Driver backing hard shoulder video

A driver from the North West who says Highways Agency Traffic Officers saved his life last week is backing a new video giving hard shoulder safety advice.

Peter Baker, 27, from Didsbury in Manchester, was travelling along the M56 at Junction 3a near Wythenshawe on Wednesday (May 16), when his car broke down in heavy rain.

He had correctly pulled into the hard shoulder when Highways Agency Traffic Officers Dave Smith and Ian Wilkinson arrived to give him typical safety advice. With a drop behind the hard shoulder safety barrier, Dave and Ian, who work from Knutsford Outstation, advised Peter to instead stand well in front of his car on the side of the hard shoulder and look towards oncoming traffic.

Minutes later another car hit the back of Peter’s Fiat Punto and Peter said this week:

“You could say that the Traffic Officers saved my life - I am very grateful.

“I was standing about ten yards ahead of my car when I saw another car in the main carriageway spin and head towards mine. The back of the car hit mind and both then spun towards me. I managed to jump clear over the barrier and to be honest I think I am lucky to be alive. Those extra few yards probably saved my life.”

Peter is now backing a new Highways Agency video launched this week in time for the bank holiday and featuring popular motoring journalist Quentin Willson.

The Highways Agency is reminding drivers that the motorway hard shoulder is not the place to stop for phone calls, to check the map or even for a bite to eat.

Hard shoulder accidents claimed the lives of 67 people in the five years from 2000 - 2004, and a total of 1,017 people were killed or injured.

The new video called “Keep Safe, Keep Moving” drives home the message that the hard shoulder is for emergency use and vehicle breakdowns only.

A vehicle parked on the hard shoulder is more likely to be involved in an accident than one travelling at speed in motorway traffic, according to Highways Agency research.

Even so, drivers put themselves at risk by pulling over for non-emergencies such as taking phone calls, checking the map or even taking a comfort break.

The new video will be part of a new road safety DVD to advise road users on how they can keep themselves safe. It will be used by the Highways Agency at road safety events and copies will be available to police forces, the fire service and local safety partnerships.

Highways Agency Traffic Officers, who now patrol all of England’s motorways, regularly come across examples of mis-use of the hard shoulder.

“Keep Safe, Keep Moving”, is presented by TV motoring journalist Quentin Willson. “Keep Safe, Keep Moving” will be part of a new road safety DVD from the Highways Agency. Copies will be available to Police Forces, Fire and Rescue Services, Local Safety Partnerships and other bodies involved in road safety education.

If your vehicle breaks down on the motorway:

• Pull onto the hard shoulder and park as far to the left as you can.
• Turn on your hazard warning lights and get out of the vehicle, using the doors furthest away from the traffic.
• Contact the Highways Agency using the emergency roadside telephone.

CN4M Knowledgebank

The CN4M Knowledgebank is now live on the CN4M website (see link below). http://www.cn4m.net/index.php?option=com_docman1&Itemid=81

The Knowledgebank will include research relating to and done by the VCS, examples of projects that are being set up (see example in transport section) and also examples of best practice.

The Knowledgebank is a work in progress and new categories will be added as content is submitted. If you have any content that you think is relevant please email a copy or link to catht@cn4m.net.

If you have any comments about the Knowledgebank please forward them to catht@cn4m.net.

Be Aware of Bogus Roofers!!!

Advice to give members of the public following recent storms

People who have had their roofs/property damaged by the recent storms are being warned not to fall victim to dodgy doorstep rogues offering to carry out repairs. Trading Standards Officers in Manchester are warning people not to be caught out by doorstep visitors offering to replace lost tiles or mend damaged guttering.

They are concerned that rogue traders may try to take advantage of the poor weather conditions and consequent damage to homes - whether real or simply made up - in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately past experience shows that rogues will try to “cash in on” a sudden upsurge in demand for roofing work. In order to avoid falling victim Trading Standards offer the following advice. If property has suffered from storm damage people should check their buildings insurance. Policies should cover storm damage and you should contact your insurer at the earliest opportunity and seek their advice. If in rented accommodation you should contact your landlord about any damage that has been caused.

If you need to have work done then make sure that you use a reputable builder. Ask friends or family to recommend someone or use someone who has worked for you in the past who you can trust.

Be wary of people ringing you up or knocking on your door, especially if they want you to sign up to a special deal on the spot.

Be cautious of advertising which comes through the door, particularly adverts which only have a telephone number. Anyone can claim to be a builder/decorator/etc.

Officers say it is their experience that those who do employ roofing rogues will often end up paying far more than they should have to, including paying for work which is not needed. Anyone offering to carry out work as a result of door to door calling should provide written details of cancellation rights to the customer. If people have concerns about doorstep callers they should contact Trading Standards on 08454 04 05 06.

Advice about repair work and consumer rights in general is also available on 08454 04 05 06 from Consumer Direct who also have information on their website at www.consumerdirect.org.uk

New Year…. brand new healthy you!

The Food Standards Agency’s Guide to Help You Keep Those Good Intentions All Year Round…

Another year and another chance to make some well intentioned promises to yourself…”I will eat my five portions of fruit and veg a day”, “I will not skip breakfast”, “I will shed those extra pounds”…sound familiar?

We’ve all been guilty of not managing to stick to our New Year’s resolutions so it’s time to call in a bit of help. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has rounded up a Top 10 of popular New Year resolutions that people make about food each year, offering some great advice and tips on how you can start the New Year as you mean to go on…

Top 10 New Year’s Food Resolutions1. Time to hit the scales… “I will go on a diet”

After over-indulging at Christmas many people start the New Year with the good intention of losing a few pounds. They often undertake very strict diets because they want to lose lots of weight quickly. Diets that severely limit the amount of food, or types of food, you can eat can be hard to stick to. Crash diets aren’t good for your health and often don’t work in the longer term. The best way to reach a healthy weight and maintain it is to adapt your lifestyle gradually to reduce the amount you eat, eat a wider variety of foods and improve your overall diet and be more active.

Some easy ways to improve your diet include:

- Base your meals on starchy foods, such as bread, pasta and potatoes and choose wholegrain varieties wherever you can

- Eat lots more fruit and vegetables - these are generally low in fat, help to fill you up and make very healthy snacks if you get hungry between meals

- Cut down on high-fat foods, especially those with saturated fat, such as pies, sausages, butter, cheese, dishes with creamy sauces, cakes, biscuits and doughnuts

- Choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk and low-fat yoghurts, rather than full-fat versions

- Choose lean cuts of meat and avoid eating the fat. Also avoid eating the skin on chicken, because although the meat is low in fat, the skin contains much more

2. Note to self, “Must eat more fruit and veg”

We all know that we’re supposed to feast on at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, however most people in the UK don’t eat nearly enough. On average, adults consume less than 3 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Having at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and veg each day has lots of health benefits, including reducing your chances of developing heart disease and some types of cancer. Try to make eating lots of fruit and veg a daily habit and try to:

- Add some sliced banana, apple, dried fruit or raisins to your breakfast cereal
- Drink a glass of fruit juice at breakfast time
- Keep some fruit handy for a mid-morning or afternoon snack
- Add tomato, peppers, carrots or lettuce to sandwiches
- Add vegetables to curries, soups, casseroles and pasta sauces
- Serve an extra vegetable or side salad with a meal
- Make a bowl of fruit salad for dessert

Remember that fresh, frozen, tinned, dried and juiced fruit and veg, ALL count towards your daily portions, but juice only counts as one portion a day, however much you drink. This is because you don’t get the same nutritional benefits from juice as you get from the whole fruit and veg.

3. “Out goes all fatty products from my diet”

An urban food myth! You shouldn’t try to avoid all fat because everyone needs some fat in their diet to be healthy. But the type of fat you eat is important. Most people eat too much of the wrong types of fat and that can increase your chances of developing heart disease.

As part of a healthy diet try to reduce the amount of foods you eat which contain saturated fats and replace them with unsaturated fats. Eating too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Biscuits, cakes, pastries, meat pies, sausages, hard cheese, butter and foods containing lard, coconut or palm oil can be high in saturated fats. Having unsaturated fats, instead of saturated fats can help to lower cholesterol. Foods that are rich in unsaturated fats include oily fish, avocados, nuts and sunflower, rapeseed and olive oils.

Fatty foods tend to be very densely packed with calories, so it’s easy to eat too much of them, which increases your chances of becoming overweight. Get into the habit of checking out the fat content on food labels before you buy them, some foods are low in fat, even though they aren’t marketed as low-fat products. And other foods that are labelled ‘reduced fat’ might still be quite high in fat so keep your eyes peeled on the labels!

4. Only a pinch of salt… “I will stop adding salt to my food”

Everyday on average 26 million people eat more than the daily recommended maximum of 6g of salt. It’s definitely a good idea to stop using salt at the table or adding it whilst cooking because having too much can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease and strokes. Although not adding salt to food will help you cut down, about three-quarters of the salt we eat comes from processed foods, so remember to check the label when you’re shopping too.

Compare the nutritional information on different products to help you choose lower-salt options. Most foods are labelled with the amount of sodium they contain per 100g, rather than salt.

So how much is too much salt? If a food contains 1.25g salt or more per 100g then it’s high in salt. It’s better to choose foods that contain just a little salt - 0.25g or less per 100g. Adults should try to eat no more than 6g salt each day. Other ways to cut down salt include:

* Look for food with ‘no added salt’ labels
* Make your own stock and gravy instead of using cubes or granules
* Add fresh herbs instead of salt to pasta, meat and vegetable dishes
* Experiment with other flavourings such as garlic, ginger chilli or lime
* Marinade meat and fish in advance to give them more flavour

5. Bye-bye sweet tooth… “I will cut out sugar”

Cutting out all sugar is very difficult and more or less impossible to stick to. There are naturally occurring sugars in lots of foods, including fruit and veg, and you don’t need to avoid these. However, it’s a good idea to try to cut down on foods and drinks that contain lots of added sugar, such as cakes, biscuits, sweets, jams and fizzy drinks.

Both adults and children in the UK eat too much sugar. And more of it comes from fizzy drinks than any other type of food or drink. So cutting down on sugary drinks, such as cola and lemonade, is a good way to reduce your intake of sugar. Other ways to cut down on sugar include:

- If you take sugar in hot drinks, gradually reduce the amount until you can cut it out altogether
- Instead of always spreading jam on your toast, try a low-fat spread, sliced banana, peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese
- Try having a currant bun or malt loaf instead of cakes or biscuits
- Choose tins of fruit in juice rather than syrup.
- Choose wholegrain breakfast cereals rather than those coated with sugar or honey

6. Fish, glorious fish…”I will eat more fish”

Most of us don’t eat enough fish. We should be eating more as both white fish (such as haddock, plaice, halibut and sole) and oily fish (such as sardines, salmon, trout, pilchards and mackerel) are excellent sources of protein, vitamins and minerals and they are also low in fat.

You should aim to eat at least two servings of fish a week, including one serving of oily fish. Oily fish is rich in a type of fatty acid called Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and is a good source of vitamins A and D. These fatty acids can help prevent coronary heart disease.

White fish contain some Omega 3, but at much lower levels than oily fish. Although fresh tuna is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, when tuna is canned the levels of these fats are reduced to a much lower level. So, although tinned tuna can be a healthy choice, it doesn’t count as oily fish.

Fish such as whitebait, canned sardines, pilchards and salmon - where you also eat the bones - are a good source of calcium and phosphorous, which help make our bones stronger.

7. Breaking the fast… “I will stop skipping breakfast”

Some people skip breakfast because they think it will help them to lose weight. But missing meals doesn’t help you lose weight and isn’t good for you because you can miss out on essential nutrients. Research shows that eating breakfast can actually help you maintain a healthy body weight, which is probably because when you don’t have breakfast you’re more likely to get hungry before lunch and then grab a fatty or sugary snack such biscuits, doughnuts or pastries!

A good breakfast will really set you up for the day and provides the energy you need as well as giving you some of the vitamins and minerals you need for good health.

Having some starchy food such as bread or breakfast cereal helps to give you energy. Try to choose wholegrain versions, because these contain more fibre and nutrients, and give a more sustained energy boost. Not all breakfast cereals are healthy choices though, because some contain as much fat and sugar as biscuits, plus lots of salt, so be sure to check the label first!

8. Where did I put that bottle of vitamins…”I will take my vitamin supplements regularly”

Most people don’t need to take vitamin supplements, because they can get all the nutrients they need from a healthy balanced diet. And popping pills can’t give you the same benefits as eating well. Evidence suggests that fruit and vegetables are good for you, not just because of the individual vitamins and minerals they contain, but because of the combination of different nutrients and fibre you get when you eat them.

However, pregnant women and those trying for a baby should take 400mcg of folic acid daily until the 12th week of pregnancy. In addition to this, they should also eat folate (natural form of folic acid) rich foods such as green vegetables, brown rice and fortified breakfast cereals. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should also take a daily 10mcg supplement of Vitamin D.

9. Saving the pennies…”I’ll save some cash by taking a packed lunch to work”

This resolution requires some organisation! But it can be much cheaper than going to the sandwich shop every day and healthier too, because you have more control over what goes into your lunch.

Many people think sandwiches are boring, but they don’t need to be:

- Try using different types of bread - squashy granary rolls, brown bread with added nuts or seeds, rye bread, bagels, tortilla wraps or wholemeal pitta bread
- Healthier sandwich fillings include lean meats such as ham, beef and turkey, chicken without the skin, canned sardines or salmon, hard-boiled egg, Edam, mozzarella and low-fat cream cheese
- Add some salad to help you eat more fruit and veg and make the sandwich more tasty
- And remember to be sparing with butter, mayonnaise and dressings because these are high in fat

10. Get steppin’… “I will exercise more”

Being physically active, alongside a balanced diet, is one of the best ways to help you lose weight and keep it off. Lots of people start of the year by slogging it out in the gym for the first two weeks of January, only to then spend the rest of the year on the sofa! You’re more likely to stick to an activity if you enjoy it, so try going for a swim, a brisk walk or a bike ride, or joining an exercise or dance class, taking up a new sport or another physical hobby.

And remember, exercise doesn’t only have to be in the gym - try walking up the stairs at work, or make the walk home from the station brisk, get off at an earlier bus stop or leave the car at home when you nip to the shop. Try to be conscious of the amount of exercise your doing everyday and remind yourself that a little bit of gentle exercise everyday is better than none at all - so get moving!

For further advice on exercise, log on to the Department of Health’s website, http://www.dh.gov.uk or cut and paste the following link.

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/OrganisationPolicy/Modernisation/ChoosingHealth/SmallChangeBigDifference/SmallChangeBigDifferenceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4134044&chk=QCN5Oh

If these New Year’s resolutions get you thinking, check out the Agency’s websites at http://www.food.gov.uk, http://www.eatwell.gov.uk, http://www.salt.gov.uk and pick up some great ideas and tips to make 2007 your healthiest New Year ever!

Government announces measures to encourage individuals to tackle climate change and take up greener lifestyles

Measures to help individuals tackle climate change and adopt greener lifestyles have been unveiled by the Government.

The announcement includes the launch of a comprehensive on-line guide to greener living on Directgov. A carbon calculator to help people find out how much carbon they emit annually from their actions is also being developed.

The online guide to greener living is designed to help people who want to find out what they can do in their everyday lives to tackle climate change and other environmental issues.

The guide includes actions that can be taken covering the home, shopping, travel, food and drink, waste and recycling, energy and water saving, gardening, as well as being green in your workplace, school and community.

The online guide to greener living can be found at http://www.direct.gov.uk/greenerliving

Alley gating in Chorlton

Chorlton has plenty of alleyways, (or ‘entries’ or ‘ginnels’), that is, narrow passageways with walls on both sides, usually between or at the back of rows of houses. They are not usually used by traffic and many have their origins as a way of delivering coal to terraced houses. Originally, many of these alleyways had gates, but most were removed during the Second World War, to allow access by air raid wardens, and were never replaced.

Type in “alley gating” into GoogleUK and on the first page of 100 entries (out of a total of 41,000) over 60 refer to Local Authority schemes to fit “climb-proof, lockable gates as a tried and trusted way to keep out unwelcome visitors - like burglars, stray dogs and fly-tippers”. Manchester City Council are encouraging alley gating as a place where “Alley gates give your kids a safe place for kids to play. You and your neighbours can muck in together to paint the walls or put in pot plants to make the alley a place to be proud of”.

The hope is that putting gates is part of a ’situational crime prevention’ and ‘target hardening’ initiative which will help ‘design out’ crime, reduce litter and encourage neighbourliness. Such schemes have been going since 1998

The initial emphasis on Alleygating schemes were in Neighbourhood Renewal schemes where specific funding was available for community safety initiatives under the Reducing Burglary Initiative. It seems to work too, for example, a “33% reduction in domestic burglary in target areas after gates’ installation” was noted in a review of Manchester alleygating in a recent report. In some parts of London, it has been demonstrated that a gate can bring down the number of rear access burglaries by up to 90%

Alleygating is not without its problems

Originally, all householders directly backing on to an alleyway had to give consent. Also the main act used, Section 129a of the Highways Act (1980) required crime figures or anti social behaviour to be high. This has been made easier since new legislation came into force on the 1st April 2006, from the Clean Neighbourhood Act 2005, which allows local Council’s to grant ‘gating orders’ for alleyways, if for example just one householder’s refusal to consent is blocking a scheme. The rule of thumb used now by the Council is that 80% of residents must be in favour for a a scheme to go ahead.

There can be practical difficulties too, for example, with contacting absentee landlords or where there are a high number of short term tenancies. They also might involve right of way closures if the alley has been ‘adopted’ by the City Council

Not everybody is in favour of Alleygating

The Institute of Public Rights of Way views Alleygating and the associated closing rights of as disadvantaging the public and having little effect on crime. They make the point that:

- Closing off exits does not automatically stop crime, or criminals
- Alley closures remove what was a lawful, and often useful, access for the public.
- Disabled people will often have to go a longer way round on their journeys.

They view alleygating as an example of a ‘knee jerk’ reaction by a Government wanting to be seen to be doing something, but in effect addressing the effects of criminality rather than the causes of it. Using the new legislation an applicant does not have to show that a path is not needed for public use before it can be closed. They can simply maintain that a criminal might find it useful as a short cut. However, if it can be used as a short cut by a criminal, it could also be used in the same way by someone with a mobility impairment, who might find the short distance saved provides a valuable gain in terms of energy saved.

My view is that on the whole Alleygating is generally a good thing with research showing that its effects are largely positive. Indeed, the alley behind my own house in Chorlton has been approved for Alleygating and will get its gates soon.

What concerns me more is how this restriction on public access is extended to communities rather than just alleys. There are gated communities beginning to spring up in Chorlton and I think that the implications of this trend is far more serious. In my next article I will discuss the implications of gated communities as moving towards a ‘fortress city’ approach to urban living

For further information about getting your alleys gated go to Manchester City Council website: www.manchester.gov.uk/housing/privatesector/homeown/allygate.htm
or contact the Private Sector Housing Alley Gating Team on 0161 234 4904.
Mark Youlden is the Technical officer with responsibility for the Chorlton area

Bernard Leach, 28-10-06

Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review into the Third Sector

HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office led by Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, have been undertaking the largest ever review of the third sector; meeting with the sector at a variety of regional and more local events across the country. The government has been particularly keen to hear from small community groups and to reach people at grass roots levels.

Following a regional event facilitated by the Treasury (July 2006), One North West (1NW) sought to promote a response specifically from black and ethnic minority voluntary and community sector organisations. Their consultation event took place in October and drew together representation from different organisations and networks. By holding the event they hoped to grapple with pertinent issues affecting the sector in the North West and then to pass these comments to government.

If you would like to see our full response to government this may be downloaded from www.onenorthwest.org.uk/public/documents/One North West Response to CSR 2 October 2006.pdf

Kick It Out Week of Action

The Kick It Out Week Of Action is now a firm fixture in the sporting calendar and one of the most prominent anti-racism initiatives in the country.

The week has a strong community focus and celebrates the contribution made to football by black, Asian and other ethnic minorities, whilst continuing the call to challenge racism.

‘One Game, One Community’

This year the period will see the games biggest names stand alongside communities across the UK under the banner - ‘One Game, One Community’

During this period grass roots clubs, schools, community groups and fans join the professional game in coming together for an extended week of symbolic activities promoting inclusion.

Last year, more than 700 events took place during the week of action, including an anti- racism match day at all 92 professional clubs in England and Wales.

The week of action is the biggest series of activities of their kind in Europe.

European action

The week of action is a European wide event. On the continent our partners in the Football Against Racism in Europe(FARE) network are co-ordinating activities.

Activities on the continent continue to grow each year, and although events in Britain are bigger than the rest of Europe together, fan groups and ethnic minorities from countries ranging from Slovakia, Germany, Ausrtia, Italy and Spain take an active part in the week.

Black History Month, Ramadan and Diwali

The week of action is held during Black History Month and has coincided with Ramadan and Diwali. This enables opportunities for us all to celebrate these important periods.

Find out more about Black History Month, Ramadan and Diwali.

Download the ONE GAME, ONE COMMUNITY Week of Action booklet here

Moving on up? Interim report

This month we launched the interim report of our 2-year investigation into ethnic minority women in the workplace. The report Moving on up? Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Black Caribbean women and work and it’s two new research reports paints a worrying picture of poor labour market prospects for young Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black Caribbean women in modern Britain, despite increasing attainment at school and ambitious aspirations.

We are looking for people like you to respond to the report and send us your comments that will enable us to come up with workable solutions, that will make a real difference to ethnic minority women’s ability to participate in the workplace, achieve their ambitions and realise their goals. You can get involved and help us make a difference by filling out this short web form.

We are also looking for employers to get in touch and feedback their views on some of the emerging issues raised in the report. We have designed a short questionnaire specifically for employers so please do get involved with this too.

The ethnic minority women at work section of the EOC website has now been fully updated to reflect all the recent activity surrounding the report. You can access these pages in the policy and campaigns section of the site.

Sports Volunteering Survey

Is your organisation involved with sports volunteering in the North West?

Do you want to help shape the future for sports volunteering in the North West?

As a key organisation in providing a placement, support and services to volunteers in sport we are keen to find out about your views.

The following survey will assist Sport Volunteering North West Ltd in mapping out future plans for coordinating and providing improved services for sports volunteers in the North West. This will be detailed in our emerging strategy for 2007-2012.

In order to develop our approach, it is necessary for us to appreciate the current provision by both sporting and volunteering organisations in the region. Your assistance through responding to the following survey will promote partnership working and identify areas where further support is required.

Click on the link below to take you straight to the survey or visit www.sportsvolunteeringnw.org

http://survey.primaevus.com/phpESP/public/survey.php?name=SVNW_service_providers

(For this purpose, being a sports volunteering service provider means any agency, club or organisation which provides placement, support or services to volunteers working in a sporting context, Being a sports volunteer means doing anything in a sporting context, other than playing, for which a person has received no payment other than expenses.)

Please complete on or by Monday 16th October 2006

If you prefer the a hardcopy of the survey can be requested or downloaded from www.sportsvolunteeringnw.org which can be returned via email as an attachment to sarah.smith@sportstructures.com or can be printed off and returned through the post to Sport Structures Ltd. PO BOX 3949. Warwick. CV34 9AF.

Sport Structures Limited is registered to collect data in accordance with the principles of the data protection act 1998.