New Milton Advertiser 13th Nov 2020

6 · Friday 13th November 2020

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News

Puppet group’s plea as it faces homelessness

Festivities still on despite pandemic

RESIDENTS in New Milton were assured that the town’s festive season has not been to- tally cancelled despite the pan- demic having put paid to annu- al public celebrations. At an online meeting of the town council’s amenities com- mittee, chair Cllr Geoffrey Blun- den said illuminations are set to light up Station Road and Old Milton Road from 28th Novem- ber, although there will be no big switch-on event. A day of free parking would still be provided on the same day for socially distanced Christmas shopping. Cllr Blunden said it was

hoped the lights could be ex- tended to Ashley and Barton. But he stressed this would be dependent on enough sponsor- ship being received. The displays are also set to be installed overnight on 19th and 20th November rather than during the day to prevent work- ers causing further obstacles to shoppers. As reported in the A&T, the popular New Milton Christmas Festival, including entertain- ment, a parade and a host of stalls, has already been called off. Due to have taken place that day, it usually concludes with a switching-on ceremony.

used in ultraviolet light. Characters include a ciga- rette puppet, light bulb, sun- shine, star, liver and heart puppets which are used in pres- entations for children. The charity supports the schools PSHE curriculum with various performances through- out the year focussing on secu- lar social issues. Its Big Hands Team stages shows every weekday in the four-week run-ups to Easter and Christmas. However, the Covid-19 pan- demic has forced all shows to instead be pre-recorded for screening at venues. Praizin’ Hands has mean- while expressed its gratitude to Longdown Activity Farm

Charity desperate for a place to rehearse and store characters

BY CHRIS MARCH

A CHARITY which performs puppet shows for community groups across the New Forest has launched a desperate ap- peal for a new home for hun- dreds if its furry characters. Hythe-based Praizin’ Hands Puppet Group visits schools, care homes and churches around the area to engage with the Christian faith and secular issues through creative arts. It was set up 17 years ago and gained charitable status at the end of 2019. But unless it finds a new base, it will be homeless from the end of February next year when it loses use of a local pri- vate house where for the past 18 months it has kept around 350 puppets of all shapes and sizes. In March the property’s own- ers will start building work be- fore moving in. The charity needs to find a premises that is not only large enough for storage, but also for rehearsals three times a week by its trio of volunteer Rescuers battle rising tide to help woman RESCUE teams raced against time to help a walker who had fallen on rocks at Barton beach as the tide began to come in. The casualty, a woman in her 70s, was unable to get up after suffering the accident in the Fisherman’s Walk area, below the Beachcomber Café in Ma- rine Drive, shortly before 7am on Monday 2nd November. Coastguard crews from Lymington and Southbourne rushed to the scene, where they helped paramedics remove her from the rocks. She was placed on a stretch- er and carried up to a waiting ambulance. The woman was taken to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, but a South Central Ambu- lance Service spokesperson told the A&T she had no obvi- ous injuries. The spokesperson said on Monday: “She was unable to get off the rocks and the tide was coming in.”

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                

in Ashurst for allow- ing it to film part of its Christmas Nativity starring

puppets in one of its barns last month. Care homes, c h u r c h e s ,

Praizin’ Hands Puppet Group visits schools, care homes and churches

groups or schools can email the char- ity for a copy of the film on DVD. Anyone who owns a

desperate to find premises to be able to rehearse and store all our equipment under one roof so we can be more productive in the work we do in schools, care homes, churches and hos- pices.” Rehearsals are currently held at Lyndhurst Baptist Church

and St Francis Church in Lang- ley. Puppets star- ring in the shows

puppet teams: the Big Hands adult group, Little Hands youth group and PSHE Schools group. Beverly Eyres, a trustee of Praizin’ Hands, said: “To be able to continue the work of the charity and expand our out- reach in the community, we are

building or can help Praizin’ Hands can email info@praiz inhands.org.uk or visit www. praizinhands.org.uk

range from Muppet-style human, animal and character puppets to large human- sized puppets which are

Ferry firm takes action to save jobs

PENSION cuts are among the changes Wightlink employees face as the ferry company bat- tles to save jobs amid a £20m revenue loss from the pandem- ic. A 60-day consultation was launched on Wednesday to gauge the workforce’s views on plans as the second national lockdown and falling passenger numbers forced the reduction Lymington-Yarmouth sailings. The operator maintained it must become a more sustaina- ble business to cope with future financial risks and protect ser- vices and jobs. Having suffered the £20m loss at the start of the Covid-19 crisis, Wightlink is not expect- ing passenger levels to return to normal in the foreseeable future. This has been exacer- bated by the new month-long lockdown which includes re- strictions on non-essential trav- el. The company has proposed making cost-cutting changes to pensions, more flexibility in working patterns and new terms and conditions for future employees. If the proposals are accepted, Wightlink has promised there will be no compulsory job losses. Chief executive Keith Green- field said: “It is my duty to en- sure that Wightlink survives

Wightlink lost £20m revenue at the start of the pandemic (Photo: Steve West)

this crisis, however long it lasts. “We must manage our current costs and future financial risks to protect jobs and our lifeline connections for Islanders. “The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the trav- el sector and wider industry. There have been widespread job losses, changes to terms and conditions and long-term pay reductions. We do not want to see this happen at Wight- link.” He added: “If we can reach agreement with our colleagues

and trade unions to combat these financial challenges, we can avoid compulsory redun- dancies and protect Wightlink’s services for the future.” The details include ending accruals in the legacy defined benefit pension, with existing benefits protected, and dou- bling company minimum con- tributions to the defined con- tribution pension to which a majority of employees belong. Normal Lymington-Yarmouth car ferry crossings ended today (Friday), with the service set RESCUERS were called out to help a pair of kayakers who it turned out were practising their own lifesaving skills. Responding to a callout to Avon River, just south of the A35 Christchurch bypass, shortly before 1pm on Thursday 29th October, the Southbourne coastguard found the sailors apparently experiencing diffi- culty on the water. However, they soon estab- lished that the ‘casualties’ were in fact carrying out their own emergency planning exercise. The pair were given advice before the rescue team stood down. The crew had just respond- ed to another call-out, around

to run on a two-hourly basis on weekdays only from Monday. The first will depart at 7.30am from Yarmouth. Ferries on the route are de- signed to carry up to 65 cars, Wightlink said, but most of last weekend’s sailings carried few- er than 10 and, in some cases, none at all. Apologising for the disrup- tion, Mr Greenfield said: “We will continue to monitor de- mand with a view to restoring services as soon as they become sustainable.”

Kayaking pair in false alarm

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as heard on

11.40am that morning, to re- ports of a possible person in trouble in the water off Avon Beach. However, shortly after arriv- ing at the scene, they found the object in the water was actually a lobster marker buoy. The kayakers were carrying out rescue drills on the Avon River (Photo: Southbourne Coastguard)

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