Category Archives: Older People

Local community Dementia cafe stalwart endorses Karen

It’s not just local Labour Party members who are coming forward to endorse Karen as the best person for the job in Elmet and Rothwell, but also influential members of the local community.

Cllr Karen Bruce, Peter Smith and Cllr David Nagle at Rothwell Tea Cosy Cafe

Peter Smith, the man behind Rothwell’s nationally acclaimed (BBC Breakfast News no less!) Tea Cosy Dementia Cafe commented on Karen’s Facebook page:

“Good luck Karen. You have done so much in Rothwell, especially supporting local groups and organisations. Look forward to your first Prime Minister’s questions”

We’re working with Peter to help make Rothwell the first Dementia friendly place in Leeds and want local businesses and service providers to sign up to learn how to be more supportive to people with dementia.

Bedroom tax will hurt most vulnerable Elmet and Rothwell residents

At Rothwell Tenants and Residents meeting last night people were very angry and upset about the Tory/Liberal Democrat ‘bedroom tax’. People found it hard to understand why this was happening when there aren’t any properties coming up for people who will be hit to move into to ‘downsize’. Comments like ‘unfair’ and ‘ridiculous’ were made.

In Elmet and Rothwell constituency for every home that comes up there is a very long list of people applying for it. Many of these people are high priorities so are desperately in need of a home, but they are turned down as there are so many applications above them.

Stark choice between eating and heating or losing their home

Time and time again I have been contacted by people wanting to downsize often by people whose families have ‘left the nest’ and are living alone in a three bedroomed house but are simply unable to find a suitable smaller home. These are some of the people who are suddenly being hit with finding up to £22 a week extra just to stay in the home they’ve lived in for years. For many the stark choice is between eating and heating or losing their home.

Some of those worst hit by the bedroom tax include parents who are separated or divorced whose children only stay with them part of the time, soldiers on leave from Afghanistan or Iraq who want to stay with the parents, disabled people living in adapted or specially designed property.

The biggest problem for those wanting to move to a smaller home is that there just isn’t enough social housing for the demand in the Rothwell ward or indeed the rest of the Elmet and Rothwell constituency.

This Tory/Lib Dem ‘bedroom tax’ is designed to hurt some of the most vulnerable and deserving people in society. And the Tories claim they are no longer the ‘Nasty Party’!

New Year message for 2012

Councillor Karen Bruce and Rothwell Labour campaigner David Nagle I’d like to start by wishing everyone in Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton a very happy New Year!

So 2011 was a fantastic year for the local Rothwell Labour Party team. On Thursday, May 5 I was proud to help to make history for the local party by becoming the first Labour councillor to be elected in Rothwell in the 21st century, defeating Steve Smith, the sitting Liberal Democrat who had represented Rothwell for the last eight years. The results were Labour Party 2889, Liberal Democrats 2365 and Conservatives 1018.

People of Rothwell, Woodlesford, Oulton and Carlton put their faith in me and I pledged to do my best for local people. It’s been hard, being the only Labour councillor when there are two opposition councillors, but local people tell me they think I’ve got off to a great start working hard on their behalf. Some of the biggest issues have been successfully lobbying the council and working with the Labour team to save Dolphin Manor and fighting to keep the Victoria and Reservoir allotments in Rothwell.

I’ve been contacted by many individuals and community groups and have been able to take up local issues on their behalf, as well as holding my popular advice sessions in Morrisons (at 10:30 every third Saturday in the month) and attend many residents and community meetings throughout the ward. The first six months provided me with the opportunity to forge even stronger local links between the Labour Party and the community.

It has been great to be involved in so many great community initiatives such as launching the Woodlesford Park Fun Day organised by the Woodlesford and Oulton Action Group, working the local Rothwell neighbourhood police team, taking part in the Rothwell bible readathon, lighting the Rothwell bonfire, attending the Remembrance Sunday service, helping to save the Rothwell Christmas lights . And it is a good job I had an early summer holiday as August was also busy.

I’m also busy with lots of official council meetings and committees such representing Rothwell on the Leeds City Council outer south area committee.

It was also a big year personally with my little girl starting at Carlton school. I was a very proud mum taking her to school on her first day – she’s loving it and it’s great to see her coming on wonderfully with her reading, writing and sums already. My husband Stuart has changed direction with a more independent career concentrating on some really interesting projects which means he is spending more time at home with our daughter. It has been an excellent Christmas with a little help from Santa of course and the school who helped to make it special for the children.

Pam Clarkson and her wonderful team of helpers once again put on a wonderful Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day at Blackburn Hall to make sure no local person missed out on Christmas day celebrations and I was pleased to give a MICE contribution towards the event. I was delighted that Pam was honoured on ITV’s Text Santa at Blackburn Hall and that ITV helped make the occasion even more special. I really enjoyed going on Christmas Day with my husband and daughter to chat with everyone who came for their Christmas dinner, which looked great, along with carols from Rothwell Temperance Band.

I look forward to working even more closely with local community campaigner David Nagle as he fights to win a second seat for the local Labour Party this May in the local elections. David is a hard worker and has already been busy taking up issues on behalf of local people.

If you’d like to help me, David and the local Labour team work for our local area then please get in touch.

Update on Dolphin Manor care home, Rothwell

Dolphin Manor RothwellThe news that we had saved Dolphin Manor from imminent closure was reported in last month’s edition of Rothwell Record. As a result of local people’s hard work a new proposal was developed to create a new social enterprise company that could become responsible for running Dolphin Manor in the future. This was as a result of me lobbying both the leader of Leeds City Council Cllr Keith Wakefield and Cllr Lucinda Yeadon, Executive Board Member responsible for adult social care to persuade them to back the social enterprise plan and we have gained the support of the council in our bid to be allowed to put together a plan to run the care home locally.

Making sure the momentum is kept up at Leeds City Council level myself and James Normington, the local Labour Party member who is taking a lead the social enterprise plan, went again this month to see Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, the executive member for adult social care, to explain how the plan will now develop. It was agreed that enough time should be allowed to enable a full plan to be developed and that this will be more than a year until the practical proposals would be ready to be put into place. A local steering group has now been set up to put the plan together for the council to approve and it is hoped to have it in a position to run in April 2013.

I’m delighted that local people are being given the chance to save Dolphin Manor by setting up the social enterprise. I have every faith that the commitment and hard work of local people can make this plan work. The hard work has already started to create a practical social enterprise that will keep Dolphin Manor open for residents and for future generations in Rothwell.

Latest news on Dolphin Manor

Dolphin Manor, Rothwell

Yesterday I had a busy day of council activity. I spent the morning catching up on paperwork and case work to help local residents and then in the afternoon was out and about with lots of meetings.

First I went into Leeds to the Civic Hall where I had yet another meeting with Councillor Lucinda Yeadon, the executive member for Adult Social Care to further discuss the possibility of how Dolphin Manor in Rothwell could be saved. I’m really enthusiastic about the proposals to run the home as a charitable trust – put to Lucinda last month by James Normington (another Rothwell Labour Party member) and myself. I’ve also had meetings with Councillor Keith Wakefield, the leader of the council and other executive board members to ensure they understand the importance of Dolphin Manor and seriously consider the proposals put forward by James.

After that I dashed back to Rothwell for a wonderful visit to Dolphin Manor where I’d been invited to enjoy afternoon tea. Some delicious scones were served and I had another lovely chat with residents and staff – it was lovely to see them all again. Visiting her gran there was Tracey McAndrew (better known as Nell McAndrew) so I also had a good chat with her, she is very supportive and offered to help in our efforts to try to save Dolphin Manor.

As a newly appointed member to the board of Aire Valley Homes I also had a good meeting with Simon Costigan, the chief executive. It was interesting to catch up with what’s happening with the ALMO and to find out a bit more ahead of the board meetings.

August in Rothwell–still lots to do

Despite it being August, when we’re told things are meant to slow down, it has been a busy couple of days for me in Rothwell.

I’ve visited the Rothwell and District Live at Home initiative that offers a friendship and support service for older people still living in their own homes. There’s some great work going on largely carried out by an army of local volunteers giving up their time to help others.

Then it was the John O’Gaunts residents’ meeting. After I was elected I’d already taken a look at tool hire scheme, the wonderful polytunnel and allotments, but it was great to hear more about what’s going on and the great work that’s being done on the estate by residents, I’ve already promised some of my MICE money to the teatime club.

It was then rapidly onto a very interesting and informative meeting with Inspector Yvette Hammill at Rothwell police station. I’ll blog more about this at some other time as I know that crime is something that lots of local people are concerned about and come to my blog to find out more – you can see what words people use to search for in order to find it.

Finally I was pleased to be present when the RHS judges arrived in Woodlesford for the Britain in Bloom judging. Despite heavy rain, thunder and even hail stones, they received a very warm welcome off the train and were given a presentation about the truly wonderful work which Woodlesford in Bloom has done, which is evident for us all to see. All the best of luck in the competition Woodlesford!

Visit to Dolphin Manor care home, Rothwell

Dolphin Manor, Rothwell After the initial elation of becoming Rothwell’s first Labour councillor elected in the 21st century I straight away had to buckle down and get into the hard work that being a local councillor is. The first issue that I’ve had to deal with was only revealed to me on the Monday after I was elected. It was devastating news to find out that, because of the Tory Liberal Democrat government’s draconian spending cuts, Leeds City Council is having to consult about the potential closure of care homes and day care centres across Leeds – including Dolphin Manor and Rose Farm in Rothwell.

My immediate reaction was to want to rush down to Dolphin Manor and talk to the staff and residents, but then I realised it would be far better to arrange it properly and so I made an appointment to visit the home this morning. I also demanded – and got – an immediate meeting with the senior officers responsible for social care and the consultation process.

This morning it was great to spend some time with the manager and residents at Dolphin Manor. I had a really good look around and listened to what the manager, staff and the residents had to say. I received a very warm welcome both from Sonia, the manager and especially from the residents who were lovely, great characters who all have a few tales to tell having lived long lives as they are in their 80s and 90s and seen so much.

One of the chaps was telling me about his medals he earned giving service to the country. Some of the ladies told me they were going to stay and would glue themselves to the chairs so they couldn’t take them away and they were going to get their placards ready, one of the ladies was brought to tears discussing it.  It was evident that all the residents are happy and well looked after and have distinct friendship groups.  It was also obvious that many were local from Rothwell, a couple of residents I spoke to were from Carlton where I live.

This is a very worrying time for residents and staff alike, but being true carers the staff are even more concerned about the residents as it’s their home we’re talking about.  I promised residents I’d do what I can for them and I will. I didn’t make any false promises that I may not be able to keep but I will definitely do my best for them.

One thing that shocked me was the response of the local Liberal Democrat councillors. I imagined, that having been councillors for Rothwell for several years, that their first concern would be like mine and for the residents and staff. It appears that I was mistaken as they did rush down to Dolphin Manor, but only to have their photos taken outside! They didn’t take the time to go in and talk to the staff and residents to find out how they were feeling, although I have heard they have now arranged to go in later this week. I took a camera as well, but only to take some photos to show to the executive board member who’s responsible for social care so she can see the home that’s threatened.

This sort of behaviour is not only opportunistic, but it’s also irresponsible to not even bother finding out what the residents and staff really think.

So watch out for the next Liberal Democrat Focus leaflet telling you how much they care – about their own publicity and churning out propaganda.

Leeds loves Andy Burnham

On Monday event with Andy Burnham took place in Leeds. As Andy’s regional director I got to organise and host the event.

Andy Burnham in Leeds

Thanks to @pennyb for the photo.

Great feedback for Andy from Leeds with lots of twitter comments and this great email I thought I’d share:

I really enjoyed Andy Burnham’s presentation and questions last night. I am impressed. He came across as genuine. He has obviously thoroughly thought through his politics. He will definitely be getting my first preference. If only more MPs were like him. He is a breath of fresh air in a climate of career politicians. I will put a donation for his campaign in the post.

@laidbackian: Had a great night with @andyburnhammp in Leeds. He has a passion for the Labour Party unmatched by the other candidates. #andy4leader

@stephenjtowler: Andy Burnham excellent in Leeds tonight. Why would you not vote for him?

@khutchinsondean After event tonight finally getting off the fence and backing @andyburnhammp for leader; most authentic, credible and fresh thinking choice

@laidbackian: Great night with @andyburnhammp in Leeds. He has a passion for the Labour Party unmatched by other candidates. #andy4leader

@Emma_Hoddinott: Saw @andyburnhammp last night in Leeds. Was very impressed with his ideas on Labour Party reform.

@christophe_read: Spoke to @andyburnhammp last night about my Young Labour report -he’d seen it & was v much along same lines. Top bloke.

@LauraPony: Pleased @brianahaha is also putting @andyburnhammp as first preference following event in Leeds last night #andy4leader

@LauraPony: Excellent evening listening to @andyburnhammp then eating lovely Italian food with fantastic family

@MagsNews: Andy Burnham – great guy. Met him in Leeds yesterday evening. V genuine and cares passionately about the party… My second preference!

@KatRRose: Enjoyed meetng @andyburnhammp in Leeds, @ed_miliband‘s better civil liberties 1st pref, but Andy Burnham is cool prob 2nd pref

@alexsobel: RT @KatRRose: Enjoyed meeting @andyburnhammp in Leeds, @ed_miliband 1st pref but Andy Burnham cool prob 2nd pref -prob me too

Tories propose selling public services as Ryanair style ‘extras’

A Tory-run London council is to offer "Ryanair-style" public services in a radical experiment that could provide a blueprint for a David Cameron government.

Here’s David Cameron trying to come across as all cuddly and caring, the acceptable face of the new Conservatives. But those of us at the coal face fighting the Tories at council and constituency level know that if you scratch the surface it’s the same old, nasty Tories underneath. The Tory council in the London borough of Barnet have taken Tory victimisation of the poor, weak and vulnerable to a new height of awfulness.

The Tory councillors are proposing to charge residents extra to ‘jump the queue’ for planning consents. But it doesn’t stop there. They also propose that recipients of adult social care in Barnet will be forced to choose to spend a limited budget on whether to have a cleaner or a respite carer or even a holiday to Eastbourne. Other examples of proposed reforms include reducing the size of waste bins to minimise the cost of council rubbish collections.

You might think that Cameron will have stepped in to prevent such raving right-wing policies. But you’d be wrong. Barnet is seen as a trail blazer amongst the "new Conservatism" which is spreading among Tory-controlled boroughs. Observers believe "radical outriders" such as Barnet offer a glimpse of how a David Cameron government could overhaul public service provision in an era of heavy spending cuts.

The council also plans to make savings of up to £15m a year by outsourcing services and reducing the size of its 3,500-strong directly employed workforce. Private sector organisations and charities could take on contracts for services looking after streets and parking, planning and the environment, residential care, housing, refuse and recycling.

Mike Freer, the Conservative leader of Barnet Council said: “"Going back to the Ryanair example, some things will be cheap and cheerful and in other areas we will provide complete services.”

Many Tory councils are also looking at "micro-charging" for previously free services. And a Tory MEP last night suggested that the idea of charging could spread to the NHS. Charles Tannock said people should pay £10 to see their GP.

So there you have it. Under a Tory government essential services such as adult social care will be “cheap and cheerful” or you’ll even have to pay extra.

Source: The Guardian and Evening Standard.

Wetherby girl given Asbo

Leeds City Council reports that an Asbo has been given to a 14 year old girl in Wetherby to try to curb her drunken, threatening and violent behaviour. Earlier interventions had failed to control Catherine Emery’s behaviour. The Asbo will put strict controls on her for a two year period.

Asbos are an effective tool to use in the fight against anti social behaviour and have been one of the Labour government’s success stories, though there can always be further improvements. Asbos can be a necessary measure to protect others in the community from the individual’s behaviour and to highlight the seriousness of the situation. I have spoken at Labour Party conference on the issue of anti-social behaviour and know from my casework on behalf of others as a councillor in Garforth and Swillington and candidate in Rothwell just what a nightmare anti social behaviour can be and how it makes peoples lives a misery. The Garforth skate park, a project initiated after I met with local young people has been having problems with vandalism. Swillington residents have seen some hairy scenes recently as the Tesco Express has been targeted by vandals throwing objects at the windows which had to be boarded up. I know as a former resident and councillor that Swillington residents take great pride in their village, and many are tireless in their efforts to keep Swillington an attractive village community.

For the very real problems that anti social behaviour creates for our communities and the suffering to our people, the process of obtaining Asbos can be long – in some cases it can take two years.

I know from talking to Home Secretary Alan Johnson that anti social behaviour is an issue close to his heart also, and that’s why he recently called for a reinvigoration of Asbos as a weapon in the fight against extreme cases of intimidation and harassment. He said courts must be able to issue Asbos quicker to make it easier for problems to be reported and to provide more counselling for victims.

Although we are still tackling anti social behaviour in our communities, it’s comforting to know that since 1997 overall crime is down 39 per cent (over 5 million fewer crimes); domestic burglary is down 55 per cent; vehicle related crime is down 57 per cent and violent crime is down 40 per cent.

It’s good to remember the numerous achievements of the Labour government in the last twelve years of which these figures are just one example.