New Milton Advertiser 18th December 2020

Friday 18th December 2020 · 11 News

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Outdoor educators join funding plea

Inquest into woman’s death A WOMAN died in Ringwood as a result of hanging, an inquest has heard. The body of Julie Hickling (64), a customer service assistant of Rosehill Drive, Bransgore, was discovered at Castleman Trailway, off the Bickerley, on 25th November. Her cause of death, estab- lished from a post-mortem examination, was read out at a hearing opened at Win- chester Coroner’s Court. A full inquest is due to be held at the same court on 17th August 2021. Schools invited to bid for grants SCHOOLS and colleges within the BCP Council area have been invited to apply for grants of between £500 and £20,000 to fund projects encouraging active and sus- tainable travel. The authority is seek- ing ideas such as lockable bike stores, showers, bike repair stands, clothes drying facilities and electric bike charging points, having been handed £79m by the Depart- ment for Transport. Applicants must be able to fund 20% of the total cost. Further information is avail- able by emailing a2b.team@ bcpcouncil.gov.uk A HORDLE man pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards a woman two days in a row. Clinton Watson (48), of Sheldrake Gardens, was handed a nine-month community order by South- ampton magistrates for the offence in August and told to make £180 in court costs. PHONE 01425 612594 to place a display advertisement Man in court over abuse

Council leader delivered to NFDC mailroom staff From left, Angie Lunn, Cllr Barry Rickman and Sue Knight

Trust staff want the government to help plug financial hole

BY ROZ WATERS

THERE was a twist to the tra- ditional Christmas mailroom visit by the leader of New Forest District Council this year. Rather than go to a Royal Mail sorting office, Cllr Barry Rickman dropped in to thank staff working at NFDC’s own operation at its Appletree Court HQ in Lyndhurst from where it sends out vital correspondence to residents. Cllr Rickman was introduced to some of the staff who have been working hard sorting the mail this year, under difficult circumstances during the pan- demic. He said: “This time I saw how our own admin team open and CHANGES have been an- nounced to bin collections across the New Forest and Christchurch over the festive period. New Forest residents who would usually have rubbish and recycling collected on Fridays – which this year include bank holidays Christmas Day and New Year’s Day – will receive a service on Saturday 2nd Janu- ary. Glass box collections due on Christmas Day will be carried over to 2nd January, and those due on New Year’s Day be on 9th January. There will be no garden waste collection be- tween 21st December and 3rd January. Details of the changes were delivered to every household in the New Forest during this week. The district council is urging

sort our post, ready for scan- ning so that staff can work remotely for all the important services for our residents, and this year even more so than usual. “I enjoyed meeting some of the hard-working staff and to see first-hand their commit - ment to keeping our services running.” Ryan Stevens, who manages the mailroom team, said: “Al- though many council services can be accessed on our website, we still receive lots of letters, forms and documents so it was good to show the leader how the team play their part in keeping council services working.” households to recycle as much Christmas waste as they can. However, the majority of wrapping paper cannot be re- cycled because it is mixed with plastic or foil. In the BCP Council area, ser- vices due on Christmas Day will switch to Monday 28th Decem- ber. Those due on Monday 28th December will switch to Tues- day 29th December; Tuesday 29th December to Wednesday 30th December; Wednesday 30th December to Thursday 31st December; Thursday 31st December to Saturday 2nd Jan- uary; and Friday 1st January to Monday 4th January. From Monday 4th January until Friday 8th January, collec- tions will switch to the follow- ing day. Visit www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/ festivewaste

STAFF at a Beaulieu outdoor education charity have joined a national campaign calling on the government for lifeline funding to weather the pan- demic. The Countryside Education Trust (CET), in Palace Lane, offers residential breaks for school-age youngsters to learn more about nature and the countryside. The facility, which was found- ed in 1975, has been closed for overnight stays since March and has relied on donations and crowdfunding to help maintain animals living at the small on- site farm. The trust has now joined a national Save Our Outdoor Ed- ucation campaign calling on the government to help plug the fi - nancial shortfall. CET chief executive Jane Cooper said: “It has been ter- ribly sad to see the residential centre empty, knowing that some children will never have the chance to come away on a visit after missing out this year. “We love hosting children of all ages and backgrounds. “Their time with us working on the farm, harvesting food and getting to grips with the countryside can be life chang- ing. The children learn social skills, resilience and teamwork

The Countryside Education Trust has been relying on donations and crowdfunding to keep going

currently.” The CET also relies on public events and weddings to supple- ment its income, which have been unable to go ahead this year. Nearby Buckler’s Hard and Beaulieu have also been seri- ously affected by the pandemic with the loss of around 10 posts since March. The 7,000-acre Beaulieu Es- tate, which is home to the Na- tional Motor Museum and Pal- ace House and gardens, has been hit badly by the closure of the attraction in the first national lockdown and strict Covid-19 rules throughout the summer season. In his annual report, Beau- lieu peer Lord Montagu said:

“The lockdown meant that our attractions were completely closed between late March and mid-June and all our major events had to be cancelled, in- cluding the International Auto- jumble in September and, most recently, the fireworks fair. “This has resulted in a signif- icant drop in income and, like many businesses, we’ve had to adapt quickly. “The majority of our staff were put on the government’s furlough scheme and many are now again.” The attraction has also made savings by freezing much of its project expenditure and reduc- ing staff hours. To support the CET with do- nations visit www.cet.org.uk

alongside the formal require- ments of the national curricu- lum.” Campaign organiser, the In- stitute of Outdoor Learning, has warned that without finan - cial help up to half of all out- door education charities could close permanently with the loss of 15,000 jobs nationally. Ms Cooper added: “Most have been unable to earn any income since March when the government told them to close, and they are looking for finan - cial support to help them sur- vive until spring, which is when they might be able to re-open and start earning again. “The Scottish government has pledged £2m but there is no equivalent offer in England

Christmas and new year waste collection changes

Warning as couple hit by £6,000 ‘fake police’ scam

Pakistani descent, with his face covered by a black scarf, took the cash away. North and East Dorset Neighbourhood Policing Team Insp. Simon Perry said: “If you are in any doubt, hang up and call your bank directly.”

PEOPLE are urged to be wary of a phone scam in which of- fenders pretend to be police to trick victims into withdrawing large sums of cash. Dorset Police has received several reports of fraudsters calling residents in a bid to get

the money handed over to a courier “for safe keeping”. Each time the caller has claimed to be from a police force and told their intended victim that their bank accounts have been compromised. One recent incident saw a

couple in their 70s called by a man who said he was a detective inspector and told them to with- draw two sums of £3,000 and read him the serial numbers. He informed them the notes were counterfeit and a courier, a man described as of Indian or