The Green SceneIssue 38 The newsletter of the Seacroft Green Residents Association Summer 2017

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Will this be the last time? New homes for Seacroft:

2 Great Get Together: Let’s Dance: The Green HOP:

3 Committee: Bits and Bobs:

4 Metal Matters: Then there were 8!

5 Quiz: Bike Appeal: Chapel FM: Happy Birthday to us!

6 Art in The Barn: BHF: Wade’s Charity: Baby Bank

7 Do you know? Love Trees: Answers: Spelling slip ups:

8 Dating Fraud: Out and about: From us to you:

Newsletter 1

Will this be the last time?

This year’s summer gala will be our 10 th anniversary year - BUT will this be the last time?

Even though we plan to celebrate our 10 th birthday on the 8th July as best we can, there are big concerns over the future of our much loved community events.

Year on year it is becoming more difficult to raise the necessary funds which enable us to plan and organise the galas. A minimum of £4,000 is needed for the summer gala alone! Then even more funding has to be found for the Christmas event! The income we need to raise annually is around £6,000 - which is no mean feat when finances everywhere are so tight.

Our grant applications for 2017 were completed and submitted early in the year. We put in five grant applications, however only two have been successful, leaving us with a financial shortfall of approx. £2,000.

We still plan to celebrate our 10th anniversary but unfortunately, the 2017 gala will have to be a ‘pared down’ event without some of our usual activities.

Unfortunately, the problem of obtaining gala funding is not the only concern we have to face. cont. on page 2.

New Homes for Seacroft

Applications to build a significant number of new homes across council owned brown field sites in East Leeds, which includes 715 for Seacroft - have been approved by LCC plans panel.

All of the developments form part of the council’s Brownfield Land Programme. The homes will be a mix of two, three and four bedroom properties and will include a proportion of ‘affordable housing’.

The sites in Seacroft include: York Road and South Parkway (33 properties) Seacroft Crescent (49 properties) Brooklands Avenue, Brooklands Drive and Parkway

Close (272 properties) Former Asket Hill Primary School and Kentmere

Approach (245 properties) Bishops Way (116 properties)

The building of the new homes is anticipated to create approx. 170 new jobs for local people and around 40 apprenticeship opportunities over the lifetime of the project. Extensive consultation with the community, councillors and key stakeholders took place throughout 2015/16 - with one such event being held at Seacroft village hall last year.

As part of the project, a new road and bus route link will be built connecting North Parkway and South Parkway, while there will also be dedicated pedestrian and cycle links put in place. This will help connectivity for the whole area, including improving roads and walking routes close to the David Young Academy.

LCC state that the scheme will also make significant commitment to the development of the new Killingbeck Meadows Natural Flood Management Scheme. This will help to alleviate flood risk in the area through sustainable drainage and also become an attractive new public space with landscaping, planting and pathways.

Newsletter 2

Will this be the last time? - continued from page 1.

We have expressed concerns several times before about how difficult it is to find enough volunteers to help plan and organise the galas. It’s not just new committee members we need but also people willing to offer their services and practical help on the day.

We currently have a very small committee of eight dedicated volunteers who for the last few years have been doing everything! This includes applying for grants, gaining permission, planning and booking activities, hiring equipment, organising performances, dealing with stall bookings, etc. Then on the day, there’s setting up the equipment and running around all afternoon, before eventually clearing everything away again. Finally there’s rubbish removal and litter picking to ensure the village green is left in a clean and tidy state afterwards.

There’s much more to do than this - but you get the picture! You must admit it’s an awful lot for only eight people to undertake every year - and other than out of pocket expenses, no one gets paid anything for their time.

Unfortunately we have to face facts. With a continual decrease in the funding options available and with no new volunteers coming forward - the fact is that this summer gala may just be the last time!

Seacroft Gala CommitteeIf you would like to help, please do get in touch at seacroftgala@gmail.com or phone 0113 318 0522

The Green Care HomeSeacroft

(Not to be confused with Seacroft Green Care Home run by Springfield Healthcare)

The Green care home and day centre in Seacroft (managed by Leeds City Council Adult Social Care) was one of three care homes and day centres identified for closure last year.

The Executive Board of LCC agreed on the 19th

October 2016 that The Green should close as a long term residential care service and day service, but would remain open until there was a transition to a new function. The new function will be to provide 37 intermediate care beds from the 1st November 2017.

The Green day centre, which is on the same site, will close altogether and the expectation is that most service users will transfer to the nearby Wykebeck day centre, although other provision is available across the city.

The Green will therefore begin to offer residential-based intermediate care in November 2017 as part of the Leeds Recovery Service and will be registered with the Care Quality Commission. The centre will have a registered manager on site.

The Recovery Service will offer: The opportunity the recover from a spell in

hospital The opportunity to avoid an admission to

hospital

The assessment and transfer process for current residents was scheduled to commence in May 2017 with a provisional closure date of July 2017. However, LCC state that the pace of closure will be dictated first and foremost by the needs of the residents and their families.

Let’s Dance!A former office building that has been vacant for almost ten years could be given a new lease of life. The premises on Limewood Approach, off the Seacroft Ring Road, have been earmarked for redevelopment as a dance studio.

Torn Ball Live Studios has submitted the planning application to LCC for change of use and parking provision. It is stated that the venture will create one full time and five part time jobs and once completed, the studio will be open at various times, seven days a week Pull on the Lycra and let’s go!

Great Get TogetherChapel FM are ‘fielding’ the idea of co-ordinating an event for the Great Get Together weekend - inspired by the murdered Batley and Spen MP, Jo Cox.

The wish/hope/plan is to follow in Jo’s footsteps to "bring communities together to celebrate what we have in common.”

You can find more information at https://www.greatgettogether.org

Adrain Sinclair from Chaple FM says: “Our suggestion is that we organise a joint informal event to get people together at 1pm on Sunday 18th

June for a picnic and a game of rounders.”

So what do you think? This would be a great opportunity to come together as a community and have some fun. If you don’t fancy rounders’ - you can just watch. Please let us know your thoughts. All contact details are on page 3.

Newsletter 3

SEACROFT GREEN RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION

Who’s who on the committee?

Lily Woods Chair 26 The GreenKeith Nichols Vice Chair 69 The GreenRita Berry Treasurer 51 The GreenDiane Marsden Secretary 49 The GreenJanet Cordwell 1053 York RoadMick Firth 5 CourtenaysRoger Berry 51 The GreenSean Hennigan 87 The GreenJohn Wheatley 34 Hansby PlaceLewis Pratt 24 The GreenRev. Dominic Mughal St James Church

If you wish to contact the committee you can either ring the Chair on: 0795 1785 845

or alternatively contact the secretary by email at: marsden858@btinternet.com

You can find out more about us at:www.seacroftgreen.org.uk

Money, money, money: The residents’ association was delighted recently to receive an unexpected cheque for £250. This money came in the form of an anonymous donation, with an enclosed letter saying:

“Please accept this donation of £250 towards the residents’ association activities. You may use it in any way you wish – hanging baskets, flower beds or general upkeep of the group etc. The money is donated in memory of my late parents who both loved the village green and in recognition of the excellent work your group does to keep the area looking so nice.Thank you. This is by way of an anonymous donation as I do not wish to give my name for personal reasons. Kind regards.”

Was this you? To our mystery donor - obviously you know who you are - we say we can’t thank you enough for your kind generosity. This surprise donation comes at a time when our financial resources are very low, so we want you to know that this ‘gift’ will help us greatly.

As you tell us your late parents ‘loved the village green’ the committee have decided to put the £250 towards the bill for the wild flower beds as we thought that this would be the most fitting use of the money. We hope you approve!

Bits and BobsApril Fool?

Well done to the person or persons unknown who ‘planted’ an artificial Christmas tree, complete with coloured bauble and cryptic message, on the village green at the beginning of April.

Unfortunately the tree was rather small and much too early. Now if you can get hold of a 20ft tree for us round about December time that would be brilliant!

-----------------------------------------------------------Incorrect number

Unfortunately the telephone number to register with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) as printed in the last issue under Nuisance Calls was incorrect.

The correct number for the TPS is 0345 070 0707. We apologise for this error which was due to the information provided to us.

-------------------------------------------------------------First you see it - now you don’t!

For two days running on 22nd and 23rd March - for some reason best known to themselves - several young people on their way home from school decided to scatter a whole ream of white A4 paper along York Road and across the village green.

However, once alerted to the unsightly littering, our Chair was straight on to our contact with LCC street cleaning service and the area was ‘litter picked’ and cleared within the hour!

Therefore, we send a huge vote of thanks to Carol Collins at Environmental Services for organising such swift action and for the regular and ongoing support provided to us by her team.

We also send a huge thank you to the local residents who helped with a similar clear up on day two. This assistance was very much appreciated.

-------------------------------------------------------------Clearing thanks

Following reported concerns regarding issues of anti-social behaviour, in and around the overgrown bushes, adjacent to the Redmire Court rear gate - we contacted and met with LCC Parks Department to discuss the matter and see what could be done.

Within a couple of weeks the Parks team arrived to cut back and clear the bushes in question. The area is now much more open and is no longer a suitable hiding place!

Phyllis from Redmire Court said: “It was really good that the work was done so quickly after it was reported. It’s better now - you can walk past the area and not be intimidated. Thanks for the quick action.”

Newsletter 4

Metal MattersDon’t delay - recycle today!Last year households recycled almost 2,000 tonnes of metal - but we need even more. Putting just two extra cans into your green recycling bin will save enough energy to run a computer for up to 12 hours!

It’s never been easier to make your metal matter!When it comes to recycling, metal is hard to beat. That’s because it is endlessly recyclable and every last bit can be turned into something else. It’s a (re)cycle that can go on forever!

The food or drinks cans and other metal packaging items you recycle at home could end up being transformed into a wide number of products - from a designer watch or iPad, to a washing machine or even a new bus!

Every time metal is recycled it saves energy and cuts greenhouse gas emissions - so it’s also good news for the planet. Best of all, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make a big difference. All you need to do is drop your ‘metal’ items into your green bin and not into your black household waste bin or bag - it’s as easy as that!

What to recycle: Drinks cans Food tins Pet food tins Empty aerosols Sweet or biscuit tins Clean foil and clean foil trays Metal caps from bottles

Please make sure your aerosols are empty and foil, foil trays and food tins have been wiped or rinsed clean before adding to your bin as all green bin items are hand sorted.

However - some household items should NOT be placed in your green bin, but they can still be recycled! Please take any of the following items to your nearest LCC recycling site.

Empty paint tins and lids Old or damaged garden tools Old or damaged pots and pans Knives and cutlery Screws, nails, nuts and bolts Door handles Bikes or bike parts Electrical items

Remember, every piece of metal you recycle will be used again and again for years to come!

For more information go to: www.leeds.gov.uk/metal

Then there were 8!Hanging Flower Baskets

Unfortunately, our 2017 grant application to LCC Housing Advisory Panel for 50% of the hanging basket costs has been turned down and other similar funding options have not come to fruition. In addition, two of our previous sponsors have declined to support us again this year - all of which has resulted in a very disappointing outcome.

We have however, received orders and sponsorship for 8 individual baskets and we are indebted to the following loyal supporters for their generosity and community spirit:

Beverly Rees-Evans Seacroft Grange Care Village Chapel FM Lily Woods and David Jenkins Thelma Sierwald Mrs. C Badkin Ls14 Trust D. Marsden

When asked to complete the following statement - “Even though the hanging baskets do not directly benefit us, we sponsor a basket because…”

Adrian Sinclair - Chapel FM said: “...we want to work with others to make Seacroft a vibrant community.”

Joanne Curtis - Ls14 Trust said:“…we like to support our local community and the baskets are absolutely beautiful to look at.”

Beverly Rees-Evans made the following comment:“With grateful thanks to the residents association for all their hard work in conserving the beauty of Seacroft Green for its strong community of people.”

Julie Varley - Seacroft Grange Care Village said:“All of us at Springfield Healthcare; staff, residents and visitors, really look forward to seeing the beautiful displays that are created by your team in the Seacroft area.”

So thank you for these lovely comments - it really is nice to know that the work we do is appreciated.

Unfortunately, without the grant we just do not have the necessary funds to provide even one additional basket. So although the display for 2017 will look rather sparse, it was decided to go ahead with the eight sponsored baskets anyway as we wanted to demonstrate our appreciation to the individuals who have so generously supported us again this year.

So 8 it is!

Newsletter 5

10 years old already!YOU are invited to attend the association’s 10th anniversary celebration party which will take place on - Wednesday 26th July 2017 at Chapel FM.

Come along and join us at 7.00pm to 8.00pm.

We just can’t believe it’s all of 10 years since the association was first constituted and some of our committee members have been with us all of that time. Medals all round!

Our celebration is open to everyone. There will be cake (obviously) balloons (maybe) who knows? But all we ask is that you let us attend to some formal business by way of our AGM before the party starts!

We’ll send you a personal invitation in early July.

Quarterly QuizMIND THE GAP

Can you complete the words in each set by adding a new three-letter word to these letters?

Here’s your example: HLY - VIG - FTH are completed when you add OUR - to make HOURLY - VIGOUR - FOURTH.

1. BY FED TAC WLY GENT

2. BRY SH TWTH ITS SISH

3. HIN TCH TY BECH TTER

4. PR PRED LY HER ROCK

5. ERT CE OGE GY GULE

See how well you do but if you get stuck, see page 7 for the answers.

Chapel FM Summer Programme

Broadcast GroupThursdays 5 - 7 pm (starts 8th June) Age 11-18

Join our weekly summer broadcast group and work towards producing creative programmes for our LIVE FM Broadcast Sat. 29th July - Sun. 6th August.

Trailer MadeMonday 3rd July - Friday 14th July. Age 16-18

(times to be confirmed)Come and make the Chapel FM promo video – we need actors, musicians, videographers, or folk who just want to get involved in an intense, fun creative project.

Summer Radio CourseMonday 31st July - Friday 4th August. Age 11-18

11am - 3.00pmThis is a five-day course for young people who live in East Leeds. Plan and make live radio shows, run interviews and be part of our LIVE Summer FM Broadcast.

For more information or to book a FREE place on any of the courses, contact:

Centre Manager, Fuzzy Jones on 0113 22 55 944

Bike Appeal

The local Halfords store on the A64 York Road is taking part in a charity appeal for the donation of any old and/or unwanted cycles.

The charity Re-Cycle rescues unwanted bikes from the UK and ships them to Africa where local partners first refurbish them and then distributes them to people in need.

Often a cycle is the only means of transport for many people living in remote villages and the only other alternative is to walk long distances, in all weathers, to reach necessary support such as healthcare or school.

The Re-Cycle charity has helped so many people and a total of 87,000 bikes have already been delivered - but the charity desperately needs more.

Therefore, we are all being urged to look at the back of our sheds or in the garage and pull out that old or unwanted bike and take it to Halfords - safe in the knowledge that we will be donating a ‘valuable resource’ to be used by communities in some of the most isolated parts of Africa.

Visit: www.re-cycle.org for more information.

You know you’re getting older when…The only thing you hold for any length of time is a grudge!Your teeth are out more than you are!All you exercise these days is caution!

Newsletter 6

Art in The Barn

Calling all amateur and professional artists ….

You are invited to create and donate a postcard-sized (6” x 4”) work of original art for an ‘In The Barn’ exhibition in aid of the LS14 Trust.

An exhibition will take place in The Barn at Mayfield Farm, 69 The Green, Seacroft - at our usual Second Saturday Café on Saturday 14th October 10 - 12noon, and again on Sunday 15 from 2-4pm.

All of the postcards will be exhibited anonymously and visitors will have the opportunity to purchase the artwork. All artwork will be priced equally with a minimum recommended donation price.

The identity of the artist is only revealed when the artwork is collected - so you could purchase a new emerging talent or a better known artist!

Not only will people get to enjoy this unique event and support an excellent local community based enterprise, but they could end up with an amazing piece of artwork that could be valuable!

For entry details / to register your interest, please email Anna at: artinmayfieldbarn@gmail.com

The deadline for entries is Saturday October 7th 2017

Wade’s CharityIt has recently been confirmed that our annual application to Wade’s Charity for a small grant of £200 toward help with the ‘running costs’ of the association, has been granted.

This grant is classed as ‘restricted funds’ and must be used to support our administration costs only. It cannot be used for any other activity - such as equipment or flower baskets etc.

We are required by VAL (Voluntary Action Leeds), who manage and administer the grant on behalf of Wade’s Charity, to submit an itemised report each year and this information is also detailed in our financial accounts and presented at the AGM.

Without this ongoing support we would find it really difficult to run the association as many grant funders do not accept ‘running costs’ as part of their funding criteria. Therefore, we are greatly indebted to Wade’s Charity and also to Maxine Woods at VAL for continuing to support the residents association in this way.

British Heart FoundationWe want you to know - your donations play a huge part in funding our life saving research and are helping us win the fight against heart disease - something that touches so many families.

We want you to know - we will no longer be delivering collection bags in your area, but will offer a personalised FREE COLLECTION service as an alternative.

We can collect your donations for FREE.Just call us on 0113 264 0528.

Fight for every heartbeat - visit www.bhf.org.uk

Thank you for the ongoing support.

Leeds Baby BankDonate - Refer - Support

Similar to a food bank, Leeds Baby Bank is a new and upcoming charity. Our mission is to provide fast support to families who are in need of daily baby essentials and equipment. We always need donations such as the following items: Nappies: wipes; baby and toddler food: soaps: creams: cots: prams: and all things 0 to 4 years.

Donations can be brought to any one of our drop off points across the city. See our Facebook page or website for address details as follows:

Website: leedsbabybank.org Facebook: LeedsBaby Bank Email: leedsbabybank@gmail.com

Poverty affects 1 in 5 children in England today and poverty affects the healthy development of a child and is linked to increased risk of infant mortality. Together we can ensure infants across Leeds do not go without the essentials… Please help us to help others in Leeds.

If you work with families that may benefit from our support, contact us via the email address above and request a referral form today!

Newsletter 7

Quarterly Quiz answers1. ARM

BARMY - FARMED - TARMAC - WARMLY - GARMENT

2. ELFBELFRY - SHELF - TWELFTH - ITSELF - SELFISH

3. WITWITHIN - TWITCH - WITTY - BEWITCH - TWITTER

4. OWLPROWL - PROWLED - LOWLY - HOWLER - ROWLOCK

5. RANERRANT - CRANE - ORANGE - RANGY - GRANULE

If you have a similar fun quiz, why not send it to us and we will share it with our readers?

Spelling slip-ups Kids are notorious for saying the funniest things, but when children put pen to paper it’s often their written mistakes that bring a whole new meaning to their self-expression!

Here are but a few:

“I didn’t get much sleep last night because next doors dog was baking all night”.

“We have to look after the sky. Pollution can spoil it and so can spraying too many arsols”

“Mrs Pearsons said I could stay in at playtime and help her sick up some pictures on the wall”.

“The head-teacher likes to snivel around on a big black chair in his office”.

“If you are really naughty you get exploded from school”.

“…and suddenly the door opened it banged against the wall and I felt a lamp in my throat”.

“My little sister has to sleep with the light on as she’s afraid of the dork”.

“When I am older I want to learn to drive a cat”.

“My mum goes to jim every Friday. She comes home too tired to do anything”.

“I took my mum a bunch of violents home for her birthday. She was very surprised”.

“We wade the school rabbi today, it was 2 killer grans. When he becomes 4 killer grans we have to put him on a diet”.

“I am very sorry. It is wrong to keep giving massages to my friends when I should have been listening to the teacher. I won’t do it again”.

“A flat map of the world is an atlas. A round one is a glob. I think a glob is more interesting”.

“My uncle is impotent as he is the boss of a big factory”.

“In the field at the back of our house they think they have found the remains of a Roman Fart”.

“There are monkeys with red bottoms called bufoons”.

“In the olden days the streets were very bumpy because they were full of cobblers”.

“My gran has a huge chest and we keep our toys on it”.

Do you know what it is yet?As you have been travelling up the A64 York Road through Whinmoor and past Thorner Lane, have you looked to your left and noticed ‘something’ large taking shape and wondered what it is?

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No it’s the ARIUM - Leeds City Council Parks and Countryside’s new flagship garden nursery. Here’s what they have to say:

“We are very excited to be moving later this year to brand new purpose built premises at Thorner. There will be 19,000 square meters of glass-houses with specialist irrigated benches for our home-grown plants and an even better shop. There are also going to be some other exciting new visitor facilities which we will be revealing to you over the next few months.”

You heard it here first!

Love Trees - love Roundhay Park?Well if you do - now you can really indulge yourself as the Friends of Roundhay Park have produced a brilliant Tree Trail booklet aimed at helping you to really look at the trees around you and hopefully learn to recognise some of them. There are two parts to the Tree Trail so you don’t have to do it all at once but the two can be combined into a longer circular walk. Each Trail takes about 30 mins and has 12 trees for you to find and identify by using the directions and map in the booklet.

Brilliant for the kids! What’s not to like?Pick up your booklet from the visitors centre next door to

the Mansion House.

Newsletter 8

Newsletter 9

Dating FraudDating Fraud - we touched on this slightly in the last issue of The Green Scene but West Yorkshire Trading Standards want to raise the issue in more detail as more people appear to be falling foul of these so called ‘romance’ scams.

Online dating websites and apps are the perfect way for fraudsters to meet someone without actually revealing their true identity. The fraudster creates a false profile and then builds up a relationship with someone over several weeks or months. Once a level of trust has been established, they will invent a problem that requires financial assistance.

They will pull on the ‘heart strings’ of their victim with a ‘sob story’ such as family illness and the need for funds to pay for urgent medical treatment, or the willingness to visit their victim but have no resources and need the money for their train, flight and/or visa. The average amount lost by victims of ‘romance fraud’ is £10,000 which may be taken over several weeks.

The SAFER Project, funded by BIG Lottery, raises awareness of a wide range of scams and general fraud activities. Their online dating advice is as follows: Get to know the person, not the profile and ask

plenty of questions and don’t rush into an online relationship.

Check the person is genuine by putting their name, profile pictures or any repeatedly used phrases and the term ‘dating scam’ into your search engine.

Talk to your family and friends about your dating choices. Be wary of anyone who tells you not to tell others about them.

NEVER send money to someone you’ve met online, no matter what reason they give you or how long you’ve been speaking to them.

Don’t move the conversation off the dating site messenger until you are absolutely confident the person is who they say they are.

What to do if you have been scammed: Remember, anyone can become a victim!

Contact Victim Support on 0300 303 1971. Get advice via Citizens Advice Consumer

Helpline on 0345 404 0506. Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Contact your bank immediately if you have given

out your bank or card details. Be warned - it’s not always possible to get your money back but your bank may be able to recover some funds if they have been sent electronically.

Out and About Some fun ideas for summer

Saturday June 24th - Reptile Day - 11am to 3.00pmTropical World, Roundhay Park.

Discover the fantastic family of animals from crocodiles to snakes and lizards!

Sunday June 25th - Turaco Day - 11am to 3.00pmLotherton Hall

A whole variety of activities to showcase this dazzling bird family.

Saturday July 15th and Sunday July 16th Time Travellers - 10.00am to 5.00pm

Temple NewsamMeet the travellers from the Anglo-Saxons to WW2 in the historical re-enactment weekend. Loads to see

and lots to do! Event is included in price of entry to farm and house.

Tuesday July 18th - Love Parks Week Guided walk - 1.30pm to 3.00pm

Roundhay ParkJoin the head gardener to discover the award winning

specialist gardens at Roundhay Park.Meet at side of Mansion House, facing the small lake.

Saturday August 5th - 7.00pm to 10.00pmBat Walk - Temple Newsam

A beginner’s guide to the natural history and identification of local bats.Cost: £5 adult £2.50 child

Tuesday August 8th - 10.00am to 3.00pmBig Bug Bonanza

Tropical World, Roundhay ParkMeet some of the bugs and creepy crawlies that live

at Tropical World.

From us to youThanks are expressed to Tony Houlihan and other local residents in the Courtnays for their kind contribution re making good the increasing number of pot holes on the road.

Thanks go to Lisa and Alan Large for their generous donation of £20 towards the wild flower beds.

And finally… Life is like a hot bath. It feels good while you are in it, but the longer you stay in, the more wrinkled you become!