been acknowledged by Bina Kotecha, associate director of systems, leadership, and organisational development at UHL. She said: “As we continue to work towards an integrated health and social care system, we are delighted to have been given the opportunity to celebrate the integral role adult social care plays within the wider system.” Based in Coalville, Enrych are one of many providers commissioned by the council to support residents. For more than 35 years, they have empowered adults living with a disability - and those who are socially isolated - to live the most active and independent lives possible. To find out more about the opportunities that can come from an exciting new career in social care, please visit www.inspiredtocare.co.uk/joinus Thursday, 27 January, 2022 - Leicestershire County Council News

People in parts of Leicester who make a pledge to travel sustainably could be in with the chance of winning £250 worth of shopping vouchers, as well as book vouchers for schools. Leicester City Council is currently running a personal travel planning project in Highfields, Spinney Hills and St Matthews as part of an ongoing scheme to help boost sustainable travel. Anyone in those areas who signs up to the scheme and makes a pledge before the end of January will be entered into a free prize draw to win £250 worth of shopping vouchers. It means that around 11,000 residents living in these areas can take advantage of incentives and offers to help encourage them to choose sustainable travel methods such as walking, cycling, scootering or taking the bus to get to work, education, leisure facilities or shops. Participants get a tailored online travel pack providing details of a wide range of local travel options. Paper versions are also available on request. The information includes advice on walking routes, how to access cycle training, and public transport options, with maps, guides and information on electric bikes and cars. There are also details of the Betterpoints app, a reward scheme where users earn points every time they walk or cycle. Points can then be swapped for high street rewards, or donations to charity. People in the area who sign up for personalised travel planning now will get bonus Betterpoints. There’s also the chance to try out Santander Cycles Leicester – the city’s new ebike share scheme – for free. Both these offers are available on a limited basis, so sign up now to make sure you don’t miss out. Deputy city mayor Cllr Adam Clarke, who leads on environment and transport, said: “Making a small pledge to try travelling differently can make a big difference to the environment around Leicester, particularly in more built-up areas of the city. “By offering personal travel planning we can help give people more choice about how they get around and highlight some of the new and different methods of sustainable transport available in the city. We hope to encourage people to adopt cleaner, greener travel options that will help to tackle congestion, raise people’s activity levels and help them to save money.” A competition has also been launched at local primary schools in these areas, where families are invited to make a pledge to travel more sustainably and children can design a poster about their journey to school. All participating schools will receive book vouchers, with the creator of the overall winning poster receiving a brand new scooter. To make a pledge and enter the prize draw for £250 worth of shopping vouchers, visit www.choosehowyoumove.co.uk/ptp-east by 31 January and register online, or look out for information from your child’s school. You can also email ptpleicester@systra.com or call 0116 218 4439 for more information. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and is part of the city and county councils’ joint Choose How You Move campaign. Published on Thursday, January 27, 2022 by Leicester City Council

Two new grant schemes are offering support for hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses whose trade was affected by the recent surge in Omicron coronavirus cases. The grants are administered by Leicester City Council on behalf of the Government, to support city hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses. Businesses must apply to get the grants and those who are eligible are being encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) is available to hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses which were offering in-person services on the premises, and were the direct ratepayer and trading on 30 December 2021. It includes businesses such as restaurants, pubs, cafes, cinemas, casinos, art galleries, tourist attractions, event venues, nightclubs, theatres, hotels and B&Bs. The eligible businesses are determined by the Government and a full list is available online. The exact amount of grant depends on the rateable value of the business premises, and ranges from £2,667 to £6,000. It is a one-off payment. The city council estimates that around 1,000 local businesses are eligible for the grant, and has contacted many of them. Grants totalling £1.25m have already been paid. A discretionary grant fund has been set up by the council using £675,000 of Government funding. This is called the Omicron additional restrictions grant. This is sufficient to award grants to between 200 and 250 businesses whose trade has been affected by the Omicron surge, but which are not eligible for the OHLG. These discretionary grants are available to sole traders and micro/small/medium-sized businesses occupying business premises subject to business rates. The business must be trading and does not have to be the direct ratepayer. The types of business that can apply are: Hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses, which are not the direct ratepayer Travel agents and tour operators Hospitality and leisure businesses that have been supported by the council through previous discretionary grants, such as marquee hire, coach hire and coach tour operators, event caterers, event operators and local breweries Suppliers to the leisure, hospitality, events and accommodation sectors; and Gym and sports businesses. Again, the exact amount of grant depends on the rateable value of the business premises, and ranges from £2,667 to £6,000. Leicester City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “We know that the surge in Omicron cases affected many businesses across the city, particularly during what would normally have been a busy time in the run-up to Christmas. These grants can provide much-needed financial support. “We have tailored our own discretionary grant to address some of the gaps in eligibility, carefully considering which business types and business sectors can be supported with this limited funding. Whilst the money from the Government is of course very welcome, it is not enough to support all the businesses across the city that have been affected. “I’d urge businesses to check whether they are eligible and, if so, make sure they claim the help to which they are entitled as soon as possible.” The closing date for both schemes is 18 March, although the discretionary scheme will close earlier if all the £675,000 funding is allocated - so the sooner eligible businesses apply, the better. For more details and to apply online, visit: https://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/coronavirus/advice-and-support-for-businesses/ Published on Friday, January 28, 2022 by Leicester City Council

From 29 January 2022, there will be some changes to The Highway Code. They are introduced to improve safety for people walking, cycling and horse riding. Every road user still has a responsibility to keep themselves and each other safe, and the changes mean being ready to give priority, leave space and be considerate of others. In summary, regardless of your method of transport, a new system of order for road users has been introduced to ensure those who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger or threat they may be to others. What does this mean? Giving people crossing and waiting to cross and cyclists (or people cycling) going straight ahead priority when turning in and out of junctions. Giving plenty of space when passing people cycling and horse riders. Making sure you are acting with responsibility and respect to all road users. What do I need to know? You now should give people crossing and waiting to cross and cyclists going straight ahead priority when turning in and out of junctions. You now should leave at least 1.5 metres when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph, and give them more space when overtaking at higher speeds. When driving, you should now pass horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles at speeds under 10 mph and allow at least 2 metres of space. You should now allow at least 2 metres of space and keep to a low speed when passing a pedestrian who is walking in the road. Car users should now open their doors using the 'Dutch reach' with the hand furthest from the door, to help them look over their shoulder to see cyclists or pedestrians nearby. People may cycle in the centre of the lane or two abreast for their own safety, whilst allowing others to overtake when it is safe for them to do so. It is important that all road users are aware of The Highway Code, are considerate to other road users and understand their responsibility for the safety of others. Full details of the changes can be found at The Highway Code – GOV.UK.