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update
We now produce two local magazines. NOVA continues unchanged, covering two months at a time as usual.
eXtra nova with a print run of 10,000 copies is our bright new magazine appearing between NOVAs to provide an annual total of twelve publications at monthly intervals.
The September eXtra has now been delivered.
Back to School
Not in NOVA!
Shifnal's Secret Stars
Young Writers Group
Adult Placement Carers Needed
One million
poop scoop bags
Shifnal's Secret Stars are to shine on stage in a major talent show. Organisers of the town’s first arts festival, which is putting on Shifnal’s Got Talent as one of the highlights of a nine day programme of events, want people to put their names forward and take to the stage.
Shifnal Arts Festival chairman Tony Stringfellow said, “It’s going to be a spectacular night, when people will discover that their neighbours have stage skills they hadn’t even suspected.
“Shifnal’s Got Talent goes to the heart of what our arts festival is all about – unlocking the town’s artistic abilities and showing them off to a local audience. There’s a huge wealth of talent in Shifnal that’s so far gone undiscovered, from dancers and divas to musicians and mime artists, all waiting for an opportunity to shine.”
Shifnal’s Got Talent will be run as separate heats for under 16s and for adults, with the big finale night held on Tuesday 21 September. A panel of judges will decide the final winners. Entry forms are available from Shifnal library or Katrina’s card shop, Cheapside, Shifnal or by emailing shifnalfestival@blueyonder.co.uk
Shifnal Arts Festival runs from Saturday 18th until Sunday 26 September. The programme of events already includes street performances, a day of dance, poetry recitals, a choirs’ evening and a classical concert. There will also be arts and photographic exhibitions, creative workshops and films.
Young Writers Group Telford & Wrekin Council has launched a Young Writers Group for people aged between 11 and 19. The group, based at Telford Library in the town centre, meets between 5.30pm and 7.30pm on the first Thursday of every month, starting Thursday 1 April.
The group is aimed at anyone who is interested in trying their hand at creative writing and story telling with any level of experience, including complete beginners.
Each meeting will focus on different areas of writing such as poetry, play writing, short stories and biographical fiction. The sessions are led by enthusiastic writers Matt James and Andy Hawkins.
Matt James, Cultural Development Officer at Telford Culture Zone, said, “This is the first time the Council, through the arts and culture partnership Telford Culture Zone, has run a young writers group.
“All people need to bring with them is a genuine interest in writing and their ideas.”
The group is completely free. For further information or to book a place call 01952 382923.
Adult Placement Carers Needed Telford & Wrekin Council would like to hear from anyone who could offer accommodation, care and support for long-term or short break stays/respite for vulnerable adults. They may have a learning disability, other disability, mental health difficulties or could be an older person.
Adult Placement Carers play an invaluable and enriching role in the lives of the adults who stay with them as part of the family, giving these adults a chance to develop new skills, gain confidence and broaden their quality of life.
To become Adult Placement Carers, people need a flexible and positive approach to other people, a room to spare at home and to successfully complete a few simple checks by the Adult Placement Organiser.
Mary Coultas, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Adult Placement Organiser said, “Our Adult Placement Carers are ordinary people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures with or without a partner, with or without children, who live in all kinds of homes.
“You do not need any special qualifications but you will need to have time, energy, understanding and an ability to care for the needs of a particular person.
“We would be pleased to hear from anyone who would like to find out a bit more about being an Adult Placement Carer, whether you have a few hours to spare or could offer a long-term home for someone who needs you, we would love to hear from you.”
People who are approved as Adult Placement Carers receive a continuous programme of training and help and encouragement from the Adult Placement Team.
There is also a generous allowance for their support. If you would like to learn more about the Adult Placement Scheme and find out if you could be an Adult Placement Carer, please contact Mary Coultas, Adult Placement Organiser, on 01952 381420 or email adultplacement.scheme@telford.gov.uk
One million poop scoop bags to help fight foul play!
A million free poop scoop bags
are being distributed throughout Telford and Wrekin in a bid to encourage dog owners
to ‘scoop’ up after their canine companions.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s Environmental Maintenance team has joined forces with veterinary charity PDSA, at Priorslee, and Bayer Animal Health to produce the new bags.
Bayer has sponsored the project which was set up to help meet increasing demand for poop scoop bags to target the problem of dog fouling in Telford and Wrekin.
The previously plain bags have now been printed with an eye-catching new design, bearing the logos of the three organisations and a warning to dog owners that failing to clean up after their animals can result in a £1000 fine.
The PDSA is also supplying an advice leaflet entitled ‘Dogs – consideration for others’ which provides information for pet owners who walk their dogs in public places.
Council Dog Warden Barry Robertson will distribute the bags to a number of venues across the borough including libraries and veterinary practices, where dog owners can pick them up free of charge.
Barry said, “The demand from dog owners for poop scoop bags has been fantastic and we hope more and more people will understand that it is an offence not to clean up after their dog”.
Cllr Steve Bentley, Cabinet Member for the Environment at Telford & Wrekin Council said, “ Working in partnership with the PDSA and Bayer Animal Health helps reinforce our concerns and messages. I hope we can carry on working together in the future for the benefit of dogs and their owners across the borough.”
PDSA Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Steve Howard, says, “Dog mess isn’t pleasant and owners have a responsibility to clean up after their dogs. There are very serious health issues associated with dog mess including diseases such as Toxocara, a parasitic worm that can cause blindness in humans. One ‘dog dump’ can contain about 1 million Toxocara eggs!
“There are over six million pet dogs in the UK, which produce tonnes of waste every day. So not cleaning up after dogs quickly adds up to a huge pile of foul play by irresponsible dog owners.”
Fraser Claughton, of Bayer Animal Health, added: “Everyone knows dog waste is unpleasant but some dog owners may not realise that diseases can be spread to humans if the dog has not been wormed properly. Encouraging owners to clean up their dogs’ mess, with a positive message about responsible worming with a product such as Drontal, will hopefully minimise dog waste in public areas and lead to more dogs being wormed, as they should.”
If you are seen failing to clean up after your dog, you can be issued with a fine of £50. Failure to pay the fine could lead to prosecution in court and a further fine of up to £1,000. •
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