Banish Summer Boredom
With the summer holidays fast approaching there are still opportunities to keep children and young people entertained thanks to the many holiday activities planned by Suffolk Coastal.
During August young people aged eight and over from across the district can try their hand at any of the holiday activities on offer and will have fun meeting new friends and picking up some new skills.
“The long summer holidays can often lose their appeal after a couple of weeks with young people searching for things to do. The action packed summer activities we have on offer are sure to keep everyone entertained,” said Cllr Mary Neale, Cabinet Member for Countryside and Leisure.
A few places are still available for the exciting themed activity camps taking place in Aldeburgh, Framlingham, Felixstowe, Kesgrave, Otley, Leiston, Trimley St Martin and Woodbridge with children able to attend a chosen day or the whole week of activities.
Some of the activities taking place include sports taster sessions, arts and crafts sessions as well as starring in and making your own film, eco world tie-dying, building bridges and orienteering in the great outdoors and competing for gold in the cultural Olympiad.
“There is a special £10 off voucher for activity camps in the latest edition of Coastline, delivered to every home in the district, making them even better value for money when it comes to keeping the children busy over the long summer break,” added Cllr Neale.
There are also Pay ‘n’ Play sessions available for young people to come along and try their hand at activities including dance mat parties, puppet making, football, giant garden games, Wii games and dodge ball.
“These are one-off afternoon sessions taking place across the district helping to give those from more rural locations the chance to get involved and challenge themselves at a skill they might not have tried before. They are taking place in Martlesham Heath, Wenhaston, Wickham Market and Rushmere St Andrew,” added Cllr Neale.
Special skatepark sessions are being held over the school holidays at all of the five skateparks in the district giving young people the chance to pick up some tips and perfect their Ollie’s and kickturns. There will also be a chance to hear local bands play at one of the Skate Jam events taking place this summer combining great music with skate boarding and BMX-ing.
“As a special offer, parents or guardians booking their children onto two or more activities can receive a 10 per cent discount available on all of the holiday activities booked before Saturday, July 24th.
“We have already had a good level of response on some of the activities with both the forest camp and fishing camp already fully booked. I would encourage parents to take advantage of the special offers and ensure their children have no excuse for complaints of boredom this summer,” added Cllr Neale.
For more information about any of the holiday activities, brochures are available from local tourist information centres, libraries and leisure centres and can also be viewed online at www.coastalpotato.gov.uk or www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourfreetime
To book a place on any of the activity courses residents can fill out the booking form and return to SCDC Offices, Melton Hill, Woodbridge, IP12 1AU or call a member of the active communities team on 01394 444779 or email active.communities@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk
|
 |
Girl Power at Awards Evening
Two of Suffolk’s finest female entrepreneurs recently struck gold at the 2010 Anglian Business Awards.
Karen Finch, Managing Director of The Hearing Care Centre, and Amy Melhuish, Owner of The Moorish Lounge both won awards in their respective categories, and shows that women power in business, is stronger than ever.
At the glitzy ceremony, held at Trinity Park in Ipswich, The Hearing Care Centre won the award for ‘Outstanding Customer Service’, whilst The Moorish Lounge walked away with ‘Start Up Business of the Year’ award. Amy’s business was also highly commended by the ‘Business of the Year’ judges.
This was the 14th time the Anglian Business Awards has been held, with 41 East Anglian businesses fighting it out in 14 different categories.
Karen has been running The Hearing Care Centre since 1998, providing independent, holistic and ethical services to the hard of hearing in Suffolk. As well as its premises in Ipswich High Street it operates from 12 further centres across the County.
In contrast Amy is just starting out on the road to becoming a very successful entrepreneur, with her new venture being open for just over 6 months. The Moorish Lounge is an inspiring, informal artisan café, based in Woodbridge. They serve Mezze & brunch menus as well as coffee and cakes (including gluten free), with influences from across the Mediterranean and North Africa.
Karen was so delighted to have been recoginised for their customer service, “I am still shocked that we have won an award after being up against some very tough opposition”, said Karen.
“I would like to dedicate the award to my whole team, because without them we wouldn’t be currently creating the excellent standards of customer service for our patients”.
She went on to add, “It’s great to see women in business doing so well, especially Amy. I know what it was like when I first started out on my own – it’s very tough!”
Amy is still totally overwhelmed after last night’s ceremony. "I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and encouragement - our fantastic Moorish Mob, our lovely regulars, all the other local business owners for their advice,” said Amy.
“I would urge anyone with a dream to go for it! Do your research, make it an educated-a-risk as you can: take full advantage of the wealth of information on offer from local organisations such as Business Link...and be prepared for some sleepless nights & long hours!”
The Hearing Care Centre had also been chosen as a finalist in for the Training and Skills Development Award, for their dedication to treating staff training and development as a priority within the business.
Town Pastors Hit the Streets
The town pastor scheme in Suffolk Coastal has received a further boost as the latest group of volunteers prepare to take to the streets.
Over 20 new recruits from local churches in the Felixstowe and Woodbridge areas are currently going through the induction process and attending training courses to equip them with the skills to provide a valuable service when out in the community.
“The town pastors are a great addition to our town centres at night, offering a caring supportive service to residents and visitors who may find themselves in a vulnerable state,” said Cllr Sherrie Green, Chair of the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Board.
The town pastors have been a welcome presence on the streets of both Felixstowe and Woodbridge assisting the police and safer neighbourhood teams, local licensees and doormen in minimising anti-social behaviour and alcohol or drugs misuse.
The latest group of volunteers will be going out into the community in August, and will receive training in drug misuse and alcohol misuse as well as other basic training to make sure that they remain safe while helping others.
“There has been a great deal of praise for the scheme so far and many local residents have been keen to get involved and do something positive for their community.
“Following the success of the first groups of volunteers taking to the streets of Felixstowe and Woodbridge the new recruits are set to become a valuable part of the community being a friendly presence that local people can approach for help getting home, first aid assistance, or even a chat and a bar of chocolate.
“Since the town pastors began their work in the community there has been an encouraging response with good engagement with the public and instances of anti-social behaviour and alcohol fuelled crime often being greatly reduced before they can escalate,” added Cllr Green.
Those interested in helping the pastors without venturing out into the streets are able to get involved with prayer meetings with other members of the community designed to give support to those out meeting people in the district.
After the initial training the new group of volunteers will receive ongoing support, to help keep their skills up to date and improve what they have already been doing with residents out in the community.
The town pastors are supported by Suffolk Coastal’s CSP with both Felixstowe and Woodbridge groups receiving funding. To find out more about getting involved with the town pastor schemes in either Felixstowe or Woodbridge residents can visit www.felixstowetownpastors.org.uk or www.woodbridgetownpastors.org.uk
|
|
Tranmer House to Open to Public
The home of Edith Pretty, instigator of the 1939 excavations at Sutton Hoo, is set to open to visitors for the first time. Tour the downstairs rooms of this Edwardian country house and enjoy the elegant interiors as Edith once would have.
Tranmer House as it’s now known was built in 1910 as a statement of wealth and influence, with far reaching views out over the River Deben. Left to the National Trust unfurnished in 19981, until now access has only been via pre-booked tours.
Following a public appeal for furniture from the Edwardian era up to the 1930s, the team at Sutton Hoo are now ready to open the partly furnished house in a style that Mrs Pretty herself would be proud of. There’s even an Edwardian sideboard that once belonged to WWI fighter pilot Albert Ball. A significant number of items have been loaned from National Trust sites across the country, where the furniture was otherwise in storage.
So be one of the first visitors to step inside Tranmer House, which celebrates its centenary this year. Relax in a comfy chair by the fireplace and look through some of the photo albums and newspapers of the 1930s to find out more about the discovery that changed the way we view our ancestors.
Tranmer House will be open at weekends from Saturday 12 June to Sunday 11 July, then daily until the end of August, from 11am to 4pm.
|
