New Milton Advertiser 1st Jan 2021

Friday 1st January 2021 · 9

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Samuel takes o as submarine hunter

Racist abuse contact ban

Rescuers busy despite Covid RESCUERS at Hengistbury Head National Coastwatch Institution had one of their busiest years despite the pandemic. The station joined all others nationwide in closing from March to May, with reduced operations until mid-July. But the team still responded to 53 incidents and logged over 37,000 ves- sels by 30th November. Eleven new recruits under- went the first, socially-dis- tanced training evening for over a year in November. Man admits violent attack A TOTTON man has been given a suspended jail sen- tence for a violent attack. Jamie Webb (30), of Ap- pletree Close, pleaded guilty before Southampton magis- trates to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. As well as the four-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, the defendant was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work in the community and pay £850 in compensation and £85 costs. PHONE 01425 612594 to place a display advertisement A MAN who hurled racist abuse at a woman was banned by magistrates from contacting her for a year. Martin Williamson (46), of Gordon Road, Pennington, admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour against the victim on 5th December – an offence the Southampton Bench ruled was racially aggravated. As well as the restraining order, Williamson was fined £750 and told to pay another £160 in court costs.

Ringwood man will defend Royal Navy flagships from attack

The Força team at a Wild West fundraiser

Cancer charity hits special bra milestone

BY JON WALLER

A RINGWOOD man’s Royal Navy career is set for take-off as an elite helicopter pilot defend- ing the UK’s flagships against enemy submarines. Lieutenant Samuel Cass, a former Ringwood School pu- pil, was handed his wings at a ceremony at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Cornwall, having completed five years of intense training. The delighted the unit dedicated to protecting the UK’s aircraft car- riers HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth. He will pilot the formidable Merlin Mk-2 aircraft, armed with dipping sonar, pow- erful radar and torpedoes, de- signed to locate and destroy hostile submarines. Lt Cass spent hundreds of hours training in simulators before undergoing test flights. He said: “I think the most fun I’ve had was the first time we did something called probing, which is where you’re trying to identify a contact but you don’t necessarily want them to know. “You don’t want them to know where you are or poten- tially see you on radar, so the 27-year-old joins 820 Naval Air Squadron,

PEOPLE who are self-isolating have been keeping themselves busy with free craft packs, thanks to an initiative by two New Milton groups. The Forest Arts centre and the town’s Men’s Shed group received a grant from Hamp- shire County Council to put together the do-it-yourself kits, which are suitable for a range of ages and abilities. They include materials pre- pared to make a variety of items including Christmas trees, kitchen clocks and hedgehog houses. In each of the packs are a list of instructions and details of online video tutorials. The aim is to help those af- fected by the pandemic and, in particular, those who were already isolated. All recipients have been referred to the pro- ject by New Forest District Council. New Milton Men’s Shed chair Adrian Duckett said: “It has A LYMINGTON-based charity which supports people affected by cancer has hit the 100 mark for providing specialist bras to women who have undergone mastectomies. Força Strength Against Can- cer was founded in 2011 by a group of local women who were inspiredafter one of their friends was diagnosed with breast can- cer. The purpose-made support wear, which aids circulation for a better recovery, is offered to anyone undergoing a mastecto- my at the Princess Anne Hospi-

again been an incredibly posi- tive experience working on all elements of the project. “Several of our members have benefited from the project, not only those who took on the per- sonal challenge of sharing their skill by means of online videos, but also those who supported them in the background by pre- paring materials and resources. “It has provided all those in- volved with valuable steps to- wards good physical and men- tal health not only through doing, but also by contributing to the wider community.” Jasmine Taylor, Forest Arts’ community programme co- ordinator, added: “Like most businesses, lockdown has been hard on the arts centre and has forced us to find new ways of working with the community. “The art and craft packs are a brilliant way of targeting people without access to the in- ternet.” tal in Southampton. Força trustee Donna Gittins said: “We are delighted to have been able to help 100 women in our local community at such a difficult time in their lives. “Thank you to everyone who has donated to Força. Your gen- erosity enables us to continue our programmes, helping those in our community who are liv- ing with cancer.” To request a support bra email forcaagainstcancer@ gmail.com or visit www.forcaa gainstcancer.org.uk

Groups send out free craft packs for self-isolating

The Merlin helicopter is designed to locate and destroy hostile submarines. Left, Lt Samuel Cass (Photos: Royal Navy)

far it’s just been training.” He had been set to go into an accounting career while studying maths at University in Plymouth but changed tack after his grandfather told him about a Royal Navy television recruitment ad. Lt Cass said: “I applied and then, just through the process of talking to people in the navy, one of them asked, ‘Have you ever considered being a pilot?’ just because I mentioned in passing that I was in the Air Cadets. Well, I hadn’t, but I managed to change my appli-

cation.” Commander James Taylor congratulated Lt Cass and sev- en other pilots who qualified, saying: “This is the biggest milestone in their careers – the day that you are awarded your wings is a day that every naval aviator will always remember. “Our graduates now join the Royal Navy’s finest frontline naval air squadrons at a really exciting time. I know they are all desperate to get embarked and do their jobs at sea. They will absolutely love it and wish them every success.”

way we do that is to get incredibly

close down to the sea. “We were flying at 50ft above the sea and at 100 knots to- wards the contact. It was re- ally choppy midway out in the Celtic Sea and I honestly felt the waves were going past the window at times. “We were pushing the aircraft to its limits, essentially, because that’s as low as you can go.” Lt Cass added: “I’m definitely looking forward to the frontline squadron now, where we get out to do a real job, because so

Excess NHS meals sent to local food banks

TWO local food banks were among those to receive thou- sands of surplus meals donated by a local NHS body. Testwood Basics Bank in Totton and the Trussel Trust food bank, operating on the Waterside and in Southampton,

were both handed supplies by Southern Health NHS Founda- tion Trust. The trust had bought some of the food to sustain its workers during the pandemic and was also given some by airlines to avoid meals going to waste after

so many planes were grounded. Food packages and other items have been delivered to a total of 13 different food banks across Hampshire. Stella Gardener, catering services manager at Southern Health, said: “The Covid-19

pandemic has impacted every- one across the country in some way, but for those who are al- ready struggling, it has been devastating. “We are delighted that the surplus of food will be going to places that need it most.”

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