First Hindu temple in Staffordshire set to open in Stoke-on-Trent
"We've got the marble idols, we've got the bronze idols, and we have the granite idols - all of them come from India."The new temple will open on Bold street, off Keelings Road in Hanley, and Dr Cheruvu said having a temple in the city would make it easier for those who would otherwise have to travel to Manchester or Birmingham for prayers."Locally, having your own temple, it is an opportunity, 70-year-old and 80-year-old people can come and meet their own community members, talk to them and speak the same language," he said.
Hindus in Stoke-on-Trent previously had to use community halls, but could now celebrate festivals with catering facilities for up to 1,000 people available in the building."You've got so many festivals in India, and it's an opportunity to congregate to celebrate each of the festivals," Dr Chevuru said."It is a cultural centre, you can bring the culture together and we want to share it with everybody."Leaders from the local Christian churches, Muslim mosques and Sikh Gurdwara had all been invited to attend the inauguration ceremony, he said."Faith is all about 'together'. That's why we don't call Hinduism a religion, Hinduism is a belief of being together, it's a way of life, accepting other religions and respecting your own culture."
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Wales Online
an hour ago
- Wales Online
250-year-old tree at centre of £70k legal battle in village
250-year-old tree at centre of £70k legal battle in village Richard and Melanie Gray were delivered a 'threatening' letter from their local church diocese Richard Gray pictured by the ancient sycamore tree in Warwickshire that he is trying to save (Image: SWNS) Residents beside a historic Cotswolds village church are confronting a £70,000 demand in a dispute with their diocese over a 250-year-old tree. Richard and Melanie Gray were stunned to receive a 'threatening' correspondence alleging their Sycamore tree had caused harm to the adjacent vicarage. The couple is now involved in a continuing disagreement over proposals to remove the landmark—recognised as the Four Shire Tree—in charming Lower Brailes, Warks. The Grays' property adjoins the Grade I-listed St George's Church in the verdant village and the tree stands 15 metres (49ft) from both their home and the vicarage. Their residence, which originates from the 1700s, served as the original vicarage before the church split the land to construct a new one and sold the former building, reports the Mirror. Mr Gray explained the magnificent tree had actually been promoted as an attractive feature for prospective purchasers when the couple acquired The Old Parsonage in 1982. However, the Diocese of Coventry is now insisting the tree be removed or a £70,000 root barrier constructed. Legal representatives acting for the 12th century church's insurers indicate it will attempt to recover the staggering sum from the pair, leaving them appalled. Grandfather-of-six Mr Gray, 76, a retired inventor, remarked: "The irony is unbelievable. Here's an organisation which is supposed to have pastoral care and love thy neighbour, and then they say take this tree down or we'll charge you £70,000. The sycamore has provoked a stand-off between the diocese that still owns the newer property and the owners of its near neighbour Article continues below "To have a threatening letter sent out of the blue by the church doesn't seem to fit into their Christian ethos for me when they are a spiritual organisation supposedly looking out for the local community. And then there's the environmental impact too, the tree is 250-years-old and a citadel of invertebrates, insects and animals. "It doesn't seem to fit with the church philosophy of 'All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small' if they are going to destroy a historic tree. There's been no knock at the door or anyone coming around to talk about this. "I think they've arranged one of the biggest solicitors in the country to act on their behalf, too. The vicar hasn't shown his face and is yet to say anything. I think they should adopt a positive attitude towards trees and their benefit to parishioners and do their utmost to save trees, not kill them. A row has broken out over this landmark tree in Warwickshire "So here we are locking horns with an organisation that's supposed to have the pastoral care of the community in their hands and its doing exactly the opposite. We're not going to pay and we're not going to take it down and the church are still threatening to send us this rather large bill." The Diocese of Coventry decided to divide the plot in the early 1980s to create space for the new-build vicarage. It sold the original home and its remaining garden into private ownership, and the pair, who separated but remain close friends, were the second people to privately own it. However, the diocese now alleges that the tree's roots have led to subsidence and is insisting it be felled—or they will put in a root barrier costing £69,768.88, plus VAT. Yet, in a separate report from January 2023, Mr Gray states that engineers working for the diocese did not blame the tree, instead attributing the subsidence to hot weather. At stake is a sycamore that is believed to have stood for 250 years in Lower Brailes Mr Gray said: "Their own engineers initial report said this large tree was not the cause, and that it was likely the hot weather. I said the report said it wasn't the tree, but they haven't acknowledged this fact. I've done a bit of research and it's a moderate risk tree, so it's not a high risk tree. "Sycamores reach their maximum mass after 100 years. So when they built the parsonage in their own garden it was already 100 years into its maturity and getting slightly smaller." The newly affected vicarage also experienced a burst mains pipe, which flooded the property with 13,000 gallons of water daily for three days. Mr Gray suggests that the damage maps are all focused around the water tank - and that it's the probable cause rather than the tree. He said: "The damage was right underneath the water tank and my friends in the church have pointed out that most of the damage is inside the new vicarage. And if you look at their engineers drawings it shows nothing on the outside which could have possibly been caused by this tree. "The old Reverend, Rev Morgan, noted that there were no cracks or major damage. The only place in the house that has cracks was on a wall the furthest away from the tree. They owned the tree when they built the new vicarage there. They sold it as part of the property, and even featured it as a benefit. "Our house has been there for 200-odd years and it has no damage at all. It's a stable part of a stable environment. All the walls cracked are the ones right underneath where the water tank had burst - 13,000 gallons a day for three days is significant. They want us to pay the cost of the repairs essentially. There's nobody living in it. It's been relatively unoccupied since 2016. "The garden is like a jungle, doors have gone rotten. It's neglected, a bit like they are now neglecting the community. There's talk of them selling it, so if they are also putting profit first that isn't very Christian-like either." The tree takes its name from the neighbouring Four Shire stone, which marks the boundaries of the four Cotswolds counties: Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. The church is recognised locally as the "Cathedral of the Feldon" due to being amongst the largest and "most beautiful" in Warwickshire. Mr Gray said: "The tree is unusual in that it has four trunks. It was in the centre of the vicarage garden. The tree was central to the fate celebrations, just up the road is the Four Shire stone. "It has a bit of an identity and it's a magnificent tree. I'll probably be dead before anything is enforced in law, I'm 76. But I care about the tree. Its absolutely splendid. hey'll need a court order, they can't just enforce this." Article continues below A spokesperson for Clyde and Co said: "We are confident that our work has been carried out professionally and fairly at all times."
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Village neighbours face £70k bill in row over 250-year-old tree
The residents are embroiled in an ongoing dispute over plans to fell the landmark Neighbours of a historic Cotswolds village church face a £70,000 bill in a row with their diocese over a 250-year-old tree. Richard and Melanie Gray were shocked to receive a 'threatening' letter claiming their Sycamore tree had damaged the nearby vicarage. The pair are now embroiled in an ongoing dispute over plans to fell the landmark—known as the Four Shire Tree—in picturesque Lower Brailes, Warks. The Gray's land borders the Grade I -listed St George's Church in the leafy village and the tree is 15 metres (49ft) from both their property and the vicarage. Their home, which dates back to the 1700s, was the original vicarage before the church divided the land to build a new one and sold the old building. Mr Gray said the grand tree had even been billed as a selling point for potential buyers when the couple bought The Old Parsonage in 1982. But now the Diocese of Coventry is demanding the tree be chopped down or a £70,000 root barrier installed. Legal agents working for the 12th century church's insurers say it will seek to reclaim the eye-watering amount from the pair, leaving them disgusted. Grandfather-of-six Mr Gray, 76, a retired inventor, said: "The irony is unbelievable. Here's an organisation which is supposed to have pastoral care and love thy neighbour, and then they say take this tree down or we'll charge you £70,000. "To have a threatening letter sent out of the blue by the church doesn't seem to fit into their Christian ethos for me when they are a spiritual organisation supposedly looking out for the local community. And then there's the environmental impact too, the tree is 250-years-old and a citadel of invertebrates, insects and animals. "It doesn't seem to fit with the church philosophy of 'All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small' if they are going to destroy a historic tree. There's been no knock at the door or anyone coming around to talk about this. "I think they've arranged one of the biggest solicitors in the country to act on their behalf, too. The vicar hasn't shown his face and is yet to say anything. I think they should adopt a positive attitude towards trees and their benefit to parishioners and do their utmost to save trees, not kill them. "So here we are locking horns with an organisation that's supposed to have the pastoral care of the community in their hands and its doing exactly the opposite. We're not going to pay and we're not going to take it down and the church are still threatening to send us this rather large bill." The Diocese of Coventry decided to divide the plot in the early 1980s to create space for the new-build vicarage. It sold the original home and its remaining garden into private ownership, and the pair, who separated but remain close friends, were the second people to privately own it. But now the diocese claims the tree's roots have caused subsidence and are demanding it be chopped down – or it will install a root barrier costing £69,768.88, plus VAT. But in a separate report from January 2023, Mr Gray says engineers working for the diocese deemed the tree to not be at fault - blaming hot weather for the subsidence. Mr Gray added: 'Their own engineers initial report said this large tree was not the cause, and that it was likely the hot weather. I said the report said it wasn't the tree, but they haven't acknowledged this fact. I've done a bit of research and it's a moderate risk tree, so it's not a high risk tree. "Sycamores reach their maximum mass after 100 years. So when they built the parsonage in their own garden it was already 100 years into its maturity and getting slightly smaller." The affected new vicarage also suffered a burst mains pipe, which flooded the property with 13,000 gallons of water daily for three days. Mr Gray says the damage maps are all centred around the water tank - and that it's the likely culprit instead of the tree. He said: "The damage was right underneath the water tank and my friends in the church have pointed out that most of the damage is inside the new vicarage. And if you look at their engineers drawings it shows nothing on the outside which could have possibly been caused by this tree. 'The old Reverend, Rev Morgan, noted that there were no cracks or major damage. The only place in the house that has cracks was on a wall the furthest away from the tree. They owned the tree when they built the new vicarage there. They sold it as part of the property, and even featured it as a benefit. 'Our house has been there for 200-odd years and it has no damage at all. It's a stable part of a stable environment. All the walls cracked are the ones right underneath where the water tank had burst - 13,000 gallons a day for three days is significant. They want us to pay the cost of the repairs essentially. There's nobody living in it. It's been relatively unoccupied since 2016. "The garden is like a jungle, doors have gone rotten. It's neglected, a bit like they are now neglecting the community. There's talk of them selling it, so if they are also putting profit first that isn't very Christian-like either." The tree is named after the nearby Four Shire stone, which signifies the borders of the four Cotswolds counties: Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Gloucestershire. The church itself is known locally as the "Cathedral of the Feldon" as one of the biggest and "most beautiful" in the county of Warwickshire. Mr Gray added: 'The tree is unusual in that it has four trunks. It was in the centre of the vicarage garden. The tree was central to the fate celebrations, just up the road is the Four Shire stone. It has a bit of an identity and it's a magnificent tree. I'll probably be dead before anything is enforced in law, I'm 76. But I care about the tree. Its absolutely splendid. hey'll need a court order, they can't just enforce this.' A Clyde and Co spokesperson said: 'We are confident that our work has been carried out professionally and fairly at all times.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent disabled woman's six-month wait for wheelchair battery
A paraplegic woman who has been waiting six months for her wheelchair batteries to be replaced said she is unable travel more than a mile from her Carter said her powered wheelchair is her "access to independence" and she has been waiting for new batteries since she picked the chair up in city councillor Duncan Walker called Ms Carter's experience an "absolute disgrace" and said he was shocked that someone with her condition was left with faulty batteries for so long. Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) acknowledged Ms Carter's concerns and said it would look into her case. Stoke City Council carried out a review into its wheelchair service provider, AJM Healthcare, last year. The review was commissioned by the ICB following concerns raised that service users were facing lengthy delays. An update provided by the ICB to the scrutiny committee this week said the service has been able to reduce the number of long-term waiters over the past June, there were 61 adults and 15 children waiting more than 52 weeks, compared to 182 adults and 47 children in 2024. But Ms Carter, a member of the wheelchair users representative group, told the committee that feedback from service users was still mostly said: "When I picked my chair up in January, unfortunately the battery was flat. It broke down twice on the way home, and I had to be rescued once by somebody after I'd only gone a mile up the road"They checked the chair and said they'd order another set of batteries. "However, I still only have a range of two miles, which means I'm completely grounded – I can only got a mile from my house, it's not safe to go any further than that. The battery won't hold its charge."She told the committee that she was informed the wait time would be a month - but every time she has called to chase up the batteries, there has been no update. 'Independence has been curtailed' "So many people are given the standard response – that it won't take long, and invariably it just goes on and on and on. For a person with paraplegia, this is my access to independence. "My independence has been completely curtailed because I can't go anywhere. There are far more people than me in this situation."The wheelchair users representative group is compiling a report on users experience with the service. ICB officials plan to use the report to inform the procurement process for a new wheelchair service provider, with the current contract due to end next Lester, associate director of planned care at the ICB, said she would personally look into Ms Carter's said: "When we get that report, it will be an opportunity to make sure that these concerns are taken on board so we can provide a good quality service with the new provider. It doesn't mean that we can leave things untouched until then – we need to address that today as well."Committee members expressed disappointment that the service had not improved as much as they had wanted. Councillor Chandra Kanneganti, from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said there was a "clear mismatch" between the ICB's report and the experience of service users. Committee members asked for the ICB to return in December to give a further update on the service. This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
