June

Almost 70 per cent of child car seats were found to be incorrectly fitted during Derbyshire County Council`s free safety check campaign. For the third year running, the authority`s highway safety team carried out checks in supermarket car parks. They were joined by an independent expert from baby equipment shop Stork Talk to check if seats were the right design for the car, suitable for the age of the child and fitted securely. 

During the campaign 136 seats were checked at Budgens in Melbourne, Safeway in Belper and Tesco in Ilkeston over three days. Of those, staff found just 34 were fitted correctly while 96 were incorrectly fitted but could be put right. In these cases, parents were shown the correct way to fit their child`s car seat. An unrestrained child can be killed by being thrown forward at speeds as low as five miles an hour so if the problems had not been spotted these passengers would have been at risk of serious or fatal injury in a collision. At all three sites, staff saw cars where children were not restrained at all while at Ilkeston two people refused offers to have their child car seats checked. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, the county council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "Once again this campaign has highlighted the fact that parents are putting their children`s lives at risk by not ensuring their car seats are fitted correctly. We were shocked to see that some children did not even have a seat belt on and by the response from some parents who refused our offer of a free safety check. These safety checks only take a couple of minutes and could save a child`s life." 

Figures show that in Derbyshire (excluding Derby) one child was killed, 19 were seriously injured and 154 were slightly injured while travelling as a passenger in a car in 2003. 

For a free advice leaflet contact Derbyshire County Council`s highway safety team on 01629 580000 ext 7064.

An extra £9.1m is to be ploughed back into local services thanks to Derbyshire County Council achieving most of the improvement targets in its annual plan. The current Council Plan includes 56 targets to determine and shape the improvement of the operation and delivery of the authority`s services from 2003 to 2005. Included within these goals were 12 Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets on which the council agreed with the Government to `stretch` or enhance its performance over the 12 months up to this April. 

The Audit Commission`s 2003/2004 Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) published today (June 30) have revealed the authority has succeeded in doing so for most of them - and in return will be awarded £9.1m by the Government to improve yet further. County council cabinet member for external affairs Councillor Dave Wilcox said: "Signing up to PSAs is one of the key mechanisms in our service improvement agenda and the financial benefits that achieving targets bring can`t be underestimated. It is hard work but well worth it as all our residents reap the rewards. We`re committed to reaching even more targets over the next three years so we can plough that extra cash straight back into our services to improve them yet further." 

The latest BVPIs, to which all authorities contribute information to measure success, show that Derbyshire performed better than the average of all county councils in a number of key areas:  

• A greater percentage of three-year-olds who have access to a good quality free early years education place. 
• A lower number of working days lost due to sickness absence. 
• Fewer pedal cyclists killed or injured per 100,000 population. 
• Less car users killed or seriously injured per 100,000 population. 
• More older people helped to live at home per 1,000 population aged 65 or over. 
• A higher percentage of looked after young people leaving care with at least one GCSE grade A to G or a GNVQ.  

The council has also made good progress in improving performance in areas previously identified as weaknesses: 

• Households receiving intensive home care per 1,000 population aged 65 or over. 
• Percentage of 15-year-old pupils achieving five GCSEs or equivalent at grades A to G including English and maths. 
• Increasing the percentage of household waste that has been recycled or composted.  

The council is developing a submission for the second round of the PSA scheme with 12 new stretched targets which, if accepted by the Government, will take the initiative forward to 2007/2008. 

Meanwhile, national league tables have revealed Derbyshire County Council is doing better than ever by becoming the most improved top ranking authority in the country. Derbyshire has already achieved `excellent` status twice under the Government`s new Comprehensive Performance Assessment inspection regime and league tables show the authority can boast the fact it is the most improved of all the previously ranked `excellent` county councils in the UK. "We`re absolutely delighted with this result which proves we are right on track with our commitment to improving life for local people," added Councillor Wilcox.

National league tables have revealed that Derbyshire is the most improved top ranking council in the country. Derbyshire has already achieved `excellent` status twice under the Government`s new Comprehensive Performance Assessment inspection regime - a new form of monitoring currently being carried out on all councils by the Audit Commission to ensure efficiency. But the latest CPA score league tables show the authority can now boast the fact it is the most improved of all the previously ranked `excellent` councils in the UK. 

Derbyshire has risen three points to a score of 24 out of a possible 28 over a 12 month period. In comparison, the next nearest four excellent county councils have all gained just one point over the year and the next most successful three have remained the same. This means Derbyshire has risen from sixth to second in the excellent county council rankings and from near the bottom to next to the top of all excellent authorities including London, unitary and metropolitan councils. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for external affairs Councillor Dave Wilcox said: "We are absolutely delighted with this result which proves we are right on track with our commitment to improving life for local people. "We`ve scored well in the areas that matter most to residents such as education, social care and health and the environment by providing good quality and value for money services. "But we`re not complacent - this success will only serve to spur us on to achieve even greater success by continuing to listen to local people, working closely with our partners and continuing to develop new and innovative services which are accessible to everyone and responsive to local needs." 

Derbyshire County Council was one of just eight county councils to gain excellent status in 2002 and 2003. The CPA tests seven service areas across three categories: performance and the quality of local services, corporate and managerial effectiveness and the capacity to improve. Each service is given a score on a scale of 1 to 4 providing the council with an overall score for service performance. All the results, including one for overall ability, are added together to place the authority in one of the following categories: poor, weak, fair, good or excellent. Excellent councils are given greater flexibility on how to spend their budgets and are exempt from most compulsory inspections for three years.

Have you got time to spare in the mornings and afternoons? Then Derbyshire County Council needs you. 

Throughout July, the authority is launching a campaign to recruit school crossing patrols to fill vacancies around the county. 

The council has 312 crossing locations and currently has 37 vacancies around the county. 

As part of the campaign posters will be sent to parish, borough and district councils, schools and libraries to highlight the need for new recruits. 

They will also be put up at bus shelters on main routes around the county and radio adverts will run on local stations during the four-week campaign. 

County council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "Derbyshire`s school crossing patrols provide an invaluable community service in helping our youngsters cross busy roads safely. 

"We are keen to fill vacancies around the county as well as establish a bank of deputy patrols to provide relief cover. It is a great chance for people to help their local community and meet new people - all while earning some extra money." 

Anyone can apply to become a school crossing patrol (SCP) if they are available between the broad times of 8.30am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm every school day during term time. SCPs are paid £5.12 an hour during term time and through the school holidays. Deputies (who are called on to cover sickness and holiday leave when required) are paid £5.45 an hour for time worked. 

Full uniform and training is provided. For more information or to apply call the council`s SCP co-ordinator Eileen Murphy on 01629 585463. 

Current school crossing patrol vacancies are: 

Longfield Lane, Ilkeston; Waingroves Road, Waingroves; Wirksworth Road, Duffield; Main Road and The Dale, Hathersage; Sheffield Road/The Green, Unstone; Commonside Road/ Chapel Hill, Barlow; Old Main Road, Calver; Ashgate Road/Longhurst Road, St Helen`s Street and Sheffield Road/St Helen`s Street, Chesterfield; South Church Street/Church Lane, Bakewell; Main Street, Stanton in the Peak; Hallowes Lane/Scarsdale Close, Dronfield; Dimple Road, Matlock; Queen Victoria Road, Tupton; Matlock Road, Wessington; Church Street/Thorpe Street and Manor Park Road/High Street East, Glossop; Glossop Road and Long Lane, Charlesworth; Swallow House Lane, Hayfield; Meadow Street/Spring Bank and Aspenshaw Road/Birch Vale, New Mills;  Buxton Road, Whaley Bridge; Warmbrook Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith; London Road/Mosley Road and Bench Road, Buxton; Macclesfield Road/Cavendish Road, Burbage; Simmondley Lane/Pennine Road, Glossop; Main Road/Marsh Lane, Eckingon; Bakestone Moor/Southfield Lane, Whitwell; Dunston Road, Whittington Moor; Station Road/Rother Avenue, Brimington; Twyford Road, Barrow-on-Trent; Burton Road and Toll Gate, Woodville.

More than half of all schools and support centres are now signed up to Derbyshire County Council`s successful anti-bullying scheme. The authority`s Anti-Bullying Commitment (ABC) Quality Assurance Scheme was set up in 1996 to encourage schools to introduce strategies to prevent and deal with bullying issues. In the past year a further 150 schools have signed up to the project, meaning that 242 schools and support centres now actively take part in the ABC scheme. 

Projects vary from school to school but examples include: 

• Buddy schemes, where older pupils take younger students under their wing 
• The creation of quiet areas for pupils to get away from playground hustle and bustle 
• Encouraging parents to communicate better with their children about worries they may have 
• Training schemes to help teaching staff spot the signs of bullying and develop strategies to help prevent it in the future Schools in the ABC scheme are eligible for either initial, intermediate or excellence awards according to the level of anti-bullying work that they have introduced. 

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education, said: "It is extremely encouraging to see how many new schools have signed up to the ABC scheme. It shows that schools are placing a commitment to preventing and dealing with bullying issues at the top of the agenda. With the number of new schools taking part in the scheme we expect a record number of award winners when the next ceremony is held in the autumn." 

Part of the reason for the explosion in the number of schools joining up to the scheme has been the introduction of a revised ABC pack, which was sent to Derbyshire schools. The pack is more clearly set out, less time consuming for teachers to work through and more user friendly. It provides a blueprint for schools to introduce anti-bullying measures and is based on a set of indicators that they need to work towards to achieve one of the awards. The success of schools already taking part in the scheme was recognised when 26 pupils from six schools took part in the latest ABC awards ceremony, held at County Hall in Matlock. 

Schools getting initial awards were Breadsall Support Centre; Aldercar Infants and Nursery School; Birdholme Nursery and Infants School in Chesterfield and Pilsley CE Primary School in Bakewell. St James Primary School in Glossop received an intermediate award, while Kniveton CE Primary School in Kniveton, near Ashbourne, achieved the excellence award. Holly House School in Old Whittington, near Chesterfield, received an intermediate award but representatives from the school were unable to attend the ceremony.

Projects benefiting older people in the Bolsover area of Derbyshire are to benefit from a cash boost of more than £100,000. Day services, the refurbishment of a Women`s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) hall, transport to social clubs and recruitment and training of volunteers to work with older people will all result from the extra cash. The Whitwell and Creswell Community Development Project, which is a partnership between Derbyshire County Council`s social services, WRVS and North Eastern Derbyshire Primary Care Trust, has received £112,000 from the Bolsover Local Strategic Partnership Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. The Government cash has been allocated to the strategic partnership to be used to fund projects which reduce social, health and economic inequalities in the Bolsover area. 

The Whitwell and Creswell Community Development Project applied to the strategic partnership for the money to support the development of day services and promote the use of existing social clubs in the area, both of which support vulnerable older people to stay living in their own homes. While focussing on Creswell and Whitwell, the projects will also have indirect benefits for people living in Clowne and Barlborough as it will increase the number of people who can use day services. 

The funding will last until April 2006 and will cover the following: 

• The refurbishment of the Plantation Hall at Bakestone Moor, Whitwell, (previously known as the Friendship Hall). This is owned and managed by WRVS. The building needed upgrading, especially the kitchen and the toilets, and a small office and treatment room have been included. The money has also bought new furniture and equipment. 
• New day services one day per week for people living in Whitwell or Creswell. This will extend the day service currently offered by social services at East Clune in Clowne for four days per week and will help people to remain living independently in their own homes. 
• Meals for the day service at Plantation Hall, provided by WRVS and delivered from its kitchens at Sheepbridge. 
• Contributing to the cost of transport to social clubs for older people in the area on community transport. This will support people to continue to use the social clubs.
• Funding WRVS`s recruitment and training of volunteers to support the day services and social clubs and the recruitment of volunteer drivers for community transport. 
• The North Eastern Derbyshire PCT`s appointment of a specialist nurse for older people. The nurse works with patients from the Whitwell and Creswell GP practices and will support the day services and social groups, running health promotional activities and exercise programmes.  

Volunteers are currently needed to work in the new services, help out at group sessions or with community transport. Anyone who is interested should contact WRVS. 

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western said: "The Whitwell and Creswell Community Development Project for older people is an excellent example of agencies working together for the good of the community. Older people living in the area will benefit greatly from the new and expanded services. By making use of the services many older people will be able to live independently in their own homes for longer, which our research shows is what the majority of older people want to do." 

For more information about the services on offer call the following numbers: 

• Plantation Hall and to volunteer for WRVS - 01909 722367 
• Specialist nurse Steve Randolph - 01909 720851 
• Social services - 01909 708211. 

Getting to and from work at a Derbyshire industrial park will be easier with the launch of two new bus services. TM Travel will be running morning and evening services to Pleasley Vale Mills near Bolsover from Monday 5 July - and for the first week people can board the new service for free. The move follows requests from employers who said they were struggling to recruit staff because of the park`s isolated location. Derbyshire County Council and Nottinghamshire County Council are putting £40,000 each in to the service over three years. The Coalfield Alliance Sub-regional Strategic Partnership, set up to breathe new life in to former mining areas, is providing the other half of the funding. The services will run Monday to Friday at times tailored to help people get to and from work. 

Previously, the nearest bus stopped a mile from the industrial park which is situated along a private road. The road is owned by the District of Bolsover which is allowing the buses to travel along it. 

Service 24 runs from Warsop and Shirebrook and will take in Shirebrook Railway Station and Langwith Junction. Buses arrive at Pleasley Vale Mills at 7.55am and 8.55am with return journeys at 4.55pm, 5.05pm and 10.05pm. Service 22 will run from Mansfield and Pleasley Village and will arrive at the mills complex at 8.15am and 8.55am. The bus will leave the mills complex at 5.05pm and 5.45pm. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "By working in partnership we have responded to requests from employers who told us they were struggling to recruit staff due to the lack of public transport to the site. These new services will not only make it easier for existing staff to get to and from work and for companies to recruit workers we hope it will encourage more people to apply for jobs to help boost the area`s economy."

Extensive refurbishment work is to be carried out by Derbyshire County Council at two schools to improve facilities for pupils. The authority will spend £1.2 million on revamping the lower site of Highfields School in Lumsdale Road, Matlock. The work will see the school`s external cladding replaced. At the same time re-roofing work will be carried out and all windows on the first and second floors will be replaced with more energy efficient glass. Work will start in July and should be completed by February 2005. 

Derbyshire County Council will also spend £236,526 re-roofing New Mills School and Sixth Form Centre in Church Lane. As part of the same project windows in the school will be replaced and a new damp-proof floor laid in the dining room. Work will start in early July and is expected to be completed during September. 

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education, said: "This is a major investment which will improve the quality of life for pupils at these two schools. "The work will enhance the appearance and energy efficiency of both schools, which will make it a better learning environment." 

Both schemes will be paid for using money from the Government`s Modernisation Fund which aims to improve the condition of all school buildings. Highfields School will also contribute £123,270 of the money it receives to upgrade school building facilities.

Have you read a good book lately and want to share it with someone else? Then why not have a go at Book Crossing. Derbyshire County Council is encouraging readers to take part during Derbyshire Literature Festival running throughout June. The idea is to encourage people to read a book and then leave it in a public place for someone else to pick up and enjoy. And it has already proved popular with Derbyshire people who have discovered books in cafes, parks, schools and even down the pub. 

To take part, readers should take one of their own books to their local library and pick up an instruction sheet and a sticker to put on the front cover of their book. They need to register on the book crossing website - www.bookcrossing.com (opens in a new window) - which can be done on the DELTA computers in libraries. And then leave their book somewhere in Derbyshire for another person to read. It is hoped that person will then visit the website to say what they thought of the book and where they, in turn, have left it for someone else to find. 

So far a book has found its way to Bari in Italy, another person found a book in their local gym in Killamarsh and plans to take it on holiday to Sydney - while another has been to Glasgow, across to Orkney on the ferry and back to Glasgow. 

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "We are turning the whole of Derbyshire in to a public library by encouraging people to share their favourite books with the whole community. And they can track the progress of their book by logging on to the website to find out who else has picked it up and how far it travels." 

Walkers, cyclists and horse riders can now travel with ease down an important link to the High Peak Trail. Derbyshire County Council - along with Lafarge Aggregates who own Dowlow Quarry - has finished resurfacing work on Dowlow Lane near Buxton. The lane has been graded, surfaced and drained and is now suitable for use. Lafarge provided - and were able to shift at cost price - the surfacing materials for the route direct from the quarry to the lane. This avoided the inconvenience and mess of taking materials via the road - as well as saving costs. 

The lane forms part of the recently opened Pennine Bridleway National Trail - a road crossing point has been provided on the A515 to enable users to access the quiet lanes and bridleways around Chelmorton. Dowlow Lane also provides a link from the county council owned High Peak Trail - which follows the trackbed of the former Cromford and High Peak Railway from High Peak Junction near Cromford to Dowlow Quarry - to the Pennine Cycleway near Earl Sterndale. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "The resurfacing of this part of the Pennine Bridleway is good news for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. It will open up yet more of our countryside and provide a well maintained link route to the High Peak Trail."

A celebration day is being held for people with learning disabilities living in Derbyshire. The celebration day is one of a number of events being held in Derbyshire to mark National Learning Disability Week which started on Monday 21 June and runs until 27 June. Mencap, the national charity is behind Learning Disability Week, which is being backed by Derbyshire County Council`s social services. The first event, the `High Peak Information Day` is on Wednesday 23 June at the Alderbrook Day Centre in Buxton Road, Chinley. People with learning disabilities, their parents or carers are invited along between 1.30pm and 8.30pm to find out more about services available in their area. There will be presentations on day services, sport, support, leisure, respite care management, education, health, housing and work. Health and social services staff will be on hand to give advice and support. Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western is visiting during the afternoon. 

On Monday 28 June a `Celebration Day for People with Learning Disabilities in Derbyshire` is being held at Shirebrook Mines` Welfare in Central Drive, Shirebrook, between 9.30am and 3.30pm. This has been arranged by Our Vision Our Future, a self-advocacy group, in conjunction with Derbyshire County Council. There will be a number of stalls set up in a `market place` style advertising what is on offer in Derbyshire for people with learning disabilities and family carers. 

A presentation by Derbyshire Learning Disability Partnership Board members will decide how people with learning disabilities will choose two representatives from their area to join the partnership board. Councillor Western said: "We hope as many people as possible will be able to attend the celebration day at Shirebrook. It will be an opportunity for people with learning disabilities to come together and share their achievements and contribution to the life of their local community." People have been asked to bring along a drawing, photo, poem or poster celebrating the good things that have happened to them over the past three years. During the day there will also be a presentation by the Whitemoor Drama Group, whose members are adults with learning disabilities. 

On Thursday 1 July there will be a meeting of the Derbyshire Learning Disability Partnership Board at the Speedwell Rooms in Staveley between 10am and 3.30pm. Councillor Western will be attending the meeting which will discuss issues relating to National Learning Disability Week including health and services. The partnership board brings together around 70 representatives from agencies including health, social services, education, Connexions, JobCentre Plus, advocacy and self-advocacy services, the Learning and Skills Council, the University of Derby and independent sector providers. Councillor Western added: "The council, social services and local NHS services are fully behind National Learning Disability Week and hope others will support it too."

Vital repair work will begin next month on a Derbyshire bridge carrying traffic over a river. Harrington Bridge in Sawley will be re-painted and corroded parts of the steel framework will be replaced. Bearings will also be replaced, expansion joints will be added and footpaths on either side of the road will be resurfaced as part of the work, which is costing £500,000. 

While the work is being carried out traffic across the bridge, which carries Tamworth Road over the River Trent, will be reduced to one lane controlled by 24-hour temporary traffic lights. Work is due to start on July 26 and will take up to four months to complete. Concrete barriers will be used to protect motorists and workers and at peak times the traffic lights will be operated manually to limit the length of queues. A footpath for pedestrians will be maintained at all times. 

Councillor Brian Lucas, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "This safety work is needed to ensure the bridge can continue to carry traffic over the River Trent. It will also improve the appearance of the bridge. We are expecting the work to cause some delays for traffic, particularly in the mornings and evenings, but I would urge motorists to bear with us as we are doing all we can to minimise the disruption." 

The bridge was built in 1906 to replace a stone arch bridge that was washed away in a flood. 

For more information contact Derbyshire County Council`s call centre, Call Derbyshire, on 08 456 058 058. 

New guidelines are today being launched to help protect Derbyshire residents from doorstep cons. Derbyshire County Council is supporting the new national initiative aimed at making it more difficult for householders to be conned into handing over large amounts of cash to bogus callers. The best practice guidelines - drawn up by the Trading Standards Institute, the British Bankers Association and the Building Societies Association - aim to highlight the role bank, building society and post office staff can play in helping to protect residents from such scams. They advise that if an older or vulnerable customer asks to make a withdrawal outside their normal routine, for example an unusually large amount or they are accompanied by an unknown person, the cashier should: 

• Tactfully and sensitively inquire why the cash is needed. 
• Point out the dangers of carrying large amounts of cash. 
• Discourage the customer from drawing out cash and point out the other means of payment available. 
• Where it is suspected the customer may be a potential victim the customer`s consent should be sought to inform the police or trading standards. 
• In suspicious circumstances every effort should be made to record the customer and anyone accompanying them on the CCTV security system. 
• Where possible an attempt should be made to identify any vehicle being used by the customer.  

The county council`s trading standards service is supporting the initiative by issuing every bank, building society and post office in Derbyshire with a copy of the guidelines. 

Supporting material, such as training videos, leaflets and posters is also available and staff can offer advice over the telephone. County council cabinet member for public protection and transport Councillor Walter Burrows said: "Older and vulnerable adults are particularly likely to fall victim to rogue traders who charge excessive sums for shoddy work and demand cash. Our trading standards team have unfortunately dealt with a number of cases where victims have been pressured into paying and often taken to their bank to withdraw cash. It can be very difficult to say no to a doorstep caller offering what seems a great deal, but devastating to find you have paid over the odds for poor or incomplete work and then realise you have been given a false address by the trader. We hope these guidelines will offer a little more protection to those at risk by raising awareness among bank staff at the point cash is about to be withdrawn." 

The new guidelines were unveiled at the Trading Standards Institute`s annual national conference today (June 22). 

Meanwhile, Derbyshire trading standards offers the following general advice to anyone considering hiring a trader: 

• Don`t buy from traders who call at your house - not many reputable firms have to go door-to-door to get their work. 
• Shop around and get written quotes from a number of traders before agreeing to have work done. 
• Check if the trader is a member of a trade organisation or builders` quality mark scheme. 
• It is reasonable to pay a small deposit but never pay in full in advance before work is completed. 
• Don`t keep unnecessary amounts of money in the house. 
• Pay using a credit card where possible - if the work is worth more than £100 the credit card company will be liable for any breach of contract. 
• Preferably use a trader who you know has carried out a good job for a neighbour, relative or friend.  

For more information or advice call Derbyshire County Council`s Trading Standards Consumer Advice Team on 01629 585858. 

As revellers gear up for Glastonbury in the south, Derbyshire`s High Peak is getting ready to rock with a county council-led youth music and arts event. Bands and DJs from across the county and beyond will perform at Infusion - a free all-day festival being held at the Memorial Park in Chapel-en-le-Frith on 10 July. Aimed at 13 to 19-year-olds, Infusion is being staged to encourage young people`s involvement in music and dance, bring young people and communities together in the High Peak, and showcase local talent. Acts will include a group of DJs from Chapel-en-le-Frith called Cold Blooded Creatures, Tideswell band Reserve for Stuart and acoustic guitarist Ben Stafford. 

A professional stage has been hired for the event with a high quality PA system and sound engineer being provided by music equipment specialists Roland UK and music retailers Academy of Sound. In true festival style there will be many other attractions to keep people amused with stalls and a dance tent where young people can take part in a range of workshops. A film about drug misuse made by youngsters in the High Peak will also be premiered. The festival has been organised in partnership with several agencies including Derbyshire County Council`s youth service, High Peak Borough Council, Chapel-en-le-Frith Parish Council, High Peak Community Arts, Youth Music, Arts Council, Connexions Derbyshire and Derby Dance. 

Infusion has been funded using a £4,820 grant from the Arts Council and contributions from other partner organisations. Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for community services, said: "As festival season gets into full swing, it`s great that we are able to stage an event of this kind for young people in this rural area. Derbyshire County Council is committed to the development of youth arts across the county and the opportunity to attend events like this without having to travel to the nearest large town or city is rare for people in the High Peak. By staging this event, we hope to give young people the chance to explore and develop their own potential through participation in the arts as well as having a lot of fun and enjoying a great day of entertainment." 

A coach service will run to and from Glossop, New Mills and Buxton on the day. For more information contact Jean Hayes on 01298 24081. 

Residents and business people in North East Derbyshire have welcomed news that they are to be switched on to the benefits of broadband. Homes and premises will be boosted when BT`s Eckington exchange is enabled for broadband on Wednesday 23 June. More than 5,000 people served by the exchange registered their interest in using broadband technologies under BT`s former demand registration scheme. 

The county council teamed up with the company in March to form the Derbyshire Broadband Partnership. Open to all operators and internet service providers, the partnership seeks to increase broadband take up countywide and focus efforts on providing even the most rural areas with access by using alternative technologies. As a result of the partnership four exchanges - Baslow, Hathersage, Tideswell and Darley Dale - have had the provision of high-speed internet access accelerated. The four exchanges, which together serve almost 7,000 homes and businesses, will go "live" by the end of the year. Councillor Geoff Carlile, cabinet member for regeneration said: "I am delighted with this progress and very pleased that people in the area will now be able to enjoy the many advantages that broadband has to offer. The authority is working hard to ensure that Derbyshire is boosted by technological advances which will enhance lives and businesses. We will continue to work with our partners to make sure Derbyshire is a truly broadband county." 

Eckington Business Centre, a registered charity based in Market Street in the town, offers public access to the internet as well as facilities, support and advice to local companies. Centre administrator Cathy Cairns said: "I am delighted broadband has arrived in our community as this new technology will help make a real difference to the many residents and businesses in Eckington." BT recently announced it would enable a further 14 telephone exchanges by summer 2005. The announcement to upgrade replaces the broadband registration trigger scheme, which had already seen 47 exchanges enabled to serve about 415,000 Derbyshire homes and businesses. When work is complete broadband will have been brought to exchanges serving 99.9 per cent of the county - an increase from the current 93 per cent. 

Mick McLoughlin, BT regional director for the East Midlands said: "Businesses and consumers served by the Eckington exchange can now enjoy the benefits and exploit the opportunities offered by broadband technologies. "The Derbyshire Broadband Partnership`s campaign, together with the efforts of local campaigners, has played an important part in bringing high-speed internet service to communities across the county." 

Education watchdogs have singled out a Glossop facility for children and families as an example of "outstanding" achievement in a report examining centres across the country. 

Gamesley Early Excellence Centre received the praise in the Ofsted report `Children at the Centre` to assess how well early excellence centres throughout the country were meeting Government objectives. 

The newly published report found provision in three-quarters of the centres inspected was good or better and made special reference to Gamesley, naming it outstanding. 

Councillor Bob Janes, cabinet member for community services said: "Everyone connected to the centre is delighted at this accolade. 

"I am extremely proud that the superb results of the effort put into making the centre an excellent educational environment have been recognised at a national level." 

Gamesley Early Excellence Centre, which from September will offer day care for children of working families, already provides nearly 30 services including: 

• An 80-place nursery with teaching provided by teachers and family support workers for babies to five-year-olds. <li>Parenting classes and family support. 
• Two toy libraries 
• 17 adult education classes with a crèche out-of-school club for 5 to 11-year-olds. 

The Winster Mews centre has 54 staff ranging from teachers and family support workers to social workers, community workers and specialist trainers. 

Head of Gamesley Early Excellence Centre Lynn Kennington said: "Staff work very hard so we are thrilled to be named as outstanding in the report. 

"The centre consistently receives positive comments about the high standards and warm atmosphere from the many visitors who come to look at our practice."

Art enthusiasts can now access a rare collection of drawings and prints on their own computer thanks to a project by the Derbyshire County Council-run record office. Scenes from Shakespeare`s plays, the first ever hot air balloon ascents and the battle of Trafalgar are just some of the exclusive images in the collection by 18th century Derbyshire-born artist George Woodward. 

The collection has been carefully preserved and now put onto CD-ROM by Derbyshire Record Office. Anyone can have access to it whether for school use, personal interest, art historical studies or just to compare how politicians were depicted in the past with how they are shown by cartoonists today. 

In his vividly coloured drawings, caricaturist George showed the humorous side of national events and personalities around the turn of the 19th century. The complete archive amounts to over 500 items which fill 11 CD-ROMs, but you can also buy a sampler CD with typical examples of Woodward`s drawings. Six of the images are also available on large postcards. 

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "This is a unique archive of national and international importance and there has already been much interest in the pictures by the Derbyshire-born artist. By scanning the works onto CD-ROM, the record office has made the images accessible to anyone who has use of a computer. This is great news for students and historians who may struggle to visit the record office very often because of distance or time." 

The CDs are available to buy by personal callers at Derbyshire Record Office, New Street, Matlock. Alternatively, order forms are available on 01629 580000 ext. 35201 or by emailing record.office@derbyshire.gov.uk Prices are as follows: 

• The complete Woodward archive on 11 CDs costs £150 plus £7.50 p&p 
• The Woodward sampler CD costs £10 plus £1.50 p&p 
• The set of 6 Woodward postcards, A5 size, costs £4.50 plus 50p p&p  

Postcard images are: Reaction to the sight of Halley`s comet and the threat of invasion by Napoleon; `female politicians` gossiping about Napoleon; News of the Battle of Trafalgar: Mr Lunardi`s balloon ascent; the actress and royal mistress Mrs Jordan in the character of Priscilla Tomboy; public responses to new street lighting in Pall Mall, London. 

A new neighbourhood nursery offering high quality, affordable day care for the under fives has officially opened its doors. One of the aims of the new Clowns Nursery in Victoria Street, Ironville, is to offer full day care for youngsters aged under five years so their parents can return to employment or training. 

The new £500,000 nursery will serve parents living in Ironville and Codnor Park and will be able to take up to 50 children at any one time. Clowns Nursery in Ironville is one of nine neighbourhood nurseries planned for Derbyshire as part of the Government`s strategy to reduce child poverty. 

Derbyshire Early Years and Childcare Service, led by Derbyshire County Council, asked for bids to create all the new nurseries after being awarded £2.4 million from the Government and the National Lottery. From the lottery cash, just over £72,000 has been put into the new nursery, with the rest coming privately from Clowns Nursery. 

The Early Years and Childcare Service has worked alongside Clowns to help the neighbourhood nursery take shape, advising over a number of issues including planning consents and local consultation. 

The nursery will offer three and four-year-olds two-and-a-half hours of free education per day and parents will be able to pay for a full day care service on top of that. 

The new nursery is part new build and part renovation of the former Ironville and Codnor Park Primary School`s nursery, across the road from the main school. As well as the nursery, East Amber Valley Sure Start activities will be run by eight staff from two rooms at the centre and there is also a community room. 

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "The new neighbourhood nursery is great news for the area and will bring enormous benefits to the community." 

For more information about the nursery call 01773 747983 or 01773 540050.

Goldilocks, Bridget Jones and Mary Poppins are among the favourite book characters picked by entrants in a writing competition run by Derbyshire County Council. Budding authors from all over the county impressed judges with their imagination and talent in the 1-2-1 competition held as part of the Derbyshire Literature Festival. The competition was to write a letter or e-mail to your favourite book character and winners have now been selected from almost 1000 entries. Entrants picked up application forms at schools, libraries or adult education centres during the month long festival. 

A panel of judges from Derbyshire County Council`s cultural and community services hand picked 14 talented winners who will each receive a pack of books donated by local retailers. Derbyshire`s cabinet member for cultural and community services Councillor Bob Janes said: "We were very impressed by the scope and the imagination of the entrants and we clearly have some very talented youngsters and adults in Derbyshire.

"The literature festival has been a huge success again this year and obviously achieved its aim of getting across the message that anyone can enjoy writing because we know it inspired many people who have never tried before to have a go." 

Entrants were split into four age groups from under seven to over 17 with first, second and third prizes awarded in each. 

The winners are to be presented with their prizes by Councillor Janes in Committee Room 1 at County Hall, Matlock on Wednesday 24 June at 7pm. 

The festival runs until the end of June and concludes with a grand finale celebration at The Painted Hall at Chatsworth House on Wednesday 30 June. A string quartet will play a selection of pieces with a literary theme and British composer Joe Duddell will premiere his piece commissioned by Derbyshire Literature Festival. Tickets are £10, including wine. 

It is still not too late to book for Readers Day on Saturday 26 June at Ripley Junior School. Readers have the chance to meet authors and join in book related workshops and discussions. Tickets are £8, including lunch. 

For more information or to book a ticket people should contact Call Derbyshire on 08 456 058058 or contact their local library. 

1-2-1 Writing Competition Winners:

Seven years and under 

• 1st prize - Kate Worthington, Winster Primary, Winster (letter to Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones` Diary by Helen Fielding). 
• 2nd prize - Daniel White, Lenthall Infant and Nursery, Dronfield (letter to the Giant in Jack and the Beanstalk). 
• 3rd prize - Abigail Ainsworth, All Saints Junior School, Matlock (letter to Goldilocks). 
• Special prize: Pinxton Nursery. Joint entry. (We`re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen). 

8-11 years 

• 1st prize - Isabelle Higgins, Winster Primary, Winster (letter to Flavia Gemina from The Roman Mysteries by Caroline Lawrence). 
• 2nd prize - Amy Potts, Ridgeway Primary, North East Derbyshire (letter to Mr Twit from The Twits by Roald Dahl). 
• 3rd prize - Mark Ryan, Padfield School (letter based on book of the film Pirates of the Caribbean). 

12-16 years 

• 1st prize - Kathleen Lindop, St Mary`s, Matlock (letter to Stargirl from book of the same name by Jerry Spinelli) 
• 2nd prize - V. Smith, Dronfield (letter to Letty Chubb from The Teenage Worrier`s Worry Files by Ros Asquith). 
• 3rd prize - Joint winners - Tom Smith, St. Benedicts, Derby (letter to Bilbo Baggins from Lord of the Rings by Tolkien) and Natasha Allen, Queen Elizabeth, Ashbourne (letter to Tracey Beaker from book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson). 

17 years and over 

• 1st prize - Janet Devereaux, Long Eaton (letter to Tania from Out of Africa by Karen Blixen). 
• 2nd prize - Tracey Hartshorn, Chesterfield (letter to Miss Havisham from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens). 
• 3rd prize - Margaret Mace, Dronfield (letter to Mary Poppins from the book of the same name by P.L. Travers). 

Derbyshire County Council`s director of cultural and community services, Martin Molloy, has been awarded an OBE. Martin, 51, received the accolade in the Queen`s birthday honours for his services to libraries in Derbyshire. He said: "I am hugely delighted that the value of public libraries in Derbyshire has been recognised. It would be wrong, however, to regard this OBE as an award of personal achievement. Without the support of the county council`s elected members, my fellow chief officers and the people who work with me in delivering the services there would be no success to celebrate." 

Martin started work with the authority in 1983 as head of schools and children`s services within the libraries division. In 1990 he became principal assistant county librarian in charge of the day to day running of the division and during this time he was involved in advising the Government on the creation of the national curriculum for schools. He was appointed chief officer when a new department of libraries, archives and arts was created in 1995, later to be called libraries and heritage. More recently, Martin has also taken over responsibility for Derbyshire Trading Standards. 

During his time with the authority Martin has been instrumental in developing the range of services available in Derbyshire`s libraries. He added: "Nine years ago there wasn`t even one public access computer available in our libraries. Now we have nearly 400 computers and Derbyshire residents spend more than 4,500 hours a week using them - and that figure is growing. We have become one of the best library authorities in the country with a policy of social inclusion so that everyone feels they can visit their local library and have access to a wealth of information." 

He has served on several national bodies being a past president of the Society of County Children`s and Education Librarians and a member of the Society of Chief Librarians. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for Libraries which advises the Government`s minister responsible for libraries, Lord Macintosh, and is chair of the board for the Reading Agency, which organised the national event, The Big Read. 

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "I would like to congratulate Martin on his OBE. It is a well-deserved pat on the back for all his hard work and that of his team in ensuring Derbyshire people have access to some of the best library services in the country." 

Adults with learning difficulties have made a range of garden furniture from scratch after being given a helping hand by fundraisers. A group of adults who attend Derbyshire County Council-run Newhall Centre in Meadow Lane, Newhall, were given materials and tools by the Newhall and District Special Projects Fund after one fundraising member, Margaret Hutchinson contacted staff at the centre. 

Margaret and her husband Harry, who live in Swadlincote, asked staff in Newhall`s workshop if they needed help with any projects and a meeting was set up to discuss possible ideas. Margaret, along with her mother-in-law Mary Hutchinson and other members of the group spent 18 months raising the money with their tombola stall and after another meeting, it was decided to make garden furniture. 

Margaret, Harry and Mary worked with the workshop to co-ordinate all the buying of the raw materials and tools that were needed to do the job and the workshop group, made up of 17 adults of all ages with learning difficulties, got to work. The group has now proudly shown off the fruits of their labour, including benches, seats and tables to Margaret, Mary and other day centre users. All the new furniture is to be given to Bank Gate, a mental health resource centre in Swadlincote. 

Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western said: "This has been an excellent project from start to finish and we are very grateful to the fundraisers for their donation of materials and tools. From the money raised, the day centre users at Newhall have learned many new skills and had a project to really get their teeth in to. The result is some really lovely garden furniture which will benefit others and some very satisfied day centre users who should rightly be very proud of themselves and their achievements."

A concert will take place at Chatsworth House to mark the finale of the third Derbyshire Literature Festival, hosted by the county council. 

Members of ViVa: the orchestra of the East Midlands will perform in the Carriage House on Wednesday 30 June. The string quartet, led by Benedict Holland, will play a selection of music on a literary theme including the world premiere of a piece composed by Joe Duddell. The 10-minute classical piece is based on Arbor Low, a series of poems written specially for the literature festival by Derbyshire poet Diana Syder. She will be reading them during the evening. 

Tickets for the event, which is supported by the Chatsworth House Trust, cost £10 including a champagne reception at 7pm. The concert will end at 10pm. 

Derbyshire County Council is hosting the literature festival during June to encourage people to pick up a book or visit their local library to see what it has to offer. More than 150 events have been taking place across the county including quizzes, workshops and a chance to meet authors. 

For more information about Derbyshire Literature Festival or to book tickets contact the county council`s call centre, Call Derbyshire, on 08 456 058 058 or visit the authority`s website on www.derbyshire.gov.uk (opens in a new window) 

Derbyshire County Council today made available the report into the re-opening of the Matlock to Buxton rail link. After more than 18 months of in depth and detailed studies into the environmental and financial practicalities of opening up the line consultants Scott Wilson Railways have made their final recommendations public. There would be no great engineering difficulties in constructing a railway along the former corridor but Scott Wilson found there were concerns over the environmental impact and financial viability. 

The report highlights noise and vibration, the disturbance of the landscape and a new route on part of the Monsal Trail as environmental concerns. The main concerns centre around the question of funding a project which would cost in the region of £100m and would require an ongoing subsidy to support the train services. Funding the works and delivery of the scheme would have to come from public sources, stated the report. Scott Wilson went on to say: "In the current financial climate within the rail industry, the `traditional` mechanism for development and funding the works - sponsorship by the Strategic Rail Authority and implementation via Network Rail as an `enhancement scheme` - is unlikely to deliver the project." 

It was found freight traffic would require extra funding - so the best option of any future service would be an hourly passenger only route. But whatever the preferred option all would need an operating subsidy for a number of years after the proposed start date of 2011. In concluding Scott Wilson found opening by 2011 or soon afterwards would not be financially sound. With this in mind they recommended safeguarding the corridor for possible future use, limiting any more development until funding for the whole project can be identified and considering the possibility of private cash to reduce the public cost of any development. 

Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for environment and highways, Councillor Brian Lucas said: "When Derbyshire County Council commissioned Scott Wilson Railways to do this study we asked that they report back with an honest and true account of the feasibility of such a huge project. We would expect no less given the cost of proceeding with the re-opening of the Matlock to Buxton rail link could be in the region of £100m. We thank Scott Wilson for all their hard work and detailed studies and appreciate the frankness of their report. It is also pertinent to point out this study would not have been possible without all the help and support from the other 14 funding partners - and the county council would like to thank them too. We will now consider the report`s recommendations - and give any interested parties an opportunity to comment - before we make a final decision as to how to proceed." 

The full report plus summary and appendix documents can now be viewed online by clicking here http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/railproject (opens in a new window) 

Copies of the report are also available from County Hall, the district council offices and libraries. Comments to be received by Friday 30 July to Steve Cannon, transportation and road safety manager, environmental services department, Derbyshire County Council, County Hall, Matlock, DE4 3AG or email steve.cannon@derbyshire.gov.uk 

Derbyshire County Council is in the running for the title of Transport Local Authority of the Year. It has been shortlisted in the National Transport Awards, which will be presented during a ceremony in London on 8 July. The county council is one of four local transport authorities in the running for the prestigious title. Four judges visited the authority to hear how it was rated well above average in the Local Transport Plan annual progress report and jumped from 68th position to sixth in the country. They were told how the council`s improvement was due to the successful completion of 600 capital programme schemes over the past year, costing a total of £24m. 

Schemes carried out by the county council include:  

• Maintaining nearly 150 miles of road  
• Improving 30 miles of pavement 
• Improving 22 pedestrian crossings 
• Strengthening 19 bridges 
• Improving 400 bus stops 

Presentations were also given to the panel about the authority`s successful b-line young people`s travel and discount card - a previous winner of a National Transport Award. The judges also heard about the authority`s recently launched Gold Card, a free travel and discount card for over 60s and disabled people. 

Councillor Brian Lucas, the county council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "Derbyshire is such a diverse county and we face many transport challenges including severe winter conditions, major tourist attractions and a high number of motorcycles on our roads. "Derbyshire`s ambitious transport programmes are creating safer communities, protecting rural areas, improving the county`s road network and providing residents and visitors with better travel choices." 

Other local authorities shortlisted for the award are Lancashire County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council and Reading Borough Council. The National Transport Awards 2004 are organised by The Centre for Transport Policy which is based at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Outdoor adventure and development centres in Derbyshire are being given a £86,000 boost from the county council to provide more opportunities for young people. 

Lea Green outdoor pursuits centre and the Wharf Shed residential centre are being given a facelift to improve facilities. 

Work to completely refurbish the Wharf Shed at Cromford has already started and is expected to be completed in July. 

The £100,000 revamp of the building, which has national monument status, will include improved wheelchair access, new bedrooms, refurbished bathrooms, rewiring and a new entrance hall. 

Derbyshire County Council has earmarked £45,000 for the scheme with further funding being contributed by the Derbyshire and Derby City Economic Partnership. 

The council also approved a £41,109 project to provide self-catering facilities for young people at Lea Green in Lea. Work is due to start in July and is expected to take around 14 weeks. 

Councillor Bob Janes, cabinet member for community services, said: "Derbyshire`s residential development centres give young people the opportunity to take part in a range of outdoor adventure activities they might not otherwise have access to. 

"The fact that we are investing money to improve and expand facilities at the Wharf Shed and Lea Green means that even more young people will benefit from what`s on offer." 

Bringing Derbyshire`s local history to life has been Ruth Gordon`s passion for more than 20 years. And now the local studies development librarian for Derbyshire County Council has been commended for all her hard work with a national award. Ruth - who joined the authority as a librarian in 1975 and then moved into local studies in 1981 - has been awarded the Dorothy McCulla memorial prize for her contribution to local studies librarianship in the county. 

The award - handed out annually by the local studies group of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals - was in particular recognition of Ruth`s work on the Peakland Heritage and Picture the Past projects. Both were massive undertakings which have given local people access to their local history at the touch of a button. The Peakland Heritage website - which was project managed by Ruth and can be found at - www.peaklandheritage.org.uk (opens in a new window) - gives a detailed online history in pictures and text of the peak district, its industries and its people. Ruth was also involved in much of the research and formative work in setting up the Picture the Past site - www.picturethepast.org.uk (opens in a new window) - which gives a photographic heritage of the whole of the north east midlands. The site now has more than 30,000 images online and available to buy by those who want a piece of their local history. 

As if all this is not enough to warrant an award Ruth has been a member - and is now chair of Newsplan East Midlands - for 16 years. The group works tirelessly to preserve newspapers in the east midlands for use by future generations - mainly onto micro film but also online and onto CD. She is also involved with the East Midlands Local Studies Forum. Ruth said: "It`s lovely to receive this award but I do feel it reflects on the authority as a whole. If I hadn`t got the support and freedom to do what I have in local studies over the years then we wouldn`t have been able to carry out all the work which has earned us this award. It really is a team effort and one which we should all be very proud of." 

Along with a special certificate for being awarded the Dorothy McCulla prize Ruth also gets £100 to spend on the library. Derbyshire County Council member for community services, Councillor Bob Janes said: "This award is a great achievement for both Ruth and the county council`s local studies team - my congratulations go out to them all. It reflects how committed we are to giving local people the facilities to research the county`s history and it is people like Ruth who make that vision a reality."

A Long Eaton Junior School has been granted £23,000 by Derbyshire County Council to build a multi-purpose classroom. Changing rooms will be converted to provide space for small teaching groups, music lessons and performances at Harrington Junior School. The authority received the funding from housing developer W Westerman Ltd under a Section 106 agreement to provide extra teaching space at schools in areas where more houses are being built. Cash will also be contributed to the project from the school`s own funds. 

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education, said: "When new housing developments are built more people move into the area which has an impact on the number of pupils attending the local schools. We looked at schools in Long Eaton and found that Harrington Junior School had a shortage of teaching space needed to serve the new housing development. We are pleased to be able to use funds contributed by the developer to improve teaching facilities at Harrington Junior providing high-quality education for existing pupils and those who will attend the school from the surrounding area in the future." 

Work at the school, which is expected to cost £32,248, will be carried out by the county council and is due to start later this year. 

Derbyshire parents are being urged to make sure their children`s car seats are fitted correctly during a safety drive launched by the county council. During Child Safety Week - which runs from June 21 to 27 - members of the authority`s highways safety team will be working with independent experts to offer free advice and checks. Parents can take along their cars to three locations in the county to check if their child seat is safe, if it is fitted correctly and the correct type for the vehicle. 

Checks carried out in supermarket and town centre car parks last year revealed that almost 70 per cent of seats were fitted incorrectly. An unrestrained child can be killed by being thrown forward at speeds as low as five miles an hour so if the problems had not been spotted these passengers would have been at risk of serious or fatal injury in a collision. 

Figures show that in Derbyshire (excluding Derby) one child was killed, 19 were seriously injured and 154 were slightly injured while travelling as passengers in a car in 2003. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, the council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "I would urge people to take advantage of our free safety sessions because these checks only take a few minutes and those few minutes could save your child`s life. We want to raise awareness that having a safety seat in a car is not enough if it is incorrectly fitted, damaged or the wrong type for the vehicle - the figures speak for themselves." 

The safety checks will take place at: 

• Budgens supermarket, Melbourne - Monday 21 June from 11am to 4pm 
• Safeway supermarket, Belper - Tuesday 22 June from 10am to 4pm 
• Tesco supermarket, Ilkeston - Wednesday 23 June from 10am to 4pm 

If parents are unable to attend any of the venues the council has offered the following advice:  

• Make sure the seat is fitted correctly before every journey 
• Take time to ensure the child is comfortably strapped in 
• Make sure the adult seatbelt passes through all the correct guides 
• Never modify the seat or adult seatbelt to make it fit  
• Ensure the child is tight in the adult seat  
• Make sure the adult seatbelt is not bent over or resting on the child seat frame 
• Never fit a rear-facing seat with an active airbag in front of it 
• Don`t buy second-hand car seats from car boot sales - they could be damaged and may not be the right type for the vehicle. 

An artist from the High Peak has won the top prize at the prestigious 2004 Derbyshire Open Art Competition, run by Derbyshire County Council. An independent panel of judges chose a work entitled Kestrel at Kinder by Brian Nolan of New Mills from 425 entries, a rise of 72 on last year, to win the overall Derbyshire Open Award. 

The Friends Trophy went to Jill Kerr, of Chinley, also in High Peak, for her picture called Kinder Downfall. Both these works will be added to Derbyshire County Council`s art collection. Judges also picked winners for six other categories, including The Munro Trophy, which was won by Daniel Fogarty, age 16, also of New Mills for his picture called The Square?. Entrants were from all over Britain but the artwork had to represent a Derbyshire theme, such as an image of a landscape, townscape, people, local myths or still life. The winning pictures form the centrepiece of the 2004 Derbyshire Open Art Exhibition, which is running at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery in Terrace Road from now until Saturday 24 July. 

Councillor Bob Janes, cabinet member for community services, said: "The standard of work has been as high as ever and with over 400 entries this year it has been a hard task for the panel to pick winners in each of the eight prize categories. "Two of these works will be acquired for the county`s growing collection of contemporary artwork that celebrates both life and art in Derbyshire. The exhibition will give everyone the chance to come and see the wealth of local talent." 

The entries have been judged by an independent panel made up of Neil Walker, visual arts officer at the Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham; Wendy Raphael, an artist who recently exhibited at the art gallery, Dr Ian Laing, President of the Buxton and High Peak Art Society and Ruth Jones, a member of the Friends of Buxton Museum and Art Gallery. Entry to the Derbyshire Open Art Exhibition is free. 

The 2004 Derbyshire Open Art Competition winners are: 

The Derbyshire Trophy -  

• 'Kestrel at Kinder' by Brian Nolan, of New Mills, High Peak - This picture will be acquired by Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.                 

The Derbyshire County Council Watercolour Prize - 

• 'Shelf Stones and the Gathering Hill' by David Ireland, of Brimington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire.   

The Derbyshire County Council Oil Painting Prize - 

• 'Eyam Moor' by Barrie Rawcliffe, of Chesterfield, Derbyshire.   

The Tarmac Central Landscape Prize - 

• 'Lathkill Dale' by Victoria Lee, of Castle Donington, Derbyshire.   

The Derbyshire County Council & Tarmac Central Print Trophy  - 

• 'Spring' by Jeff Perks, of Cressbrook, Derbyshire.   

The Munro Trophy - 

• 'The Square?' by Daniel Fogarty, age 16, of New Mills, High Peak.   

The Derbyshire County Council Young Artist Prize - 

• 'Raynard in the Moonlight' by Charlotte Wolstencroft, age 12, of Sparrowpit, Buxton, Derbyshire.   

The Friends Trophy - 

• 'Kinder Downfall' by Jill Kerr, of Chinley, High Peak -This picture will be acquired by Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.  

Commended Entries: 

1. Somersall Swingers 2003 by Don Yarrington, of Walton, Chesterfield. 
2. Along the Banks of the River Wye by Christine Garner, of Edgeley, Stockport. 
3. Belper by Roger Morton, of Sutton-in-Ashfield.
4. Campbell Street, Belper by Kathryn Morton, of Sutton-in-Ashfield. 
5. Watson`s Last Night Stand by Michael Beecher, of Buxton. 
6. Wirksworth Church by Brynley Hughes, of Sheffield. 
7. View from my Garden by William Kerr, under 16 years, of Chinley, High Peak. 
8. Major of the Peak by Jill Kerr, of Chinley, High Peak. 
9. Shelter from the Storm by Roger Allen, of Matlock. 
10. Larks at Combs Sailing Club by Veronica Snook, of Whaley Bridge, High Peak.  

Members of the public are being warned to be on their guard against companies that falsely give the impression they are collecting clothes for charity. Derbyshire County Council`s trading standards service has received complaints from residents in Ripley, Clay Cross, Chesterfield, Belper and Alfreton about a company called Kosta Ltd. The firm, which is based in London, has been putting leaflets through the doors of homes asking them to donate unwanted clothes, footwear and household linen. 

The leaflet is written to suggest that the collected items will be given to a charitable organisation so they can help young families "who really need your support". 

In March last year the Advertising Standards Agency upheld a complaint that Kosta Ltd was wrongly implying that it was a charitable organisation when it was believed they were selling the goods on for profit. 

Councillor Walter Burrows, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for public protection and transport, said: "We would urge everyone who gets a leaflet from Kosta Ltd, or any similar company, to ignore it. Kosta Ltd is not a registered charity itself and our trading standards officers cannot very its claim that it supports any other charity. We do not want to discourage anyone from giving to genuine charities so we would advise that residents check that they are giving to a good cause before making a donation." 

Leaflets for clothing collections from genuine registered charities will always include the organisation`s full name, address and a charity registration number. 

Anyone who wants to check if a charity is genuine can ring the Charity Commission Contact Centre on 0870 333 0123 or visit their website at www.charity-commission.gov.uk (opens in a new window). 

Alternatively, residents can donate clothes to established charity shops in their local town centre.

An information day is being held later this month for adults with learning difficulties and their carers living in the High Peak. The Service Information Day has been organised by Derbyshire County Council`s social services in the High Peak and is being held on Wednesday 23 June between 1.30pm and 8.30pm. The event, at the Alderbrook Day Centre in Buxton Road, Chinley, is open to anyone with an interest in services available to people with learning disabilities living in the High Peak area. 

Various exhibitors will be available at the event to provide information and answer questions on what services are available and there will be displays by High Peak Day Services (social services), High Peak Parent Support Group, High Peak Supported Employment, the High Peak Community Team (health options), High Peak Borough Council (sports, leisure and recreation options) and High Peak College / University of Derby (further education). 

There will also be experts on hand to provide information about supported housing options, respite facilities, community education and care management. Existing service users, parents, carers and potential new service users and their carers, are all welcome to visit the event. 

Refreshments will be available throughout the day and there will be social services staff available to talk about service users` needs. County council cabinet member for social care and health Councillor Anne Western said: "A wealth of information will be available at the event and it should be invaluable for anyone who is a parent or carer of an adult with learning disabilities."

A little piece of the great outdoors can be found on the site of an old pit as Derbyshire County Council celebrates the opening of Pleasley Pits Country Park. The 80 hectares which made up Pleasley Colliery have been changed beyond all recognition since the council acquired the land in 1997. Where once there stood the waste heaps of the old pit there is now a woodland of 81,000 trees and shrubs and five km of hedgerow. There is also a lake, dragon fly ponds, grassland areas, footpaths and cycle tracks. And all this will be unveiled to local people by the county council and Pleasley Pits Action Group at the park`s grand opening on Sunday 20 June. 

There will be a whole day of fun and activities - from 10am to 4pm - including the traditional cutting of the ribbon by Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for environment and highways, Councillor Brian Lucas at 2.30pm. 

The Nature Study Group will also be leading guided walks around the park and their bird hide - alongside the central lake - will be open for viewing. Visitors will also be able to take in a guided bike ride with Pleasley Vale outdoor activity centre - either on their own bike or on one of the centre`s free of charge. Derbyshire County Council cabinet member for environment and highways, Councillor Brian Lucas said: "Derbyshire County Council continues to improve life for local people with the reclamation of this former colliery site. By transforming Pleasley Pits into a country park we hope residents will be able to go along and enjoy all the benefits of a countryside environment right on their own doorsteps." 

Refreshments and ice creams will be available or visitors can bring along a picnic to enjoy in the park grounds. There will also be displays from local groups and more information will be on hand about the reclamation.

Re-roofing work is to be carried out by Derbyshire County Council at a Glossop primary school. The authority is to spend £176,210 on replacing the main flat roof areas of the Duke of Norfolk Church of England Primary School in Royle Avenue. 

The project will also see new guttering installed, a chimney demolished and the removal of a water tank. Work will start on site within the next few weeks and will be completed before the start of the new academic year in September. The chimney should be demolished in July. 

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education, said: "This work is essential to ensure that the school building remains watertight and safe. The work is being done at a time which will cause the least amount of disruption to pupils and teachers."

Tickets are still available for a play celebrating the life of Just William author Richmal Crompton. The Just William Lady is being staged on Saturday 12 June as part of Derbyshire Literature Festival, hosted by the county council throughout June. 

The one-woman performance by Alison Neil charts Crompton`s life as a Suffragette, classics mistress and a member of London Literary Society. Crompton, who was crippled by polio, wrote the well-loved Just William books as well as many others. The performance will take place at St Elphin`s School in Darley Dale - where Crompton was a student and a teacher - from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. 

Tickets are available from Derbyshire County Council`s call centre, Call Derbyshire, on 08 456 058 058. 

Derbyshire Literature Festival aims to encourage people who would not normally read to pick up a book and visit their local library. More than 150 events are being held at venues across Derbyshire, including libraries, cafes, schools, churches and village halls. 

For more information contact Call Derbyshire on the number above or visit Derbyshire County Council`s website on www.derbyshire.gov.uk (opens in a new window). 

An extension is to be built at a Woodthorpe school by Derbyshire County Council to house a store for PE equipment. The extension will cost £31,000 and be built at the back of Woodthorpe Primary School in Seymour Road, near Staveley. Work will start in mid June and is expected to take six weeks to complete. 

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education, said: "Modern sports equipment is very expensive so it is important that the school has somewhere to store it all safely." 

Derbyshire County Council will use £28,000 of a £6.097 million grant from the New Opportunities Fund for PE and sport to pay for the extension. The remaining £3,000 will come from the school. 

Children`s centres are to be created across Derbyshire to offer a range of integrated early years education, childcare and access to family support and health services. 

Derbyshire County Council wants to open 15 children`s centres between March 2005 and March 2006. Once completed the centres will serve 7,188 children, including 2,430 from rural wards. 

Each children`s centre will offer: 

• Day care for children all year round
• Early learning education 
• Family support services, such as family mediation and parenting skills 
• Employment and training advice for parents 
• Health services 

Children`s centres will bring together staff from a variety of different organisations, including education staff, health workers and family support workers. 

This will enable them to plan and deliver services in a more organised way. Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "Children`s centres represent an opportunity to develop good quality integrated services for children and families that are based on one site and supported by proper co-ordination between different professionals. 

"I hope that they will prove to be the beginning of significant changes in the way services are delivered to children and families across the board." 

Some new facilities will need to be built but, where possible, existing Sure Start and Neighbourhood Nursery sites will be refurbished and developed to create children`s centres. 

Councillor Janes added: "Children`s centres are at the heart of the ideas contained in the Government`s Children`s Bill. "They will cater for all families, including those who may be reluctant to access services either through fear or lack of awareness. 

"Studies have shown that where children have a good start to life, including high quality early years education, they are likely to achieve more as an adult and play a positive role in society."

Two schools in the High Peak are to have improved sports facilities built by Derbyshire County Council. The authority received a £6.097 million grant from the New Opportunities Fund for PE and sport in March last year to upgrade sports facilities at 32 schools and colleges. 

Derbyshire County Council is spending £160,000 of the grant on improving facilities at Hope Valley Community College and Castleton Church of England Primary School. Hope Valley College in Castleton Road, Hope will have a new multi-use outside games area built with floodlights, car parking and a security fence. The college will contribute £22,533 towards the £155,744 cost of the work, with the remaining funding come from the NOF grant. Work will start in early July and should be completed by mid September. 

Castleton Primary School will have its existing playground and games area improved at a cost of £2,932. The school will contribute £400 and the remaining £3,919 will come from the NOF grant. Work will be carried out during the school summer holiday. 

Councillor Alan Charles, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for education, said: "There has been a lot of national publicity recently about the need for young people to do more exercise to help in the battle against obesity. These new facilities will enable pupils to take part in a wider range of sporting activities and will also be available for community use outside of school hours." 

Fieldtech Ltd, of Stockport, has won the contract to carry out the work on behalf of the county council. 

Primary school pupils in Heage and Ambergate are to benefit from new facilities funded by the sale of two former Derbyshire schools. Derbyshire County Council has approved grants totalling £20,900 from the Heage Educational Charity Scheme trust fund, of which it is a trustee. 

Heage Primary School will get £10,900 towards a £40,000 project to turn a craft room into a drama, arts and music studio for use during and outside school hours. 

Ambergate Primary School will also get £10,000 as part of a £85,000 project to build an office, staff room and disabled toilet and make space for a multi-purpose room for use by pupils, parents, community groups and after-school and extra curricular clubs. The school is relying on funding from other sources before the project can go ahead. 

The charity scheme trust fund was set up to oversee how profits were spent from the sale of the Nether Heage Primary School site, sold in 1998, and Upper Heage Primary School which is sold subject to contract. 

Councillor Alan Charles, cabinet member for education, said: "Under the scheme, the money must be used to benefit pupils at the two schools or for the education and training of former pupils under 25 in a way that would not normally be provided by Derbyshire County Council`s education service. These two projects will improve the facilities at both schools and will enhance the education of pupils currently on roll and in the future."

If you`re not going far, forget the car...that`s the message from Derbyshire County Council in a new countywide poster campaign. The authority hopes to encourage people to walk, cycle or jump on the bus for short journeys to the shops, the gym, the pub or the post office. 

Almost 3,000 posters are being put up around the county as part of the TravelWise Derbyshire campaign launched by the county council this month. The authority is also advertising on the back of buses as part of the campaign to encourage people to adopt a healthier lifestyle, following the success of a campaign launched by Hertfordshire County Council. 

Councillor Brian Lucas, the county council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "We want to encourage people to think about their travel habits and perhaps leave their car behind for short journeys. For instance, if they are just popping to the local shops it may take less time and cost less money to walk there. They will also have the added bonus of getting some fresh air and exercise. In fact, walking for 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by half." 

The posters - which carry the slogan "If you`re not going far...forget the car" - are being put up in council buildings, libraries, shops, doctors` surgeries, schools and leisure centres across the county. 

A second wave of posters will be distributed around the county in September as part of the Derbyshire Travel Awareness Campaign.

Children and young people across the county are being invited to reflect Olympic fever with their own mini games to celebrate National Sure Start Month. 

Derbyshire County Council`s Early Years and Childcare Service is supporting childcare providers with a free mini Olympics activity pack to help them host events. 

Posters, stickers and certificates are included in the `Ready, Steady, Go` packs, which have been sent to 1,400 childcare providers throughout Derbyshire to promote activities in nurseries, schools, parks and playgrounds. Children will make their own gold medals and flags for opening ceremonies and be involved in lots of fun activities and games. 

National Sure Start Month will run throughout June and has the theme `Starting Early` to emphasise that good quality early years education, childcare and family support is the best investment for all children`s long-term development. 

Councillor Bob Janes, Derbyshire County Council`s cabinet member for community services said: "National Sure Start Month will highlight the excellent and wide range of services and support already available for children, families and communities. 

"I hope that lots of youngsters will take part and enjoy the events, which are very topical as we are in an Olympic year." 

Sure Start is a Government programme aimed at achieving better outcomes for children, parents and communities by increasing the availability of childcare, supporting parents and improving health, education and emotional development for young children. 

The scheme, which is sponsoring National Sure Start Month, focuses on children from conception through to the age of 14, and up to 16 for those with special educational needs and disabilities, as well as parents and communities. 

Councillor Janes added: "Sure Start is providing more families with access to joined-up early years services to support young children`s development and help parents balance their work and family life. 

"These celebrations will mark the achievements being made and hopefully make even more people aware of the help that is on offer." 

To find out about activities taking place in Derbyshire contact Early Years and Childcare Service childcare marketing co-ordinator Carol Brierley on 01629 58000 ext 5726 or check the website www.nationalsurestartmonth.com (opens in a new window).

Derbyshire County Council rangers have been working over the weekend to clear hundreds of dead fish from the Chesterfield Canal. Members of the public and countryside rangers on regular patrols began spotting the fish floating on the water near Wheeldon Mill, Brimington, last Thursday. Since then many have been discovered and the authority`s rangers and wardens spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday clearing them. It is thought they died due to a lack of oxygen in the water due to a lack of rain and a build up of blue-green algae. 

Councillor Bob Janes, the county council`s cabinet member for community services, said: "The lack of rain means that less water has been feeding in to the canal from the River Rother. It is unfortunate that a combination of natural factors has led to the death of so many of the fish in the canal. County council staff have been working all over the weekend to clear the fish and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service began pumping water in to the canal on Monday to re-oxygenate the water." 

When the fish were discovered last week, county council staff called in the Environment Agency. It is not thought the deaths were caused by pollution in the canal but tests are being carried out to rule out any other reasons for the problem.

Pupils at 15 Derbyshire schools will be venturing outside for classes during National School Grounds Week. Children will take part in a range of outdoor activities from June 14 to 18 including an orienteering festival, creating a story garden, playing Victorian games and dressing up as garden insects. 

Derbyshire County Council`s eco-schools officer Helen Amoako and staff from the authority`s environmental and education departments have been working with teachers to organise events. 

National School Grounds Week is run by Learning through Landscapes, a charity which aims to encourage schools to make more use of their outside space. 

Councillor Brian Lucas, the county council`s cabinet member for environment and highways, said: "The pupils taking part will not only get fresh air and exercise, they will also be learning about their local environment." Councillor Alan Charles, the authority`s cabinet member for education, added: "We are trying to encourage schools to make the most of their grounds by turning them in to outdoor classrooms." 

The events have been organised thanks to funding from Supporting Environmental Education in Derbyshire Schools (SEEDS). Events during the week include an orienteering festival at Hope Valley College, pupils at Eggington Primary School will be playing Victorian games, children at Bishop Pursglove School in Tideswell will be creating a story garden. Meanwhile children at Hasland Junior School will be working on their allotment, pupils at Brackenfield Special School in Long Eaton will be creating butterfly sculptures and Sudbury Primary School will be pond-dipping.

A new neighbourhood nursery offering high quality, affordable day care for the under fives is to officially open its doors for the first time. One of the aims of the new Clowns Nursery in Victoria Street, Ironville, is to offer full day care for youngsters aged under five years old, freeing up their parents to return to employment or training. 

The new £500,000 nursery will serve parents living in Ironville and Codnor Park and will be able to take up to 50 children at any one time. Nine neighbourhood nurseries are planned for Derbyshire as part of the Government`s strategy to reduce child poverty and it was identified that Ironville would benefit from the new provision. 

Derbyshire Early Years and Childcare Service, led by Derbyshire County Council, asked for bids to create all the new nurseries after being awarded £2.4 million from the Government and the National Lottery. Just over £72,000 has been put into the new nursery from the Lottery cash, with the rest coming privately from Clowns Nursery. The Early Years and Childcare Service has worked alongside Clowns to help the neighbourhood nursery take shape, advising over a number of issues including planning consents and local consultation. 

The nursery will offer three and four year olds two-and-a-half hours of free education per day, and parents will be able to pay for a full day care service on top of that. 

The new nursery is part new build and part renovation of the former Ironville and Codnor Park Primary School`s nursery, across the road from the main school. The primary school`s nursery unit has now been completely replaced by the new Clowns Nursery. The new building has been purposely designed to cater for young children and includes a CCTV system to ensure children`s safety and give added reassurance to parents. 

An outside play area costing £30