Visiting NWWEC yesterday

It was great to meet the team from Nuneaton and North Warwickshire Equestrian Centre yesterday to discuss their ongoing issues with the Council and their lease. It was great to look around the centre, meet some of the beautiful horses and witness the start of a riding lesson - never have I seen such a bunch of smiley children!

The centre is a bustle of activity and volunteers were helping out in a variety of ways. I shall pursue this story. We can't allow services and charities like this to disappear.

You can sign the online petition at: https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/nuneaton-and-north-warwickshire-equestrian-centre-give-us-a-new-lease-for-our-riding-school?share_id=scsLMdJFSW&utm_campaign=friend_inviter_chat&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=permissions_dialog_true

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PRESS RELEASE: MEP AND BIDGLEY POWER TAKES SPORT FIGHT TO DOWNING STREET

MEP AND CHARITY SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE PRIME MINISTER – SAVE OUR ARENA IN ASTON

An Independent MEP alongside a local charity have today delivered a hefty petition to 10 Downing Street.

Nikki Sinclaire alongside Bidgley Power charity delivered a petition containing over 3000 names protesting about the closure, and soon to be demolished Aston Arena.

This is despite the charity offering to run the centre for the community, in an area that severely lacks sports provision. The Arena is now set to be demolished as a part of Birmingham City Council’s Area Action Plan (AAP).

The council’s AAP lists a number of alternative sites to play sport, but the reality of the area is very different, with facilities offering limited opening hours or being exclusive for certain age groups only.

Nikki Sinclaire said of the plans, “I am disappointed that following meetings with Birmingham City Council, they are not budging on their plans for the area.

Why not give the arena to this charity? This is a unique facility that can be used for a number of events and really unite this community”.

Her finding of this site was just the tip of the iceberg, after discovering there is little to no affordable sporting facilities available to the community at evenings and weekends.

With high levels of unemployment and lower than average house hold incomes, expensive private sporting facilities are out of reach for local residents who are increasingly frustrated as affordable sports services appear to decrease.

Ms Sinclaire and volunteers of the charity will head to Downing Street on Wednesday to present a petition to save Aston Arena, as well as highlighting the urgent need for sports services that meet the community’s needs.

Among those who will make the journey to Number 10 is Pritesh Pattni, who was a torchbearer in the run up to the London Olympics.

Mr Pattni has volunteered for over 25 years, and is chairman of Bidgley Power, a charity that organises and subsidise sporting activities for the community in Aston, despite problems in accessing facilities to hold sports sessions.

Nikki said, “During a time when the Olympics dominates our consciousness, what will happen to the 5 year old in Aston who wants to emulate the sporting heroes they see on screen, yet they have no facilities to do so.

The people of Aston feel forgotten about. Sport is a way of engaging communities, and connecting those of all ages.

I support Bidgley Power’s plan for Aston Arena and their wider philosophy of establishing community relationships and trust through the power of sport.

I have written to the Secretary of State and the Department of Media Culture and sport – and now I’m bringing our message to the Prime Minister.

This is about health, not wealth”.

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Campaign for a Referendum goes to Rugby

PRESS RELEASE

NIKKI SINCLAIRE GIVES RUGBY THE CHANCE TO “HAVE THEIR SAY” ABOUT EU

Issue Date: 16^th April 2012

Independent West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire will be sending her Have Your Say Battle Bus to Rugby Market Place (Near the former D&A shop)  on the 18^th April 2012 from 10am – 3pm. Nikki’s highly successful campaign has been featured across the national press as she delivered 100,000 signatures to Downing Street on 8^th September 2011. The Campaign for a Referendum on our continued membership of the European Union is carrying on collecting signatures across the region, as well as giving out information and advice about MEP’s and European Matters.

Nikki wants a referendum so everybody has a chance to register their say on whether we should be a part of the European Union, and the West Midlands has contributed over half of the 100,000 signature total.

Anyone under the age of 54 has never had the chance to speak about this issue, which Nikki believes is a breach of our democratic principles. The last time the UK held a referendum on the Common Market, as it was known then, was in 1975 – and even this was retrospective. Despite the fact that this campaign could leave Ms Sinclaire without a job, Nikki is passionate that people be given a voice in deciding whether it is right that:

·         The UK contributes £48 million per day to the EU

·         75% of UK laws are decided by the EU yet the UK only has 72 MEPs in the Parliament out of a total of 736 MEPs

·         Each day we buy £5 million more from EU countries than they buy from us.

Commenting on her “Have Your Say” campaign, Nikki Sinclaire said, “European Law is rarely conducive or indeed relevant to British industry or infrastructure. The EU takes almost £50 million a day of our money for the privilege of belonging - money better spent in this country, where we need it most - on our hospitals, on our schools and in supporting our pensioners. When will the political elite realise that Britain cannot afford to remain in this Parliament?”

Like many towns across the UK, Rugby faces mounting cuts to public services. Nikki finds it a disgrace that even as the British public tightens its belt, the EU approves budget rises and other measures which will impact on the British pocket.

Nikki’s team of advisers will be with her mobile surgery at Rugby Market Place (Near the former D&A shop)   from 10am – 3pm to collect signatures for the campaign, hand out literature and to give out information and advice about Nikki and the European Union.