Latest news with #MarkFishpool
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Five stories you might have missed in Peterborough
A new pool and sports quarter was promised for Peterborough, while a "lost town" prisoner of war camp will soon be open to visitors. Here are five stories from Peterborough you might have missed this week. Plans to speed up a project to build a new pool for Peterborough were announced on Wednesday. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the city would get funding for a new sports quarter. It could be about 18 months before work on the project would begin, but a local swimming club said it was "thrilled" by the announcement. A prisoner of war camp dating back to 1796 has been bought by Nene Park Trust. The Peterborough charity hopes to introduce visitors to the site, which housed about 7,000 prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, in September. Historians described Norman Cross, just south of Yaxley, as a "lost town". A petition to reinstate a school lollipop lady made redundant in cuts to school crossing patrols has gained more than 800 signatures. Lisa Bryan helped pupils at Eye Primary School cross the road for more than 25 years. The petition will go before the next full council meeting on 23 July. Litter picker Mark Fishpool said he was a "one-man band" despite 900 people joining his online community group. He said that while many people pledged to help out, only one or two volunteers turned out each year. But Mr Fishpool said he had no intention of giving up his efforts and admitted he found picking up rubbish "very addictive". A community building described as a "second home" that has been closed for a year is being given a new lease of life. The Peterborough Nepalese Society agreed a long-term lease with the council to use Stafford Hall in Westwood. The society, which previously used the building for gatherings, will carry out repair works with plans to reopen it later this year. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Council approves plans for 870 new homes near city 'No confidence' motion published ahead of meeting Cash-strapped council 'not out of the woods' Nene Park Trust Peterborough Nepalese Society Peterborough City Council
BBC News
11 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Peterborough: Five stories you might have missed this week
A new pool and sports quarter was promised for Peterborough, while a "lost town" prisoner of war camp will soon be open to are five stories from Peterborough you might have missed this week. Swimmers 'thrilled' at pool plans Plans to speed up a project to build a new pool for Peterborough were announced on Rachel Reeves said the city would get funding for a new sports could be about 18 months before work on the project would begin, but a local swimming club said it was "thrilled" by the announcement. Wartime 'lost town' bought by local charity A prisoner of war camp dating back to 1796 has been bought by Nene Park Peterborough charity hopes to introduce visitors to the site, which housed about 7,000 prisoners during the Napoleonic Wars, in described Norman Cross, just south of Yaxley, as a "lost town". Campaign to save lollipop lady gains pace... A petition to reinstate a school lollipop lady made redundant in cuts to school crossing patrols has gained more than 800 Bryan helped pupils at Eye Primary School cross the road for more than 25 petition will go before the next full council meeting on 23 July. ...but local litter picker gives up his group Litter picker Mark Fishpool said he was a "one-man band" despite 900 people joining his online community said that while many people pledged to help out, only one or two volunteers turned out each Mr Fishpool said he had no intention of giving up his efforts and admitted he found picking up rubbish "very addictive". Nepalese community gets 'second home' back A community building described as a "second home" that has been closed for a year is being given a new lease of Peterborough Nepalese Society agreed a long-term lease with the council to use Stafford Hall in society, which previously used the building for gatherings, will carry out repair works with plans to reopen it later this year. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
'I'm a one-man-band Peterborough litter picker with no help'
A man who dreamed of clearing up his city's litter has said he has finally had to accept he is a "one-man band" after almost no-one offered to help him Fishpool, 69, set up the Pride in Peterborough Community Association Facebook group when he retired in 2023, and it had more than 900 he said while people pledged to help his efforts to beautify parts of the city, he has seen only one or two volunteers each Fishpool said he had no intention of halting his solo efforts, but added his "vision" of garnering support and creating little groups of willing volunteers had fallen, rather like discarded litter, by the wayside. Mr Fishpool, who sometimes spends up to 10 hours a day picking up rubbish, has admitted that "it is very addictive".He expected others to share his passion for litter-picking and clearing overgrown public he is now resigned to closing the Facebook group, which he said he would do "with a heavy heart".When he formed the group he said he hoped there would be "people in Peterborough who had jobs but hopefully they could spare a couple of hours at the weekend – or active retired people to come out now and again just to give me a hand". He likes to clear "neglected areas" and then "enhance them" by cutting grass and planting flowers."Over 900 people joined the group but I'd only see one or two volunteers over a period of six months, so I was out every day on my own, making up for the lost time other volunteers couldn't give," Mr Fishpool said."I was a one-man band cleaning up Peterborough."Asked why he had spent so much time and money on tidying up and buying suitable equipment, he said: "I just wanted to pay back for the life I'd had in Peterborough."I haven't got millions of pounds but I could give my manpower and it puts a smile back on to people's faces when they see an area looking neat and tidy."He has renamed his group Mark's Volunteer Community Projects in an attempt to make it clear it is now just him."People would see what I'd done and say, 'Well done team', and I'd want to say, 'Hang on, it was just me doing this'."I had this vision where I would have a nice little group of regular volunteers."I had all these visions of projects we could have tackled, but without the volunteers you just can't... so I'm going to scale down. The local authority can take over."Earlier this year, Peterborough City Council told the BBC that it was "fully committed" to cleaning up litter and fly-tipping, and it encouraged residents to help – either by taking part in organised litter-picks or by reporting thanked volunteers such as Mr Fishpool, but urged them to stay safe and not pick litter from the sides of busy roads. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
