Summer Reading Activities at Dringhouses Library!

Throughout the holidays, there are many activities at Dringhouses library to keep your children entertained and interested in reading. Throughout the summer, you can enter the summer reading challenge where for free you can read your way to victory by completing puzzles and games with prizes along the way!

As well as this, you can join in with fun-filled reading activities from 11:30am to 1pm on 29th July to take part in a range of games and puzzles.

As a one off, Lucy Monkman will be hosting an upcycling workshop at Dringhouses Library on the 17th of August at 2:30 pm so that you can learn to reduce waste and make old objects seem brand new!

In addition to these sessions, the Dringhouses library is also hosting a Lego club and under 5s story time every week. You can join the Lego club every Tuesday from 3:30pm to 4:30pm and the under 5s story time on every Thursday and Saturday from 11am to 11:30am.

All of these exciting events are completely free and do not need to be booked so simply turn up and enjoy hours of fun!

Family Fun at St James the Deacon Church!

On the 1st and 15th of August, St James the Deacon Church will be hosting the Tuesday Tots free activities sessions. With a myriad of different exciting activities to enjoy, your child can learn circus skills, play outdoor games, get their face painted and much more for free! All pre-schoolers and older children too can join in as long as they are accompanied by an adult. The sessions will run between 9:30am and 12:30pm. These events are supported by the amazing Tesco Askham Bar and York Foodbank which are providing refreshments, snacks and more to make these sessions possible.

Concern for future of ward-funded activities

Local Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed concern that a ‘ban’ on allocating ward funding could lead to planned summer holiday activities for young people being axed.

Cllr Stephen Fenton at the York Knights session held at York Acorn ARLFC on 30th May

In recent years, Lib Dem councillors in wards across the city have jointly commissioned York Knights Foundation and York City Football Club Foundation to deliver free activity sessions for young people, which also included the provision of drinks and snacks. These sessions are open to all. When the council budget for 2023/24 was passed in February, Lib Dem councillors protected ward funding so that schemes such as these could continue.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe’s Lib Dem councillors have now been told by council officers that they cannot allocate some of the 2023/24 ward budget to fund activities for young people in the July / August summer holiday period. It is understood that this ‘ban’ has been imposed as the incoming Labour administration plans to propose an ‘emergency’ budget in July, meaning that ward funding is in limbo.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe councillor Stephen Fenton has called on the new administration to commit to retain the full ward funding allocations agreed in February, so that ward schemes and projects can go ahead.

He said “The summer holiday sessions run by the Knights and York City have been very popular, and at a time when family budgets are stretched, the ability to offer free-of-charge activities is more important than ever. It would be such a shame if we had to axe the planned summer programme because of a ban on allocating the ward funding that was agreed back in February.

“At this time of year, ward councillors would ordinarily be inviting local voluntary and charitable organisations to apply for ward funding to support local projects that benefit the community. It now looks as though we won’t be able to do this, unless there is a commitment from the new administration to protect ward funding.”

Call for number 12 timetable change

Councillor Stephen Fenton has asked council officers to work with Transdev to implement a change to the timetable for the number 12 bus service so that it will enable young people to get to school on time.

Transdev took over the route on 23 January after First Bus decided to withdraw from running the service. The service runs on a hourly basis, with Transdev agreeing with council officers to retain the number 12 timetable operated by First. The 12A service ended, but it was the timings of this service, rather than the 12, which best suited young people going to school.

For example, the current 12 timetable sees the bus depart Woodthorpe shops at 7.25am (which gets children to school too early) and 8.25am (which gets children to school too late).

This has led to a number of young people walking through to either Foxwood Lane or Eason View to catch the number 4 service operated by First, but this already busy service is struggling to cope – feedback from residents is that it is significantly overcrowded with the risk that passengers are left behind. This happened on Friday 27th January, when First ran a single decker which led to some passengers being left at the bus stop. Then on Monday 30th the scheduled number 4 service didn’t arrive, which again left passengers stranded.

Cllr Fenton has shared these example with council officers to highlight the need for a re-think of the number 12 timetable.

“Everyone wants the number 12 to be a success and to continue beyond the end of March. That is more likely to happen if the timetable is configured in a way that suits as many users of the service as possible, including young people going to school.”

Arson attack at refurbished playground

Arsonists have badly damaged play equipment at the Leeside playground, which recently benefited from £14,000 of investment.

The damage was done on the evening of Saturday 30 April and the Fire Service were called to extinguish the blaze.

Cllr Stephen Fenton has asked council officers to repair or replace the damaged equipment and surfacing.

FREE Easter holiday activities with York City Knights

This Easter holiday, York City Knights Foundation will again be offering free inflatable arena activity sessions for young people. The sessions are open to all children and young people aged five and upwards, with food and drink provided. There’s no need to book – just turn up.

Sessions in the west of York are listed below:

  • Monday 11 April, 1.30 to 3.30 – Woodthorpe Green
  • Thursday 14 April, 1.30 to 3.30 – York Acorn, Thanet Road
  • Thursday 21 April, 10 to 12 – York Acorn, Thanet Road

More information is available at https://yorkcityknights.com/future-knights/

Leeside playground improvement works completed

The £14k improvement works at Leeside playground are now complete, thanks to funding from the Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward budget and funds awarded following a successful bid to the council submitted by ward councillors, which was informed by residents’ responses to a consultation in early 2021.

It wasn’t financially possible to deliver all of the new equipment requested by residents – such as a zip wire and roundabout – but there is a new ‘spin-a-bounce’ see-saw, balance beams, new ‘wear pads’ under the swings and ‘Ecotumble’ surfacing (made from shredded recycled tyres) around the new and existing equipment. This is on the back of feedback from residents that making the areas around the equipment free from mud would make a big difference in creating a more enjoyable space for children to play.

Cllr Stephen Fenton commented “Ward funding has been used in recent years to support much-needed investment at the Woodthorpe Green and Nelsons Lane playgrounds. It was about time that Leeside playground benefited from investment and so I’m pleased that we have been able to make these modest improvements.”

Leeside playground improvements to get underway

Improvements to the playground on Leeside in Dringhouses are set to get underway this week.

Cllr Stephen Fenton was contacted on 9 March by Wicksteed (the company that will be doing the work) to say that they plan to start installing the new equipment on Thursday 10th or Friday 11th March. In the interests of safety, the playground will be closed whilst the work is being done. A different team of workers will install the new surfacing, but we don’t yet have a date for when that work will be done.

The £14k improvements are being funded by a combination of Dringhouses & Woodthorpe ward funding and funds awarded following a successful bid to the council submitted by ward councillors, which was informed by residents’ responses to a consultation in early 2021.

What’s on in York; ‘Cops vs Kids’ Esports pilot in York

York-based Digital PCSO Chris Simpson has been working on a new project during the past few months to help improve police engagement with children and young people in his patch.

Chris’s idea – called ‘Cops vs Kids’ – is to use Esports to build positive bridges with the youngsters, as well as seeking support from their parents and guardians.

He has teamed up with British Esports Association (BEA) and City of York Council’s Youth Justice Service to launch the initiative throughout August.

It will run at the Moor Lane Youth Centre on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12noon and 2pm. All the places have now been filled.

The pilot covers a variety of sessions such as casual gaming, skills workshops, careers awareness and building a safe place for young people.

FREE summer holiday York City Knights activity sessions

A packed programme of free activities for young people has been arranged by York City Knights Foundation, with the support of Westfield and Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Committees.

There will be weekly sessions at Woodthorpe Green (Mondays from 12 noon to 1.30pm) and at Acomb Green (Fridays 2.30 to 4.00pm) plus extra activity sessions at both venues as well as at Chesneys Field, Westfield Primary School and the Revival estate. Register at www.yorkcityknights.com/future-knights

Details of all of the sessions are shown on the posters below.

York City Football Club kickabout sessions also get underway from 30th July, which will take place at Woodthorpe Green, Chesneys Field and the Knavesmire. Further details HERE