Dean Walton - Green Leader

Dean Walton; Marketing Director of the Alumet Group has been named a Green Leader by Sustainability West Midlands (SWM). The award was presented by Sara Parkin OBE (Founder of Forum for the Future) at Austin Court in Birmingham on 5th October.

SWM is a not-for profit company that works with its members to ensure the West Midlands is a leader in the field of sustainability, in the business, public, and voluntary sectors.

Dean Walton was named a Green Leader in recognition of his achievements throughout the past year, which has seen him successfully promote sustainability in a number of areas. As Marketing Director of specialist construction company Alumet, Dean has played a major part in the successful diversification of the company into renewable technologies. Last year Alumet launched it's EOS Energy brand providing turn-key solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions to both businesses and individuals across the country. 

Dean has also helped spearhead a drive to improve sustainability throughout Alumet’s operations, which led to the company achieving ISO 14001 environmental accreditation.

On top of this Dean has been a key advocate for developing sustainability across the region, having given presentations at numerous events for groups such as SWM and RETA (Renewable Energy Technology Alliance) as well as to college students at careers events.

Dean commented “It is a great personal honour for me to receive the title of Green Leader. I aim to work closely with other leaders in the region to ensure the West Midlands continues to develop to its full potential with a key focus on sustainable practices. I feel a main priority is ensuring that we have a skilled workforce available to fill the many roles that will be created in the coming years if we are to reach our sustainability goals. I shall be working closely with local colleges to plan new courses that specialise in providing the specific skills that the industry needs.”

Dean has recently been appointed as a Director of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

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Southam News: It's News for Southam

Stop HS2 to field candidates at General Election

Stop HS2 has announced plans to run a slate of Independent Stop HS2 candidates at the next General Election.  

The national campaign group said that it could stand independent candidates in parliamentary seats along the preferred route in the event that the Government pushes on with the scheme this December. There will also be scope to stand candidates along the extended ‘Y’ route to Leeds & Manchester after it is announced in March 2012. If Philip Hammond announces that HS2 will go ahead in December, Stop HS2 will seek to meet the cost of parliamentary deposits in the new year it by inviting financial pledges from the general public to fight seats at the next election. Of the 26 seats that are affected by the first phase of HS2, the majority are held by Conservative MPs including a number of seats held by Government Ministers re-elected in 2010 on a platform of defeating ‘Labour's’ proposed scheme. Stop HS2's plans may include a swathe of parliamentary seats if the routes to the north of Birmingham are chosen before the next election, specifically targeting HS2-supporting MPs.

Stop HS2 Campaign co-ordinator Joe Rukin who stood in the last general election purely as an awareness raising exercise said: “HS2 is the perfect example of how the system has failed. It started off with Lord Adonis, an unelected and unaccountable official telling the Department for Transport not to look at what was best for the rail infrastructure, but simply to design a high speed rail line to Birmingham and justify it. There was no discussion about whether or not it was a good idea and this is still the case. Since then we have had a ridiculously biased public consultation on what are incomplete and unreliable plans, and Philip Hammond MP has more or less admitted he will ignore the responses to that stating ‘it’s not a referendum’. If he gets up in Parliament in December and says he’s decided to go ahead, he will be giving a go ahead to spending £817m before a brick is laid, without a vote, purely on his nod. If he does that, he will have given us no choice.

Many MPs have been highly supportive of the campaign. We thank them for that and it is unlikely they would face a challenge. However, with the Ministers who have said they might resign because of HS2, we have to say that if Philip Hammond says he is pressing ahead as expected in December, that moment is your deadline. To the pro-HS2 Environment Secretary Caroline Spellman we say that if you continue go against your constituents and back a vanity project which is environmentally damaging, and you then get parachuted somewhere else after boundary changes, we will follow you. If you want to stand up for the environment, you can join the Caroline Lucas, the Green Party Leader along with a host of other MPs when we hand the Stop HS2 petition in to Downing Street on Tuesday.

At the last election, HS2 was a new thing, but it has been the single biggest issue staying in the public sphere in many areas, simply because of just how bad a plan it is, and to even think of it at this time is beyond bizarre. There is already enough of a groundswell in terms of public opinion for this to translate into an impact on election results in some areas and this will only get bigger and more widespread. There are many MPs north of Lichfield whose support for HS2 will be more challenged when more of their constituents know what it really means, and they have to start thinking about that. The bottom line is that any MP blinding supporting HS2 clearly hasn’t understood or been willing to listen to the case against.

We urge the Government to step back from this grandiose project which has been developed by unaccountable technocrats based on a narrow brief.  The proposals simply do not stand up to independent scrutiny, and the cost to the general public is truly eye-watering, it will benefit only the richest in society and this at a time of such financial hardship. Instead it would be more prudent to invest the tens of billions of pounds of taxpayers' money that have been earmarked for HS2 in more broad-based improvements to existing national infrastructure, transport or otherwise, so benefitting a much larger proportion of the general public. If good commercial sense does not prevail and HS2 is built, it will be a 'rich man's toy,' accruing benefits to London at the expense of the regions and it will be one of the best ever examples of a White Elephant project. We should not forget that as HS2 would not open for 15-20 years, those politicians taking the decisions in the immediate future are unlikely to be in public office to take the blame when the ribbon is cut.

We hope our plans will prompt debate within all the main political parties and action from more MPs, however, if the Government confirms the plans for HS2 in December, the one certainty will be the total uproar in the previously loyal Conservative seats that are impacted by the line.  There is palpable fury that the Government seems to want to press ahead with this scheme despite all the independent voices that question its economic and environmental viability.  At the local elections earlier this year there was just the beginning of signs of an electoral revolt in the affected seats, including a huge swing away from the Conservatives to an Independent councillor in Great Missenden, but no organised slate. UKIP and The Greens who both oppose HS2 also made gains in HS2 affected areas.  Should the Government push on with the scheme, many people who had previously been prepared to give their party the benefit of the doubt on this issue, will say enough is enough.  Voters of all political persuasions will conclude that the only way to get their message through, to both the existing and future Governments, will be through democratic representation at the Ballot Box in this one unifying issue of principle.  The Government, of whatever political persuasion, should beware the polite majority should the Government decide to push on with this wasteful, unwanted and unnecessary scheme.”

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Southam News: It's News for Southam

400 miles in 4 days

The RAF Red Arrows and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight are riding Coast to Coast across the breadth of Wales and England.

They will cover 400 miles in 4 days, “400 in 4”.

Dr Emma Egging is taking her husband's place as number 4 - Jon Egging was tragically killed in the summer whilst flying with the Red Arrows.

400 in 4 will be passing through Southam on October 13.

They will be at Southam College on Thursday [13th] at 8.15 on their way from Stratford heading to Daventry.

Mike Gaffney, MBE,  will receive them with 2028 Squadron ATC.  

On the 11th of October 2011, a combined team of 23 cyclists from the Royal Air Force’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, The Red Arrows Display Team and Fly2help will attempt to cross the UK at its widest point in just 4 days. The route will begin at St. David’s Head in Wales and finish in Lowestoft, leaving approximately 100 miles to cover each day. The project aims to raise £50,000 to support both the Royal Air Force Association and the Fly2help scheme.

After the tragic death of Flt Lt Jon Egging in August it has been decided that anything the challenge raises over £50,000 will go to The Jon Egging Trust, set up by Jon's wife, Emma, his mother Dawn, Jon's best friend James and his Red Arrows teammate Ben. The Jon Egging Trust will give disadvantaged young people the opportunity to achieve their potential through gaining access to a variety of inspirational activities and experiencing the thrill of flight.

Text CYCLE to 70099 to donate £3 and have your chance to win a VIP day with the Red Arrows or BBMF. The lucky winners will be able to meet the pilots, tour the aircraft and see what happens behind the scenes on the world famous display teams!

We have a newsfeed to follow 400 in 4: click here

Southam Safer Neighbourhood

Southam Safer Neighbourhood Team have moved to reassure people they will do something: "It has been brought to the team's attention that Crime and Incidents are not being reported due to
members of the community feeling as though nothing can be done.

If Crime or Incidents are not reported, then the Police can do nothing as we are not aware.

We actively encourage any member of the community to report incidents or crime to the Police no matter how small they may feel it is,

You do not know that your incident can sometimes form part of a bigger picture somewhere else in the Area or County or Country".

Contacts:

For an Emergency: 999

For non-emergency: 01926 415000

If the suspect is still on scene when asked, ask for Control

If the suspect has left the scene when asked, ask for Crime desk

Crimes and Incidents can also be reported to Warwickshire Direct, which is now based at Southam Library. The Front Office is now closed at the Police Station although the team still operated from here.

General Enquiries for the team can be made at Warwickshire Direct, to a team member at a Community Surgery or on patrol, or by phone or email.

Team number: 01926 684984 (a voicemail facility is available on this number, DO NOT report crime or incidents to this number)

Team email: Southam.snt@warwickshire.police.uk (DO NOT report crime or incidents to this email).

 Southam Safer Neighbourhood Team

Southam Cinema

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Southam Gardening Club

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Reduce the risks of flu to you and your baby

Pregnant women will do anything to protect their unborn child – NHS Coventry and NHS Warwickshire are urging people in this and other ‘at risk’ groups to get their free flu vaccination to avoid serious health complications.

John Forde, Acting Director of Public Health for NHS Coventry and Coventry City Council, said: “Flu can cause serious illness in pregnant women and in the most severe cases can put the lives of expectant mums and their unborn babies at risk. This is because the woman’s body and immune system is adapting to accommodate the growing baby and less able to fight off the flu virus. Last winter we saw the devastating effects flu in pregnancy can have and this can be prevented by having the free vaccine at your local GP surgery.”

Pregnant women who catch flu, in particular H1N1, are at increased risk of serious complications such as bronchitis and pneumonia. H1N1 infection in the mother affects the baby too. By not having the vaccine, mothers could put the baby at risk of premature or still birth.

Dr Francis Campbell, Medical Director of Primary Care for the Arden Cluster (NHS Coventry and NHS Warwickshire), said: “When you are pregnant with your child you want to do what is right for your baby and some mothers-to-be worry about the vaccine. It is safe for mother and baby and can be given at any stage of pregnancy, and the earlier you have the vaccine the better as it means you will be protected for the whole winter. The vaccine may also give your unborn baby some protection against flu during the first six months of life.

In addition, many pregnant mothers already have children at home and as carer, cannot afford to fall ill. So getting the jab not only protects the mother and unborn baby, but also their loved ones too.”

There are four groups of people most at risk from flu – pregnant women; people with long term conditions; carers and people over 65 years.

There are additional ways people can protect themselves and those around them. Good hand hygiene - the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ technique – reduces the spread of germs. This means carrying tissues, covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, disposing of the tissue after one use, and cleaning hands as soon as possible with soap and water or an alcohol hand gel.