2 Thursday, January 29, 2009 www.whitehaven-news.co.ukCleator Crack
Thousands
secured for
play park
PLANS for building a play
park in Cleator Moor are well
under way, with thousands of
pounds being secured by lo-
cal and national organisa-
tions.
A multi-games area, cost-
ing around �47,000, is
planned to be developed cen-
trally between Robert Owen
Avenue and Keir Hardie Av-
enue in the town.
Friends of the Park Com-
munity Group are working in
partnership with Home
North West, the police,
Copeland Borough Council
and other council depart-
ments to develop the current
piece of wastleland into a
community play space.
Over the last two years, the
ground has been levelled off
and grass has been planted to
accommodate the new
changes, however, organisers
are now trying to raise funds
to buy games equipment for
the park.
Angela Spencer, commu-
nity regeneration officer,
from Home Housing, at-
tended the Cleator Moor
Town Council meeting on
Tuesday to discuss the plans
for the play park and ask for
funding.
She said: "There hasn't
been a play park in the town
for many years. This will be a
great space for the commu-
nity to use and enjoy."
If the planning application
is granted, the group is hop-
ing to install the equipment
by the end of March.
Once the games area has
been developed, it will be
maintained by Home North
West.
Anti-social behaviour sees
a dramatic drop at Moor
BY SARAH ROBINSON
ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour has
decreased in Cleator Moor.
The police have collated
figures which show that anti-
social behaviour has gone
down by 47.6 per cent in the
north of the town compared
to this time last year.
Cleator Moor South shows
a decrease in anti-social be-
haviour by 12.9 cent in the
same time period.
PC Sandra Dempsey said:
"Usually at this time of year
there is a rise in anti-social
behaviour because of the
dark nights and people being
full of the festivities. We are
very happy with these fig-
ures."
The statistics back up a
recent police report which
says that the Cleator Moor
and Egremont area is one of
the safest places to live, work
and visit.
Coun Hugh Branney, for
Cleator Moor North, said:
"The figures confirm to me
that Cleator Moor is a nice
and safe place to live."
"PC Sandra Dempsey and
her team do a great job in the
town, they also have the sup-
port from the Youth Service
and other local services.
"The Town Council is very
focused about tackling prob-
lems in the town.
"It has also helped that we
now have the CCTV cameras
around Cleator Moor. We
should be proud to live
here."
Town Council chairman,
Patricia Sharkey, said: "I am
absolutely delighted, we need
this to carry on.
"This is what we need in
Cleator Moor � a boost. It
really is a safe place to live.
We are quite happy with the
situation."
Iain Clark, who is the po-
lice inspector for Egremont
and Cleator Moor has praised
the efforts of his officers, lo-
cal people and the licensing
community as the area en-
joys a 25 per cent reduction in
all crime over the last year.
He said: "These excellent
results are tremendous news
for our community and are
quite heartening when you
consider that we are in the
middle of a recession when
we would traditionally expect
crime figures to be going up.
The area really is one of the
safest places to live, work and
visit.
"Despite our success we
will not be complacent and
will continue to take robust
action against any reports of
violence or disorder and take
proactive action to stop trou-
ble before it starts wherever
possible.
"The community plays a
vital role in this, and the re-
cent update of radios by the
local licensed premise in-
volved in Pub Watch was ex-
cellent. I look forward to the
positive relationship contin-
uing in the future."
Trustees needed for youth centreBY SARAH ROBINSON
THE Cleator Moor Youth and
Community Club (CMYCC) is
looking for trustees in their
new venture of opening a cen-
tre for young people.
Funds are being raised to
turn the boys club on Birks
Road into the community
centre.
However, the club's com-
mittee is looking for people
who will be permanent
trustees when the centre is up
and running.
PC Sandra Dempsey said:
"People think that to be a
trustee is about the financial
aspect of running an organ-
isation or centre, but in our
case we are looking for mem-
bers of the community who
want to contribute to the run-
ning of the centre.
"Our committee so far is
very small, what we are look-
ing for are people who will be
prepared to be involved in the
day to day running of the
centre.
"It would not take up too
much of people's time. We
want someone who is a mem-
ber of the community who
expects to be there for a long
period of time.
"We are looking for people
over the age of 18 who can
bring a community perspec-
tive to the project."
The opening of a youth club
has been in the pipeline for
around two years. Out of the
�250,000 needed to fund the
club, �95,000 has already been
raised. Further funding is
currently being raised
through community grants.
PC Sandra Dempsey, who is
involved in the project, said:
"We are striving to improve
the town and the facilities for
young people.
"People can complain
about young people but we
are giving people the oppor-
tunity to get involved in a
project to help reduce anti-
social behaviour and similar
problems."
If you would more infor-
mation about becoming a
trustee, contact PC Sandra
Dempsey at Cleator Moor po-
lice station on 0845 3300247.
HAPPY:
PC Sandra
Dempsey
is happy
with the
latest
figures
NICE
PLACE
TO LIVE:
Coun
Hugh
Branney
says the
figures
confirm
the town
is a nice
and safe
place to
live
Spiritualist Joan decides to
retire after over a decade
FOUNDING leader of Cleator
Moor Spiritualist Church,
Joan Bishop, chaired her last
service this month.
She has run the church
since its inception more than
a decade ago, and now in her
80s, has decided to retire.
A Spiritualist for many
years, Joan became a healer
while living in Kent.
She moved to Cumbria in
1990 to be near her family.
After the death of her hus-
band three years later she
became more involved and
set up the Cleator Moor Spir-
itualist Church a few years
later. It continues to be held
on the third Monday of every
month.
Joan intends to continue
with the healing currently of-
fered on the second Monday
of each month at the OAP
Hall, Cragg Road, Cleator
Moor.
Margaret Strong, a
medium and healer who al-
ready runs Spiritualist cen-
tres at Whitehaven and Mil-
lom, will take over at Cleator
Moor from the February 16
service.
Meetings are held in the
OAP Hall at Cragg Road at
7pm. January's mediums are
Andy and Deb Shoreman.
HEALING
HANDS:
Joan
Bishop,
pictured
back in
2006 with
colleague
Margaret
Strong

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