Agenda item

·         EMCYP – Intergenerational Work/Developments

·         MAGGPIE – Hospital School

·         Post Office - Update

Steven Deadman (Hospital Schools, Willowbank Hospital School, Magpie Learning Centre) provided the following information:

·         The in-patient team provided bedside education.

·         There is an outpatient Willowbank for children who lived at home but were too ill to go to school, mainly to do with mental health, diabetes, and chronic fatigue.

·         Willowbank was getting busier and busier with increased referrals from Leicestershire and Rutland. There were around 80 children on the role pre-Covid, but had since run out of space. ran out of space, children needed one-to-one.

·         Willowbank has since been expanded with a couple of classrooms.

·         Space was looked for in the area, and the Magpie was taken over with support from Councillors. The Council agreed to fund the refurbishment inside which is now bright and airy.

·         Children were moved from Willowbank to Magpie, and the school could not take primary age children, supporting them through to get them back into school.

·         The school had some of the garden area, and with being central in the community, were keen to help with litter picking, food organising, printing of newsletters / information and were keen to have a stall at the Christmas fair.

Councillors said that mental health issues would continue to grow, and that the area was lucky to have the Willowbank Hospital School in the area.

ACTION:  Residents suggested that it was a good news story and should be considered for the first newsletter.

A resident reported issues with stoma after care when discharged from hospital, and the inability to receive support and information.

ACTIONS: Councillors to raise the issue with the GP surgery to see if they had capacity to assist in teaching stoma care to patients.

The CEO would include the information on the newsletter.

Excess crops from the garden could be used in the ‘Soup for the Soul’ kitchen.

Tracey Inchley, Service Delivery Manager, asked if the fence between EMCC and Magpie Centre could be moved so that only the school’s staff could have access to the parking. It was noted there was an issue with travellers trying to access the site.

ACTION: A request would be made to Estates and Building Services.

Steven Deadman informed the meeting he had already made enquiries for funding for the next financial year and was happy to contribute to funding.

Louise Wylie, Centre Manager at EMCYP (also known as boys club), informed the meeting that predominantly it was youth provision but since Covid the centre had taken a community approach. During Covid, a foodbank had been set up with staff volunteering to deliver food from Fare Share, at one point up to 100 bags a week. With ward funding the centre was able to buy a shipping container to develop into a pantry. Membership for the pantry scheme which was open four times a week was 3 months at a time, and enabled members to purchase goods for approximately half the retail price. The centre also received deliveries once a week from Samworth fresh food. Fare Share also provided household and personal goods. The scheme was open to anybody, and people came from further afield than Eyres Monsell.

The food parcel scheme still operated once a week on a Monday, and cost £2.50 per bag. Applicants could apply online, but people in Eyres Monsell had priority. There were few deliveries now as on the whole people collected the bags themselves. Referrals were also made to social services and schools for people who were struggling financially.

A Health Hub had been built at back of centre and would be opened by Rendell Munroe the following Saturday. People were welcome to attend the opening. Gym membership was an affordable £12 per month for local residents, opening in October. Being run were wellbeing classes, limited mobility, men / women only classes, and classes covering mental health illness, for which there had been a noticeable jump in the population. It was hoped the new health hub would become a pinnacle of health and wellness for the area.

Councillor reported that they had campaigned really hard for the post office to be reinstated to where it originally was for the people in the area. The campaign had been supported by the City Mayor who had lifted a lot of roadblocks that the development was facing, and had provided more building space for the surgery. The long-term plan was to develop a medical hub.

ACTION:  An invitation would be sent to the pharmacy and GP to attend the next meeting at EMCC.

A resident asked that opening times be placed on the GP surgery door

A discussion took place regarding the bus stop blocking access to the car park. Councillors reported they were trying to get the bus company to move the bus stop which would then allow the kerb to be lowered to open up the car park. Councillors had contacted the bus companies and had spoken to the Deputy City Mayor for Transport.