New Milton Advertiser 18th December 2020

Friday 18th December 2020 · 13

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Lions Club roars for last time in Covid shutdown

Care firm delivers food bank support

A CARE home provider has joined forces with local food banks to help people in need this winter. Colten Care has appealed to donors to drop off food in col- lection boxes at its head office in Ringwood or any of the prop- erties it operates within the New Forest. It has promised to distribute the items to food banks battling to meet a surge in demand from families facing financial hard - ship. Colten has also pledged to do- nate food directly to the banks and will be inviting its regular suppliers to do the same. The first to come on board is the Downton-based wholesaler Bidfood, which is contributing a range of tinned and dry foods. Mark Aitchison, Colten Care chief executive, said: “One con- sequence of Covid-19 and lock- downs has been that many food banks have seen a drop in dona- tions while need has increased “This initiative is a way we can support vulnerable families and individuals in the commu- nities we serve during the pan- demic.” The offer has been gratefully received by Oliver Stanley, chair of the Lymington-based New Forest Basics Bank. “We are bowled over and very grateful to Colten Care for their support,” he said. “They are such a well-known and respect- ed name in and around Lyming- ton and we’re thrilled they have joined forces with us. “We have a continual need to source food. We’re currently

PRESSURES of the pandemic have forced the closure of Lym- ington and Brockenhurst Lions Club after 31 years of fundrais- ing. The group, which has amassed around £175,000 for good causes since its formation, is well known for its many char- itable events, including carni- vals in both its home commu- nities. Acting president of the club Alex Maciotta thanked the area for its “tremendous support” and said the decision to close on 31st December had been a tough one. But she explained: “The effect of Covid-19 meant the club’s activities had to be suspended in all areas. We had to dramati- cally cut back on our overheads and sell off our equipment. “Also, most of our members are in the increased-risk age group and continue to isolate in some form, due to the ongoing restrictions.” BY LIZ HENDRIE Pandemic sees the end of group after 31 years and £175k fundraising Hunt for driver after van crash on playing field POLICE have launched an in- vestigation after a motorist fled having crashed a suspected stolen van on a Totton playing field. The silver Mercedes was seen speeding across Eling recrea- tion ground, off the A35 dual carriageway, before it ploughed into a gate around 10am on Sat- urday. Officers are now urging peo - ple to come forward if they saw any suspicious activity or have dashcam or mobile phone foot- age of the incident. One of the witnesses was local county, district and town coun- cillor David Harrison. Posting in his website that day, Cllr Harri- son told how he witnessed the drama unfold that morning. “I was walking across the football field at Eling recrea - tion ground when I saw a grey Mercedes seven-seater van be- ing driven at speed across the middle of the park,” he said. “The van then crashed into vegetation at the back of the park and the driver leapt out and ran down the footpath that runs alongside the river, to- wards Eling.” He described the man as 6ft tall, wearing gloves and green clothing, which may have been overalls. A spokesperson for Hamp- shire police said: “We can con- firm that officers were called out at 10.29am on Saturday 12th December to Eling recrea- tion ground following reports of a suspicious vehicle. “Upon attending, officers have located a silver Mercedes van which they believe had been stolen – with the driver fleeing the scene. “No injuries were reported, but damage had been caused to the gate of the recreational ground as a result.” Anyone with information should contact officers on 101, quoting crime reference num- ber 44200479035, or call Crime- stoppers on 0800 555 111. As well as slow-cookers for families without basic cooking facilities and food vouchers, other measures include vouch- ers/payment cards for fuel, en- ergy and water bills, and sup- FOOD vouchers and slow-cook- ers will be distributed to help feed more than 34,000 children in Hampshire and support their families during the Christmas holiday. The connect4communities scheme will be delivered in partnership between Hamp- shire County Council and edu- cation providers to help those facing hardship because of the pandemic. It is being funded by £2.89m awarded by the Department for Work and Pensions as part of the Winter Grant Scheme. As reported in the A&T, the government came under fire in October when it refused to provide support during the half term for children on free school meals, of which there are nearly 2,500 in the New Forest.

working with around 100 fam- ilies a week, providing them with enough food to see them through. “Food banks here in the New Forest and elsewhere are seeing a surge in demand due to the impact of ongoing lockdown restrictions, rising mass unem- ployment and household finan - cial crises.” The Trussell Trust, another of the food bank networks sup- ported by Colten Care, recent- ly released a report showing families with children had been hardest hit by food poverty since the start of the pandemic. It forecast a 61% increase in demand this winter, with six emergency parcels needing to be given out every minute across the UK. Colten Care chief executive Mark Aitchison (left) and hotel service manager Fergus Davitt

Club members Martin Ward (second from left) and Ian Duncan (second from right) hand out cheques to Oliver Stanley, of New Forest Basics Bank (left), Jo Cayla of Oakhaven Hospice and Pete Wales from Solent Dolphin at the club’s final p resentation.

The club is best known for its successful organisation of the hugely popular Lymington carnival. Event organiser Ian Duncan said he was thrilled to confirm that the Lymington Community Association has agreed in principle to take re- sponsibility for this from 2021. “I will be on hand for the first year to guide them through traffic management and the various permissions and licens- ing of the road closures,” said Mr Duncan. “Hopefully, all will

go smoothly.” Further details will be made available from the community centre in due course. Mr Duncan added that mem- bership of the club had dwin- dled in recent years. “At one stage we had around 20 mem- bers,” he said. “But now we are down to just eight.” Four of the club’s members will be transferring to New Mil- ton Lions Club: Mr Duncan, Ms Maciotta, Martin Ward and Paul Bevan.

In recent weeks, the Lions have distributed their remain- ing charitable funds, totalling more than £2,500, to various local organisations, including the NHS, Pennington Junior School and the club’s own Mes- sage in a Bottle scheme. A final cheque presenta - tion was held at Lymington’s Woodside Gardens, with the New Forest Basics Bank, Oakhaven Hospice and Solent Dolphin all receiving grants. However, Mr Duncan has not

ruled out the possibility of a Lymington and Brockenhurst Lions comeback in the future. “It may well be we form again if there is support within the community,” he said. “Who knows what the future may hold?” Major beneficiaries over the years have included the Hon- eypot Children’s Charity, New Forest Basics Bank, Oakhav- en Hospice, Solent Dolphin, Brockenhurst Gateway Club and Naomi House. Forest councils set for extra cash over work in pandemic ALL 38 town and parish coun- cils across the New Forest are to receive government money to support the extra work they are doing for communities dur- ing the pandemic. The district council is divid- ing up a sum of nearly £110,000 it has received as emergency funding to help compensate for additional local spending. In a letter to town and par- ish councils, NFDC leader Cllr Barry Rickman said: “I appreci- ate that the Covid-19 pandemic is continuing to put pressure on all aspects of our community, both residents and businesses. “We are committed to doing all we can to support our com- munity through this time of cri- sis.” The funding is not ring- fenced and so can be used at the discretion of the town and parish councils. The awards are calculated based on the num- ber of Band D households in each area.

Vouchers and slow-cookers to support families over holidays

Extended opening hours! Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm

porting the establishment of “community pantries” of low- cost food in each Hampshire district. Organisations will be sup- ported to provide direct help to vulnerable households through community grants, and an on- line directory will be launched for residents to search by post- code to locate help with financ - es and subsidised food. Cllr Patricia Stallard, HCC’s cabinet member for children’s services and young people, said: “I have no hesitation in agree- ing, on behalf of the county council, that we proceed with the proposed package of mea- sures. “2020 has been a really tough year with unprecedented chal- lenges for everyone but there are many people for whom it has been especially hard. “As a result, some find themselves facing difficul- ties that they could not have imagined. Connect4commu- nities is not a hand-out, but

a helping hand for Hampshire families who are struggling to pay for basic essentials, like food and fuel to keep their homes warm.” She added: “The aim is to support those in need, particu- larly during the school holidays, and help ensure vulnerable chil- dren and young people do not go without the necessities.” Nurseries, preschools, child- minders, schools and colleges will distribute the food vouch- ers. Each household will receive a voucher per child worth £15 per week which can be used in supermarkets. Additionally, HCC is provid- ing schools and colleges with a discretionary grant fund. These grants will help support families who may not be immediately el- igible for the voucher scheme but find themselves struggling financially. In Dorset, more than £1m has been awarded to BCP Coun- cil for vulnerable families and children. At least 80% is ear-

marked for help with food and utility bills to support families and children and 20% for other vulnerable residents across the area. BCP Council said a flexi - ble food voucher scheme was being developed while some of the funding will be used to evolve a range of holiday activ- ities during the Christmas and February half term holidays with a focus on securing access for those considered vulnera- ble. Cllr Nicola Greene, BCP cab- inet member for Covid resil- ience, public health and educa- tion, said: “We know that there are many vulnerable people out there including families with children who will be struggling this winter. “We want them to know that there is dedicated support available to help with accessing food and to keep warm and we are trying to make it as simple and easy to access this support as possible.”