Ann Garner

In the midst of cooking, a friend phoned – ‘I’ve cut my finger with my new knife and it’s still bleeding ….. can you take me to A&E?’ Luckily I know we’ve got a super local Walk in Centre, which wasn’t busy, the staff were really friendly and within less than an hour, I was back home sorting our meal out – much better than memories of four hour waits at North Manchester General’s A&E!!! Thank you NHS!!!!!

My Cllr colleague, Tim, allerted me to this on his blog – looks like Goals haven’t paid their taxes in time …

Goals Soccer Centres, the company which has been given planning permission to build a massive 17 artificial pitch soccer centre in the St Margaret’s cover of Heaton Park appears to be having a few problems (eating local, loved park land).

The following statement was issued to investors yesterday, which certainly seems to imply that no more soccer centres will be built in 2012.

Wouldn’t it be great if that meant it was never built, and we get to keep our beautiful piece of parkland?

Goals Soccer Centres PLC, the UK’s premier operator of next generation outdoor 5-a-side soccer centres with 42 centres in the UK and one in Los Angeles, USA, announces a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2011, in advance of the release of the Company’s preliminary results on 28 February 2012.

Trading for the year was in line with market expectations with overall sales increasing by 9% to £30.3m (2010: £27.8m). This has been driven by a resilient performance with like for like sales rising 1%. The impact of the contested VAT on block bookings by teams to fulfil their league fixtures has resulted in overall like for like sales being down 2%.

The Company opened centres in Sunderland, Liverpool South, Norwich and Hull during 2011. Our first modular build centre in Chester will open in March 2012 within the target budget of £1.5m which compares favorably to our historic build cost per centre of £2.3m.

In order to focus on strong cash generation and allow adequate time to evaluate all aspects of the new modular build the Board have decided to postpone further new centre openings in 2012. Subject to a satisfactory evaluation and prevailing economic conditions, we intend to return to opening more centres from 2013.

The postponement of new centre openings in 2012 will also enable the Board to meet a key objective by using strong cash flow to further reduce net bank debt which, despite a normalised capital spend in 2011, has been reduced to £52.4m from £54.0m at 30 June 2011.

The Company has also entered into a new four year banking agreement with Bank of Scotland totaling £56m comprising a revolving credit facility of £38 million, a term loan of £16 million and an overdraft facility of £2million. These facilities have been negotiated at competitive market rates and will provide the Company with the financial flexibility to meet our growth aspirations.

Whilst 2011 was one of the most challenging years the consumer has faced, it looks likely that 2012 will continue in much the same vein. However, Goals operates in a resilient market place with a favourable price point and our market leading position provides us with the necessary scale to cope with the challenges ahead.

Today’s our yearly training and team building ‘away day’ at a local community centre. Localism is the theme, considering the needs of our communities in Prestwich where we’re councillors but also across the other five towns that make up Bury as a Council area too. Next week looks busy at the Town Hall one session will explore the changing needs of an aging population and another to investigate standards of home care by private companies. These are to both inform and enable councillors to work with officers to help them shape and chart their way forward to meet people’s needs for council services as well as partner services from the NHS etc.. Luckily there is also time for me to visit the primary schools where I’m a school governor, next week. I thoroughly enjoy my visits; it’s great to see children happy and learning!

It’s been good to have a few days away from the usual and spend time with family. Activities leading to Christmas were great fun, especially our community carol service, gift wrapping and cooking. It’s time to focus back to politics and catch up with case work – trying to help people solve issues that annoy and frustrate them. One issue is requests for more Dog Bins for owners who don’t like to carry the pooh they scoop home – we do need more bins generally and I have noticed a reduction in those by bus stops – something to look at. At least I now know the answer to our gritting requests – however, roads where home care workers navigate do need to be gritted – if they cannot get to their vulnerable clients, people are put at risk. If Government policy and Councils encourage people to stay in their own homes and close care homes & warden controlled communities – then they need to grit more roads to enable people to care as well as get out and about.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
Lord, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, but to console;
to be understood, but to understand;
to be loved, but to love.
For it is in giving that we receive.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

With talk of whether we should stay as an active EU player, I’ve been reflecting on how I see myself – just English or British or European? All Three! I’m proud to be part of Europe and I’ve benefited too. When I was at school I took part in a German student exchange visit and formed friendships that exist to this day. As a teacher, I’ve been funded through the Comenius programme, to work with teachers from Spain and Italy and their students to explore the social history of our towns. As part of the project I even got to visit a school in Como, learning about how the teachers work and sharing our problems and concerns for our students. More recently Spanish trainee teachers have stayed with us whilst they work in local schools to improve both their English as well as their teaching skills. We exchange goods and travel around the EU on a regular basis. We can live and work in member countries easily. If we begin to play a smaller part in Europe, we’ll all be worse off!

An amazing college production rounded off our week, with a magical evening of entertainment – professionally delivered by talented students, nurtured by amazing staff – I was really proud of them all! The evening before we’d attended our North West Regional Dinner with Lib Dem Leader Sir Menzies Campbell QC MP as main speaker. He spoke of his fears for the present state of the economy and what is needed to improve both the economy and environment. Wednesday found me at Manchester’s Jewish Museum, which I have not visited for a number of years and my guide turned out to live in my Council Ward, Sedgley – he’s a special gentleman and very knowledgeable about his subject. I had a really interesting afternoon. The rest of the week has been either been at work trying to get my students up to date with their work of doing case work. Lamp posts not working, speeding car concerns, bins not being emptied and yellow paint for worn lines. As soon as I think I’ve solved or tried to sort out people’s issues, a few more arrive!

Reel to reel cine footage of canal holidays from the 1970s rounded off our family evening. We’ve spent our childhood watching hours and hours of footage but for our now adult children, it was new ground. Earlier we’d been to Park View’s Christmas Fair where I bumped into an amazing woman I studied with at Bolton but we’d lost touch. She’s now a hospital social worker with an eight year old, who was more than happy for me to off-load my change so she could play endless games organised by parents – always one of the best school fairs I’ve ever been to! Our evening meal was a result of careful shopping at our local farmer’s market – all produce was farmed within ten miles of the market too – just as it should be – a low-travel mile meal (cooked by my son as well so even more special – washing up here I come).

We were in Dundee last weekend visiting our son to celebrate his birthday with him. So this week’s been busy, catching up with case work, meetings and delivering leaflets. Today I offered to contact our local housing emergency repair team to make a flat secure as residents had to break in to find a much loved and respected neighbour has passed away. They will miss her so very much – she was active in a project to create a community garden – a warm hearted special lady. So it was sad news for me to take to our local vicar at his Church’s Christmas Fair – we’re very fond of this community group and the hard work they do to help each other, too.