Farsley Celtic has announced the start of a £15,000 crowdfunding appeal to support finances detrimentally affected by the COVID-19 crisis, writes Thomas Ritchie.
Appeal: Farsley Celtic CEO Josh Greaves
Like many sports clubs and businesses across the country, the lack of income over the last three months means the club has decided to launch a crowdfunding appeal ahead of the new season. CEO Joshua Greaves said:
“We know this has been a difficult time for many, so are asking those of you are able to, to donate what you can.
“We are looking to raise vital funds that will help across several areas of the club, particularly with acquiring additional PPE so that all players, coaches and staff are safe whilst on club duties, and also to enable us to purchase much-needed ground maintenance equipment.
“This is a great initiative that everyone can get involved in and contribute to in whatever way they can. I ask everyone associated with the club, their friends and families, as well as the local community and businesses to support us in ensuring we take the club forward safely and strongly as we emerge from lockdown.
“I would really like to see the whole of Farsley come together to help the club and by donating whatever possible to benefit all of our junior, academy and senior players and the overall success of the club.”
As lockdown restrictions slowly ease, Leeds NHS is urging people in Leeds to continue to take care and follow precautions in order to keep the COVID-19 infection rate under control.
Dr Alison Best, Associate Medical Director for NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, urged people to remember that the country was still in a pandemic. She said:
“As shops and town centres open again, more children go back to school and football returns to our screens, life is starting to look a bit more ‘normal.’ However, we must remember that we’re still in a pandemic, and the last thing we want is for infection rates to rise again.
“We need to carry on with sensible precautions to keep the COVID-19 reproduction rate – often referred to as the R number – below 1. This will help us protect ourselves, our families and our communities and avoid the risk of any local lockdowns.”
The R number relates to how many people someone with the disease will infect. If the R number is 1, then one person with coronavirus will infect one other person, who will then infect another person. The lower the R number, the fewer people there will be with coronavirus.
Here’s how you can help keep the R number down and keep yourselves and those around you safe and well:
· The easiest way to stop infections spreading is to wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and to maintain social distancing from others as much as possible.
· If you have any symptoms of coronavirus – typically a high temperature, new persistent cough, loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – you must self-isolate for 7 days. Anyone living with you must self-isolate for 14 days.
· You can now get tested for coronavirus if you have symptoms: you can either use the online service www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or call free on 119 to order a testing kit to be sent to your home. You should only request a test within five days of developing symptoms of coronavirus. This test will not tell you if you’ve previously had coronavirus.
· If you test positive for coronavirus you will be contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service. You must tell them of any close contacts you’ve had with people so that the NHS can call them and let them know as they will need to self-isolate for 14 days to minimise the risk of passing it on.
· If you have an appointment or are visiting any healthcare service in the city – hospitals, health centres and GP practices – you will be asked to wear a face covering at all times. You must follow this advice; you’ll be told if any exceptions apply.
New aerial footage has shown how work has been progressing on installing a new fish pass on the River Aire near Kirkstall Abbey.
The footage shows progress on installing the pass at Kirkstall weir, with the building of a pontoon bridge across the river and a cofferdam.
The Kirkstall work is being done in parallel with the construction of a fish pass at Saltaire weir, which began earlier this year. It’s part of the Developing the Natural Aire (DNAire) project will see fish passes installed at the last four major obstructions blocking access up the river to the Dales.
The final two obstacles – Armley and Newlay weirs – will be made passable to fish later this year, with this part of the project expected to be complete by the end of the year.
Once complete it will allow passage for salmon up to spawning habitat in the upper Aire and its tributaries for the first time in more than 150 years.
A Bramley man has been running a half marathon every day for three weeks in a bid to raise £65,000 so his best friend can undergo life-changing surgery.
Phil Broadbent, 32, will today (Sunday) 21 half marathons in 21 days around Leeds – and has already helped to swell a crowdfunding page to more more than £32,000 – just short of half the amount needed.
Eight years ago, his lifelong friend Becky Lawrence was struck down with crippling fatigue. Her condition has become so bad in recent years that the 32-year-old had to give up her dream job as a research scientist and is now completely bedbound.
After years of investigations, Becky was diagnosed by a specialist neurosurgeon with craniocervical instability and atlantoaxial subluxation. This means that the ligaments that hold her skull and the top two vertebrae of her spine together are too loose, leading to too much movement at these joints. This causes compression and excessive stretching of the brain stem, resulting in neurological symptoms.
Becky needs surgery to fuse her skull to the top two vertebrae to relieve the compression of the brain stem. However, there are only a handful of specialist neurosurgeons in the world who perform this operation, the closest being in Spain.
Unfortunately this treatment is not currently funded by the NHS and will cost around £65,000; this will include consultations, surgery, pre and post-operative scans, hospital stay and medications.
Her brother Andrew Taylor said:
“Despite medication, Becky’s symptoms are now so severe that she is completely bed-bound. She is unable to walk, to sit up for very long or to do anything for herself and she is in significant pain all of the time.
“We need your help to raise the funds needed for this surgery and to help my sister to get her life back. We will be extremely grateful for every penny you can spare.”
Charges for Leeds City Council car parks and on street parking will resume from Saturday 4 July 2020, with some important changes in place.
City centre parking:
Payment via the machines will resume at our standard prices.
Payment via the ParkMobile app will resume at a temporarily discounted rate of £1 per hour or £5 per day. People are encouraged to use this method if possible to avoid touching the machines.
All charges will be suspended on Sundays and in the evenings.
Outer areas of the city:
Payment will resume at our standard prices for all methods of payment.
NHS and social care staff:
Parking will remain free for NHS and social care staff who are carrying out front line COVID-19 duties in the city centre, either at hospital, at other medical facilities or in people’s homes.
A free permit scheme will be in operation to manage this, and those who believe they qualify should apply through their workplace.
More information on council on and off street car parking available can be found here.
Cllr Judith Blake
Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said:
“We are proud that Leeds was one of the first council’s to introduce free parking in a bid to ease some of the pressure on those still going to work during the pandemic.
“While suspending charges during the lockdown was the right thing to do, as lockdown restrictions begin to lift and shops and businesses start to reopen, it is time for us to resume parking charges to help manage demand and usage.
“NHS and social care workers with a valid permit on display will continue to receive free parking and those who pay via Parkmobile will benefit from a discount in the city centre.”
How to pay using Parkmobile
To use Parkmobile you need to register on their system via phone, online, or on the Parkmobile app.
This will enable you to pay for parking with a credit or debit card. Once registered you can then call, log in to the Parkmobile app, text or book your parking online.
Each time you contact Parkmobile to pay for parking, they make the information available to the parking attendants who enforce the area in which you have parked.
They check their mobile device and match up the vehicle number plate you have paid for with the number plate on the vehicle you have parked.
When payment has been taken from your card, Parkmobile will generate a receipt as proof of purchase, which you can download online.
Register and pay:
By phone. Call the correct phone number of the city where you want to park to register. The number for Leeds is 020 3003 2523.
Online – on your computer or mobile internet Go to Parkmobile.com and click sign up now, it’s free!
iPhone, Android, Windows and Blackberry apps Download the free ‘Parkmobile’ app.
In 1841 Albertina Sophia Candida Frederica Bird (born 1781) was living on Chapel Row in Fulneck with her two daughters Juliana (born 1816) and Augusta (born 1821), writes Mark Stevenson.
Albertina was a widow whose husband Thomas had died some years previously, leaving her a woman of independent means, mainly because of some property she had inherited.
The property was a nice little earner, allowing Albertina and her daughters to live a comfortable life in Pudsey.
However, the government of the day took exception as to how she made her money. She was made to let the property go, but the government thought it only fair to compensate her for it.
Albertina was awarded £1,357 (around £82,000 in today’s money) for the loss of her 146 slaves she owned on her Content Plantation in St Andrew, Jamaica.
CORRECTION: Ms Bird lived in in Fulneck, Pudsey, not Calverley as originally stated. Out apologies for the error.
Each week we publish lists of planning applications related to council wards in West Leeds.
Please note that due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak Leeds City Council is not accepting written representations made by post. Please make any comments online and address them to the planning officer.
The following applications were published on the Leeds City Council planning portal in the past seven days:
Continuing Bramley Rugby League Club buff PAUL ABRAHAMS‘ look back at the rich history of the Villagers. Here, he looks at the achievements of legend Shaun Kilner…
Shaun achieved what every Bramley supporter dreamt of as he pulled on the amber and black to make his first team debut on his beloved McClaren Field on the 1st Nov 1981 against Blackpool Borough, a match that Bramley won 20-6.
His first try came in the 3-10 defeat at Station Road to Swinton, his other try that season was scored in the 13-20 reverse at Huddersfield, while his first goal for the club came in the 4-14 Rugby League Challenge Cup defeat at home to Wakefield Trinity.
An ever-present at full-back in the 1982-83 season saw Shaun score tries in the thrilling 15-13 Yorkshire Cup victory at home to Wakefield Trinity and in the home match against Doncaster (20-6) plus the away games at Blackpool Borough (11-29) and Cardiff Blue Dragons (16-10) as Bramley just missed out on promotion to the first division.
By now he was the first choice goal-kicker and landed 104 goals during the season including nine at home to Salford (42-17) and seven in the 32-11 home victory against Blackpool Borough.
His 100th goal of the season was the last of his six goals in the 28-18 victory at York, while his 50th “start” for the club came in the home thrashing of Salford.
While the 1983-84 season was traumatic for the Bramley faithful as they went in to administration and seriously looked at one point the they could fold completely, Shaun remained a leading light throughout the troubled times.
During the season he played at full-back, right and left centre, left wing and one match (Keighley at home 32-6) at stand-off.
He scored his first try of the season in the 12-6 home victory against Kent Invicta, a match that at one point looked as though it would be Bramley’s final professional match.
Shaun crossed the whitewash three time in four matches late in the season when scoring against Blackpool Borough at home (12-22), Huddersfield away (10-25) and then in the 26-16 home victory against Workington Town.
Other highlights for Shaun that season were his drop-goal in the 10-all draw against the mighty Wigan side in the first round of the Rugby League Challenge Cup and a record-breaking four drop-goals in the 32-6 victory at Keighley.
The 1984-85 season saw Bramley reach the quarter-finals of all three knock-out competitions, including stunning home victories at home to Whitehaven in the Regal Trophy (33-5) and Salford in the Rugby League Challenge Cup (24-10).
A try-less season for Shaun, he did kick 69 goals in 27 matches including seven in the Regal Trophy tie versus Whitehaven and 6 in the 30-8 home win against Southend Invicta. The 12-10 home victory against Blackpool Borough in the Regal Trophy was Shaun’s 100th start for the club.
Appearing in all of Bramley’s 40 matches in the 1985-86 season Shaun , now playing on the right wing scored tries at Keighley (30-12)and in the home matches versus Carlisle (24-10) and Whitehaven (14-8).
He kicked 110 goals during the season including seven in each of the big home victories against Keighley (46-10) and Mansfield (46-20) he also kicked six goals in a match four times including in the 20-20 draw at Hunslet.
Tries at home to Dewsbury (18-3) and in the 10-20 loss at Huddersfield in his 25 matches during the 1986-87 season were added to his 53 goals as Bramley had a mixed season of results in Alan Agar’s last season at the club.
The 1987-88 season was a disappointing one for Shaun as he appeared in just five matches under the coaching of first Chris Forster and then Tony Fisher.
In the matches he played he still kicked 13 goals including five in the opening match of the season in a thrilling 20-18 home victory against Doncaster.
The following season saw Shaun not playing at all in the first team, however the third match of the 1989-90 season saw Shaun replace second-rower Holden in the 12-54 home defeat against Hull KR in the first round of the Yorkshire Cup.
He made another four substitute appearances before starting the last match of the season in the 11-22 home defeat to Swinton, sadly this would be Shaun’s final appearance in the amber and black.
He will always be remembered as a very popular player in the dressing room, a fans’ favourite and a Bramley lad through and through.
Stress tenses our bodies, which can lead to a variety of painful physical symptoms.
Fortunately, there’s a well-supported technique that can easily fit in to your day and can help you feel more at ease.
One of the major effects of stress is muscle tension and chronic muscle tension can lead to headaches, back pain, cramps and aches all over the body as well as contributing to insomnia, which further adds to our stress.
If your muscles are tightening up in the face of stress, you may benefit from a technique known as PMR – Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
PMR is a quick and easy way to relax physically and emotionally. A typical practice takes less than ten minutes, although you can spend longer if you have the time. Do as much as you feel able to manage – even a brief session can help you relax during stressful times.
Although it’s helpful at any time of the day, PMR can also be used before bedtime to improve your sleep.
If we’re habitually tense, it can be hard to fully relax. PMR involves clenching groups of muscles tightly, and then relaxing them – which creates a greater sense of release.
If you have an injury, first ask your doctor whether this is a safe practice for you. PMR should be done sitting down as you can relax, or lying down, if you don’t nodding off afterwards!
Muscle Mantra
Clench and inhale
Hold for 5 – 10 seconds
Relax and exhale
Rest for 10 – 20 seconds
Repeat for each part of the body.
By tightening and the relaxing each part of the body – followed by a brief pause before you move to the next part of your body – you reduce muscle tension , leaving you feeling calmer and more comfortable.
Begin with your feet, and work your way up your body.
Starting with one foot. Clench your muscles by curling your toes tight. Then relax.
Move to your lower leg. Pull your toes upward towards you, which tenses the calf and relax.
Clench your thigh muscles as well as your foot and calf and relax.
Repeat all three exercises for your other leg.
Clench one hand by making a fist, then relax.
Tighten your arm in the “bicep flexing” pose, with your hand clenched as well, then relax.
Repeat both exercises for your other arm.
Tighten your buttocks, then relax.
Suck in your stomach, then relax.
Take a deep breath to tighten your chest, then relax.
Squeeze your shoulders up to your ears, then relax.
Stretch your mouth, open wide then relax.
Squeeze your eyes tight shut, then relax.
Raise your eyebrows high, then relax.
As American physician and founder of PMR Edmund Jacobson said: “An anxious mind cannot exist in a relaxed body.”
Villagers are being encouraged to come and add their wish to the big tree next to the Boulevard on Hainsworth Park.
Amelia, three, is wishing for a pink unicorn. Photo: Farsley Festival
Posting on Farsley Festival’s Facebook page, organisers said:
“What do you wish for you and your family after lockdown or for the rest of the year? Is your wish for a friend or is it just for a beer in an actual pub? Come and read Farsley’s wishes, add your own and tag #lovefarsley#farsleywishingtree.”
Wishes posted so far include ‘a BBQ with family and friends’ and ‘that we come through this stronger and nicer than before’.
A Wishing Tree is an individual tree which has been chosen specifically by the community and is used as an object of wishes and offerings.
Work will start next week on installing a temporary cycle lane along the A65, it’s been announced today.
The measures are part of Leeds City Council’s plans to encourage more active travel across Leeds, which includes encouraging people to walk and cycle thanks to temporarily widened footways and low traffic neighbourhoods.
Pilot: A65 Kirkstall Road. Photo: Google
Next week will see the installation of the fast-tracked pop-up cycle scheme along the A65 Kirkstall Road to the city centre.
The first section of temporary cycle lanes will run from Vesper Walk to the city centre and will see “wand orcas” (semi-permanent bollards that are bolted to the road) installed to physically separate the space for cyclists and traffic.
This scheme has been fast-tracked and will be the first of the arterial routes into the city where such measures will be installed.
Leeds City Council is calling for further views on the new emergency walking and cycling plans in the city as part of its response to Covid-19.
An initial round of public consultation which began in May and ended earlier this month saw more than 25,000 contributions received from over 4,500 respondents. Following analysis of the views and comments received, further proposals are now being put forward for consultation.
These include creating active travel neighbourhood schemes in Hyde Park, Holbeck, Lincoln Green, Chapeltown, Beeston and Otley. These provide safe streets with more space for walking and cycling. The schemes will prioritise the movement of people, by closing roads to through traffic and to help deter ‘rat-running’ through highly-populated areas.
Views are also sought on the ambitious 100 kilometres of new trial cycling routes, including the A660, A61 Wakefield Road, A58 Roundhay Road and Roseville Road. These will also see trial interventions using ‘wand orcas’ (semi-permanent bollards attached to the road) to physically separate the space for cyclists and traffic.
Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate change, transport and sustainable development, said:
“The council’s aspiration is to make cycling and walking for shorter journeys a natural everyday travel choice. This starts by giving people the space they need over motorised vehicles to keep safe on our streets, whether on their bike, wheel chair, push chair or on their own two feet. Only when people feel safe, will they enjoy the convenience of active travel, which will support their own health and wellbeing.
“I’m excited to see the A65 Kirkstall Road first pop-up cycling scheme implemented next week, along with the other identified cycling and active travel neighbourhood schemes to come forward quickly.
“We need to create momentum to achieve our long-term ambition of 800kms of segregated cycle routes to support much cleaner air and reduce the polluting traffic on our roads. All this will have huge public health benefits.”
Social distancing measures already undertaken by the council include barriers to widen pavements in the city centre and across town centres to provide space around shops.
Six school streets pilots began on 1 June – including one at Pudsey Primrose Hill School – restricting traffic movements outside of schools during drop off and pick up times.
Due to the response to the first round of consultation the ‘suggest a scheme’ via the city map will still be available and further phases of work may be planned based on replies to develop the future Connecting Leeds transport strategy.
The council will develop this work under the ‘safe streets, save lives’ campaign, in direct response to the funding bid on 5 June to the Department for Transport, from £2.5million allocated to the region via the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
