Sustrans East Midlands Staff Changes

There have been a number of Sustrans staff changes taking place within the last month or so, throughout the East Midlands region.
I will email the personal contact details of the new appointments to you in due course.

• Nicola Jones- Sustrans Area Manager (Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire)

Nicola has unfortunately now left Sustrans after may years of service to the area and will be greatly missed.
At the moment there is no immediate replacement and so we wait whilst all enquires will be going through to her manager Matther Easter, Sustrans East Midlands Director at Nottingham.

• Ian Keetley- Sustrans Project & Volunteer Officer (East Midlands)

Dave Stevens who for many years was our volunteer co-ordinator based in Leeds and covered a large area covering the north east side of the UK. His area has now been reduced and the East Midlands is now covered by a new appointment of Ian Keetley.

Ian is based in the Nottingham office and will now be our first point of contact in Sustrans with regards to local volunteer matters. 

• Jon Moody- Sustrans Schools Officer (Sleaford/Grantham)

Lincolnshire now has a second Sustrans schools officer (formerly Bike It) with the appointment of Jon Moody who will cover schools in the Sleaford and Grantham area from his office at North Kesteven District Council in Sleaford.

• Barry Brooks- Sustrans Lincolnshire/Nottinghamshire Maintenance

Barry has been appointed recently and will be covering large scale maintenance jobs on the NCN in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. This follows the departure of Marcus Hopton however Marcus is still working for us in the region as a contractor for 1 day per week and so will be assisting Barry.

Grantham Cycle Thefts

The following information has been released today by Lincolnshire Police on the increase of cycle thefts in Grantham.


Lincolnshire Police is encouraging cyclists to secure their bikes after a rise in reports of cycle thefts.

Police officers in Grantham are reporting an increase in bike thefts across the town and officers are urging cyclists to invest in good locks and to always use them.

Yesterday (Jan 17) a black mountain bike with the words “Cube Attention” written on it was stolen from the service yard of The George shopping centre in Grantham at around 2pm.

A red BMX was also stolen from a back garden in College Street at around 1.20pm on the same day.

Officers are urging cyclists to take the following advice:

+ Invest in a good quality D-lock. These can be bought for as little as £15 and make it much harder to steal your bike.

+ If you’re in town lock it in a place that is covered by CCTV*.

+ If you have quick release wheels consider using a secondary chain lock to secure them to the frame. If you have a decent quick release saddle, consider taking it with you when you leave your bike.

+ Fill in a bike passport – recording all of your bike details to make it easier to get back to you if it is stolen.**

+ Register your bike on the UK National Property Register (http://www.immobilise.com/) and consider buying an Immobitag so police will know it is your bike straight away if it is recovered.



* Currently the only cycle stand area I know of that is covered by CCTV is the Greenwood's Row car park (opposite Argos).

**A Lincolnshire Police bike passport can be downloaded at http://www.lincs.police.uk/About/Departments/Local-Policing/Safety-Advice/Crime-Reduction-Advice/Bicycle-Theft-Passport-A5-Leaflet.pdf

Volunteer Survey

The Sustrans volunteer programme team has today sent out a UK wide survey to all volunteers so please do keep an eye out for it over the next few days in your email inbox.

Merry Christmas

As we near the end of 2012 I am sure you will agree has been a very memorable one and I wish you all (Bob, Peter, David, Graham, Graham, Richard, Mike, John, Pat, Finola and Brian) a Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2013.

A huge thanks to you all throughout 2012, no matter how big or small a contribution you give we continue to grow and provide the NCN and spread the word of Sustrans in the Grantham area. Although in a semi hibernation it is good to reflect on what the group has achieved throughout the year with numerous workdays, signing rides, led rides with the Newark group and not to mention our attendance at the Grantham Canal Discovery Day.

This year has seen us with two new faces to the group, John and the most recent Brian over in Sleaford, hopefully the group will continue to grow. Sustrans staff wise will see two new additions for our area with the appointment of a Bike it officer for Sleaford and Grantham schools in the new year and a new Sustrans volunteer co-ordinator who will be based in Nottingham.

I will be in touch again in the New Year with some new dates for workdays from early Feb through to March end. But do let me know what you want to do in 2013.

Till then, keep pedalling.

David

Sustrans volunteers honoured by The Queen

The Cabinet Office and Buckingham Palace has announced today that Sustrans has been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award 2012. This prestigious award was put in place to honour the efforts of charities and voluntary organisations that undertake projects at a national level this year, including groups which are supporting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award is an extension of the successful Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS), the highest recognition for volunteering, with an equivalent status to the UK MBE.

On Sustrans receiving the Queens Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award, Sustrans National Volunteer Programme Manager Tony Ambrose said, "

We are delighted that the hard work and commitment of our volunteers is being recognised by this special award."

The work of our volunteers lies at the heart of everything we do at Sustrans. From being our eyes and ears on our National Cycle Network, to getting more people in their communities cycling and walking - their support is key to our success in making the UK healthier and happier."

I would also like to give my thanks to all of you for your tireless help not only in 2012 but for years previous and I am sure future ones too.
David Martin

A full list of the winners are as follows, the recipients are split into three categories. 

National organisations:

• Action on Hearing Loss
• Age UK
• Association of Young People with ME
• Black Leadership Initiative
• Body and Soul
• British Red Cross – London
• British Youth Council
• Calibre Audio Library
• Chest, Heart and Stroke (Scotland)
• Children's Hospice Association Scotland
• Coastguard Rescue Service
• Community Money Advice
• Contact the Elderly
• Family Lives
• Girlguiding UK
• Guide Dogs for the Blind
• Home-Start UK
• Hope UK
• Junior Chamber International UK
• Make a Wish Foundation UK
• Marie Curie Cancer Care
• Maritime Volunteer Services
• Meningitis Trust
• Methodist Homes
• MindWise
• Missing People
• National Prevention of Cruelty to Children
• Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network
• People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals
• Place2Be
• RNIB
• RNLI
• Sea Cadets
• SNAP  Cymru
• St John Ambulance
• Sue Ryder
• Sustrans Volunteer Programme
• The Scout Association
• The Shannon Trust
• Victim Support
• Vinspired
• Woodland Trust
• Young Enterprise
• YouthNet

Olympic and Paralympic voulnteering projects:

• Coventry Ambassadors
• Essex Ambassadors Sports Delivery & London 2012 Legacy Essex County Council
• Gamesmaker Volunteers – LOCOG
• Glasgow Life - Ambassador Programme
• Newham's Volunteers
• Team London Ambassadors
• The Balloons Project
• The Mayor’s Community Champions: Tower Hamlets
• Volunteer NOW

Sport and dance organisations:

• Big Dance 2012 volunteers
• British Cycling
• Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust
• England Hockey Board
• The England and Wales Cricket Board
• StreetGames UK
• Volleyball England