A COMMUNITY facility in Saltney is looking to expand as it approaches its first anniversary.
Deva Academy – a registered charity and member of the Young People’s Clubs of Great Britain was set up last September.
Based on the Central Trading Estate, Marley Way, Deva is run by Mark Shepherd, 44, from Connah’s Quay and Dave Evans, 42, of Saltney.
Both are fully qualified coaches.
“We’re a non-profit organisation,” said Dave, a former Manchester United apprentice and Chester City footballer.
“I’m giving something back.
"It’s a community facility. All the money we make goes into a community account via a group of trustees. "
“We started out as a boxing club with a couple of kids, but its snowballed from there.
We’re now trying to get as many organisations as possible to use the facilities.
Any affiliated group or sport that comes under the Olympic banner can come in, but we don’t do mixed martial arts"
In addition to spending £6,000 on new flooring, the academy houses three boxing rings, a dance room, spectators balcony, gym mats, full cardio section and infra red sauna.
Disabled group the Mulberry Centre from Sealand Road and the Chester Goddesses cheerleading squad are among those who have used the facilities.
For more information call 01244 671 288 or visit http://www.devaacademy.co.uk/.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Flintshire community leaders slam 'unrealistic' targets
A MAJOR waste reduction strategy has been heavily criticised by senior community leaders in Flintshire.
Flintshire Council’s executive members say some of the targets in the Welsh Assembly Government’s ‘Wise About Waste’ plans are ‘unrealistic’ and could put too much pressure on local authorities.
The strategy includes specific recycling and waste reduction targets, which the council must meet within a certain time limit if it is to avoid being hit by heavy landfill taxes.
Cllr Nancy Matthews, executive member for waste management, said the food waste recycling target in particular was too high for Flintshire to meet.
She added: “It is completely unrealistic and could have a detrimental effect on the whole process of reducing waste.
“The report does not even take into account or mention the residents of Flintshire and how they are expected to help take the strategy forward.”
The Welsh Assembly Government is currently gathering feedback and comments about the strategy from local authorities, but Carl Longland, the council’s director of environment, said Flintshire’s views did not appear to have been acknowledged.
Flintshire Council’s chief executive, Colin Everett, said lots of people had ‘very strong views’ on the subject and that the council would submit its formal response to the assembly in the near future.
Flintshire Council’s executive members say some of the targets in the Welsh Assembly Government’s ‘Wise About Waste’ plans are ‘unrealistic’ and could put too much pressure on local authorities.
The strategy includes specific recycling and waste reduction targets, which the council must meet within a certain time limit if it is to avoid being hit by heavy landfill taxes.
Cllr Nancy Matthews, executive member for waste management, said the food waste recycling target in particular was too high for Flintshire to meet.
She added: “It is completely unrealistic and could have a detrimental effect on the whole process of reducing waste.
“The report does not even take into account or mention the residents of Flintshire and how they are expected to help take the strategy forward.”
The Welsh Assembly Government is currently gathering feedback and comments about the strategy from local authorities, but Carl Longland, the council’s director of environment, said Flintshire’s views did not appear to have been acknowledged.
Flintshire Council’s chief executive, Colin Everett, said lots of people had ‘very strong views’ on the subject and that the council would submit its formal response to the assembly in the near future.
Chester City postpone match against Liverpool
CHESTER CITY have postponed tonight’s scheduled pre-season friendly against Liverpool at the Deva Stadium.
The club’s preparations for the start of next month’s Blue Square League Premier Division campaign have been disrupted following a directive issued by the Football Association.
The FA’s governance department has been in touch with the club to advise that they are not currently an affiliated club, which means Chester have been unable to fulfil their arranged friendlies.
Last weekend’s scheduled friendly match at Marine was cancelled, and now the Blues have been forced to postpone tonight’s match against Liverpool and this Saturday’s friendly at AFC Telford.
Meanwhile, Chester director, Bob Gray, says that everything is being done to remedy the situation in a bid to salvage the club’s remaining pre-season arrangements and put things in order before the start of the league season which is scheduled to kick-off at Grays Athletic on August 8.
He said: “We would like to reassure fans that we’re working hard to rectify the administrative issue with the Football Association and will rearrange our pre-season friendlies as soon as possible.
“I worked late last night to ensure the FA received everything they had requested and the club has solicitors and the administrators working hard to try and resolve the situation.
“Postponing tonight’s scheduled home friendly with Liverpool has hit us in our pockets because that game would have helped provide funds for the club ahead of the start of the season.“If we can save next week’s home friendly match against Burnley we will do, but the most important thing is to ensure everything is sorted out before we start our league season.
“I’ve been in constant contact with the FA and I’m confident we can clear up the situation before our game at Grays next month.
“The transfer of ownership from old company to new company is still in the hands of our solicitors and the administrators, and we are still hopeful of finding a solution acceptable to the FA.
“All the relevant paperwork that was requested has been forwarded to the FA. Technically, we could play friendly matches and I am still hopeful that we will receive our affiliation very soon.”
FA spokesman Mark Hooper said: “When clubs go into administration and transfer to a new owner, there are certain regulations every club has to meet to safeguard the financial integrity of the game.
“These regulations are outlined to the club and, to date, they (Chester City) haven’t met our rules. Some of the information we need has been supplied but not all of it.
It is not us that’s the issue.”The situation has frustrated Blues boss, Mick Wadsworth, who was hoping to watch striker Glynn Hurst, and goalkeeper Andrew Murphy in pre-season action.He said:
“We’ve put a very good team together and our training has been going very well.“We’ve all been enthused about the start of the season, but the fact that we’ve been unable to play any of our pre-season friendlies has cast a cloud on our preparations.
“We’re just sticking with it at the moment and continuing to train in the hope that the situation can be resolved ahead of our first league game of the season.”
Wadsworth confirmed that trialist and centre back Mark Bower had yesterday agreed to join League Two club Darlington.
He said: “Mark had been training with us but he gave me a courtesy call yesterday to say that he had been offered a two-year deal at Darlington.
“I sensed he felt guilty about leaving us but I told him that he had to think about himself and his family and he has n
The club’s preparations for the start of next month’s Blue Square League Premier Division campaign have been disrupted following a directive issued by the Football Association.
The FA’s governance department has been in touch with the club to advise that they are not currently an affiliated club, which means Chester have been unable to fulfil their arranged friendlies.
Last weekend’s scheduled friendly match at Marine was cancelled, and now the Blues have been forced to postpone tonight’s match against Liverpool and this Saturday’s friendly at AFC Telford.
Meanwhile, Chester director, Bob Gray, says that everything is being done to remedy the situation in a bid to salvage the club’s remaining pre-season arrangements and put things in order before the start of the league season which is scheduled to kick-off at Grays Athletic on August 8.
He said: “We would like to reassure fans that we’re working hard to rectify the administrative issue with the Football Association and will rearrange our pre-season friendlies as soon as possible.
“I worked late last night to ensure the FA received everything they had requested and the club has solicitors and the administrators working hard to try and resolve the situation.
“Postponing tonight’s scheduled home friendly with Liverpool has hit us in our pockets because that game would have helped provide funds for the club ahead of the start of the season.“If we can save next week’s home friendly match against Burnley we will do, but the most important thing is to ensure everything is sorted out before we start our league season.
“I’ve been in constant contact with the FA and I’m confident we can clear up the situation before our game at Grays next month.
“The transfer of ownership from old company to new company is still in the hands of our solicitors and the administrators, and we are still hopeful of finding a solution acceptable to the FA.
“All the relevant paperwork that was requested has been forwarded to the FA. Technically, we could play friendly matches and I am still hopeful that we will receive our affiliation very soon.”
FA spokesman Mark Hooper said: “When clubs go into administration and transfer to a new owner, there are certain regulations every club has to meet to safeguard the financial integrity of the game.
“These regulations are outlined to the club and, to date, they (Chester City) haven’t met our rules. Some of the information we need has been supplied but not all of it.
It is not us that’s the issue.”The situation has frustrated Blues boss, Mick Wadsworth, who was hoping to watch striker Glynn Hurst, and goalkeeper Andrew Murphy in pre-season action.He said:
“We’ve put a very good team together and our training has been going very well.“We’ve all been enthused about the start of the season, but the fact that we’ve been unable to play any of our pre-season friendlies has cast a cloud on our preparations.
“We’re just sticking with it at the moment and continuing to train in the hope that the situation can be resolved ahead of our first league game of the season.”
Wadsworth confirmed that trialist and centre back Mark Bower had yesterday agreed to join League Two club Darlington.
He said: “Mark had been training with us but he gave me a courtesy call yesterday to say that he had been offered a two-year deal at Darlington.
“I sensed he felt guilty about leaving us but I told him that he had to think about himself and his family and he has n
Chester's salute for Dragoon Guards
LORD Mayor John Ebo and the Duke of Westminster took the salute when the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards marched through Chester city centre.
Near the saluting dais was 23-year-old Lance Corporal Phil Meadows from Upton who lost a leg when his vehicle hit an explosive device in Afghanistan eight months ago.
The march began at the Castle Street car park with the salute taken near the Cathedral in St Werburgh Street. Cllr Ebo said: “There are many links between the city and the Dragoon Guards.”
Leading the march was the Prince of Wales Band and among the people who were also there were Lt Col Alan Richmond, the High Sheriff of Cheshire, William Fergusson; the Sheriff of Chester, Cllr Hilarie McNae and Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Neil Ritchie.
The Queen’s Dragoon Guards lineage stretches back more than 300 years and has seen active service all over the world and most recently, the tour in Afghanistan.
On Friday the Duke of Westminster received a cheque for more than £1,200 from Queen’s Dragoon soldiers for the British Limbless Ex Service Men’s Association (BLESMA)L/Cpl Meadows’ fellow soldiers in C Squadron raised the money by taking part in a cycle ride on static machines in Afghanistan, cycling 6,000 miles which is the equivalent from Garmsir to Chester.
Near the saluting dais was 23-year-old Lance Corporal Phil Meadows from Upton who lost a leg when his vehicle hit an explosive device in Afghanistan eight months ago.
The march began at the Castle Street car park with the salute taken near the Cathedral in St Werburgh Street. Cllr Ebo said: “There are many links between the city and the Dragoon Guards.”
Leading the march was the Prince of Wales Band and among the people who were also there were Lt Col Alan Richmond, the High Sheriff of Cheshire, William Fergusson; the Sheriff of Chester, Cllr Hilarie McNae and Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Neil Ritchie.
The Queen’s Dragoon Guards lineage stretches back more than 300 years and has seen active service all over the world and most recently, the tour in Afghanistan.
On Friday the Duke of Westminster received a cheque for more than £1,200 from Queen’s Dragoon soldiers for the British Limbless Ex Service Men’s Association (BLESMA)L/Cpl Meadows’ fellow soldiers in C Squadron raised the money by taking part in a cycle ride on static machines in Afghanistan, cycling 6,000 miles which is the equivalent from Garmsir to Chester.
Chester hotel evacuated in fire scare
HOTEL guests had their mornings cut short after their building was evacuated in a fire scare in Chester.
However, residents staying at the Best Western Queen Hotel, City Road, were allowed back into their rooms shortly after the source of the alarm was found to be an electrical fault.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service sent two appliances to the scene after receiving a call at about 10.30am on Friday.
White Watch manager Chris Rodaway said upon arrival firefighters found a strong smell of smoke coming from the basement staircase of the hotel.
He said: “Firefighters conducted a search of the area and using the thermal image camera, identified that a light fitting was overheating.
The electrician for the building was notified and electrics isolated until repair.“There were no injuries.”
He added: “We recognise the good work by the staff at the hotel for a full and orderly evacuation at the premises in response to the alarm.”
Smokers are being asked to be careful when discarding their cigarettes after a blaze in Chester over the weekend.
Emergency crews responded to a call after a pile of rubbish became engulfed in flames behind The Terrace Bar, Cheyney Road.
City firefighter Anthony McCarthy said the fire was caused after a lit cigarette was thrown on bags of waste that were stored against the back of the building at 2.30am yesterday.
He said: “There are two things immediately wrong with this.
The rubbish should not have been stored against the building and it was a careless throwing of a lit cigarette. There were no injuries.”
Campaigners call for more public toilets for Chester's disabled
DETERMINED campaigners are pushing for more public toilets to be built for disabled residents in Chester.
They say visitors who are handicapped often need extra space for changing and other tasks and are urging council leaders to take a serious look at the issue.
Last year Chester became one of the first areas in the country to launch a Community Toilet Scheme, which aimed to provide improved access to clean and safe public toilets through a partnership between the local authority and businesses.
The scheme, which came after pressure groups campaigned on behalf of the millions of visitors to Chester every year, involved a network of shops, pubs and restaurants which allowed full use of their toilet facilities without the need to purchase goods.
It also worked to increase awareness of the availability of such amenities.Business which signed up to the scheme included Burger King, Foregate Street, Tesco, Frodsham Street, Little Roodee Café, The Groves Bar and Bistro and the Slug and Lettuce, Bridge Street.
Public toilet facilities can also be found in Frodsham Street, Princes Street, The Groves, Union Street and Grosvenor Park.
However, some residents now say many of these toilets are not equipped deal with visitors with severe disabilities and their carers.
Colin Pinches, of Ullswater Crescent, Plas Newton, is involved in a national campaign called Changing Places which is pushing to increase the number of facilities for disabled people throughout the country.
He said: “I think it is a disgrace Cheshire West and Chester Council do not provide enough public toilets that meet the needs of local people with severe disabilities.“Whilst we have one in the area this is far from enough.”
Colin said people with profound and multiple learning disabilities need Changing Places toilets, with a hoist, changing bench and plenty of space.
“Without them, carers are often forced to change their disabled loved-ones on dirty toilet floors,” he said.
“I urge the council to install more Changing Places toilets. People with profound multiple learning disabilities should have the same opportunities as everyone else.“And carers have enough to contend with. Let’s not make their lives harder by denying them the right to basic public facilities.”
CWaC spokesman Mike McGivern said: “There are a number of shops which have a sticker in the window which says these toilets are available for public use as part of the campaign from last year.“The Chester City Centre Access Guide contains details of the Council-owned toilets that are wheelchair accessible.“Also, many have been spruced up in the last year so. The guide is available in DIAL House, Shopmobility, TIC, The Forum, Quaker Meeting House.”
To find out more about public toilets in Chester go to www.chester.gov.uk/communitytoilets. For details about the Changing Places campaign go to www.mencap.org.uk/changelives.
They say visitors who are handicapped often need extra space for changing and other tasks and are urging council leaders to take a serious look at the issue.
Last year Chester became one of the first areas in the country to launch a Community Toilet Scheme, which aimed to provide improved access to clean and safe public toilets through a partnership between the local authority and businesses.
The scheme, which came after pressure groups campaigned on behalf of the millions of visitors to Chester every year, involved a network of shops, pubs and restaurants which allowed full use of their toilet facilities without the need to purchase goods.
It also worked to increase awareness of the availability of such amenities.Business which signed up to the scheme included Burger King, Foregate Street, Tesco, Frodsham Street, Little Roodee Café, The Groves Bar and Bistro and the Slug and Lettuce, Bridge Street.
Public toilet facilities can also be found in Frodsham Street, Princes Street, The Groves, Union Street and Grosvenor Park.
However, some residents now say many of these toilets are not equipped deal with visitors with severe disabilities and their carers.
Colin Pinches, of Ullswater Crescent, Plas Newton, is involved in a national campaign called Changing Places which is pushing to increase the number of facilities for disabled people throughout the country.
He said: “I think it is a disgrace Cheshire West and Chester Council do not provide enough public toilets that meet the needs of local people with severe disabilities.“Whilst we have one in the area this is far from enough.”
Colin said people with profound and multiple learning disabilities need Changing Places toilets, with a hoist, changing bench and plenty of space.
“Without them, carers are often forced to change their disabled loved-ones on dirty toilet floors,” he said.
“I urge the council to install more Changing Places toilets. People with profound multiple learning disabilities should have the same opportunities as everyone else.“And carers have enough to contend with. Let’s not make their lives harder by denying them the right to basic public facilities.”
CWaC spokesman Mike McGivern said: “There are a number of shops which have a sticker in the window which says these toilets are available for public use as part of the campaign from last year.“The Chester City Centre Access Guide contains details of the Council-owned toilets that are wheelchair accessible.“Also, many have been spruced up in the last year so. The guide is available in DIAL House, Shopmobility, TIC, The Forum, Quaker Meeting House.”
To find out more about public toilets in Chester go to www.chester.gov.uk/communitytoilets. For details about the Changing Places campaign go to www.mencap.org.uk/changelives.
'Half of all Chester's waste is being recycled'
THE amount of waste Chester area residents recycle has doubled under the new waste collection service.
Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) is now collecting waste in blue, green and brown wheelie bins from eight out of 10 households in and around Chester.
In the other areas bags continue to be used. There have been many teething problems and a limited number of households have not yet had a single waste collection since the new system was introduced.
But overall council leaders are delighted with the way the introduction has gone and since its introduction last month, a staggering 55 per cent of all household waste collected has been sent for recycling or composting.
The amount of waste sent for disposal has also tumbled by more than a quarter, helping to reduce the council’s reliance on landfill, a significant contributor to climate change.
Chester was previously recycling only a third of its household waste, lagging behind the two other parts of the new CWaC territory, Ellesmere Port and Neston and Vale Royal, which were both recycling 40 per cent plus of its waste.
In a message of congratulation, council leader Mike Jones said: “Thank you so much to everyone who is supporting this new service.
“This has been a mammoth task and to achieved such a high level of recycling so far is a testament to the good will and community spirit of people in this area.”
Cllr Jones added: “Due to the exceptional performance of the new service additional pressure has been placed on the recycling collection operatives who are out from 7am to 8pm.
“For those households that have suffered problems with their collections, I apologise and offer my assurance that we are working with our collection partner Focsa to provide additional resources and overcome these issues as fast as we can.”
A new Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) has been installed at Bumpers Lane, off Sealand Road. specifically for the area’s new waste collection service.
The cutting-edge facility costing £900,000 operated by Fosca processes waste on behalf of the local authority.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)