Getting fit and active doesn’t have to be boring or tedious; it can be great fun and NHS Herefordshire intends to prove the point by inviting families to free Wii fit sessions at Whitecross Sports College.

Aerobics, balance, skiing, snowboarding, boxing, running; whatever you fancy having a go at, the Wii fit can do it all so NHS staff are keen to encourage people to have a go as part of the Change4Life programme.

The sessions take place on Tuesday February 23 and March 9 from 6.30-7.30pm at Whitecross Specialist Sports College and High School.  Children aged two to eleven are invited to bring their families along to an hour of fun trying out new types of exercise to help them move more.  More exercise combined with eating well will help Herefordshire families to live longer too.

Lisa Purslow, healthy lifestyle co-ordinator, said:  “This is one type of computer game the health officials approve of as it requires active participation rather than passive gaming.  We will have a number of Wii fit stations up and running so anyone can just call in and have a go.

“We don’t expect everyone to like all types of exercise, but the Wii fit is great fun and gives people options to try: and of course there’s a bit of healthy inter-family competition involved too.

“Mums and carers at Green Croft Children’s Centre have already tried out the new Wii fit plus consoles and had a great time.”

The Wii fit exercise session is one of many events being organised by NHS Herefordshire to help local families change the way they live their lives.  Full details of all events together with Top Tips on how to make small, meaningful changes to benefit health and well being are available on www.herefordshirechange4life.org

There’s good news for young unemployed people in the county after Herefordshire Council secured funding for new jobs.

The funding comes from a new Future Jobs fund developed by the Department of Work and Pensions in a bid to help unemployed people between 18 and 24-years of age gain employment.

Funding under the scheme was due to finish at the end of March, but the council has secured funding which means the scheme can run for a further 12 months.

The criteria for the funding stipulates that applicants must be18-24 year olds who have been unemployed for six months.

The council has been working with local employers in both the private, public and voluntary sector, to identify possible job opportunities. As a result, a diverse range of jobs are on offer, including work in horticulture, leisure, health, caring professions and construction.

All posts will be advertised through Job Centre Plus and financial support may be available to help with travel and training costs.

Cllr Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for economic development and community services, said:  “We’re delighted to be able to offer some of the county’s young people hope in the current economic climate.

“We understand how difficult it can be for young people beginning their working lives.  Employers want to see evidence of experience, which makes it very difficult for some to get their first break.

“Although the posts are temporary, the six month contracts will help many get a foot on the employment ladder by providing them with valuable experience, boosting their skills and helping them decide on future career prospects.

“I hope those invited to apply will do so and make the most of this great opportunity.”

The council is keen to hear from employers who may want to take someone on for six months under the scheme.

“The salary, plus any other associated costs, are covered by the grant. We’re particularly looking for companies which work to benefit their local community,” said Melvyn Davies, the council’s employment placement officer for the scheme.

Companies interested in taking part in the scheme can contact Melvyn on 01432 261606.

Editor's Note: If you are looking for a job in Herefordshire, try Herefordshire Jobs

Business leaders in Oxfordshire’s towns and shopping centres are celebrating a notable milestone. All nine of the county’s former Woolworths stores are now under new ownership. A number have already re-opened; the remainder will be back in business shortly.
 
Member groups of the Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network have been monitoring the progress of work to re-let the nine stores. OTCN Director Iain Nicholson says: “When Woolworths closed its stores it left a sizeable hole in a number of our town and shopping centres. The fact that all nine have been taken up by other name retailers is very encouraging. It has been a very challenging year for business and retail has been no exception, but there is a huge amount of work being done to strengthen our high streets. That needs to continue, but the re-letting of the ex-Woolworths stores and the numbers of independent stores opening in our towns is a strong signal of the confidence there is in our high streets and shopping centres even in these challenging economic times.”
 
The new stores taking up the nine ex-Woolworths premises are:

• Iceland (Bicester)  
• H&M (Banbury)
• Sainsbury’s (Thame & Henley)
• 99p Stores (Witney & Templars Square)
• Cargo (Abingdon & Wantage)
• Alworths (Didcot)

 
Paul Jackson, Commercial Manager at Castle Quay in Banbury says: “There is no doubt that the loss of Woolworths was a major blow to retailer and consumer confidence. However, we are delighted to have attracted fashion retailer, H&M, to the Castle Quay's Woolworths site. It has taken investment and expertise to attract a quality retailer such as H&M, but Castle Quay's commitment to maintaining a vibrant shopping destination, strengthened our resolve to find a suitable alternative. I am very pleased we have been successful.”
 
Barbara Richardson for The Henley Partnership says: “The re-letting of the ex-Woollies store to Sainsbury in Henley was very welcome. It joins a long list of new shops to open in Henley in the past ten months, helping to secure our town’s position as a shopping centre with an interesting cross-section of both national and independent retailers.”
 
Janette Reed of Witney Independent Traders Association, WITAN, says that she and fellow-traders are positive about a new tenant being found there: “An empty shop can drag down an area, and although many personally miss 'good old Woollies', the 99p Store is proving to be quite a draw and should encourage good foot-fall in the area, benefiting other traders.”
 
Aaron Bayliss, Centre Manager at Templars Square, says: “We are delighted to welcome ‘99p Stores’ as another valued retailer at Templars Square Shopping Centre, and they, and we, have already seen a healthy increase in trade.”
 
Bicester Chamber President Ben Jackson says: “The former Woolworths in Bicester re-opened as Iceland during 2009 and this was for many residents a welcome broadening of the food provision in the town. Recently we have seen independent retailers opening in Sheep Street and Deans Court, and Bicester Chamber is working with Wyevale to provide a regular platform for Bicester businesses to engage with visitors to the garden centre. 2010 will be different as work on the town centre development, Cinema and Sainsbury etc, has already started. The cinema should really enhance the weekend and evening economies of the town. Add in other developments planned for Bicester and we are heading into a very busy period.”
 
John Naish, Chairman of Wantage & District Chamber of Commerce says: “We are very pleased to see another Wantage shop being occupied by a new tenant. We hope and expect the trend will continue in 2010.”
 
OTCN is a communications network bringing together 24 local chambers and other business groups in the county with 1,600 member businesses between them, plus fourteen events networks with a database reach in excess of 3,000 businesses.

Children in the north of Herefordshire are being encouraged to go wild this month as outdoor play rangers, WildPlay, have been commissioned by Herefordshire Council to run a four-week outdoor activity session for children and families at Wigmore Primary School and North Herefordshire’s Children’s Centre.

The project will involve children and families developing natural habitats for small animals, building play dens, holding bug hunts, making bird boxes and much, much more.

WildPlay is a voluntary organisation run by nature play rangers, based at Herefordshire Nature Trust.   Play rangers provide opportunities for children in Herefordshire to enjoy playing outdoors, explore the natural environment, make dens, climb trees, make things out of seeds and grasses and enjoy natural hide, slide, spy and seek places.  With a bit of imagination a boulder can be transformed into a tower, a fence into a fortress and a stream into raging rapids.

Play rangers support children and families by helping them to enjoy the great outdoor environment safely and creatively.  The north Herefordshire project also offers children time to explore and take part in challenging, risky play in supervised environment, which can vary from a green space on housing estate, to the wild woods.

“We are very excited to be offering our families access to this project,” said Kim Gristy, children’s centre manager.  She continue, “Our children’s centre has worked with WildPlay before and our families have always thoroughly enjoyed their sessions, so we are delighted to be joining Wigmore Primary School on this project.  The nice thing about this type of outdoor exploration is that children and families share what they learn in the activities and sessions with their friends and families at home”.

arah Brown has hosted a tea at Downing Street to thank a specialist search and rescue team – including staff from Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) - for their contribution to the rescue effort in Haiti.

The six staff flew to the Caribbean island in mid-January to assist in the international effort to rescue survivors in the aftermath the earthquake which killed and injured thousand.

The Kent crews joined staff from eight UK fire and rescue services including Greater Manchester, West Sussex, West Midlands, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Hampshire and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Services; totalling 64 staff, two search dogs and 12 tonnes of equipment.

Following their tea yesterday (8 February), staff making up UK International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR) team were taken for a tour of Number 10, visiting the Cabinet and state rooms.

Urban Search and Rescue Team Leader John Mazzey, who led the operations of the Kent crews in Haiti, said: “To be in the position to help countries that have been struck by natural disasters, like Haiti, is a real privilege.

“In the aftermath of the quake, Haiti simply did not have the tools or resources needed to carry out successful rescues. Over the past few years our Government has made sure that it has invested in training and equipment to deal with major incidents like this. However, in poorer countries, they simply do not have the funding to do so and when natural disasters occur they cause mass devastation.
“The whole team felt honoured that its efforts were recognised by Sarah Brown and the staff at 10 Downing Street.”

Successes of the Kent firefighters working with other UK teams while in Haiti, included the rescue of a man in his 60s after seven hours of tunnelling.

The man was thrown out of his bed by the earthquake and ended up under it. The bed seemed to have protected him and helped him to survive. After rehydration, the lucky survivor recovered well and was treated for minor injuries.

As well as responding to UK ISAR deployments, the team also forms part of KFRS’s Urban Search and Rescue response which has capability including kit to lift, cut and remove concrete and rubble from collapsed structures along with sophisticated equipment for finding casualties, including special cameras and listening devices.

The tools they use can penetrate reinforced concrete and metal to gain access to casualties and the use of shoring equipment allows team members to maintain a safe working position during rescues.