Community

Laptop Crisis Appeal

We are a group of parents from the local schools. Our aim is to give all pupils in need access to either a used or new laptop computer or notebook as soon as possible. Every day that passes means a day of education forever lost to them.

We are seeking donations of used equipment and/or money.  Our target is to get 15 used devices and to buy 60 new laptops which will cost £15,000 (£250 each). We have already distributed over 30 new and used laptops to Farlingaye High School and the surrounding primary schools that feed into it; but having talked to the schools they have identified that they still need 75 more laptops for all their families in need.

Please message us on the numbers below if you have any equipment to donate or for financial donations go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/farlingaye-laptops

Adam 07484 395 842

Claus 07809 626 550

January 19, 2021 in C-19, Community

The Melton Trust – help for those in need

The Melton Trust was created from bequests by Richard Cook in 1539, Richard Halifax in 1699 and a gentleman named Histed (date unknown). It was established as a charity in 1897 as the Poor’s Estate Charity and funding incorporated a bequest from James Alexander Burness who also funded the Burness Rooms. It was renamed The Melton Trust in May 1991.

The Trust’s funds provide an income to be used “in relieving persons resident in the Parish of Melton who are in conditions of need hardship or distress”. The Trust is classed as a charity for “relief in need” and try to be as flexible as possible.

The kind of requests that can be supported include:

• Payment of utility bills

• Travelling expenses

• Furniture and house decoration

• Specialist equipment for the disabled

• Respite care

Each case is taken on its own merits and the Trust may fund all or part of a request. There are some restrictions:

• You must be a resident of Melton

• It cannot replace state support – all available benefits must have been claimed

• It cannot commit to ongoing support

If you would like to apply for a grant please complete the Melton Trust Application Form and return it to The Melton Trust, c/o Melton Parish Council, 17 Riduna Park. Station Road, Melton, Woodbridge, IP12 1QT

June 23, 2020 in C-19, Community

Appeal from Melton Primary School for internet enabled devices

Message from the headteacher of Melton Primary School:

In this period of school closure for most children, teachers are working hard to provide remote learning for all the pupils that are learning from home. Frustratingly, we have been let down by the Department of Education once again who are still not providing us with laptops for families who don’t have these resources at home.

As I am unsure how long ‘over the coming weeks’ will be, I am now putting out a plea to the Melton Community. If anyone has any internet enabled devices no longer being used that can be offered to the school, we would be extremely grateful. We will then make these available for families to use.

If you can help, please contact the school office on 01394 382506 or by email at admin@melton.suffolk.sch.uk.  In the interests of GDPR the devices would need to be cleared of all data.

Many thanks

Alun Davies
Headteacher
Melton Primary School

January 14, 2021 in C-19, Community

Survey regarding policing element of your council tax

Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Tim Passmore has just published his proposals for the policing element of the council tax precept for the next financial year. More officers and better communications are at the heart of Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner’s plans as he asks the public to comment on his proposal to raise the policing element of the council tax by 30p a week for the next financial year for a Band D property.

Full details are here: pcc-proposes-more-officers-for-the-county-through-policing-precept.

He is asking Suffolk residents for their thoughts on his proposals through an electronic survey which can be accessed through the website or directly here: Suffolkpreceptsurvey

The survey is open until 9am on Thursday 28th January.

 

January 6, 2021 in Community, Police and crime

New Pavilion – design available for comment

Following a number of public consultations, a design has been created for a new Pavilion to replace the existing building at the Melton Road Recreation Ground. The current building is no longer fit for purpose and is over 70 years old.

The new design includes a public toilet, ability for a pop-up café to operate, shelter for spectators, a flexible community space and storage. All these facilities were supported by responses to the consultation process. The construction will be brick, weatherboarding and a pantile roof.

Melton Parish Council invites residents to submit any comments they may have on these proposals. You can phone, email or write to the office:

01394 382224
clerk@melton-suffolk-pc.gov.uk
17 Riduna Park, Station Road, Melton, Suffolk IP12 1QT

The consultation finishes on Friday 22nd January 2021. It is hoped that work will commence summer 2021.

Further information can be found in the Pavilion Project section of the website.

December 21, 2020 in Community, Pavilion, Playing field, Recreation, Sport

Beacon Shield

The Beacon at the Melton Road playing fields , which was installed as part of the centenary commemorations of the end of WW1, has now been augmented with a shield depicting the Melton emblem (also seen on the village sign). Designer Simon Benton joined members of the Melton Heritage group and Rachel Smith-Lyte and Colin Birkbeck, who kindly made donations towards the costs, to mark the shield being installed.

Members of the Melton Heritage Group and benefactors with the Beacon

Claire McBurney, Colin Birkbeck, Jen Hall and Cllr Chas Taylor (l-r)

Members of the Melton Heritage Group, benefactor and shield designer

Cllr Rachel Smith-Lyte, Andy Pritchatt, Doreen Bartlett, Simon Benton, Mary Burgess and Cllr Bryony Abbott (l-r)

December 21, 2020 in Community, History, Playing field

Melton Messenger – a Note from Alan – December 2020

Melton Messenger
Currently there will be no paper copies delivered and this may not resume until the current Covid-19 crisis has been resolved one way or another.

At Melton Parish Council we are very aware that people don’t really like reading magazines online and that assumes that they have internet access which many do not.  It suddenly struck me that we have a few magazines delivered locally to almost every house so I thought I would contact them. Well I got a very quick response from the Editor of Woodbridge In Touch and my articles will also appear in that magazine.  So please look out for them.

Defibrillator Batteries
The batteries defibrilatorin the defibrillator are kept charged up by a mains connection.  The battery powers the light and also a small heater that keeps condensation out when the temperature drops below a certain level.  I think it is useful to reassure local people that the unit is maintained and ready to go at a moment’s notice.  A good friend of mine had a cardiac arrest at Cretingham Golf Club and they used a defibrillator to save his life.  He is still playing golf and is eternally grateful that there was a defibrillator nearby.  We are going to be given another unit by Bloor Homes when the building work is complete in Woods Lane.  We shall be looking for a 2nd location in Melton to fit it.  The new pavilion would be a logical place to put it.

 

Free Parking at East Suffolk Car Parks – Ringo App
I see that parking in the Hamlin Road car park in Woodbridge is free for 30 minutes and you can park anywhere not just in those few spaces by Elmhurst Park.  There are often queues of people lining up at the machines as it takes a while to get a ticket now you have to enter the registration number.

There is an option to use the Ringo App so I thought I would have a go at that. Before you can use the App you have to associate a debit or credit card with the App but you won’t be charged unless you select a period of more than 30 minutes.

If you enter the number 4401 and make sure you set the option not to receive either of the text messages then the Ringo parking is free.  Otherwise you pay 20p for the text messages.

The App is really useful as you will save time not having to queue up and also you can avoid touching the keypad which is good when we are living with Covid-19.

Now you have to enter your registration number onto the machine, you can only have one free 30 minute parking slot per day per location.  You can always use your partner’s car or park at another location on the same day.  For example if you park at 4401 Hamblin Road then you can park at 4403 Oak Lane later on.

Grants from Melton Parish Council
This year the pot for grant giving is not big but local Melton organisations can apply. You can contact the office for an application form or find out more and apply online at www.melton-suffolk-pc.gov.uk/grants

New Plaques on the Beacon
Simon Benton has produced for us two new rounBeacon roundelsdels to commemorate the men and women of Melton who served their country in World War II.  These plaques commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VE day (Victory in Europe) & VJ Day (Victory in Japan). They and were paid for with the help of a grant from our District Councillor Rachel Smith-Lyte and a private donation from Colin Birkbeck.  The roundels have been fitted onto the pole that holds the beacon in the Recreation ground.  There is now a cover to protect the beacon and it also prevents it being used as a basketball net as has happened in the summer.

Remembrance Day
I laid a wreath on behalf of Melton Parish Council but I was only at the memorial for a short while as Covid-19 restrictions are obviously in place.  All the names are now easily readable as some restoration work has been done.  The WW2 memorial will be restored soon I am told.

Budget & Large projects 2020/2021
Currently we are having our council meetings online. Despite the pandemic, we still have plans to get a lot of things done in the next financial year.

We have a few large projects on the go.

  1. The first one is the Speed Indicator Device (SID) which hit some teething troubles. It is now in Yarmouth Road and appears to be working. There are 6 locations around the village that we can use.
  2. We have an architect doing a new design for the Pavilion and good progress is being made. This has been on the go since I joined the council in 2011 so it will be good to finally get it replaced with something useful. The original Pavilion was erected in 1949 and came into full use during 1952 so it has certainly served its time. Toilets that are accessible are a part of the design.
  3. We also have Suffolk Highways doing a design for two island crossing points in Melton Road. There will be double yellow lines as a part of the scheme to create visibility, so some street parking will be lost.  However this road is now so busy some safe crossing points are desperately needed.

All these projects are now in the advanced stages of planning and we will be holding focused public consultations about the Pavilion and crossing points.

Behind the Name: Melton in the Great War 1914-1919 BookBehind the Name book
We were involved with the Melton Heritage Group in the production of this great book.  Of the 300 copies printed, one sample of the book was sent to the British Library, but the Melton Heritage Group held back 5 copies in case the British Library wanted more. Recently the authors received a request from the Legal Deposit Libraries for the five copies. They are for The Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library, The National Library of Scotland, the National Library of Wales and the Library of Trinity College, Dublin. Not every author receives these requests and clearly demonstrates that the book is of great value to researchers. There is also a new website to accompany the book – http://www.meltonww1.co.uk which includes additional material not contained in the book.

Census 2021 will provide a snapshot of modern society
Households across Melton will soon be asked to take part in Census 2021. The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

It will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

“A successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed,” Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said.

“This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and new transport routes. That’s why it is so important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need them.”

Census day will be on March 21, but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

For more information, visit census.gov.uk

Sizewell C (SZC)
On 18 November, EDF launched a 30-day public consultation on proposed changes to its recently submitted planning application for Sizewell C.  These proposals are available to download online at www.sizewell.co.uk.

EDF says it has identified opportunities to deliver improvements to the Sizewell C project and to reduce some impacts.  Of key interest is the proposed reduction in the transport of bulk material by road by:

  • Increasing the frequency of freight train movements (at night)
  • Enhancement of the permanent beach landing facility and options for a new temporary beach landing facility to facilitate material imports by sea.

As always, we at MPC will assess what the impact of these proposals is on Melton and the surrounding area and respond to the consultation.

Melton Primary School
The children are settling back at Melton Primary school with great enthusiasm even though they now have to fit their day around “bubbles” and a lot of building work.  This year Christmas will be different but should still be a very special time for everyone.  The school is having a lot of building work done including a new roof and new doors and windows.  With the builders on site, parking is more difficult.  As visitors are not allowed into school to look around, there is a video on the web-site https://www.melton.suffolk.sch.uk/ which is a great way to see what the school is really like.

Christmas & New Year
This is the festive edition so I would like to take this opportunity to wish all readers a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.  Let’s hope we can make the most of this important time of the year, be kind to people and wish for a better 2021.

December 1, 2020 in C-19, Community, Melton Messenger

Census 2021 will provide a snapshot of modern society

Households across Melton will soon be asked to take part in Census 2021. The census is a once-in-a-decade survey that gives us the most accurate estimate of all the people and households in England and Wales. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

It will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

“A successful census will ensure everyone from local government to charities can put services and funding in the places where they are most needed,” Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said.

“This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, schools and new transport routes. That’s why it is so important everyone takes part and we have made it easier for people to do so online on any device, with help and paper questionnaires for those that need them.”

Census day will be on March 21, but households across the country will receive letters with online codes allowing them to take part from early March.

The census will include questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity. And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

For more information, visit census.gov.uk

 

 

November 17, 2020 in Community, History

Behind the Name website has launched

It was during the Remembrance Sunday ceremony in 2008 that an invisible thread of curiosity, somehow contrived to connect certain individuals gathered there in the churchyard on that bleak November morning. Shadowy memories of a collection of wooden crosses slowly decaying on the ancient walls of Melton Old Church swirled in the mind. Who were these men? How did they die? Where did they live and work? What happened to their families and loved ones?

Miraculously, this like-minded faction was drawn together and determined to pursue answers to these questions; thus, the original Behind the Name team, came into being. Team members had little or no experience as researchers, but were fired with enthusiasm and encouraged by local interest and the gratitude expressed by ancestors of those who served. The aim of the project was not only to preserve the history of Melton in wartime, but, perhaps more importantly, to pay tribute to all that was given, and at such cost, by the men, women and children of Melton.

In 2014, just before the Great War Commemorations began, the Melton Heritage Group, a partnership with St Andrew’s Church, Melton Old Church Society, Melton Parish Council, Melton Primary School, and Melton Women’s Institute, was created to oversee the village’s commemoration events and to revisit the original booklet. A small team of individuals with an interest in local history set about researching the village. The commemoration events starting with an open day at the Burness rooms where villagers could bring along memorabilia about the village or the Great War. This was followed up with exhibitions in St Andrew’s Church each Remembrance Day and at certain important dates such as the anniversaries of the Battle of the Somme and Passchendaele. There were also annual “Poppy Walks” following a route along public footpaths between St Andrews Church and the Old Church.

A website has now been created which attempts to reproduce the information the team collated over a period of five years and it also includes some information that was not included in the book. New information is coming to light all the time and when possible, it will be updated even though the project is now officially closed and the Melton Heritage Group are no more.

Behind the Name website

 

November 16, 2020 in Community, History