Focus on Luton’s children’s services Park and ride to the Love Luton Festival p7 Snap up tickets to Olympic Flame event p9 Lost and found: 300 dogs a year p10 Lutonline p14 Issue 127 June 2012 www.luton.gov.uk Luton Borough Council’s newspaper for local people Have your say! In these increasingly difficult economic times, many households are trying to survive by making less money go further. The Council is facing the same challenge. By 2015/16, as a result of Government cuts, we already know we will have to operate with around 30 per cent less than we received in 2010/11. It’s a huge task – and that’s why we are launching a community debate which urges all Luton residents to have their say on the future of public services in our town over the next three years. Called ‘Luton … Your Say’, the aim is to get as many people as possible talking about what can be done to minimise the effects of the savings the Council is going to have to make from 2013-16. Of course, Luton Borough Council has already made huge organisational changes to become more efficient, saving in excess of £35 million over the last two years. Now the task is getting even harder. Our aim is to produce a provisional balanced budget for 2013-16 by November this year – and to do that we must identify further savings of around £28 million. Cllr Robin Harris, Portfolio Holder for finance, said: “These are savings that the Council simply does not want to make, but unfortunately the inescapable reality is that we have to. “The Government has made the biggest cuts to public sector funding seen in decades and Luton Borough Council, like all public authorities, has not been spared in that process. “In the last two years we have saved as much as we possibly can without impacting on front-line services in Luton, but now we face enormous challenges to minimise the impacts of future spending reductions.” Over the coming months, your elected councillors need to make difficult decisions about your local services. They are currently considering all reasonable options for making savings, and looking at the full range of services to see what ideas there may be to reduce spending. We will be talking to you about what this might mean and what you might want the Council to do to lessen the impact of any reduced service. Cllr Harris said: “It’s important to stress that this is the beginning of a difficult process and we have not made any decisions yet. “The Council does not want to reduce or close services, and will continue to save as much money as possible by being more efficient and cutting administration costs. “But equally we recognise that we have to be responsible, and must plan properly to run the Council with the money we are likely to have. “This will inevitably mean reducing or closing some services and possibly charging more for others. We must also begin to talk about building community spirit and addressing how everyone can work together to pull through these tough times. “Councillors themselves are council tax payers and users of local services and it is vitally important that they understand how their decisions will affect you, and hear your ideas about what we can all do together to reduce the impacts.” VDYLQJWR EHPDGH E\ +RZ&RXQFLOEXGJHWLVVSHQW ÀJXUHVIURP How to get involved The Council is planning a range of activities so everyone can give their views. We will be visiting shopping centres and groups in June and July. You can also meet us at the following: • Thu 7 June, 7.30pm, West Luton Area Board, Barnfield West Academy • Mon 11 June, 7.30pm, North Luton Area Board, Warden Hill Junior School • Wed 13 June, 7.30pm, Central Area Board, St Matthew’s Primary School • Sat 16 June, 12-4pm, South Ward Festival, Park Town Community & Children’s Centre • Sat 23 June, 12-4pm, Area North Festival, Futures House • Sun 24 June, 12-4pm, Dallow Community Festival, Dallow Learning Centre • Mon 25 June, 7.30pm, South Area Board, Dallow Primary School • Wed 27 June, 10am-2pm, Picnic In The Park, Wardown Park • Sat 30 June, 10am-5pm, (Luton Your Say 10am-2pm) Lewsey Community Festival, Lewsey Park • Thu 5 July, 7.30pm, East Luton Area Board, Wenlock Junior School • Sat 14 July, 10am-1pm, Tenants Open Day, Town Hall • Tue 17 July, 9.30am-9pm (Luton Your Say 12-4pm), Leagrave Festival, Leagrave Primary School ● You can also give your views by emailing [email protected] or calling 01582 547037, For more see www.luton.gov.uk. More detailed consultation will follow later in the year. &RPPXQLW\OLYLQJ (GXFDWLRQOHDUQLQJ +HDOWKVRFLDOFDUH +RXVLQJ /HLVXUHFXOWXUH 7UDQVSRUW (QYLURQPHQWSODQQLQJ 5HYHQXHVEHQHÀWV FXVWRPHUVHUYLFH ,QIUDVWUXFWXUH 6WDWXWRU\KRXVLQJFRVWVRQO\ 'RHVQRWLQFOXGHFRXQFLOKRPHVEXGJHW www.luton.gov.uk 2 Lutonline June 2012 Lutonline Keeping our community safe The newspaper of Luton Borough Council Main switchboard for all enquiries 01582 54 60 00 Editorial Lutonline welcomes suggestions for editorial so please contact the team 01582 54 74 02 Advertising 01582 54 73 25 [email protected] For information on all Council services and departments visit: www.luton.gov.uk Lutonline is delivered to 72,000 homes in the borough. Private advertising keeps production costs to a minimum. Stopping criminals committing crime Police in Luton, running a targeted operation aimed at reducing the number of robberies in the town and making it a difficult place for criminals to operate, have made 35 arrests since 2 April. The arrests took place during the codenamed Operation Lutteur which was launched at the beginning of the month. It involved overt and covert police tactics that enabled 12 arrests for robbery, one for burglary, five for vehicle crimes, six for drug offences, two for shoplifting and two for metal theft. The operation has resulted in more than 190 people being stopped and spoken to, with a number of these being searched. Forty-five cars were also stopped and searched, some of which were seized under section 165 of the Road Traffic Act. The operation involved officers from the local policing and response teams, community support officers and the special constabulary together with the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire roads policing unit and the automatic number plate recognition and central tasking teams. Chief Inspector Robert McCaffray, who led the operation, said: “Criminals in Luton need not think this is the end of our proactive efforts to prevent their offending and bring them to justice, in fact this is just the beginning. “Other operations are currently underway and we will use all our available tactics including plain clothes patrols in areas where these offences take place – creating a Chief Inspector Rob ‘ring of steel’ McCaffray around the town to protect the public. “Offenders are warned that the consequence of what they think is a mugging is actually a robbery, and stealing any items from anyone and using force or the fear of force whilst doing this will lead to a term of imprisonment.” How is the Council going to manage with less money? Love parks? Leader’s column Cllr Hazel Simmons Keep fit and active for free in your local park Tell us what you think about how local parks provide opportunities to keep fit and active by visiting www.greenstat.org.uk www.luton.gov.uk/parks www.luton.gov.uk Despite the financial cutbacks documented on the front page of this edition of Lutonline, your Council has a clear, positive and ambitious vision for the borough. The Luton we are looking ahead to in 2016 is a town where businesses are thriving and providing job opportunities for local people. It’s a ‘learning town’ where young people make the most of their talents. And it’s a ‘caring town’ which offers a helping hand to older people, children in need and the vulnerable, including people with disabilities. Over the coming months, in planning its spending from 2013-16, the Council will do its best to explain its priorities simply and clearly. We will also lay out the pressures and challenges of caring for an increasingly ageing population. Councillors cannot fairly ask you, our residents, to decide where the savings should be made – that’s our job. But we can, and will, ask everyone to think about the options before we make any decisions. We do know we will have a lot less money to enable us to meet our ambitions. That’s why we are carefully planning our spending now and asking for everyone’s views. My pledge is that Luton will remain a town of equality, inclusion and cohesion: • Where all residents enjoy fair access to goods, services, employment and justice • Where they are able to join in and feel a part of the community • And where all feel respected and able to live in dignity and harmony with others and the environment. We want to stick to our principles. We are not going to just sit here and pass on the Government’s cuts. Last year you told us that we should give priority to vulnerable people, and that’s something we will continue to do. ● I write this nearly two weeks after the most recent demonstrations in our town centre and would like to thank Bedfordshire Police, staff at the Council and particularly everyone in the community for coming together and again facilitating a peaceful day in Luton. From that point of view, the events of 5 May can be seen as a relative success. Our decision to keep St George’s Square free for residents to use proved exactly right. The atmosphere in Luton town centre was positive and people were able to come into The Mall and also Bury Park and do their shopping and go about their normal daily business if they wished. It was however far from a normal Saturday in Luton, and it is clear that many people again did not choose to come into the town centre. It really is extremely disappointing that the EDL decided to come to Luton again so soon after their previous protest in February last year. While I have to respect the democratic right to free speech, these events are a serious burden to tax payers and businesses at a time when it simply cannot be afforded. Initial reports I received from businesses indicated that many stores felt it had been worth opening on the day, and I’d like to thank the shops for their support. There is no doubt however that trade was again down on its normal levels. We are already talking to businesses and the community again to assess the full impact. Clearly, these events did not represent the real Luton. Our town remains a place where people get along well, celebrate our diversity and work together to overcome the challenges that we do face. I’m now looking forward to the Love Luton 2012 Festival, with Carnival, mela, top music concerts and the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay. That’s when we can celebrate what Luton is really about. 3 Lutonline June 2012 Inner ring road moves a step closer The long-awaited completion of Luton’s inner ring road has moved a step closer with Government approval for the compulsory purchase orders required by the Council. The confirmation by Transport Secretary Justine Greening follows a three-day public inquiry into the £24 million Luton Town Centre Transport Scheme, which will also deliver associated transport improvements on the north side of the town centre, heard by The Planning Inspectorate at the Strathmore Hotel in January. Last month, independent inspector Mr JI McPherson informed Ms Greening that he accepted the “compelling case” for a scheme which is key to Luton’s future growth and long-term economic prosperity. Subject to final confirmation of funding by the Department for Transport, work which is expected to take 18 months could now start by late 2013 with completion by early 2015. Cllr Roy Davis, former Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, said the scheme could help attract a £1.5bn investment package to Luton, delivering around 11,000 new jobs and up to 4,000 new homes. He said: “Anyone who knows Luton town centre will be familiar with its congestion issues, particularly at peak times. Not only will this scheme provide additional vehicle capacity but traffic modelling shows there will be a significant reduction in that congestion which will also make the town centre more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists. “It delivers major benefits for Luton’s retail sector and greatly improves prospects for the delivery of major regeneration, including the proposed mixed-use developments at Power Court and High Town Village and extensions to The Mall shopping centre. It could also help release muchneeded funding for the improvement of Luton station.” At the centre of the project is a new two-way single-carriageway ‘Gateway Link’ road which will run from the junction of Hucklesby Way and Old Bedford Road as far as a new signalcontrolled junction with Church Street and Hitchin Road. This section of the route runs between Midland Road and the railway line and passes under the station multi-storey car park. The route then continues into Crescent Road to another new ● An inner ring road for Luton was started in the 1970s but only the southern section was completed. Hucklesby Way was then opened in 2003. ● In the same year, a study recommended a further section of road to complete the inner ring road, a new bus/station interchange and changes to the town centre traffic management. The new interchange signal-controlled junction with Crawley Green Road, and from there the next section will be made dual carriageway as far as St Mary’s roundabout. The scheme includes two new bridges, to cross the mainline railway and the Luton Dunstable Busway, and also a shared cycle/pedestrian route. A new access road will run from Gillam Street to serve Midland Road while Guildford Street will be closed to through traffic to enable an improved pedestrian connection between the new railway-bus interchange and the town centre via a proposed new public square. Cllr Davis added: “The scheme we are promoting forms a fundamental part of the integrated and comprehensive regeneration of our town. “The Transport Secretary’s decision is very welcome news. The Council has been working hard for more than nine years to get to this point where we can buy the land we need and enter the detailed design phase.” is now being constructed as part of the Luton Dunstable Busway contract and is due to open in 2013. ● In December 2011 Luton Borough Council received conditional Department of Transport approval for funding totalling £15.85m. The balance of £8.15m will come from third party contributions and identified savings on land, design and construction costs. Bury Park Community Resource Centre gets a makeover Local residents and businesses teamed up with Council staff recently to give the Bury Park Community Resource Centre a makeover. More than 30 people volunteered their time for the ‘Spic & Span’ day which revamped the ‘Maple’ and ‘Oak’ rooms of the centre, both used by a number of local community groups. The volunteers undertook a variety of tasks including painting walls, skirting boards and door frames, and washing windows. Various local businesses, including Jewsons and AA Carpets, kindly donated materials and equipment to help with the clean-up. Abid Hussain, from AA Carpets which donated carpet to the centre, said: “Bury Park is a very proud community so we wanted to give something back. This centre is at the heart of the community and we are pleased to have been able to help.” Cllr Mohammed Ashraf, one of two councillors who attended the event, said: “It was so pleasing to see such a Many hands make light work: team spirit at the Spic & Span day diverse group of people from the local Bury Park community give up their own time to make improvements to their much-loved centre. “I walked in and saw people of all ages and from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds with paintbrushes in hand, all enjoying themselves and learning from each other. We hope to have similar events in the town’s other community centres in the coming months.” ● Anyone interested in volunteering for Luton Borough Council can email [email protected] News in Brief Coronation Street actress visits pupils Lealands pupils meet Niky Former Lealands High School student Niky Wardley, who plays Jenny Sumner in Coronation Street, visited the school recently. She was invited by students who interviewed her as part of the BBC news school report programme that gives 11 to 16-year-olds the chance to make their own reports for a real audience. Niky visited her old drama teacher Delia Patterson who showed her around the school’s fantastic new performing arts suite which was completed in February as part of its £17m Building Schools for the Future refurbishment project. Headteacher John Burridge said: “The performing arts are very strong at Lealands, as is English, and so this visit gave us the opportunity to celebrate these two very high performing aspects of the school.” Family fun in Raynham Way The Council’s community development service invited people from the Raynham Way area to get into the spirit of the London 2012 games at a free family event. The ‘Minilympic’ fun day on Sunday 22 April offered a variety of entertainment at the Raynham Way Community Centre including egg and spoon, sack and spacehopper races, fairground rides, a bouncy castle, bungee run and face painting plus stalls, food and drink. It also raised awareness of the many exciting activities on offer at the centre. Cllr Joan Bailey, Portfolio Holder for community development, said: “This was a great opportunity to meet likeminded families in the area and for the kids to get into the spirit of this year’s London 2012 Games.” The Raynham Way Community Centre is one of 12 community centres across the town offering a range of activities to all sections of the community including sports, clubs, dancing, faith groups, martial arts, a pre-school, hall hire and more. For more information call 01582 40 20 34. www.luton.gov.uk 4 Lutonline June 2012 Celebrating the success of the Luton Business Grants Council contends for two industry awards Two Council-led projects in Luton have been identified as among the best in the country after being shortlisted in this year’s Municipal Journal Achievement Awards. Winners all: at the Luton Business Grants awards Luton is recognised as one of the top towns in the country for business growth. In the last two years 785 new companies have set up across the borough. During this time the Council has been providing small grants to encourage and support start-up businesses. Over 80 firms have been supported through the help of local partner Wenta, with 73 new businesses created. More than 50 people attended the recent Luton Business Grant Initiative awards to celebrate the success of business start-up grants. Former Mayor of Luton Cllr Don Worlding presented awards to those companies successful in attaining funding to recognise their success and impact on the economy. Gavin O’Brien, from Clearhead Media, provided tips and advice on continuing to grow a business with an in-depth insight into how his company benefited from support, its planned growth and how it has now started to employ more people. Cllr Roy Davis, Portfolio Holder for regeneration, said: “We’ve always said that Luton is a great town. It’s great to see that our secret is out with so many successful local businesses really taking off.” The annual event recognises and celebrates the best local authority services in the UK. Luton has been shortlisted in the ‘Public Protection’ category for its work with local food businesses in Bury Park and in the ‘Community Investor of the Year’ category for its New Homes for Luton initiative. Working with the Local Better Regulation Office, Luton Council introduced a pilot project which aimed to promote the Council as a source of assured advice to small food businesses in Bury Park, and in doing so improve safety and consumer standards and the environment in general. Over 12 weeks, working closely with the Council’s Economic Development team, officers visited businesses to offer advice, develop tailored training and build relationships with shop owners. In doing this, they were able to improve awareness about the requirements of local businesses and dispel the myth that the role of the Council was only that of an ‘enforcer’. Following the project, an independent research company found that, of the businesses that took part in the project, 75 per cent said that their working behaviour had changed for the better due to the initiative. Cllr Mohammed Ashraf, Portfolio Holder for environmental health, said: “Six out of ten businesses who took part said that the changes they had made thanks to the project had helped bring in more customers, while over 90 per cent now understood what was required of them in order to comply with regulations as a result of the pilot.” The project has now been extended to cover another group of food businesses in the town. Luton’s nomination in the ‘Community Investor of the Year’ category comes for an initiative that has delivered over 150 much-needed new homes in the town, with another 200 expected this year. New Homes for Luton is a project which came about as a result of the increasing need for housing in Luton coupled with a lack of access to Government funding to build new properties. The Council works alongside the Luton Learning and Community Partnership, Catalyst Housing Group and Wates Living Space to identify and develop sites which are suitable for social housing. Cllr Tom Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “Since the project began in January 2011, 152 new homes have been delivered, with ten per cent of those specifically designed for families with special needs. “As well as addressing the shortage of affordable homes in Luton, the programme is making a big contribution to the local economy by creating jobs and training opportunities.” Luton will find out whether its nominations have been successful at a ceremony in London on 21 June, presented by BBC’s Political Editor, Nick Robinson. VIP guests at Lealands sports festival Lealands High School’s unique inclusive sports festival attracted two very special visitors on 2 May. In attendance were Chris Rattenbury, the power lifter who hopes to qualify for the 2012 Paralympic Games, and swimmer Fran Richardson from Sky Sports. Mr Rattenbury was representing Wheelpower, the national charity for wheelchair sports. Lealands is a member of the Get Set network, a special community of schools and colleges which are demonstrating a commitment to the Olympic and the Paralympic values and using the London 2012 Games to inspire learners of all ages. The school successfully secured a £4,000 grant from the ‘PlanYour2012’ group – the educational arm of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) – a large www.luton.gov.uk Pupils and visitors at Lealands’ festival proportion of which was used to buy inclusive sports equipment. Lealands’ local feeder schools including Cheynes Infants, Leagrave Primary, Pirton Hill Primary and Sundon Park Juniors each sent a team of Year 5 pupils to join in activities such as goalball, teeball, boccia, curling and blind football. Students from The Orchard assisted in the running of the festival. 5 Lutonline June 2012 Pupils praised for anti-bullying work Music to Luton’s ears The Council’s music service has successfully secured £1.6million Arts Council England (ACE) funding for the next three years to create a new music education hub in the town. Luton Music Service will be the lead organisation in the hub which from September will work with a variety of partners to ensure every child has the chance to experience a high quality music education. Other organisations already signed up include Luton Culture, UK Centre for Carnival Arts, E-Learning@Luton, Greenbank Music Village, Luton Sixth Form College and Luton schools as well as several regional and national partners. The hub will deliver a wideranging programme including whole class, small group and individual instrumental and vocal lessons, numerous out-of-school activities and workshops, and training for schoolbased staff. Sacred Heart pupils giving their presentation Sacred Heart Primary pupils earned a raft of praise from celebrities recently for the work they have done to prevent bullying in the school. Four pupils, who serve as antibullying ambassadors, were chosen to attend an event at Google headquarters in London. The event was organised by the Diana Award – a charity set up in 1999 to reward young people who work to build a better society. At the event, the schoolchildren gave a short presentation to an audience of 160 people, which included Britain’s Got Talent finalists Twist and Pulse, Jodie Marsh, actors Joe Swash and Will Poulter, and Nick Gibb MP, the schools minister. The pupils spoke about some of the schemes introduced by the school’s anti-bullying committee, run entirely by students to support their peers. These include regular events such as compliment days which promote friendship in the school and reward pupils with good attitudes. For its hard work, Sacred Heart earned the prestigious ‘Diana AntiBullying Award’ earlier this year. Headteacher Joan Cullen said: “Being part of the anti-bullying ambassadors programme has really inspired and encouraged the children. The training that they have received and have continued to access has been invaluable.” Josiah Ankohma, a Year Five student, added: “I really enjoy being an anti-bullying ambassador and helping change someone’s life for the better. Being part of the anti-bullying showcase at Google was amazing.” ● For more information about the Diana Award, visit www.diana-award.org.uk Signals switched off at town roundabout The Council is seeking views from road users and pedestrians after switching off the traffic signals at a Luton roundabout in order to improve vehicle flows. The change at the roundabout serving Dunstable Road, Chaul End Lane and Oakley Road was made in November after a survey established that traffic flows could be improved during off-peak periods if the signals were turned off. A two-week video survey, which was conducted immediately following the switchover and also included traffic and pedestrian counts during peak hours, confirmed the findings. Now the Council is recommending that the signals and associated pedestrian facilities at the roundabout are removed on a permanent basis, and it is intended to carry out this work during the summer. Cllr Dave Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Highways, said: “The signals have been turned off and bagged up, and initial observations show significant improvements to the flow of traffic, especially during off-peak times. “This has been reinforced by public feedback requesting the lights stay off and bus operators commenting on how the roundabout works better.” ● Members of the public who wish to have their say are asked to email [email protected] or write to us at Highway Services, Town Hall, Luton, LU1 2BQ. Comments must be received by 29 June. Cllr Tahir Khan, former Executive Member with responsibility for children’s services, said: “This means children, irrespective of their background, will be given more opportunities to learn to play instruments and to learn to sing.” The hub has been created as part of the Government’s new national plan for music education, to ensure all pupils have rich cultural opportunities alongside their academic and vocational studies. Every child aged from five to 18 years is to be offered the chance to learn a musical instrument through weekly whole-class teaching for at least one term. Other key roles are to enable children to make music in groups, to ensure progress is delivered and affordable, and to develop a strategy that ensures every pupil sings regularly and that choirs and other vocal ensembles are available in the area. The hub will provide an instrument loan service, with discounts or free provision for those on low incomes, and access to large scale and high quality music experiences for pupils, working with professional musicians and venues. Luton will become part of a network of 122 music education hubs across the country, funded, advised and monitored by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Education. ● For more information visit www.luton.gov.uk/music www.luton.gov.uk 6 Lutonline June 2012 Live at Popes Meadow 6 & 7 July 2012 Friday 6 July Saturday 7 July + Lawson + Aisling O’Reilly + Bradley Johnson + SW Storm + Skepta + Sway + Mz Bratt + Lady Leshurr + Voices with Soul The Wanted Olly Murs Family, student and weekend saver tickets still available www.luton.gov.uk/2012festival Like ‘Love Luton 2012 Festival’ on Sponsored By www.luton.gov.uk Follow @lutoncouncil and use #lutonfestival 7 Lutonline June 2012 Park and ride to the Love Luton 2012 Festival! With full sets from Olly Murs and The Wanted, the Love Luton 2012 Festival is set to be the highlight of the summer in town – and now you can get there by park and ride too! The Council will be operating a special park and ride service to the festival from Stockwood Park and Barnfield College (New Bedford Road campus) from 6-9 July The shuttle buses will run from 4.30pm until midnight on Friday 6 July, and from 11am until midnight on both Saturday and Sunday, 7 and 8 July. Park and ride will be charged at £5 per day for each car. Charges are payable upon entry to the car park. Special weekend saver, family and student tickets are still available for the festival’s evening performances at Popes Meadow (see panel, right). The festival also features a kaleidoscope of daytime events including mela, comedy, dance and school games. On Sunday 8 July the Luton International Carnival will be followed by the arrival of the Olympic Torch Relay and a free ticketed celebration event in Pope’s Meadow (see page 8). Leader of the Council Hazel Simmons said: “We are keen for as many local people as possible to be able to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event for Luton at the best possible prices. “The interest has been phenomenal The Wanted and the festival has sold tickets to music fans as far afield as the USA, Canada, France, Poland and Saudi Arabia. My advice is to book your tickets now to avoid disappointment.” The University of Bedfordshire is platinum sponsor, while Heart FM, Motorbodies, The Mall and Walls are gold sponsors, and Noble Solicitors are legal sponsors. For up-to-the-minute information about the festival follow @lutoncouncil on Twitter using the hashtag #LutonFestival and like ‘Love Luton 2012 Festival’ on Facebook. ● From 1 July onwards park and ride tickets can only be purchased either directly from the Visitor Information Centre or on the day at each of the two sites. Get your tickets now! Weekend saver tickets enable music fans to attend both evening performances by The Wanted and Olly Murs on Friday 6 July and Saturday 7 July at a discounted rate, instead of buying separate tickets. A weekend single ticket costs just £59 which offers a saving of £13.50. A weekend family ticket (for four people – either one adult and three under 16s, or two adults and two under 16s) costs £199, a saving of £91. It’s a diamond celebration! Luton is holding a right royal event to mark 60 years on the throne for Her Majesty The Queen. The Love Luton Diamond Jubilee celebrations will take place on Sunday 3 June in St George’s Square from 11am until 5pm. The Luton Cultural Food Festival will be part of the event, with many local restaurants and food producers New manager to Inspire visitors to world-class sports village Luton’s £26 million leisure centre, Inspire Luton Sports Village, has appointed a new general manager. Dan Palframan is a keen sportsman with 15 years’ experience in the leisure industry, and is determined to encourage athletes and the local community to take advantage of the centre’s outstanding facilities. He said: “My goal is to help create and run a world-class facility that Lutonians will be proud of while developing sports and leisure activities to benefit our users. I’m really looking forward to the challenge.” Inspire will house a 100-station gym fitted with the latest equipment, a spinning room, dance studio and multipurpose activity room, providing over 80 classes each week. Dan added: “There are also activities designed specifically for the under-fives and for our mature users, there will be something for everyone.” Inspire will boast some of the best aquatic facilities in the country, including a 50m eight-lane main pool, 10m diving board plus 20m, five-lane community pool with moveable floor. The centre will also have an eight-court sports hall to accommodate a variety of activities, plus crèche services. A variety of sports events have already been provisionally booked at Inspire, including national and regional competitions. Dan is working with Beds ASA to host next year’s county championships. Cllr Hazel Simmons, Leader of the Council, said: “By having world-class The Council is also continuing its early bird offer, with single tickets for Olly Murs, Skepta, Sway, Mz Bratt, Lady Leshurr and Voices with Soul on Saturday 7 July currently priced at £32.50. For the time being, entry to the performance on Friday 6 July featuring The Wanted, Bradley Johnson, Lawson and SW Storm costs £30. A 10 per cent student discount remains valid, and all tickets can be purchased from www.luton.gov.uk/ 2012festival facilities available at affordable prices, we hope people of all ages will be inspired to get fit and healthy. When the centre opens in August I can guarantee Lutonians will agree it was worth the wait! “We are also looking forward to welcoming the Paralympic Flame to Inspire on Monday 27 August.” The centre’s ‘dry’ facilities will be open to the public from Monday 20 August at 2pm, with the ‘wet side’ – swimming pools – being available from 6am on Friday, 24 August. The Inspire café, offering a variety of healthy affordable foods, will be open to everyone from 24 August. The sports village will also be able to accommodate business meetings or parties via a licensed function room. coming along to give a flavour of the excellent and diverse food that is on offer in the town. Local chefs will be showing how to cook their top dishes, so look out for some free tasters and great promotional offers! Entertainment comes in the form of live music and dance featuring a showcase of local talent. With a variety of games and stalls, the day is also part of the national ‘Big Lunch’ that is being held across the country. Chairs and tables will be provided in the square, so come along, enjoy the food on offer or bring a picnic and be part of Luton’s own giant street party. Linsey Frostick, chair of the Love Luton working group, said: “This is a great opportunity for Luton to come together and celebrate this milestone in our recent history. It also allows us to promote our local businesses and talent and help Luton’s economy to continue to thrive and prosper.” ● For more information contact Michele Smith by email to [email protected], call 01582 546265 or visit www.loveluton.org.uk The event is funded by private sector businesses supporting the Love Luton campaign. www.luton.gov.uk 8 Lutonline June 2012 Tickets available for Olympic Flame celebration The Council has announced details of how and when it will be distributing tickets for Luton’s free Olympic Flame celebration event in July. Luton is one of 66 locations hosting an evening celebration for the torch, which will bring thousands of people together for a chance to share in the Olympic spirit. At the event, the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) will stage exciting entertainment as part of the Love Luton 2012 Festival weekend which runs from 6-9 July. The event takes place at Popes Meadow on the evening of Sunday 8 July. Gates open from 4pm. For two weeks between Saturday 26 May and Friday 8 June the Love Luton 2012 Festival team will be taking a roadshow to various locations across the town where they will be giving out tickets on a first come, first served basis. An even number of tickets will be made available at each event. Tickets are only available at the official roadshow events, with a maximum of two tickets per person allowed. An adult must be present to complete a form and collect the tickets. Cllr Hazel Simmons, Leader of Luton Borough Council, said: “It is safe to say that the Olympic Torch is Get your tickets at these roadshows: Saturday 26 May 1-5pm – Saints Community Centre, Solway Road North, LU3 1TU Monday 28 May 9am-1pm – Lewsey Community Centre (reception), Landrace Road, LU4 0SW 2-6pm – Hockwell Ring Community Centre (café), Mayne Avenue, LU4 9LB Tuesday 29 May 9am-1pm – Marsh Farm Library, Lea Manor High School, Northwell Drive, LU3 3TL 2-6pm – Bushmead Community Centre (reception), Hancock Drive, LU2 7SF Wednesday 30 May The Torch is coming: from Ancient Olympia, Greece unlikely to come to Luton again within any of our lifetimes. “We know demand will be high so we have set up the roadshow that goes to all corners of Luton as this will give residents an equal opportunity of securing tickets. “LOCOG has not yet officially announced the line-up or the finer details of the evening. I think this just adds to the excitement of the evening. “This amazing spectacle will be such a fitting finale to the Love Luton 2012 Festival.” Don’t just be a face in the crowd... ...be a VOICE 9am-1pm – Raynham Way Community Centre (reception), 66 Eaton Green Road, LU2 9JE 2-6pm – Stopsley Library, Hitchin Road, LU2 7UG (opposite St Thomas’s church) Thursday 31 May 9am-1pm – Park Town Community Centre, Bailey Street, LU1 3DU 2-6pm – Raynham Way Community Centre (reception), 66 Eaton Green Road, LU2 9JE Friday 1 June 9am-1pm – Hockwell Ring Community Centre (café), Mayne Avenue, LU4 9LB 2-5pm – Chaul End Community Centre (café), 515 Dunstable Road, LU4 8QN Saturday 2 June 10am-1pm – Visitor Information Centre, Central Library, St George’s Square, Luton town centre Sunday 3 June 11.30am-4.30pm – St George’s Square, Luton town centre Monday 4 June 11am-4.30pm – Stockwood Discovery Centre, London Road, LU1 4LX Wednesday 6 June 1.30-6pm – Bury Park Community Centre (front office), 161-161B Dunstable Road, LU1 1BW Thursday 7 June 9am-1pm – Farley Community Centre (front reception), Delphine Close, LU1 5RE 2-6pm – Lewsey Community Centre (reception) Landrace Road, LU4 0SW Friday 8 June 9am-1pm – Leagrave Library, Marsh Road, LU3 2NL (next to the British Legion) 1-4pm – Wigmore Library, Wigmore Lane, LU2 8DJ (near Asda) ● For more information about the Olympic Flame event and the rest of the Love Luton 2012 Festival, go to www.luton.gov.uk/2012festival West Luton Area Board South Luton Area Board (Old Halyard High School) Dallow Road, Luton, LU1 1LZ Challney, Leagrave & Lewsey Thursday 7th June 2012 6.00pm Ward Meetings 7.30pm Area Board Barnfield West Academy Leagrave High Street, Luton, LU4 0NE North Luton Area Board Bramingham, Icknield, Limbury, Northwell & Sundon Park Monday 11th June 2012 6.00pm Ward Meetings 7.30pm Area Board Warden Hill Junior School Birdsfoot Lane, Luton, LU3 2DN Dallow, Farley & South Monday 25th June 2012 6.00pm Ward Meetings 7.30pm Area Board Dallow Primary School East Luton Area Board Crawley, Round Green, Stopsley & Wigmore Thursday 5th July 2012 6.30pm Ward Meetings 7.30pm Area Board Wenlock Junior School Beaconsfield, Luton, LU2 0RW Central Luton Area Board Barnfield, Biscot, High Town & Saints Wednesday 13th June 2012 6.00pm to 7.30pm Ward Meetings 7.30pm to 9.00pm Area Board St. Matthew’s Primary School Wenlock Street, Luton, LU2 0NJ Area Boards are designed to give you a voice in your neighbourhood. And a say in how things are run. www.luton.gov.uk/areacommittees www.luton.gov.uk/wardforums www.luton.gov.uk/areatours www.luton.gov.uk/areacommittees www.luton.gov.uk For further information contact Gary J Roberts Area Boards Support Officer Town Hall, Luton, LU1 2BQ Telephone: 01582 54 69 85 Fax: 01582 54 63 69 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] If you require transport, phone Gary Roberts on 54 69 85. Transport suitable for people with disabilities. 9 Lutonline June 2012 The Cultural Olympiad comes to Luton! Cultural events taking place in Luton this summer as part of the London 2012 Festival have been confirmed by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The London 2012 Festival, which runs from 21 June to 9 September, represents the finale of the Cultural Olympiad, with more than 1,000 free events and ten million opportunities to take part across the country. Ruth Mackenzie, director of the London 2012 Festival and Cultural Olympiad, said: “With new work from the best musicians, comics, artists, film makers and more, there will be arts events taking place in unusual places that will showcase the East of England when the eyes of the world are on us this summer. “The East of England will have many free events to attend as part of the London 2012 Festival and provide a chance for people across the region to join in with the London 2012 Games and be inspired by great talent.” Events taking place in Luton are: • Friday to Monday 6-9 July: The Love Luton 2012 Festival includes a breathtaking carnival procession and South Asian mela along with circus, food and comedy plus evening concerts featuring Olly Murs and The Wanted. Admission is free to some elements, others are ticketed. • Saturday 7 July – The Big Dance Stage at Love Luton 2012 Festival: the stage in Luton town centre will feature performances by local groups, including both independent and school troupes as well as professional acts who will also give workshops to get the crowd moving. • Sunday 8 July – London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay: the Olympic Torch comes to Luton as part of the Love Luton 2012 Festival, culminating in an evening celebration. Crowds are invited to line the route. The evening celebration at Popes Meadow will be free but ticketed. Find out more on page 8. • Sunday 8 July – Carnival Crossroads East Bound: this carnival extravaganza connects five communities to form a 500-strong carnival band which will perform at Luton International Carnival as part of the Love Luton 2012 Festival in Luton town centre. The parade will tell historic tales from Norwich, Ipswich, Southend, Cambridge and Luton, showcasing the heritage of the Eastern region through carnival arts. Admission is Picture showing the scale of the 10m-high Godiva currently under construction free, find out more at www.carnivalarts.org.uk • 16 May until 1 June & 2-24 August: Carnival Crossroads East Bound Exhibition: this display at the UK Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton takes a look at how the Carnival Crossroads East Bound project has evolved, featuring visuals of the work created, film footage and interviews with artists discussing the carnival production process from inception to creation. Admission is free, find out more at www.carnivalarts.org.uk • Wednesday 11 July – The Bedfordshire Big Dance Schools Jam: the East of England Schools Dance Jam 2012 is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the dance which happens in schools and youth groups across the region, giving young people the chance to showcase their talent to a wide audience in a professional setting at the University of Bedfordshire Theatre. Make sure your school is part of the fun! Admission is ticketed, find out more at www.beds.ac.uk Urbanism, who will be performing as part of the Big Dance in Luton • Thursday 12 July – The Big Dance East Tour: The Demon Barbers bring the UK’s number one folk and hip-hop dance extravaganza ‘Time Gentlemen Please!’ to Luton Library Theatre. Some of the UK’s oldest dance forms are brought bang up to date as they collide with some of the youngest in a fast-paced, new and innovative show bringing together top folk, clog, sword and Morris dancers with their counterparts from the worlds of B-boying, popping, krump and beatbox. Admission is ticketed, find out more at www.lutonlibrarytheatre.com • Thursday 2 August – Godiva Awakes, Artists Taking The Lead: the ten-metre high, cycle-powered Lady Godiva comes to St George’s Square in Luton on its journey across the region from Coventry to London, featuring a procession and evening celebration. Admission is free, find out more at www.imagineerproductions.co.uk • 3 July until 9 September – Around The World In Eighty Objects: with more than 100 different recognised languages spoken in Luton, mirroring the 100 or more countries competing in the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, this exhibition at Wardown Park Museum and Stockwood Discovery Centre will showcase Luton’s collections as world based. The exhibition celebrates Luton’s diversity through contemporary collecting and reaches out to visiting nations to share their stories. Admission is free, find out more at www.wardownparkmuseum.com Liz Hughes, creative programmer for the East of England, said: “Our programme combines both local and global themes, celebrates our heritage and international connections, and offer something for everyone. The programme is a testament to the creativity and diversity of the creative sector in the East.” Principal funders are Arts Council England, Legacy Trust UK, the Olympic Lottery Distributor and premier partners BT and BP. ● To receive more information about the London 2012 Festival sign up at www.london2012.com/festival Creative Luton’s new and shiny vision Growing the local business economy is good for everyone. So the Council is working closely with the University of Bedfordshire to bring together like-minded businesses in the creative and ICT sectors to encourage greater communication, cross-working and success. A recent Creative Luton event at the university urged freelancers, agencies and businesses to come along and find out what support, resources and facilities are available. Attendees also discovered how Luton is developing as a hub for creative businesses and how they can help identify priorities for the sector. Cllr Roy Davis, former Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, said: “Local businesses say they find it difficult to find the right skills and are unaware of the types of skills University of Bedfordshire graduates offer. “We have a new and shiny vision: we want to help businesses create a strong partnership with the university to take on skilled graduates, work on research projects and help businesses access the university’s facilities.” Les Ebdon, Vice Chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, said: “We are working on developing a virtual platform called the Creative Quarter – a business-led website to promote Luton’s creative industries, allowing them to write fresh blogs and advertise jobs, contracts and freelancing opportunities.” ● To learn more or get involved, please contact Sayma.khanom@ luton.gov.uk www.luton.gov.uk 10 Lutonline June 2012 Protecting Luton’s child Luton is delivering one of the best children’s services in the Eastern region, as confirmed recently by government inspectors Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. Inspectors assessed the overall effectiveness of services in the town to safeguard and protect children as ‘good’. Cllr Tahir Khan, former Executive Member with responsibility for children’s services, said: “Safeguarding children and young people is a top priority for the Council, that’s why despite the challenging financial environment we have made a decision to make no reductions in front-line safeguarding services. “Services required by children and young people cut across many different agencies and need excellent partnership working with all our partners from schools, the NHS, youth offending service and the Luton Safeguarding Children Board. We are pleased inspectors recognised our strong partnership working at both strategic and operational levels. It also needs effective leadership, which the inspectors acknowledged is being provided by our Director of Children and Learning, Martin Pratt.” Lutonline spoke to social workers to examine how they carry out their role to protect Luton’s children and young people. ‘Drop everything’ if a child is at risk What do you get if you combine a counsellor, mediator, parent, confidant and investigator? Answer, a social worker. These front-line staff have to wear many hats to carry out their role effectively, from counselling young people to mediating between parents to playing detective to research the background Happy family: but it’s not always like this details of a child who is up night to help a family in need. for adoption. On many occasions families don’t It’s tough being a social worker, want social workers to intervene even especially working within children’s when they desperately need help. services where no two days are the The stigma of them taking children same. Christine, a social worker for 11 away from parents is still a great fear. years, explains: “I train social worker However the reality is a lot of evidence students describing my role as a circus must be collated and presented to act with lots of plates spinning on the courts before a judge will even sticks, new plates constantly being contemplate removing a child. added and having to keep the old One of Christine’s many tasks is plates spinning. Letting one plate fall finding permanent homes for children could be fatal.” in council care. Creating a ‘life story’ By this she means the many cases book for a child placed for adoption she has to manage which vary from gives her most pleasure. supporting a pregnant teenager Christine says: “It’s my role to find to responding to child protection out as much as I can about a child’s issues. Safeguarding children always background – where are their birth takes priority, so if a call comes in parents from? When did they first regarding a child at risk this must learn to smile, crawl, walk, speak? be immediately investigated and I try to get photos of the parents whatever is planned for the day goes and any siblings and drawings the out of the window. child may have done at an early age. Demands on a social worker are It’s vital children know where they great: continually working under come from and it’s important the stressful conditions with changing prospective adopter is willing to share priorities or having to be flexible; this information with the child.” dropping everything to rush to help a Having a good support network child in crisis; or working through the is crucial: team members have an overview of each other’s cases so can respond to enquiries and share frustrations, concerns or advise one another. Having a good sense of humour helps to break the tensions that inevitably arise throughout the day. Getting families to think outside the box is one of the ways Christine supports them. “Our role is to encourage them to think for themselves. It’s not just down to me to come up with all the answers, they need to solve their own problems,” she says. It’s not always easy to offer support, especially if the family is unwilling to engage with social workers. “You just keep at them. You call them, try to arrange visits and try to be as open as possible with them. Working with other agencies such as health and schools also helps get some of the information you need. At the end of the day we are not here to be liked, we’re here to do a job – but we are human,” says Christine. So how does Christine, and the many social workers like her, keep going? “I supported a child who became pregnant at 14 years. A few years later she was married with another child. I was outside Luton and saw her with her children and husband. He came up to me, shook my hand and thanked me for the help I had given her. “It’s nice to know I have made a real difference. I find it very rewarding to play a part in enabling parents to be strong and more resilient. You certainly don’t get bored, every day there’s always a challenge.” Newly-qualified social worker’s perspective Children are our number one priority www.luton.gov.uk Charlie qualified last January after working in a residential social work setting. She has found it tough but is motivated by her passion to help children. She is currently supporting 20 children. Charlie says: “The bureaucracy and paperwork is overwhelming sometimes. Some days you simply do not have enough time to do as much direct work with families as you would like to do.” In addition to a degree, social workers require many qualities and skills such as being persuasive, confident, good listeners, strong-willed and determined. Having support on and off the job, especially when you are new in your role, is essential. For 12 months after qualifying, new recruits in Luton participate in the newly qualified social work scheme which involves going to university once a month, attending workshops and peer discussions. Charlie’s typical day could involve visiting a child with a protection plan in place to monitor their safety, then having meetings with other professionals to share information, as well as counselling parents, advising foster carers on how to deal with a particular behavioural problem or chatting to a young person, plus lots of telephone calls and paperwork. “This job is more difficult than I ever imagined. You need to be prepared for everything. You need to be passionate, and you have to really care about the children, young people and families you are supporting,” says Charlie. Attending court is a serious role a social worker must undertake. Their information could determine whether a child is removed from their parents. Charlie says: “Giving evidence in court can be nerve-wracking and sometimes when you are being cross examined you can feel like you’re the guilty one, when all you’re trying to do is to protect a child. However you must believe in yourself. If you don’t, then the judge won’t believe in you and that could mean you failing a child.” Children services’ social workers, by the very nature of their job, often see the grimiest side of life, such as families suffering from poverty and domestic abuse. So it’s not surprising their role can be physically and emotionally draining. 11 Lutonline June 2012 dren and young people Supporting children with disabilities Luton’s children with disabilities team carries out the full range of social work for children aged 0-18 years, including undertaking specialist care assessments, addressing child protection issues, developing care plans and getting involved in adoptions and foster care placements. They often have to deal with more complex cases where some families have more than one disabled child. A child with special needs can put a family under immense pressure, so the team also needs to concentrate their efforts on delivering preventative and early intervention services. Kate Burchell, team manager, explains: “We don’t just assess the needs of the child; we also investigate what support the family requires. We deliver lots of services to try and prevent a family from breaking down. This could be providing practical help within the home, respite care so parents can get a break from looking after their disabled child or finding them specialist child minders or activities or providing financial help. We also make them aware of other organisations who can offer emotional and specialist support above and beyond what we can offer, such as Keech Hospice, charities or the local hospital.” She adds: “On many occasions parents need support in coming to terms with the diagnosis of their child, The intensive support team works with families to eliminate crises especially if they have a life-limiting condition. We also deliver before and after bereavement work and support parents on their child’s end of life care plan.” Partnership working is imperative; liaising closely with community nurses, paediatricians, health visitors, doctors and the L&D Hospital so children and their family get the specialist support they need. Case study: helping hand at the end of the phone Dally Dough-Duffield and her daughter Indira have been receiving support from the children with disabilities team since 2004. Indira has four-limb cerebral palsy, she is unable to speak, can’t use her limbs, has epilepsy, is registered blind, and has to be fed by a tube 20 hours a day. Looking after her daughter is a fulltime job so getting help to care for her child is a necessity. Dally is grateful to the team for their support. She says: “I cannot fault the team, they are fantastic! When my husband was hospitalised they were able to provide me with extra nights’ respite so I could spend time with him without worrying about Indira. “There have been times when my daughter has been unwell and you get to a point where you think you are going to break down, but our social worker is always there at the end of the phone to help.” The team has also looked at providing flexibility to the care package offered to Indira and Dally. “I used to be tied to one agency where I was forced to stick to the hours agreed. My social worker introduced me to direct payments which allowed me to employ the carers I want to look after Indira, so I now have the flexibility I need.” Preventing a family crisis Luton’s intensive support team was set up nearly seven years ago as a rapid response service to families at the verge of breakdown. The team of highly skilled individuals consists of six family support workers, an advisory teacher, a manager and an admin officer. Their main goal is to identify ways of eliminating crisis in a family and preventing a child from being taken into Council care. They work with babies up to 16year-olds and with families where a child protection plan is in place, which means a child is at risk of significant harm and there is a plan to ensure they are kept safe. Using their extensive experience, family support workers quickly assess what problems and issues need to be addressed and working with the family they identify how they might tackle them. Their core hours of working from 8am to 8pm give them flexibility to support families early in the morning and in the evening. Each team member supports four to five families at any one time and spends on average two-hour sessions with the families which could include establishing routines, setting boundaries to help address behavioural problems, and trying to assist parents to develop positive relationships with professionals. They also offer one-to-one support to children and young people, helping to build their esteem and showing them how to establish safe relationships with adults and their peers. Sonya, a senior family support worker, said: “We are very open and honest with families and I think they appreciate that. We will identify the good things they are doing and then work with them on their weaknesses which, if ignored, could cause them to go into crisis.” The team also relies heavily on having good relationships with a variety of organisations and agencies including health, schools, community and mental health services and may even do joint visits with a social worker or health visitor. Sonya added: “You sometimes feel there is not enough time to meet the needs of the families. But with our support families do come off child protection plans and when you help them to make changes which allows them to stay together, it’s really nice to see.” So what are the qualities that you need to become a family support worker? “You need patience and the ability to be open and honest. You’ve got to really care and to really listen to the family and above all be flexible, as one cap doesn’t fit all.” One of the ways the team evaluates its service is through feedback from its users and here are some of their comments: “I really enjoyed learning to make play dough and baking cakes with the children.” “She gave us some good advice, even though we didn’t agree with it at first.” “They explained everything clearly.” www.luton.gov.uk 12 Lutonline June 2012 From rats, mice, cockroaches and bed bugs to wasps, ants and pigeons, we are working to control the problems ... A day in the life of pest control! Got a problem with pests? Then call the Council’s pest control team – a group of three officers dedicated to responding to calls for help from the public and local businesses. Every day, the team works to keep our environment clean, safe and healthy. Officers are trained by the Royal Society for Public Health. The service also belongs to the National Pest Technicians’ Association and keeps up to date with best practice. Pest control officers work to ensure problems caused by infestations of pests such as rats, mice, cockroaches, bed bugs and Pharaoh ants considered a risk to public health are controlled to help stop the problem occurring in the first place. The Council will treat public health pests free of charge if the problem is in domestic premises and you are the owner occupier, but businesses and residential landlords need to pay. You are welcome to call the Council for help with other ‘pests’ such as ants, wasps, moths, larder beetles or netting to deter pigeon roosting, but this is a chargeable service. A pest controller’s working day kicks off at 7am when they pick up their list of the day’s emergency and routine calls. First call is often a local school where the aim is to stop any pests moving in and making themselves comfortable. Placebo bait boxes are laid around school perimeters early in the morning before classes begin. The placebo, which is not poisonous, contains a dye which makes it easy to spot any vermin droppings. The problem can then be treated as appropriate. Officers regularly visit schools using the service, helping to ensure no problems occur in the first place and keeping the environment safe and clean for children and staff. If a pest control officer visits your home to treat a problem, they will look for the reasons why the infestation has occurred in the first place and advise you on how to deter your unwelcome guests. vents or pipes may have added to the problem. In the case of rats and mice for example, routine maintenance and housekeeping issues such as broken airbricks or gaps around tumble drier Vermin can squeeze through cracks as narrow as a pencil, so sealing any accidental space is vital to keep rats and mice out and stop them using Along with the fun and activities, the festivals provide a chance for local people to give their ideas about what the priorities should be in their area. The following festivals are confirmed: Bushmead Community Festival The next call is likely to be a broken sewer. Officers carry out smoke tests to highlight any faults in the pipe. Free neighborhood family festivals With summer fast approaching, the Council’s community development service and partners have organised a series of free family festivals across the town. Six community festivals are scheduled throughout May and June that include a variety of activities for all the family such as face painting, fairground rides, sports, dance, music, entertainment, arts and crafts, prize draws and much more. Officials from the Council, police, NHS Luton, the fire and rescue service and various voluntary and community groups will also be on hand at each of the festivals to provide information on local services. The festival is being supported as part of the Council-led scheme – ‘Your Say, Your Way’ which is all about increasing opportunities for local people to get involved in decision making so they can help shape the future of their neighbourhoods. www.luton.gov.uk Saints Festival Saturday 26 May, 1-5pm Alder Crescent recreation ground (next to Saints Community Centre) Farley Festival and Diamond Jubilee event Sunday 3 June, 10am onwards Market Square, Farley Hill, LU1 5RD South Ward Community Festival Saturday 16 June, 12-4pm Green space outside Park Town Community & Children’s Centre Area North Festival (organised by Marsh Farm Events Committee) Saturday 23 June, 12-4pm Futures House, The Moakes, Luton LU3 3QB Saturday 30 June, 2-4pm Green space near Bushmead shopping parade and Community Centre (Hancock Drive) Lewsey Community Festival Saturday 30 June, 10am-5pm Lewsey Park, Pastures Way Cllr Sheila Roden, Portfolio Holder for community development, said: “If you live in any of these areas I encourage you to come along for an enjoyable family day out. They all double as a great chance for you to have your say on local issues, and for us to listen to your views and any concerns.” Local businesses who would like to pitch or have a stall at any of the events should call 01582 55 66 92 or email [email protected] ● For more information about the ‘Your Say, Your Way’ project go to www. luton.gov.uk/neighbourhood the sewers for breeding. Next on the officer’s work list could be a bed bug problem in someone’s home, which is not unusual, particularly in houses with multiple occupancy and lots of lodgers. If you call the Council to report a bed bug problem, please be patient when you are asked a list of questions including how many beds and bedrooms you have in your house – this helps the pest controllers to assess the size of the problem and the best way to tackle it to keep you safe. ● To book a pest controller visit, or for help, advice or to find out about charges, please call the pest control service on 01582 510330 or see www.luton.gov.uk and search for ‘pest control’. Pest control calls Last year, pest controllers dealt with over 2,000 calls including: rats mice bedbugs fleas wasps Pharoah ants cockroaches bees pigeons pest identification 752 670 80 19 254 40 140 30 1 144 13 Lutonline June 2012 Illegal tobacco is smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes or hand-rolling tobacco. It is sold at around half the price of legal tobacco and can have a devastating effect on communities. We all love a bargain. But cheap tobacco is costing more than you might think. Sold at dinner-money prices, it makes it easy for our children to smoke and become addicted. Children who buy cheap tobacco can come into contact with criminals. Some children are talked into selling cheap cigarettes on to school friends. Anyone selling cheap tobacco is also more likely to be selling other things illegally such as DVDs or alcohol, exposing children to more danger. So what is being done about it? Far from being a victimless crime, illegal tobacco is often targeted at children, young people and cashstrapped families. The new illegal tobacco campaign will help keep illegal tobacco out of our communities by: • informing everyone about the impact of illegal tobacco • encouraging residents to report illegal tobacco trading • working for pledges of support from you and thousands of people in the East of England. You can help by telling friends and family about the issue, to help stop the flow of illegal tobacco, and by pledging your support for this campaign at www. no-illegal-tobacco.co.uk. You can also help spread the campaign message by sharing your pledge on Facebook and Twitter. ● Report any information Confiscated tobacco hoard about illegal tobacco in your area to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Farley Juniors celebrate their diamond jubilee A special performance for the Mayor Just like Her Majesty The Queen, Farley Junior School is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year. to music by The Beatles, The Gap Band, Kylie Minogue, JLS and and the Spice Girls. And to mark the achievement pupils ‘strutted their stuff’ using music and dance from the last 60 years on Tuesday 1 May. In the afternoon the school was transformed into a street party when played classic playground games such as hopscotch, ball and skipping while parents and staff reminisced about the ‘good old days’. Former Mayor of Luton Cllr Don Worlding joined in with the celebrations alongside former staff, governors and other VIP guests. During morning assembly pupils presented podcasts covering events from 1952 until 2012 and performed Historic memorabilia went on display featuring the original admissions registers from 1952 and photographs spanning 60 years of school life. Luton Family Information Service and the Pre-School Learning Alliance present: Family Luton In f o rm a t io n S e r v ic e Illegal tobacco – what’s the real cost? Everyone is invited to come and celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics at this year’s Picnic in the Park! Wednesday 27 June, 10am to 2pm, at Wardown Park, off Old Bedford Road For more information or if you’re thinking about sponsoring this event then call 01582 54 88 88 or visit www.luton.gov.uk/fis A great day out for parents, carers and young children! www.luton.gov.uk 14 Lutonline June 2012 Lost and found in Luton: over 300 dogs a year With more than 300 stray dogs picked up in Luton last year, the Council’s award-winning dog warden service is appealing to owners to act responsibly. Cllr Dave Taylor, Portfolio Holder for the environment, said: “Only half the stray dogs picked up by Council dog wardens last year in Luton were reclaimed. Don’t people realise that by abandoning a dog, they could be signing the poor animal’s death warrant?” Council dog wardens recently received an RSPCA Community Animal Welfare Footprint gold award for their hard work in connection with stray dogs, reuniting them with their owners and educating people about responsible dog ownership. But dog wardens are not miracle workers. If a stray is not microchipped or wearing an identification tag, obviously the wardens cannot track down its owner. The Council also cannot support dogs long term at taxpayers’ expense. Wardens will care for strays for seven days to give their owners the chance to reclaim them. After this time a local Love Parks? dog charity will assess them for rehoming. But if any of the animals are unhealthy or have serious behavioural problems, then sadly they have to be put to sleep. The Council offers microchipping for £10 to encourage more dog owners to protect their pets, yet only a third of strays collected last year were chipped. Compulsory microchipping is currently being discussed at Government level. Dog wardens are concerned about an increasing lack of basic training and socialisation among local dogs. All pets should be friendly. Luton’s award-winning dog wardens bills and cannot afford to look after the dog properly. Please think carefully before you get a dog.” ● For microchipping and general Wardens will care for stray dogs for seven days to give their owners a chance to reclaim them Wardens promote the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme, the largest dog training project in the country. Don’t miss the wardens’ dog show at Lewsey Community Festival in Lewsey Park, Pastures Way, on Saturday 30 June featuring Kennel Club tests and arena displays, with general information on caring for pets. Jennifer Wyatt, environmental enforcement manager, said: “Dogs are not toys or fashion accessories: they are a long term responsibility with some living over 10 years. Most dogs are not cheap to look after. Even if a dog is loved, owners often find they have not budgeted for expensive vet’s Sad dog’s tale … Tell us what you think about Blundell Road Recreation Ground. Visit: www.greenSTAT.org.uk www.luton.gov.uk/parks www.luton.gov.uk This abandoned dog had to be put down because of its terrible untreated skin condition The vet believes this stray was suffering from an extreme skin condition with open wounds for some time. The poor animal had been left untreated for so long that treatment would have been unsuccessful. Sadly, the dog had to be put to sleep. But if her owners had sought help earlier, she would have survived. information on buying and caring for your dog, please see www.luton. gov.uk/dogwardens or call 01582 510330. Happy dog’s tale … Letter from Chutney, a formerly neglected Yorkshire Terrier … dog warden Dearest Luton you were kind as ll remember me I am sure you wi when I was cold ay str a as up me ry enough to pick th life. I was ve d struggling wi ly on y m d and starving an an le ghtened of peop I unhappy and fri attack. Although to s wa elf ys m t ace pl a to e m way to protec u, you still took yo to le sti ho fe. ry was ve and felt sa rm and was fed where I was wa no longer w family and am d I am no I now have a ne an and frightened be handled starving or cold to ve lo I d people an people th longer scared of wi st I began my tru and cuddled as . up e m ed t you pick from the momen k love to say than to you I would nt rta po im If I could speak t os m e r beginning th to my you so much fo I have been on at th ey rn jou start my I t part of the en om e. From the m lif ly ve lo d p over on my an fli new y circles and pp ha in nd be ou day I run ar d then wait to mmy rubbed an tu y y m m se ve ur ha co to back cuddle. Of y first morning picked up for m ! putty in my paws new owners are d by uch appreciate m work, it is very od up d go e en th we up at ep Ke ners th and the lucky ow ment in rta te en all us animals r ou eerful with all with who keep ch n. tio fec af value and itude wishes and grat With love, best x from Chutney xx Chutney when he was first picked up, and now re-homed with a friend Dog fouling? No thanks No-one likes to tread in dog mess: the unpleasant result of lazy and irresponsible dog owners who do not clean up after their animals. The Council could spend lots of taxpayers’ money on employing more people to clear up after local dogs and working to prosecute those who break the law by allowing their dogs to foul public areas, but this is an expensive and time-consuming process. The Council has decided that stopping the problem in the first place is the best approach, working hard to promote responsible dog ownership and encouraging dog owners to clean up after their own animals. But we will issue a £50 Fixed Penalty Notice or prosecute where we have sufficient evidence. ● To arrange for dog mess to be cleaned from a public area, call the Council on 01582 510330. 15 11 Lutonline 2011 Lutonline June 2012 LutonlineOctober October 2011 Don’t Don’t miss miss out out on on free free school school meals meals Councillor advice surgeries Keeping our community healthier They IFHVBSBOUFFFMFNFOUPG4UBUF Theysay saythe thebest bestthings thingsin inlife lifeare are tt55IFHVBSBOUFFFMFNFOUPG4UBUF Pension Credit Pension Credit free! So what could be better than free! 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[email protected] orvisit visit [email protected] UnityHouse HouseReception, Reception,111 111Stuart Stuart Unity ● For further information about the 4USFFU-6/1GSPNBNPO 4USFFU-6/1GSPNBNPO signs and symptoms of lung cancer, .POEBZTUP'SJEBZToPSDPOUBDUUIF .POEBZTUP'SJEBZToPSDPOUBDUUIF please visit nhs.uk/lungcancer team toarrange arrange anappointment. appointment. team to an MPs’ Advice Advice Surgeries Surgeries MPs’ Luton’stwo twoMPs, MPs,Kelvin KelvinHopkins Hopkinsand andGavin Gavin Shuker, Shuker, Luton’s holdregular regularAdvice AdviceSurgeries Surgeriesand andare arealways always happy happy hold tohelp helptheir theirconstituents. constituents. to Luton North North Luton KelvinHopkins HopkinsMP MP Kelvin Covering:Barnfield, Barnfield,Bramingham, Bramingham,Challney, Challney, Covering: Icknield,Leagrave, Leagrave,Lewsey, Lewsey,Limbury, Limbury, Icknield, Northwell, Saints and Sundon Park Northwell, Saints and Sundon Park www.kelvinhopkinsmp.com www.kelvinhopkinsmp.com Pleasecall callKelvin’s Kelvin’soffice officeon on488 488208 208for foran an Please Advice Surgery appointment Advice Surgery appointment Luton South South Luton GavinShuker ShukerMP MP Gavin Covering:Biscot, Biscot,Caddington, Caddington,Crawley, Crawley, Covering: Dallow, East Hyde, Farley, High Town,Round Round Dallow, East Hyde, Farley, High Town, Green,Slip SlipEnd, End,South, South,Stopsley Stopsleyand andWigmore Wigmore Green, www.gavinshuker.org www.gavinshuker.org Pleasecall callGavin’s Gavin’soffice officeon on457 457774 774for foran an Please AdviceSurgery Surgeryappointment appointment Advice Labour Labour Ward Ward Councillors Councillors Date, Date, time, time, venue/contact venue/contact %DUQÀHOG %DUQÀHOG 5DFKHO+RSNLQV 5DFKHO+RSNLQV 6HFRQG6DWXUGD\RIHYHU\PRQWKDPQRRQ 6HFRQG6DWXUGD\RIHYHU\PRQWKDPQRRQ %XVKPHDG&RPPXQLW\&HQWUH+DQFRFN'ULYH %XVKPHDG&RPPXQLW\&HQWUH+DQFRFN'ULYH %LVFRW %LVFRW 0RKDPPDG$\XE 0RKDPPDG$\XE 1DVHHP$\XE 1DVHHP$\XE 7DKLU.KDQ 7DKLU.KDQ 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www.luton.gov.uk 16 Lutonline June 2012 Stockwood Discovery Centre London Road, Luton LU1 4LX Tel: 01582 548600 Wardown Park Museum Old Bedford Road, Luton LU2 7HA Tel: 01582 546722 Delivering cultural services on behalf of Luton Borough Council Exhibitions Exhibitions Ancient Greeks – Athletes, Warriors And Heroes DinoMites, The A-Z Of Dinosaurs Continuing until 4 November Visit one of the most exciting exhibitions ever to be held at Stockwood Discovery Centre! DinoMites is an amazing new exhibition that features baby and juvenile dinosaurs and shows the life cycles of smaller species from birth to death. £3.95 adults*, £2.95 children and concessions*, £12 families (group of four, must include one child) * With 50 per cent discount on return visit Willow Winners 11 June – 8 October To celebrate this Olympic year members of Hertfordshire Basketry have collaborated to produce a series of lifesized sporting sculptures made from willow and recycled materials. They have used a combination of conventional basketry techniques and random weaving to make stylised figures which will be displayed in the formal flower beds. Please note: the display will be set in the formal flower beds so the exact dates for the start and finish of this display will have to fit with the planting of these areas. Please check before you visit to make certain the display is in place. Free, drop in Events The Royal Jubilee – Carriage Event Monday 4 June, 11am-4.30pm Come along and join us to celebrate the royal jubilee and to learn more about the Mossman Carriage collection and horse care, in partnership with Baylands Equestrian Centre. • Carriage and pony rides • Craft and gift stalls • Charity stalls • Horse demonstrations and shows • Children’s activities Entry is free but charges or donations for individual activities may apply, drop in www.luton.gov.uk Fathers’ Day Sunday 17 June, 11am-1pm & 2-4.30pm Come along to decorate a key ring and gift box to give to your dad on his special day. Learn more about this day and how it is celebrated around the world. £1.50 per child, drop in The Lucky Gingerbread Man Friday 22 June, 10.45am and 11.45am The Magic Book Theatre presents a puppet show for young children about a gingerbread man. This popular show uses table-top puppets, shadow puppets and everyday objects for imaginative storytelling. The show lasts 30 minutes and is suitable for children aged two to five years. £4 per child, please book on 01582 548600 Summer Solstice & Midsummer Saturday 23 June, 11am-1pm & 2-4.30pm Many Continental countries mark the height of summer and the longest day of the year with holidays, traditions and celebrations. Come along to learn more about this special time of year, its history and how it is still celebrated today across Europe. Have a go at making sun catchers and more. £1.50 per child, drop in Sight Concern Day Tuesday 26 June In partnership with Sight Concern Bedfordshire, the Action for Blind People’s resource bus returns to Stockwood to raise awareness about sight loss and visual impairments. Come along to get advice and find out about the museum service’s new ‘touch tours’. Free, drop in Continuing until 6 December – a British Museum loan display This exhibition features highlights from the British Museum’s collections on the theme of competition in the Ancient Greek world, through events such as the Olympics, politics, drama and warfare. The exhibition has one of the largest selections of Greek artefacts ever lent by the British Museum. The British Museum works with partner museums around the country through its Partnership UK programme, sharing collections and expertise to mutual benefit. Support for this loan is provided through the generosity of the Dorset Foundation Free, drop in Spring cleaning at the museum Continuing until 17 June We are opening our store cupboards to the public! We would like to clean, dust and reorganise the objects in our collections, using the gallery space at Wardown Park Museum as our workspace. Come along during the week to see curatorial staff working in the gallery with a range of objects we have in the collections. Discover the reasons why we collect them, and hear about some of the problems that we face in trying to preserve the past. See special displays of some of the rarely seen items in our collection and be surprised by some of our favourites. We also want your views on what we should be collecting and how we can continue to collect, so why not drop in and let us know what you think? Items you can see during weekdays in June include fans, parasols, watches and jewellery, including hair work, and ceramics and porcelain, including the Duvivier New Hall porcelain. Threads Of Life Gallery – Logs To Lace From 29 May From lace and life in the 1600s, the new display moves forward 100 years to show lace and life in the 1700s. This is your opportunity to discover 18th century lace, textiles, decorative items and furniture from our own collections. The New Horizons Textile Group has once again taken up the challenge from curators at Wardown Park Museum. This time group members have been asked to interpret lace by using their textile skills. The result is a surprising display themed around the traditional log cabin patchwork block which is certain to delight and intrigue visitors. Free, drop in Events A Jubilee Jamboree Saturday 2 June, 10am-4.30pm Wardown Park Museum invites you to a special jubilee event. Come along to have a go at royal craft activities, browse cake and gift stalls and much more. Remember to bring along a family recipe to share in our recipe swap marquee. Entry is free but charges or donations for individual activities may apply, drop in Have a Go – Basic Embroidery Friday 29 June, 2-4.30pm Come along for a chance to learn all about basic embroidery, and try your hand at it! Make a sampler to take home. All abilities welcome. When booking, please state if you are a beginner or experienced, suitable for ages 12 years and above. £2 per child, please book on 01582 546722 17 Lutonline June 2012 Delivering cultural services on behalf of Luton Borough Council www.lutonlibraries.co.uk Get ready for your holiday with Transparent Language Online If you are heading abroad this summer then you can get to grips with the language you want to learn free of charge through Transparent Language Online. There are over 80 languages to choose from and dozens of fun and engaging learning activities. The website features language blogs, videos and articles as well as information on the culture in different countries. You can also sign up for ‘word of the day’ on Twitter or Facebook, which is a good way to learn without really trying! ● Membership of the site is free for Luton library members – just go to www.lutonlibraries.co.uk and click on Do It Online for more information. Practice the Driving Theory Test at home Theory Test Pro is a highly realistic online simulation of the UK’s driving theory tests for all vehicle categories. Available to library members through our website, it gives you unlimited access to all the official questions from the Driving Standards Agency in the same format as the official test, and includes the online version of the Highway Code. There are realistic hazard perception video simulations and speech-enabled tests so you can listen to questions. The website has test banks for car, motorcycle, passenger carry vehicle and heavy goods vehicle categories. Access to the site is free for Luton library members – just go to www. lutonlibraries.co.uk and click on Do It Online for more information. Celebrating our 50th birthday – Reading The Decades Luton Central Library is 50 years old this year and there are lots of events planned to celebrate. Did you know that our libraries, arts and museums are run by Luton Culture, a charitable trust? We work closely with another charity, the Luton Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB), which also has a birthday this year, celebrating its 20th anniversary. Come and join us in St George’s Square on 14 June when there will be stalls from Luton Libraries and Luton CAB and others – all local organisations that you may not realise are charities, such as the Luton Irish Forum, Luton Rights and the British Polish Integration Society. Come and find out what we all do and how you can help us – through donations or volunteering. bring along one printed proof of your name and current address, and we can join you immediately. Help and advice for carers Carers Week 2012 takes place from 18-24 June and this year the emphasis is on your own health and wellbeing as a carer. There will be lots of events across the town including some advice sessions and displays at the Central Library. Our libraries have lots of books and information that can help you with your own health, as well as DVDs and CDs for relaxation. We can help you find support groups for the person you look after or for yourself, and we have lots of online services that can help if you have access to the internet. Check our website for more details or ask at the library. Visitor Information Centre, Luton Central Library With the Queen’s Jubilee weekend and the summer holidays fast approaching, don’t forget to check out what’s on offer at the Visitor Information Centre at the Central Library. Our first major book promotion is called ‘Reading the Decades’, bringing together the best and most controversial books from each decade. We are starting with the last decade and working backwards, ending with the 1960s in the autumn. Drop into the Central Library to borrow a book or pick up the booklist for each decade. If you are not already a member of our libraries it’s free and easy to join. Just CAB and Central Library celebrations You can purchase rail, National Express and also day-trip tickets from local coach companies such as Tates and Barfordian. Day-trips visit places such as Brighton, Blenheim Palace, Lichfield and the National Memorial Arboretum, and Duxford Museum. You are sure to find somewhere nice to visit. If you are thinking about travelling further afield there is a range of brochures for popular tourist destinations across the country including Yorkshire, the Peak District, the SouthWest and the Cotswolds. The Visitor Information Centre also offers a ‘book a bed ahead’ service, so if you are thinking about a long weekend away and need to find accommodation why not pop in and ask a member of staff? There is also a great selection of local souvenirs including pens, pencils, key rings and notebooks at reasonable prices. www.luton.gov.uk 18 Lutonline June 2012 Booking info Delivering cultural services on behalf of Luton Borough Council Hat Factory Music June Listings Thurs 21 June, 6pm Theatre Thurs 21 Release, 7.30pm, £9, £7 concessions, £5 culture card, £2 under 26s Singing masterclass with Lauren Field Thur 21 Lauren Field and Rock Chorus live in concert, doors 8pm, £5 Vocalists, this is your chance to meet and perform with nationally established touring artist Lauren Field. Attend a masterclass, then join Lauren on stage for an evening performance in front of a live audience. Lauren Field, the renowned singer/songwriter and vocal coach, will conduct a workshop to encourage singing in groups and in harmony. During the workshop you will work on two songs, concentrating on harmony and performance technique. You will then perform these songs to an audience during the live concert after the workshop. Suitable for ages 13+ years. Masterclass spaces are limited. To apply for selection, please email [email protected] outlining your music experience to date. £5 Clubs Thurs 21 June, doors 8pm Music Fri 8 DTA, doors 8pm, £5 Wed 13 RAW, doors 8pm, £2, free to performers who book in advance Thur 21 Singing masterclass with Lauren Field, 6pm, £5 Sat 2 Harmony, 8pm-3am, £5 before midnight, £7 after Sat 9 Swerve, 9pm-3am, £4.50 before 11.30pm, £6 after Sat 16 Sub Lo, 10pm-3am, £5, more after midnight Sat 30 Ribstep, 9pm-3am, £6 on the door, more after midnight Clubs Sat 30 June, doors 9pm-3am Ribstep This month Ribstep celebrates its third birthday with very special guest Broken Note (Ad Noiseam / Prospect / Boka / Peace Off) plus support from Idiron Soundtrack, Seismic, Wreck Up vs DJ Riddimz, Megaton vs Havoc, DJ Zee and Duku. So come along and join in the party with some heavy electronic music, demolition sound system and an advanced lighting installation. £6 on the door, more after midnight www.luton.gov.uk 65-67 Bute Street Luton LU1 2EY Box Office: 01582 87 81 00 [email protected] www.thehatfactory.org Lauren Field and Rock Chorus live in concert Lauren Field brings her choir Rock Chorus to the stage to perform a set of classic rock and pop tunes, demonstrating that people from all walks of life can not only benefit in many ways from choral singing but that they can achieve excellence and entertain in equal measure. “Rock Chorus sang a fantastic selection of classic rock and pop tunes for their own benefit concert, Singitback. Opening the show which also starred their famous friends, who included Mungo Jerry, Osibisa and Alvin Stardust, they raised the roof with their rendition of Alice Cooper’s Poison.” – Milton Keynes Citizen £5 Theatre Thurs 21 June, 7.30pm Release Fringe First Award winner and hit of the 2011 Edinburgh Festival, presented by Icon Theatre, Release explores the lives of three prisoners in their first few months after getting out of jail as they attempt to reconnect with the people and events they left behind. At a time when two-thirds of UK prisoners re-offend within two years, Release fuses high-energy physical theatre, an original score and mixed media to create an explosive insight into just how hard it is to go straight £9, £7 concessions, £5 culture card, £2 under 26s Are you aged 15 to 16? Want to spend two weeks away in the summer for free? Then the National Citizenship Service scheme is for you! Happening in July and August, the whole scheme is set over a four-week period. During the first week you will be going to Grangewater Outdoor Centre where you will take part in activities including kayaking, archery, orienteering and more. In week two you will be staying at Shuttleworth College to learn new skills in the arts, media, film and sports coaching. The final two weeks will take place locally with many more fun activities and an awards ceremony at the end when you will be presented with a certificate. After you have finished the four weeks you will be invited to go to an Olympics ceremony featuring a top secret rap artist. This really will be a summer to remember! Get in touch on 01582 878124 or 07715 806422 or email your details to ncsproject@ lutonculture.com 19 Lutonline June 2012 Booking info Delivering cultural services on behalf of Luton Borough Council June 2012 Listings 30 May – 2 June The Drowsy Chaperone, 7.45pm Wed 6 June War Horse, 2pm & 7.45pm Thurs 7 June Greek Odyssey, 11am 13 – 16 June Footloose, 7.45pm Wed 20 June Carve Her Name With Pride, 2pm & 7.45pm Film Wednesday 6 June, 2pm & 7.45pm War Horse (15) Young Albert enlists to serve in the First World War after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert’s hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on. Running time 2hrs 26mins, 2012. Theatre 30 May – 2 June, 7.45pm St Andrews Players present The Drowsy Chaperone This hilarious musical within a comedy celebrates the St Andrews Players’ 60th birthday. The show revolves around one musical theatre fan’s obsession with a fictional show from the 1920s ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’. As he listens to the recording, the characters come to life in his apartment. This is the story of a Broadway actress, Janet Van De Graaf, who wants to marry the debonair Robert Martin and give up her stage career. Janet’s producer, Mr Feldzieg, must stop the wedding because if she quits showbusiness then he will lose his job! Then gangsters threaten Mr Feldzieg since if Janet quits they will lose their investment. £10, £8 children under 16 Luton Library Theatre Central Library St George’s Square Luton LU1 2NG email: [email protected] Box office: 01582 547474 / 01582 878100 www.lutonlibrarytheatre.com Dragon Club Thurs 7 June, 11am Greek Odyssey Greek Odyssey tells an educational and entertaining story using dialogue, mime, singing and audience participation. It is ideal for children studying the Ancient Greeks as they will learn about Greek gods and goddesses, Greek food and games and the Trojan War. The show is entertaining and fun so it can also be booked as a treat for children who are not studying the Greeks! Suitable for ages seven to 11 years, 45 minutes. £5.50, one accompanying adult free, each additional adult £5.50 £4, £3 concessions, £2 with culture card 13-16 June, 7.45pm Wednesday 20 June, 2pm & 7.45pm Carve Her Name With Pride (U) Living in London in the early years of the Second World War, Violette meets a handsome young French soldier in the park. They fall in love, marry and have a baby girl, then Violette receives the dreaded telegram informing her of his death in North Africa. Shortly afterwards, Violette is approached to join the SOE (Special Operations Executive). Should she stay and look after her baby or ‘do her duty’? Running time 83mins, 1957. £4, £3 concessions, £2 with culture card The Griffin Players present Footloose The Griffin Players explode onto the stage with their latest production of Footloose, performing some classic 1980s anthems including Holding Out For A Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and, of course, the title track Footloose. Life in small-town Bomont is peaceful until city boy Ren arrives. Breaking every taboo, Ren brings dance back to the heart of a town held back by the memory of a tragedy. Footloose is packed full of electrifying dance routines guaranteed to get you to your feet. 13 & 14 June, £12, £9 concessions; 15 & 16 June, all tickets £12 www.luton.gov.uk 20 www.luton.gov.uk Lutonline June 2012
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