York Police have issued the following statement

“North Yorkshire Police want to reassure dog owners following rumours circulating on Facebook about homes being highlighted for dog theft.

Rumours suggest that gangs are using small stickers to mark the number of dogs there are in households to later steal them.

We are not aware of any thefts of this nature in North Yorkshire, however, we have taken many calls relaying third-hand information which we believe has been sparked by rumours on social media sites.
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21-year-old Wesley Jordan Glover who was wanted on recall to prison after breaching the terms of his licence, has been arrested.

Possible explanation for delays?

Liberal Democrats are calling for action to be taken after a City of York Council report confirmed that recycling is falling and its landfill tax charges will increase by 12.5% this year.

The report, which will be discussed at next week’s Community Safety and Scrutiny Committee, shows that the Labour run Council has fallen down both local and national recycling rankings over the last 12 months. The amount of landfill tax the Council will pay this year is scheduled to be £2.9million while the authority is due to miss its targets for household waste recycling. Currently the Council is only recycling 45.9%, down from 46.4% last year and well short of its 47.6% target. York has now fallen to 260th in the country for recycling rates.

There are concerns that Labour’s plans to introduce charging for green (garden waste) bins and reduce opening hours at Towthorpe Recycling Centre will make the situation even worse.
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On Saturday 9 March, the Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Keith Hyman, will confer the honour of Freedom of Entry to the City of York on 34 Field Hospital, who are based at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall.

The parade will form in Duncombe Place ready for the arrival of the Lord Mayor and civic party at 11am.

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Nominations are being welcomed by City of York Council for the city’s annual Adult Learners Awards to celebrate the achievements of people who are taking their studies to a higher level.

The Awards are open to anyone undertaking further education or training of any type, whether for qualifications, work or leisure. Shortlisted candidates, together with their tutor and the person who nominated them, will be invited to a prestigious Adult Learners Award ceremony in York on Thursday 23 May.

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Residents in York are being invited to dive into the world’s biggest fundraising swim this April and take on the Swimathon challenge to raise money for cancer charities.

The event in York is being held at Yearsley and Energise Pools, where local swimmers can join thousands of others across the country donning their swimwear in an effort to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

It will take place at Yearsley Pool on 27 April 2013 and at Energise on 26 and 27 April 2013

Duncan Goodhew, Swimathon President, said: “It’s going to be a busy few months coaching, and taking part in the Swimathon Squad 5k team challenge. The Squad provides a fantastic opportunity to bring together swimmers of all abilities and demonstrate to the thousands of people taking part in Swimathon every year that anyone can achieve their goal regardless of their ability, while raising funds for Marie Cure Cancer Care as they smash their target.”

Marie Curie Cancer Care gives people with terminal illnesses the choice to die at home. Funds raised by taking on Swimathon 2013 will help Marie Curie nurses provide them and their families with free hands-on care and emotional support, in their own homes, right until the end.

To sign up click here entries are open until 24 April 2013. Please note that the events will result in temporary pool closures.

The Marjorie Waite care home has been criticised in a report published by the Care Quality Commission. The report can be read by clicking here

Volunteers sought for “Revealing York Minster”, opening Saturday 25 May 2013

There will be an important date added to York Minster’s historical timeline on Saturday 25 May 2013, when a brand new visitor experience, Revealing York Minster, opens to the public.

Revealing York Minster is a network of new interactive galleries, housed in the Undercroft and Treasury below the historic cathedral, which tells the colourful story of York Minster, from the lives of the Roman garrison to the work of the staff, clergy and volunteers in the 21stcentury.

“Our visitors generally spend their time marvelling at the architecture of the building and the stunning stained glass works, but seeing the building as it is today only tells part of York Minster’s rich history, which stretches back to the time of the Roman city of Eboracum, centuries before the first Minster was built,” comments the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, Dean of York. “Revealing York Minster is effectively a visitor attraction in its own right which tells the story of this site through history, illustrated by real archaeological finds and artefacts collected and stored in our archives.”

With the opening less than three months away, York Minster’s visitor services team is now recruiting volunteers to help visitors explore the new attraction. “Revealing York Minster is an interactive attraction, with lots of things to see and touch, so we are looking for people who are keen to share this new experience with our visitors from around the world – a friendly face to make sure that they get the most out of their visit, and act as ambassadors for this world-renowned cathedral,” says visitor services manager, Michael Constantine. “We have a superb team of guides working on the Minster floor, now we need to match that in our underground attraction!”

Anyone interested in volunteering in Revealing York Minster should contact Susan Mason, volunteering manager, on 0844 9390023 ext 2360 or email: susanm@yorkminster.org for details.
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Community Energy Direct is a non-profit co-operative working to help people stay warm while spending less.

The Energy Smart Club model is supported by York and other local councils and could help you save money by switching energy suppliers.

Their dedicated website, which can be accessed by clicking here ,has more information, and with your gas and electricity statements to hand you can click through to sign up online.

There is no obligation, signing up simply means your household can be assessed to see if a better energy deal is available, and offered a choice of lower-cost providers within a few weeks.

“Please visit us online or call 0845 4502581 for more information”.