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Printed & Published by M. Price, 39 Whinchat Grove, Kidderminster, Worcs.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Well Done King Charles
Yesterday King Charles 1 High School held a Diversity Day at the Lower School site.
There was an introduction to African drumming, Indian inspired fabric art, language, customs and food from Ghana, an opportunity to play sports adapted for people using wheelchairs, Bangra and Bollywood costume and dance and a free lunch which had food from Jamaica, Africa, India, China, Italy and Mexico.
There were stands advertising the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership, Age Concern and Disability Action Wyre Forest amongst others.
The intention was to help pupils to understand the very diverse society in which we live.
I'd like to congratulate ALL staff involved.

posted by Oborski, 17:25 | link | comments

Friday, June 26, 2009

Local Conservatives take a "Moral" decision.
I am glad that Cllr. John Campion has taken a decision to withdraw the Conservative Whip from Cllr. Ahmed who will now, apparently, sit as an Independent.
My only surprise is that, apparently, Cllr. Ahmed's colleagues were not aware that he had been bailed on further motoring offences.
We now await Cllr. Ahmed doing the decent thing and resigning. Broadwaters Ward and the St.Georges and St. Oswalds Division need an active Councillor and I know from personal knowledge that you CANNOT represent the St George and St. Oswalds Division at County Hall without the use of a car!
I understand from Cllr. Campion that Cllr. Ahmed is also no longer a Member of the Conservative Group at County Hall.
The Electors of St.George and St.Oswalds and Broadwaters now deserve the chance to elect a County and District Councillor to represent them.

posted by Oborski, 17:48 | link | comments (3)

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Sladen site under threat?
At today's Worcestershire County Council Annual Meeting I asked a question about the likelihood of the Kidderminster College Plans for a 14-19 Centre on the former Sladen site ever getting the go ahead.
The Cabinet Member with Responsibility confirmed that she shares my worst fears i.e. that because of the Public Sector debt and the huge number of colleges vying for funding there is a very real prospect of the plans not coming to fruition.
My supplementary question was, I thought, very simple and required a simple yes or no answer, it was: "in the event of the College not being able to proceed on the site, will she give me an undertaking that the Sladen site will be retained for educational use and NOT released for housing.
The Cabinet Member said she was NOT in a position to give me an answer!
This will be really worrying for local residents who were previously given absolute guarantees that it would not be used for housing!

posted by Oborski, 16:14 | link | comments

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

A worrying increase in racist attacks.
Those of us who expressed dismay at the presence of a BNP Candidate in St. George and St.Oswalds at the recent County Council Elections, and who did so because we feared what it might mean for the minority communities in our midst seem, sadly, to be having our very worst fears confirmed.
On Friday June 12th there was a very unpleasant attack by a group of local yobs on 7 teenagers (6 Polish, 1 Czech), boys and girls who were playing football in Springfield Park. Not only were these teenagers verbally and physically threatened, they were chased home by a gang who then tried to smash the windows of their homes. One of the Polish lads tells me that they receive unpleasant racist taunts on the school bus to Wolverley.
A Polish mum tells me that she is scared to take her 7 year old daughter to play in Springfield Park unless her English neighbour accompanies her because, when she speaks to her little girl in Polish she receives foul mouthed abuse from 7 and 8 year old local childen playing in the Park.
I have alerted Police, Community Housing Wardens and Wyre Forest Parks Dept, all of whom have promised to be extra vigilant; now, today I have been informed that Bangladeshi women in the Horsefair area are reporting an increase in racist abuse in recent weeks.
This is a sad reflection on our community amongst which some very unpleasant people seem to have been empowered by the recent elections.

posted by Oborski, 09:32 | link | comments

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Liberal Party National Executive notes Human Rights Concerns in Iran
Yesterday's meeting of the Liberal Party National Executive in London agreed to write to the Iranian Ambassador urging respect for the Human Rights of those protesting about Election Results in Iran. We acknowledge the inalianable right of the Iranian people to elect a Government of their own choosing with outside interference but regret repressive actions against opposition groups.

posted by Oborski, 11:01 | link | comments (1)

Friday, June 19, 2009

Worcestershire NHS, "Out of Hours" Service
Following the controversy in other regions about the use of foriegn registered Doctors being flown in to the UK by TCN, the "out of hours" provider for Worcs NHS; I asked for an assurance about their use of foreign Doctors in Worcestershire at this weeks Public Patient Involvement Sub -Committee this week.
I am delighted to report that the ONLY non UK based Doctor used by TCN in Worcestershire is a lady Doctor who comes from Ireland and is very highly thought of by patients and clinicians.
The vast majority of TCN out of hours cover is provided, I was assured, by locally based GPs.

posted by Oborski, 12:44 | link | comments

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Victory for Commonsense
Today it was announced that the Worcestershire Hospitals Acute Trust has had a major re-think and in a reversal of policy has now agreed that, when it achieves Foundation status, the Acute Trust Board will continue to meet in public.
This is a major victory for the County Council, Malvern Hills District Council and Wyre Forest District Council all of whom had condemned the decision to meet in secret.

posted by Oborski, 17:31 | link | comments

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Cllr. Jill Fairbrother-Millis
We are very sad to hear that Cllr. Jill Fairbrother-Millis died of cancer at 8 a.m. today.
Jill was a superb Councillor and a lovely lady with a great sense of humour. She will be sadly missed.
We send our condolences to Dave and to the Health Concern Group.
She will be greatly missed.

posted by Oborski, 15:16 | link | comments (1)

Monday, June 08, 2009

Launch of this year's "Mike Oborski, No Barriers Awards".
This morning we held the launch of this years "Mike Oborski, No Barriers, Awards".
Nominations are now open and we hope we will get loads of forms returned.

posted by Oborski, 21:17 | link | comments

Labour crash-out in County and European Elections
Last Thursday was a really bad day for the Labour Party locally. Not only did they lose BOTH their local County Council seats but in the European Elections they came an appalling 4th in Wyre Forest; beaten by the Tories, UKIP and Lib Dems and only just ahead of the BNP!
For Liberals it was a mixed result with Graham Ballinger sadly missing out by 149 votes in St.George and St.Oswalds but with my St.Chads result being the highest winning percentage in the District, the Liberal Vote of 1472 being 54% of the votes cast (the ONLY vote for any Wyre Forest Candidate that was over 50%).
Sadly it was the low turnout in St. George and St. Oswalds which was a major contributor to Graham's defeat.

posted by Oborski, 11:16 | link | comments

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Kidderminster Male Voice Choir, off to Poland.
At midnight tonight Kidderminster Male Voice Choir leave for a trip to Poland's Baltic Tri-City: the towns of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot.
Earlier this morning Cllr Howard Martin, Mayor of Kidderminster and I met a representative of the Choir at the Mayor's Parlour. The Mayor presented them with three signed copies of a book about Kidderminster and I gave them signed Consular Greetings; these will be presented to the Civic Dignatories in the three Polish towns.

posted by Oborski, 19:58 | link | comments

Monday, June 01, 2009

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Foundation Trust potential Governors meeting.
Tonight Helen Dyke and I went to the meeting held for people who might be prepared to stand for election as "Public Governors" of the Acute Trust when it gets Foundation status.
I can't stand as I am a member of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee and I feel that that will be the really challenging body NOT the Council of Governors! It was really difficult to get any straight answers though, interestingly, it DOES look as though there may be a re-think on whether or not the Board should meet in public.
The question to which I could NOT get an answer was what the future "interface"between the new Board of Governors and the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee will be since the Governors have a budgetary and accountability monitoring role but HOSC is officially constituted to scrutinise ALL aspects of NHS Service in Worcestershire.

posted by Oborski, 21:59 | link | comments

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