Latest news with #Leek
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Leek fly-tipped wasteland turned into community garden
A frustrated gardener was so riled by a dirty and inaccessible plot of land in his town centre, that he stripped the site and helped turn it into a community Collingwood was looking for a project after being diagnosed with leukaemia and, being a passionate nature enthusiast, wanted to attract wildlife to a forgotten area of Leek in clearing the mess, he was joined by like-minded gardener Jack Laverick, who planted beds and flowers to create a "secret garden"."It's a piece of long neglected land which we've converted from a complete disaster into a garden," said Mr Collingwood. "We're a good team," he said, pointing to Mr Laverick, "I'm the destroyer and he's the creator." The patch of land is accessible via a graffitied and littered alleyway just off Haywood Street, the main access road through the Staffordshire Moorlands used to be the site of a workshop, warehouse and cottages, which decayed and were eventually fly-tippers threw old mattresses, oil drums and plastic bags filled with rubbish into the thick foliage, making the area inaccessible and unpleasant. "I think a lot of people, particularly women, didn't like to walk down this alleyway, because they felt rather threatened by it," Mr Collingwood said."It was such a mess on this piece of land."In February 2024, Mr Collingwood started a new regime of chemotherapy and was looking for an activity to take his mind off his condition."This used to irritate me so much that I just decided that I needed a project to get stuck into," he said. After clearing the site, Mr Collingwood went on holiday and on his return unexpectedly found Mr Laverick had started planting."I'd seen other people doing similar things online, trying to clear up fly-tipped areas and alleyways in Manchester," Mr Laverick said."They were using plants and gardens as a way to keep rubbish from coming back.""I'd seen what Neil was doing and I thought it could be great for that."Recycling is also an important aspect of the gardening pair have repurposed filing cabinets, trampoline pieces and a bath to create flower beds, an archway and a bird bath."Lots of people are wandering in, sitting down, having lunch, just appreciating the plants, learning about nature," Mr Laverick said."People are really enjoying it."Those people include Leek town councillors, who have visited the site and think it is an excellent idea to use the space for an urban garden.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Play to honour Leek's last fallen soldier in World War Two
A new play is being staged to commemorate the last soldier from a town to die in combat in World War Two.A True British Soldier will premiere at St Paul's Community Church on Novi Lane in Leek, Staffordshire, on 9 production will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of Frank Hammersley, who died in Burma aged 20, just days before the Japanese surrendered on 15 August follows him in his younger years and traces his relationship with his father. Mr Hammersley's name is etched onto the Nicholson War Memorial in Leek, which is now in its centenary play has been written and directed by local playwright Martha Callaghan and was inspired by councillor Bill Cawley as a tribute to the 535 men from Leek who lost their lives in both world wars. 'Loss and love' "This is not just Frank's story," said Ms Callaghan. "It's the story of thousands. Of fathers and sons, of towns burdened by war, of loss and love passed between generations."It's also a love letter to the town and a nod to the monument as a founding stone to the culture of contemporary Leek."Frank Hammersley, who was known as a pub singer, stands as an "everyman", she said, as a symbol of duty, resilience, and the cost of war on families and towns like Hammersley's father, also named Frank, was a survivor of World War One who fought at Mons in Belgium in 1914 and spent four years in a German prisoner of war camp."Above all [the play] is an opportunity to mark the courage and commitment to hardship and struggle that communities like Haregate in the town and elsewhere in the Moorlands contributed to victory against tyranny around the world," said national commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) and the end of the Second World War on 15 August will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Burton-on-Trent in Staffordshire. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Lake 'at unprecedented low level after dry spring'
A reservoir in Staffordshire has fallen to an "unprecedented" low water level in the wake of the driest spring in more than a century. Rudyard Lake, near Leek, has dropped to 3.55m (11.6ft) below full, which adds up to about 30% capacity, according to the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which owns the site. Adam Comerford, CRT's national hydrology manager, said the dry spell had presented a "real challenge" in terms of managing water resources. "We've experienced one of the driest springs on record and it's gone into the summer with the heatwaves everyone has been enjoying," he told BBC Radio Stoke. "We are worried, it is unprecedented – it's exceptional," Mr Comerford added. The water is used to top up canals in the area, though he said other sources in the area can be used if the lake's levels get too low. He said the trust would never allow the reservoir to become empty, because of support it provides the wildlife, adding the lowest it would get to is 10%. Andy Rushton, who regularly walks at the beauty spot, said he did not remember the water ever being this low in the 40 years he has been visiting the lake. "To be honest, it's a bit depressing because you come down the driveway from the other bank and there's nothing to see – it's just dried mud," he said. "Being a lover of wildlife, it doesn't help any of the birds or anything that nests on this side of the lake." Hydrologist Margaret Clark, claimed the site had also suffered from a "lack of maintenance" for many years. "You would see low levels because it's a period of hot weather, but not as low as this," she said. "There would be ways of conserving the water." Ms Clark said she would like to see an effort being made to bring the reservoir back to its "designed standard". In response, Mr Comerford said the CRT was "investing hugely" in its assets across the country, with about £17m being spent each winter over the next five years. He said it was a challenge for the charity to maintain its reservoirs and canals in the face of rising costs. "We've got about 30% of the water left and we're trying to conserve that the best we can," he added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Drought declared in Midlands after hot, dry weather takes its toll Heatwave triggers reservoir swimming warning Severn Trent urges more caution with water supplies Canal and River Trust
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Rudyard Lake at 'unprecedented' low level after dry spring
A reservoir in Staffordshire has fallen to an "unprecedented" low water level in the wake of the driest spring in more than a Lake, near Leek, has dropped to 3.55m (11.6ft) below full, which adds up to about 30% capacity, according to the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which owns the Comerford, CRT's national hydrology manager, said the dry spell had presented a "real challenge" in terms of managing water resources."We've experienced one of the driest springs on record and it's gone into the summer with the heatwaves everyone has been enjoying," he told BBC Radio Stoke. "We are worried, it is unprecedented – it's exceptional," Mr Comerford water is used to top up canals in the area, though he said other sources in the area can be used if the lake's levels get too said the trust would never allow the reservoir to become empty, because of support it provides the wildlife, adding the lowest it would get to is 10%. Andy Rushton, who regularly walks at the beauty spot, said he did not remember the water ever being this low in the 40 years he has been visiting the lake."To be honest, it's a bit depressing because you come down the driveway from the other bank and there's nothing to see – it's just dried mud," he said."Being a lover of wildlife, it doesn't help any of the birds or anything that nests on this side of the lake." 'Investing hugely' Hydrologist Margaret Clark, claimed the site had also suffered from a "lack of maintenance" for many years."You would see low levels because it's a period of hot weather, but not as low as this," she said. "There would be ways of conserving the water."Ms Clark said she would like to see an effort being made to bring the reservoir back to its "designed standard".In response, Mr Comerford said the CRT was "investing hugely" in its assets across the country, with about £17m being spent each winter over the next five said it was a challenge for the charity to maintain its reservoirs and canals in the face of rising costs."We've got about 30% of the water left and we're trying to conserve that the best we can," he added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Leek's Wall Hill Care Home residents at risk of harm
A Staffordshire care home has been placed in "special measures" after an inspection revealed it had admitted residents it was not registered to care comes after The Wall Hill Care Home in Leek was rated inadequate in May, following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) investigation that uncovered how the problem was leaving residents at risk of identified four breaches of regulations related to safe care and treatment, person-centred care, management and firm that runs the home, which supports older people and people living with mental health conditions including dementia and physical disabilities, has been approached for comment. The CQC carried out an inspection to follow up on improvements the home was told to make at its previous the overall rating for the home has now dropped from "requires improvement" to "inadequate". 'People remain at risk' CQC bosses said they would now monitor the home closely to ensure people were safe while improvements were made."It was disappointing to find that breaches of regulation we identified at the previous inspection of Wall Hill Care Home hadn't been addressed, which meant people remained at risk of harm," said Andy Brand, CQC deputy director of operations in said concerns included o resident threatening multiple others, a person experiencing isolation and a member of staff who had subjected multiple people to poor levels of care. There were also concerns the home had admitted people with needs it was not registered to support, he included learning disabilities, autism and substance dependency issues – which meant the home was not complying with its duty to provide people with care in an appropriate setting. 'Relatives promptly informed' He added that while people were generally happy with their care, the home failed to meet the standards expected by CQC found staff did not update care plans to fix conflicting information or update them when people's needs or circumstances professional described care plans as being very poor, and said they lacked information about people's individual inspectors found staff treated people with kindness and warmth, and there were people they spoke to who thought there was enough staff on duty to provide CQC report also stated that staff promptly shared information on changes to resident's health with their relatives. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
