Pomfret Woodland Nursery

During the former Labour Government's spending spree, WMDC got a government grant to set up and support a number of children's centres that have effectively been providing nursery, daycare and early year services alongside registered nurseries, daycare and child minder services. The government grant like many Labour Government schemes allowed the setting up but stopped after two years with councils expected to pick up the tab through the general rates. Most local authorities made other arrangements, Wakefield however funded the difference between the costs and the income from the rates. Pomfret Nursery along with two other council operated centres was in jeopardy as Wakefield needed to use what was unallocated money on other projects and services.

We were advised that the council had been looking for an organisation to take this service on, had no success.
The three South Ward Councillors were given an initial briefing in November and we asked some simple questions. "What is the shortfall?" "How much is that per child?" "Has anybody asked the parents what they think about offering them the chance to operate the centre or make a payment to bridge the gap?"

It would seem not. WMDC appeared to have given little thought to finding a way forward and seemed to want to drop this like a hot potato rather than finding a way for the centre to continue.

UPDATED

Pleased to say sanity broke out and following discussions involving the Leader of the Council, the CEO and local councillors a lifeline was thrown, our MP took a part, the parents and key staff came forward with a request to operate the nursery themselves.

If the closure had gone through parents would have has to find alternative provision for 64 children and the jobs of the 12 centre staff would have be in jeopardy.

After a long hard slog the parents with support have been able to make a successful bid to operate the nursery as a not for profit organisation and are going from strength to strength.

Official - Christmas breaks out in Pontefract

Christmas breaks out in the US immediately after Thanksgiving. In Pontefract we officially accepted the season of goodwill to all this evening and ahead of the United States, with the push of a giant plunger Pontefracts Christmas Tree and lights sprang to life with a brilliant crowd, biggest in recent years (just like our remembrance ceremony on the 11th.

6.30 this evening, found Walsh with three other Pontefract Councillors up on stage with the bright yellow police padlock (lock your sheds) and a group of youngsters from the audience gathered round the plunger.

Great night, childrens rides, market stalls including a fund raising stand by the local Lions, where I sampled my first mince pie and a very welcome mulled wine "special recipe" (Thank you George Morgan, it was grand).

There were seaside donkey rides and several dogs dressed as Santa's little helpers.

The St Giles tombola drew quite a crowd and raised money for Pontefract Parish Church (thanks to all who donated some cracking gifts).

Well Merry Christmas to you and yours and God Bless us every one!

Updated 21.37

A Weekend off

This last weekend started with a short notice TENS hearing of 4 applications for Temporary Event Notices in Committee Room A in County Hall, started at 2.30 and resolved 3 could and one could not proceed.

All that said sounds like three interesting live events leading up to Christmas.

Friday evening out for a bite and a phone call on the way back means a trip to what once was a quiet pleasant part of Pontefract, nice houses, good people bringing up young families, a number of folk who have been there since the houses were built. The issue is a 20 yard ginnel linking one estate with another which is regularly invaded by a small group of young people who unlike the many are bent on generating a living hell for the people who live around the alley. Things would be much worse but for the efforts of the local Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator and members of the Neighbourhood Policing team. On Friday night things were kicking off and I went up to give moral support and look at some ways forward.

Quiet and pleasant it has been and it will be again.


Saturday morning was a chance to visit the Market and have Coffee and a piece of cake with about a hundred other people in St Giles Church, Fun on Saturday evening in Chequerfield "Real Corkers" an evening of books and wine at St Marys Centre, followed by some more aggro.

Sunday night at Wakefield Cathedral experiencing the Yorkshire Philharmonic's Messiah and a stunning night for all so a bit of culture then back for more aggro.

How time passes when you are having fun...

The Trust's view

They think they are giving us what they always planned to give, so with no intensive care beds in Pontefract, clinically it is safer at Wakefield or Dewsbury, we end up with predominantly out patient activity and a minor injuries unit.

My view, our MP knew this from the start of the PFI process, she simply did not tell us, she let it go ahead instead of winning funds to refurbish what we had and has mislead us throughout. She is blaming Government cuts and her nose keeps growing!

Pontefract A&E Mid Yorks Hospitals Trust agree Public Meeting

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust have issued the following:

Public Meeting

We’d like to let you know about a public meeting that we are holding to explain in more detail about the decision to temporarily close Pontefract A&E overnight for patient safety reasons due to a shortage of emergency doctors.

It will also be a chance to ask any questions.

Where and when:

Pontefract Town Hall
Assembly Room
Thursday 24 November at 6pm

The difficult decision to temporarily close Pontefract Hospital A&E overnight (from 10pm to 8am) from 1 November was made by the Trust Board (on 20 October) for patient safety reasons as there are currently not enough emergency doctors to safely staff all three Emergency Departments in Mid Yorkshire overnight.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew Barton
Communications Officer
The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Trust HQ and Education Centre
Pinderfields Hospital
Aberford Road
Wakefield
WF1 4DG
Tel: 01924 543637

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Our MP has sent out an email suggesting that as many people as possible attend.

I have heard from a number that say they want to hold her to account for her part in this fiasco.

I guess the problem for many is that she is not usually around on Thursdays but I hope that she can make an exception in this case.

See you there?

Sunday 11.00am

Remembrance Sunday in Pontefract, the gathering has increased each year and this was the biggest in recent years. A chance for many to pay respect and for thoughts of loved ones and for those who put themselves in danger for us. After the act of remembrance at the War Memorial the service in St Giles was thought provoking, certainly for me.

On the walls in St Giles are memorial plaques for the casualties of the First World War (the "War to end all Wars") and in many cases for the next generation who went of to fight in the Second War (not so many of those who survived are left now to tell the tale but each and every one amazing in their own way.

Now we see a new generation who put themselves in harms way, the scale of casualties much less but every one a sad loss nonetheless and we can and should remember the acts of routine bravery displayed by people from our community.

Lest we forget is just as real now as it was 93 years ago!

Lest we forget

On this day of 93 years ago the war to end all wars came to an end. Since then in almost every year our armed forces have been serving to protect our society. Our young people serve around the world and especially in Afghanistan where a growing number are paying the ultimate price with their lives. Many more return broken shadows of their former selves.

It is right to acknowledge their sacrifice and commitment.

Wear your poppy with pride.

Visit Help for Heroes

And for those who remember on Sunday you may hear part of this, some may question the sentiment,but for many it still rings true.

For the Fallen

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon September 1914



Like many I will be attending the Concert with Music for Armistice day at St Giles in Pontefract this evening and at the Cenotaph in Pontefract on Sunday morning and as a guest at the Barracks on Sunday afternoon.

There will also be a ceremonial signing of a covenant between Wakefield and the Yorkshire Regiment at Wakefield Town Hall on Sunday after the ceremony at the Cenotaph outside County Hall.