Latest news with #Wiltshire
BBC News
2 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Calls for disused fire station to be converted into youth centre
A town councillor is calling for a disused fire station to be turned into a dedicated youth centre under plans to "reduce anti-social behaviour".The proposal would see The Old Fire and Ambulance building in Calne, Wiltshire, converted into a "vibrant hub" that could host activities and workshops for young Orrey Pike said plans were in its "very early" stages."Empty buildings are a wasted opportunity but even worse is leaving our young people with nowhere to go," he said. In 2023, Calne Town Council took control of the derelict Grade II listed building from Wiltshire Council and revealed plans for a £250,000 revamp of the the time it was suggested the space could be used by community groups, however the building has continued to deteriorate over time. Mr Pike said turning the site into a youth club could help reduce anti-social behaviour in the town."We can give them [young people] a space to learn, socialise, and develop skills in a safe and supervised setting."We want to give young people something to do and look to reduce crime."It is unclear where funding for the refurbishment would come from and feasibility studies are yet to be discussed. 'Action, not words' Calls for more local youth provision have been echoed by Wiltshire Youth for Christ, a faith-based youth and community organisation."There aren't the resources and opportunities for young people that there used to be," said youth worker, Steve Dewar welcomed the idea to transform the old building into a youth hub, but said it needs to be followed by action."It's great when a town says 'we're going to do something about it', but we don't need words, we need action," he said.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
'My son is being denied a specialist school place', Coalville mum says
The mother of a boy with autism and ADHD has said her family has been "failed and ignored" after he was denied a specialist school seven-year-old son Austin has been unable to attend a full day at school in about two had secured an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which states that mainstream schools would be unable to meet his needs, while living in Wiltshire and hoped to secure a specialist school place for after losing her job, Lauren decided to relocate to Coalville in Leicestershire to be closer to family in December 2024 and was told the EHCP would move with them. She said she spent months "begging for an update" as Austin became increasingly anxious and eventually received an email from Leicestershire County Council informing her he had been given a place at a mainstream said she later learnt the authority had taken the EHCP to a panel, which it told the BBC was made up of qualified professionals, without informing her. An EHCP is for children and young people up to the age of 25 who need more support than is available through the usual special educational needs 28, said the plan she had previously signed had been "edited without her consent or knowledge".She has appealed against the decision, claiming the school would not be able to meet his needs, and is preparing for tribunal the meantime, she is keeping Austin at home and trying to educate him but admits he is "so far behind"."He's not officially home-schooled, but I'm doing everything I can," she added."I thought him having the EHCP would fix the problems. It didn't."Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) regulations state that a new local authority receiving a transferred EHCP - in this case Leicestershire County Council - can bring forward the arrangements for the review of the can also conduct a new education, health and care needs assessment, regardless of when the previous assessment took place at the previous says she feels "hugely and continuously" failed by the system and the situation has taken its toll on her family."It's difficult. It's a lot," she said."He's not my only child, so I think anyone with more than one kid, you're pulled in multiple directions all the time."He is bored. He misses having friends. His social aspect is difficult."Lauren said Austin could become "very, very agitated" and described him as "a coiled spring a lot of the time"."He fidgets a lot. He twitches a lot. He speaks very, very quickly," she said, adding that Austin was aware he was not at the same level education-wise as other children his age."He is very frightened of the reality of going back because he knows he's not at their level." EHCP delays The Department for Education said 21,960 children in the East Midlands were reported as missing education at any point during the 2023-24 academic year due to not being registered at a school or receiving suitable Martin, chief executive officer of charity Menphys, said many children with SEND were out of education because their needs were not being added: "These are some of the most vulnerable children in our society, and they're being denied access to something as basic as school."The EHCP process which is meant to take 20 weeks legally, can take over a year."Many parents are forced to go to tribunal to get the rights of their children met."What happens whilst these all of these waits are happening, is the child deteriorates. The child's mental health deteriorates."Schools don't have enough funding to be inclusive and what ends up happening the child is either removed from education or, due to the severity of the unmet needs, cannot go."Looking ahead, Lauren said she wanted her son to have a fair added: "I want him to have a school that will advocate for him, support him, and give him the opportunities he deserves."A county council spokesperson said: "If the panel believes a child's needs can be met in a mainstream setting, they will be offered a place at a suitable school."Parents can also request an urgent annual review if they have concerns about the placement."The government said in the spending review it would be setting out long-awaited plans to reform the SEND system in England this autumn in a government white Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "We have already taken the first steps to identify and meet children's needs earlier in mainstream schools, including through more early intervention across speech and language, ADHD and autism to prevent needs from escalating and £740m to encourage councils to create more specialist places in mainstream schools."
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How drones are terrorising England's prettiest village: They film children in gardens, locals in the bath and even try to get in to people's houses. Now furious residents say: 'It's like living in North Korea!'
Surely one of the most bizarre incidents in movie history took place during the shooting of the 1967 film Doctor Dolittle in the chocolate-box village of Castle Combe in Wiltshire, just eight miles from Queen Camilla 's country bolthole in nearby Lacock. With its honey-coloured Cotswold cottages strung out along the single street featured on many a postcard, calendar and jigsaw puzzle, Castle Combe is often dubbed 'the prettiest village in England'.
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
'Fragile' girl's life transformed after rare condition caused her to stop eating
A 'fragile' girl's life has been transformed thanks to "caring and loving" staff at a 12, from Salisbury, Wiltshire, has a rare life-limiting muscle wasting condition called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which prevents her from House children's hospice came to the family's aid in 2023 after Ellie took to her bed, dropped out of school and expressed suicidal mother Beth said: "They just came in and gave us a chance to heal a bit. Cope a bit. Relax a bit. We were given this 360 care and love from people that were so gentle with us when we were so damaged." The family are sharing their story during Children's Hospice Week, which runs until Sunday, to raise awareness and funds for local parents first noticed their daughter might be unwell when she stopped crawling at nine months testing showed that Ellie had SMA Type 2. The condition is life-limiting, affecting her muscles, swallowing and period after the diagnosis was "absolutely awful", Beth said."I was searching for a cure anywhere I could. We were just desperate – we were like frightened children," she can still use her lower arms and hands to write, but is unable to stand independently or walk as her upper thigh muscles have weakened. "While she does physically struggle, it's Ellie's confidence and sense of identity that's damaged the most," said Beth. "She still very much cries because she can't go on a climbing frame and do things like other children. Her mental health is massively affected." 'Very fragile' In 2023, Ellie took to her bed on and off for about six months. She stopped eating, dropped out of school and told her parents she did not want to live. "It was an incredibly scary time for us and for her."But that was luckily the year that we discovered Julia's House, and things changed massively."Being around other children who are in wheelchairs or know what it's like to have a complex condition has also been phenomenal for Ellie. She has developed some really special friendships because of Julia's House."She added that all of Julia's House nurses, play worker and counsellor helped Ellie through her "very fragile mental health condition". 'Enormous strain on parents' Mike Bartlett, the charity's chief executive, said that Ellie's case proved how important it was to support parents, as well as children."Looking after a very poorly child puts an enormous strain on parenting. Research shows that many parents looking after seriously ill children suffer ill health themselves," he it is becoming more difficult for the charity to provide its services, due to the economic climate, he added."The problem is the costs have gone up, the cost of providing care, staffing, energy bills, inflation all have a pressure on our bottom line and it's getting harder and harder to fundraise," he said.
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Elections cancelled due to lack of candidates
A dozen parish councils are unable to function due to a lack of candidates, stoking fears about the future of local near Lyneham in Wiltshire, is one of the areas affected, with Thursday's election cancelled because it failed to meet the minimum number of people councils represent the most local tier of government, with responsibilities for open spaces, street lighting and certain public amenities. Other areas affected in Wiltshire include Burbage, Ashton Keynes, and Vines, Dauntsey parish clerk, said it is a struggle to keep functioning. He added: "I'm holding the fort trying to make decisions on the council's behalf." Mr Vines added the parish is charged for each failed election and this was creating a financial a parish election to take place, the law states there must be at least three people standing. When asked, residents were divided on whether they would put their names council chair Ellen Blacker said that she was "really surprised that nobody ended up going for nomination".She added that if the situation continued she would probably nominate herself again, because she does not want to "see the village let down".Lucy Townsend, Wiltshire Council's returning officer, said that it was disappointing "there aren't more people that recognise what value they could add to their local communities"."We have to have town and parish councils that are able to function," she in Dauntsey are due to open again shortly, ahead of next month's election, as the community tries to elect a parish council for the third time in as many months. Uncontested parish council elections that were due to take place on Thursday are listed below: Ashton KeynesBurbageDauntseyGraftonHeywoodLattonLittle BedwynLydiard TregozeOakseyRedlynchStocktonWinterbourne Stoke
