Local charities champion Iris Price has been very busy lately, running charity shops to raise money for many local causes. Some of the charities which have benefited so far are X-Entricity, Ross Pre-school Playgroup, Ross Rowing Club and Help for Heroes amongst many more. The latest shop, on Gloucester Road raised money for Ross Lions Club who do an enormous amount of charitable work both locally and internationally and in just one week, their funds were boosted by £1,300.

The Lions are extremely grateful to Iris for running the shop for them and also extend their thanks the owner of the shop for allowing them the use of it, all of the people who donated stock, the volunteers who gave up their time to run the shop for them and of course, the many customers who bought their goods. The venture was so successful that Ross Lions are hoping to have another shop later in the year.

Herefordshire Council is facing significant budget pressures due to Central Government funding cuts and it is having to consider how best to support bus services in the future. The council also wants to explore the role of community transport to see if it can provide greater support for the areas and people that conventional bus services can't reach. To help inform how these services may change, a consultation with the public began on Friday, 17th June.

The majority of contracts for supported bus services are due for renewal this year and the council has already been working hard to negotiate better deals with bus operators to drive down costs. However, if further savings are required, the council needs to understand the priorities for bus users so that it can minimize the impact of any service changes. A consultation leaflet is now available for bus users and other interested groups to submit their views. Leaflets are being supplied to bus operators to hand out on buses and to parish councils. Copies are also available from libraries and public buildings.

The council is aiming to co-ordinate the review of the bus services with a review of community transport services. It is keen to explore opportunities to improve these services and investigate opportunities for them to provide greater support for people throughout the county and to integrate more closely with bus services. This consultation will run in parallel to that for bus services. The consultation will run until 15th July; further information is available online and people can complete the consultation by visiting www.herefordbus.info

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, said, 'In view of the unprecedented reduction in funding from Central Government, we have to consider how best to prioritize bus services going forward. The council has already moved swiftly to dip into reserves to help support services and we are also trying to get a better deal from operators.

I can assure bus users that we are committed to limiting the impact of service changes. We are very keen to learn the priorities of users and communities which rely on their local bus service. We also want to explore the role of community transport to see if it can integrate better with buses and provide more transport particularly in rural areas.

I would urge people to respond to the consultation so that we can take their priorities into account when we need to determine any service changes.'

The Ross Acorns support group are always looking for innovative and fun ideas to raise money for Acorns Childrens Hospice and on Saturday, 11th June they held a Hawaiian evening at the Mighty 8 Pool Club. Everybody was dressed for a Hawaiian Summer's evening with colourful clothes and leis and a disco was provided to the group free of charge. Money was raised for Acorns through ticket sales and a raffle and a great evening was had by all.

The timing of the Hawaiian evening was rather interesting as the following day, many of those present were taking part in their 10k run the following morning. Details of how they fared will be published as soon as I have them but well done to you all for yet another successful event.

Herefordshire Council is supporting an appeal by the charity, Full House, for more children's bikes so they can go to needy homes. The charity, which repairs old bikes and then sells them on to people at reasonable prices, is short of suitable bicycles for children.

Laura Blackwell, Herefordshire Council's recycling officer said, 'Children grow up very quickly and need to replace their bikes quite often. I would urge anyone who is replacing their child's bike not to throw the old one away as it could find a good home with someone else through donating it to Full House. Even if the bike has seen better days, Full House can repair it and then it will be sold on at a reasonable price to someone on a lower income who cannot afford to buy a brand new one.

This not only prevents the old bikes from going to landfill but also means children whose parents are less well off can still enjoy the health and well-being benefits of cycling. It also has the added benefit of providing employment and work experience to longer term unemployed people.'

To donate bikes to Full House, contact the service on 01432 342042 or email mail@fullhousefrs.org.uk

For further details about reuse organizations and the items that can be donated, log onto www.letswasteless.com

World renowned artistes, Danny Thompson and Martin Simpson gave a fantastic concert at Broome Farm on Sunday, 12th June. The barn was packed with people all eager to see their performance and they were not disappointed as Danny played his bass in his own inimitable style, accompanying great guitarist / vocalist Martin on some wonderful songs.

Before introducing the brilliant duo, MC, Gabe Cook announced that all at the farm had recently lost a very great friend, Alan Wood of Wyenot.com! He made a very touching tribute to Alan, concluding with 'Later, we shall raise a glass of cider in his honour; or a cup of tea,' (as that is what Alan normally drank due to having to drive). Then the musicians were introduced and a great concert was enjoyed by all.

When the concert was over, the great Chicken Shed Zeppelin performed a set. I asked them if they would play 'Three Drunken Maidens' one of Alan's favourite songs, which they happily did, giving a respectful bow when they had finished. Thank you for that, guys. Alan would have appreciated it. Later in the afternoon a kind of 'open mic' session began with various people sharing their talents including the lovely Clementine Lovell and friends and Toby Lovell who gave a great demonstration of his Blues harp and vocal skills.

The whole event was absolutely fantastic as with any event at Broome Farm, which seems to have metamorphosized into the best venue for any occasion; Blues Nights, Folk Nights, Ceilidh's, Operas, (Pop up Opera will be there on Sunday, 3rd July), Weddings and other wonderful parties.

This summer the county's libraries are challenging all children to read six books in the school holidays. Aimed to include all children aged between four and eleven, local libraries are running the Circus Stars reading challenge with themed activities to support the Reading Agency scheme. This aims to encourage reading, literacy and visits to public libraries. It is free to participate in the challenge and children will receive prizes and stickers as rewards for reading books, and get a medal and certificate on completion of the challenge.

Councillor Roger Phillips, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for enterprise and culture said, 'We hope that this will encourage children to use their local library in the summer holidays in order to develop their reading skills and encourage a love of books. The challenge starts on Saturday, 9th July, running until the beginning of September, so there will be plenty of time to read those six books.'

If you would like to know more about the challenge, ask at your local library for further information.

The Ross / Betzdorf Twinning Associations met up again earlier this month and on Friday 10th June around fifty German visitors were greeted by their English hosts. The group arrived at approximately 9:30pm and there were many enthusiastic reunions. I went along to meet the coach for two reasons. I wanted to photograph the arrivals for Wyenot News and although Alan and I were not members of the Association, I wanted to greet journalist, Marc Rosenkranz who has stayed with us on two previous occasions. Due to our circumstances, it was decided that Marc stay with another host and Councillor Jo Lane kindly offered to have Marc stay with her.

An official reception, courtesy of Ross Town Council was held on the Saturday morning at the Royal Hotel, where Ross Town Mayor, Councillor David Ravenscroft greeted Burgermeister Berndt Brato with two gifts. One was a shove ha'penny board and the other a selection of cider from Ross Cider & Perry Co. These gifts were enthusiastically received. Herr Brato then presented Mayor Ravenscroft with a picture which was almost immediately taken and hung up in the Twinning Room at the Corn Exchange.

When the reception was over, everybody was invited to visit the lovely John Kyrle Summer House gardens which are tucked away in a quiet corner of the town. Just as the tour was about to finish, it began to rain so Councillor Lane, Marc and I hot footed it into the Café Eleganza, where we were treated to a delicious and beautifully presented coffee.

During twinning visits, Sunday is family day and visitors were taken to various places by their respective hosts. Phil and Di Long's visitors went with their hosts to the Danny Thompson and Martin Simpson concert at Broome Farm and seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience. On Monday a trip to the Avonscroft Museum in Bromsgrove was the order of the day, then all too quickly it was Tuesday and time to board the coach for home.

Some years ago, the Ross contingent of the association presented the people of Betzdorf with a red telephone box. As a parting gift a presentation of a tea towel with a red phone box printed on it along with some red paint as the real telephone box is apparently in need of a fresh coat. Before boarding the coach, the guests and their hosts formed a circle and sang 'Auld Lang Syne' before saying some emotional Auf Wiedersehens. All agreed that the visit had been a wonderful success.

The Bromyard Light Brigade and Yarpole Community Shop Association from Herefordshire have been announced as two of 130 winners of The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE for groups of volunteers who work in their local community for the benefit of others. This prestigious UK National Honour recognizes outstanding voluntary contributions and sets the national benchmark for excellence in volunteering, with the work of those awarded being judged to be of the highest standard.

The Bromyard Light Brigade has received the Award for the difference they make to the lives of people living in and around Bromyard, an area of severe rural deprivation. Not only do they give joy and civic pride in the very high standard of the Christmas lights but they also bring in much needed trade by attracting visitors. The volunteers who range in age from 14 to 70 also raise funds and through their efforts give pleasure to many people.

Yarpole Community Shop Association has received the Award for their determination and hard work in setting up and manning this community asset. The shop, which includes a Post Office and a coffee shop has created a focus for community life in the village and provides some 30 people with opportunities to volunteer their time, energy and expertise to support this facility. Yarpole Village shop is working hard for the local community and is an excellent example of how determined voluntary action can succeed.

Those receiving this year's Award were selected from 413 groups nominated by members of the public who have been helped personally or witnessed the benefits of a group's work in their community. The Bromyard Light Brigade and Yarpole Community Shop Association have received a certificate signed by The Queen and an exclusive commemorative crystal, presented by Her Majesty's representative in Herefordshire, The Countess of Darnley at a special ceremony arranged by the Lieutenancy office on Wednesday, 15th June. The group has also received an invitation for representatives to attend a Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in the summer.

The Lord-Lieutenant, The Countess of Darnley said, 'Herefordshire put forward eight excellent, very strong nominations for the Award, recognizing the marvellous efforts of voluntary groups in the County. I am delighted at the success of the Bromyard Light Brigade and the Yarpole Village Shop - well done to both of them.'

Seven groups from Herefordshire have now received this annual Award since it was created by Her Majesty to mark the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. For details of all this year's Award winners and information on how to nominate a group, visit www.direct.gov.uk/qavs, where a nomination form can be downloaded.

In 2012, The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee year. There will be further announcements on activities to mark the anniversary of the Award in the autumn.

Llangrove CE Primary School PTFA has been named as the central England winner in the PTA Fund-raising Achievement category of the NCPTA's Gold Star Awards 2011, for their annual Big Breakfast event.

'The Gold Star Awards recognize and reward the everyday achievements of PTAs throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland,' said Lynne Maguire, NCPTA Adviser. 'The standard of entries was very high this year and NCPTA commends all the applications received and to make it through to the finals as the winner for central England is a truly amazing feat.'

Back in 2008, when the PTFA heard that their school was to close, they worked closely with the Heads and embarked on an awareness campaign to raise much needed money and to firmly establish the school as part of the local community. The PTFA's Big Breakfast idea was born, which would not only bring local people into the school, it would also involve working with other key groups such as pupils, teachers, governors, the nearby pre-school, community members, local businesses and charities.

Since its inaugural event, three further Big Breakfasts have been held raising over £4,000 which has supported the school and other local charities such as the Midlands Air Ambulance Service. The PTFA has built up fantastic links with the local business community which now provides the majority of the foods along with local WI members who supply all the jams! The judges were particularly impressed that the Big Breakfast initiative was a key feature of the campaign to save the school and that during such a difficult time for parents, they rallied round to literally save the day.

Rachel Hitchen, Keri Price and pupils Matthew Hitchen and Niamh Price attended the awards ceremony held on board HMS Belfast in central London on Wednesday, 8th June. They were presented with a special trophy and a cheque for £500 in recognition of the PTFA's achievement.

Young Poet Laureates Ben Ray and Hal Husbands are to perform at this year's Ledbury Poetry Festival, supporting Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. This will be the festival's launch event on Friday, 1st July at the community Hall in Ledbury. Carol Ann Duffy is an extraordinary poet and a mesmerising performer who brings a real urgency and importance to 21st century poetry. She will be joined by the talented musician John Sampson. The Young poets will give a short performance of their own work as an overture to this prestigious event.

Councillor Roger Phillips said, 'I am delighted the young poet laureates are again being given an opportunity to be part of this major festival in Ledbury. They are both very excited to have this opportunity to perform for a large audience.'

The young poet laureates jointly won the Young Poet Laureate for Herefordshire back in October 2010 and they will be in post until National Poetry Day in October 2011. Ben Ray has performed alongside the poet Brian Moses at the Schools Library Festival and Hal has performed at a Poetry Society event in London as well as at an event in the Applestore Gallery in Hereford.

'Awesome! I am not worthy,' was Hal's initial response to the news of the Ledbury gig. Ben is in the midst of his GCSEs at the moment and recently he had to write a poem and perform it at The John Kyrle High School prom. He claimed that that was the most nerve racking performance he has had to do so far.

Tickets for the Ledbury Poetry Festival cost are £10 from the Festival Box Office by calling 0845 458 1743. For the full programme go to www.poetry-festival.com

Children with special needs are to benefit from a government grant to improve their school buildings, following a cabinet member decision to allocate more than £7m to capital projects. The cabinet member for corporate and education has approved plans to fund an extension and the remodelling of Blackmarston Special School in Hereford and to replaced the temporary Language and Communication Centre at Hampton Dene Primary School with a permanent building.

Following the Building Schools for the Future programme being aborted by the government, local authorities were given a capital grant to spend on improving buildings for 14 to 19 year olds and for children with special educational needs. In Herefordshire, this amounted to £7.34m. Following consultation with schools and colleges, it was agreed that schemes at Blackmarston Special School and Hampton Dene Primary School were a priority and should go ahead as soon as possible.

The investment at Blackmarston School will extend the school's accommodation so that it can meet a growing increase in demand for specialist provision for children with complex needs, largely in the South Wye area. It is anticipated that the extended facilities will increase the number of pupil places available from 60 to 80.

The county's Language and Communication Centre, based at Hampton Dene Primary School in Tupsley caters for around 20 children with very specific needs that can't be met well elsewhere. The current accommodation is a demountable building which is in very poor condition and needs to be replaced.

Councillor Philip Price, of Herefordshire Council said, 'The number of children with special educational needs is growing and we need to make sure we are able to meet this demand. In Herefordshire our mainstream schools are fully inclusive, but some children need specialist support only available at dedicated schools or centres. Blackmarston Special School and the Language and Communication Centre at Hampton Dene Primary school both provide high quality of care and education and, when compared to out-of-county specialist schools, offer very good value for money, so it makes sense to invest in them while we can.'

The two capital schemes will commit funding of £4.75m. In addition a sum of £1m has been earmarked for new facilities at Leominster Primary School and a sum of £1.25m allocated to Barrs Court Sixth Form / Adult Social Care hub.

Residents at Hereford’s Rose Garden Retirement Village, on Ledbury Road, met with local MP, Jesse Norman recently to discuss the work of the Resident’s Association and the Government’s plans for welfare reform.

The Rose Garden is a joint venture between the Extra Care Charitable Trust, Elgar Housing and Herefordshire Council. The Village, which has 91 apartments, provides supported living services to 120 individuals aged 55 years and over. The services available within the Village are also open to the wider community and include a hairdressing salon, a beautician, a gym, a jacuzzi, a fully licensed bar and a function room.

Jesse met with the members of the Residents Association, together with Tina Morgan, the Manager of the care village, and Louise Cromar of Elgar Housing. He confirmed his enthusiastic support for the Rose Garden independent living scheme and listened to resident’s concerns over benefits such as Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance which enable people to maintain social independence in later life. He explained that the Government has no intention of removing benefits from anyone who is genuinely entitled to claim.

Residents expressed concern that errors might occur when patients are assessed. Jesse made clear his commitment to take up any such cases personally, to ensure that people receive the benefits they are entitled to. His Hereford office can be contacted on 01432 276 422 or in writing at Suite 3, Penn House, Broad Street, Hereford, HR4 9AP.

Anyone who wishes to volunteer to help at the Rose Garden, apply to live there, gain access to any of the facilities, or join the team of dedicated staff should visit www.extracare.org.uk or call 01432 363 000.

The McDonalds restaurant in the Belmont area of Hereford has had their application to provide late night refreshment approved by Herefordshire Council's regulatory subcommittee. The restaurant will now be able to serve hot food and drink every day of the week until midnight.

Hereford City Council and two local ward members, Councillor Glenda Powell and Councillor Phil Edwards, objected to the extension of opening hours. They expressed concerns about increased litter and public nuisance. Anthony Gill, for McDonalds, told the subcommittee on Friday, 17th June that the Belmont store carried out three litter picks a day and wanted the extended hours to promote the wider economy of Hereford.

The subcommittee agreed that the premises licence holder or their nominated representative should meet with the local ward councillors and Hereford City Council, no less that four times a year so issues such as litter picking and the prevention of public nuisance can be discussed. Other conditions added to the licence included:

· An incident log must be kept on the premises
· CCTV to be provided
· Signs should remind people to leave quietly
· No open alcohol containers to be carried into store
· Self closing doors must be present at entrance to premises.

This summer Hereford Art Gallery is offering a rare opportunity to see a diverse selection of the work of one of Britain's most famous 20th century artists, John Piper (1903- 1992). 'John Piper: Creative Partnerships' began at the Broad Street gallery on Saturday, 25th June and will run until Wednesday, 31st August.

Piper is best known for his landscape paintings and prints, often depicting churches or historic sites. He is also remembered for his depictions of bomb damage, in particular at Coventry Cathedral during the Second World War, when he was a war artist. Less well known is the fact that he often collaborated with, and drew inspiration from artists, craftspeople and friends working in many different media; as diverse as stained glass and fireworks, ceramics and textiles.

The exhibition will include more than 130 pieces exploring his 'delegated arts' as he called these creative collaborations. It will represent the wide variety of his output including: printed work in books, posters and magazines, wallpapers, photographs, drawings, paintings, ceramics, mosaics, stage design, stained glass cartoons, firework plans, tapestries and printed textiles.

Some of his creative partners were very well known, such as John Betjeman, with whom he collaborated on the creation of the Shell Guides; or Benjamin Britten, with whom Piper designed sets for operas and founded the English Opera Group. Other well-known patrons were people such as Sir Osbert Sitwell whose patronage led to more than 100 works, or the late Queen Mother who commissioned 26 views of Windsor Castle.

Other enterprises represented in the exhibition include those with his wife Myfanwy, who was an editor, critic and librettist, the stained glass artist Patrick Reyntiens, whose work is installed at Liverpool Metropolitan and Coventry Cathedrals, and the potter Geoffrey Eastop. The exhibition will also include a panel about the tapestries which John Piper designed for Hereford Cathedral in 1976 (installed in 1979). This creative collaboration involved weavers in Namibia, South West Africa, where the pieces were made. The tapestries have recently undergone conservation work and will return to their place in the Cathedral in time for the exhibition. Visitors will be encouraged to make the short walk to the Cathedral to view these stunning Piper textiles in situ.

Councillor Roger Phillips, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for enterprise and culture said, 'The majority of the works on show are in private ownership, so the exhibition will be a unique opportunity to view an exciting selection of work which is not normally seen in public.'

The Museum greatly appreciates the generosity of The Piper Estate and of the private lenders who have made this show possible, in particular Hugh Fowler-Wright who has curated the exhibition. In addition the Museum would like to thank the Friends of Herefordshire Museums and Arts for the support they have shown in bringing this exhibition to the gallery.

The exhibition will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue, postcards and books for sale. These will include Frances Spalding's joint biography - 'John Piper, Myfanwy Piper: Lives in Art', and Geoffrey Eastop's - 'The Piper Years: A Memoir'. Also for sale are some of Piper's screen printed textiles and wallpaper. Two other major John Piper exhibitions are scheduled for the next twelve months. The first will be at The Towner in Eastbourne (John Piper in Kent & Sussex from 2nd July until 25th September 2011 curated by Nathaniel Hepburn) and at Dorchester Abbey (John Piper and the Church, from 20th April until 10th June 2012 curated by Pat Jordan Evans).

Hereford Art Gallery and Museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10am until 5pm, and Saturdays from 10am until 4pm.

Herefordshire Council is to move staff out of Garrick House and into the Franklin Barnes building in order to free up a key location in the major regeneration of the city's old livestock market. Garrick House occupies what will become the gateway to the major new development; which will include retail and leisure facilities, including a six screen ODEON cinema and restaurants. On Wednesday, 15th June, the council's planning committee gave permission for the Franklin Barnes building to be used to house staff from Garrick House to form a new one-stop information hub for public services in the city centre.

'Moving the information centre from Garrick House to the Franklin Barnes building also has its benefits as it will draw many more people every day into Commercial Street which should boost local trade in that area of the city as well,' said Richard Beavan-Pearson, Herefordshire Council's assistant director, customer services and communications.

Councillor John Jarvis, leader of Herefordshire Council said, 'However, it's important to note that the cost of moving staff from Garrick House to the Franklin Barnes buildings will be met by private money through the development.'

A previous refurbishment of Garrick House, carried out in 2007, included works to ensure the building met the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, provide a secure cash desk, interview rooms and new public toilets. Other options were considered at the time but as the council owned Garrick House, this was the most economically advantageous of the options available. On top of this, the time scale for the redevelopment of the old livestock market had not been established at the time.

The planning committee passed the application to convert the building into an info centre and its members raised the issue of residents smoking outside the building. As a result the council will have to consider making facilities available for smokers where they won't impact on people and traffic passing by. Herefordshire Council aims to have the new info centre in the Franklin Barnes building up and running by the end of August.

Stanhope, the developers of the old livestock market, plan to begin demolition of buildings on the site by late summer and construction is due to begin next year.

During the last 6 weeks with the support of Parents, Friends and Teachers of Pembroke Primary School, Chepstow, Jane Worrell has been running an After School Bike club which she initiated a pilot study to assess the interest. Over 35 children applied to join the bike club bringing siblings and parents, some of whom wanted to cycle too. A new series will start in September and a waiting list is already being drawn up.

Each week the children have engaged in different activities, including Bike skills training, Dr Bike sessions (care and repair for your bikes) and a Virtual Reality Race. It has been a very exciting few weeks. Everyone appeared to have got so much out of it and had fun whilst doing so but the most significant outcome was seeing the children enjoying the freedom to ride their bikes in a safe environment.

The last Bike Club was on Monday, 20th June and the children celebrated by cycling their last virtual rides on their 'Bling'd Bikes' bringing the total distance ridden (calculated over the course of six weeks) to be 170 miles.

Councillor Henry Ashby gave out prizes, kindly donated by 559 Bikes, for the most creatively decorated bicycles. The event was registered with Team Green Britain Bike Week and Transition Chepstow have organized follow up bike rides where the children can take part with the support of their parents.