TOM LONG'S POST A modern Christmas in a - Stroud District ...

Tom Long’s PostCommunity News and ViewsPublic Meeting - Future ofService Provision inMinchinhamptonGreat concern has been expressedabout the impact of the CountyCouncil cuts to library services ( bothmobile and static), youth clubprovision and subsidised bus routes.The Big Community Offer is all aboutthinking creatively about who is bestplaced to deliver local services andinvestigating the potential to transferbuildings for community use.Should the community take up thisoffer?There will be a public meeting onThursday 16th December at7.30pm in the Market House. Comealong and be part of the solution.Stafford Cottage ChristmasOpeningIn addition to their normal hours ofTuesday to Saturday 9am to 5pmStafford Cottage will also be openingevery Monday until Christmas from9am until 5pm. This will allow youextra time for your ChristmasShopping, pop in for a wide selectionof ladies fashions, gifts andaccessories.The White Room‘The White Room’ would like to say abig thank you to the local communityfor all their support over the last 6months. Despite the currenteconomic climate our little shop isdoing really well and we just wantedto wish everyone a Merry Christmasand Happy New Year.Rachel & Lesley45Help a Hedgehog HospitalHedgehogs have always been amuch-loved feature of the Britishcountryside and are known as thegardener’s friend due to their taste forslugs and snails and other gardenpests. However, hedgehogs are inneed of help and are now evenclassed as an endangered species inBritain.Road casualties and loss of habitatare the main causes of a decline inthe U.K. hedgehog population.Changes in farming and landmanagement have led to fewerplaces for hedgehogs to live andforage in the countryside and this,added to a loss of gardens to foragein as people turn them into carparking spaces or decking-coveredpatios all means less room for ourspiny friends.Annie Parfitt, who lives inBrimscombe, set up the Help AHedgehog Hospital to care for sick,injured and orphaned hedgehogs andhoglets. Annie is a Volunteer Carerfor the British Hedgehog PreservationSociety and the Help a HedgehogHospital is run solelyon donations from hedgehog lovers.In order to find out more about thehedgehog population inGloucestershire, she is starting torecord sightings and otherinformation about our local “hogs”.Maureen Reader, the Help aHedgehog Hospital contact for theMinchinhampton area would like toobtain details of any hedgehogs thatvisit your gardens or that are seendead on our local roads.It is particularly important that wemonitor the weight of any babies in thearea so that they do not die inhibernation.Maureen Reader can be contactedon 01453 883489 or 07717 551908Maureen will also collect any sick orinjured hedgehogs found by you inthe Minchinhampton area so that theycan receive care and veterinarytreatment from the Help A HedgehogHospital before being released backinto the countryside. If you wish tohelp your own hedgehogs you caneasily do this by making sure that asource of fresh water is alwaysavailable and by leaving a bowl ofdried cat/dog food out at night.For further information on how tobecome a member of the Help aHedgehog Hospital or for generalinformation about hedgehogspleasevisit:www.helpahedgehog.orgCotswold CareTrek 3 Volcanoes, ItalyScale Italy's three famousvolcanoes: Vesuvius, Stromboli andMount Etna on Sicily and visit theancient city of Pompeii - and raisemoney for Cotswold Care Hospice.The amazing adventure of thelifetime is May 19-May 24, 2011.Enjoy some of Italy's spectacularscenery while scaling its threefamous volcanoes. We start withVesuvius in southern Italy bestknown for the explosion that buriedPompeii.An overnight boat ride to Stomboli isfollowed by a challenging trek ofaround six hours to the summit ofthe volcano which dominates thissmall island.The adventure culminates on theslopes of smouldering Mount Etna inSicily, one of the most activevolcanoes in the world.Want to know more about thisamazing challenge? ContactVanessa Rinaldi, Events &Community Fundraiser, CotswoldCare Hospice, Tel: 01453 886868,vanessa.rinaldi@cotswoldcare.org.uk