kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-04--Last chance to help secure carpet museum's future

THERE are just days left to support Kidderminster Carpet Museum 's campaign to secure its future after the coronavirus pandemic .
The Museum of Carpet has reached its initial target to raise £8,000 to help it survive during the closure period , but with lockdown on museums likely to extend into July , trustees are asking for support as they prepare for the challenge of recovering income to pre-coronavirus levels .
Trustee Vicky Bagnall said : `` We have been overwhelmed by the amazing response to this campaign and would like to thank everyone who has donated so far .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ huge support for the museum which showcases Kidderminster ’ s industrial and social heritage , and for a gallery space for the community .
`` If you have not yet made your donation , it is not too late to do so , and you will be helping to ensure that this local gem has a secure future . ''
As an independent museum and charity , the museum receives no regular support from local or central government .
Its income comes solely from admission fees , events , room hires and through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dried up when the museum closed in March to prevent the spread of Covid-19 .
For an uncertain period of time , trustees say this posed a real threat to the survival of the museum .
There have been over 200 pledges from individuals , business and groups - many of whom are from families who worked in the carpet industry in Kidderminster .
Now , trustees have begun to consider the wider implications of the lockdown - the adjustments they will need to make on reopening and the challenge of getting income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ abiding by social distancing guidelines .
The fundraising campaign has been extended until June 10 in an effort to raise an extra £4,000 .
To donate , visit crowdfunder.co.uk/kidderminster-museum-of-carpet .
The Carpet Museum Trust was founded in 1981 with the aim of establishing a museum for the exhibition of items of local historical and educational interest connected with the manufacture of carpets .
Its collection includes machinery , designs and a large archive of ledgers , board minutes and accounts from the many carpet manufacturers based around the town .
The museum also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of The Shuttle newspaper after they were rescued from Dudley Record Office .

The Museum of Carpet has reached its initial target to raise £8,000 to help it survive during the closure period, but with lockdown on museums likely to extend into July, trustees are asking for support as they prepare for the challenge of recovering income to pre-coronavirus levels.
Trustee Vicky Bagnall said: "We have been overwhelmed by the amazing response to this campaign and would like to thank everyone who has donated so far.
"The response shows that there is huge support for the museum which showcases Kidderminster’s industrial and social heritage, and for a gallery space for the community.
"If you have not yet made your donation, it is not too late to do so, and you will be helping to ensure that this local gem has a secure future."
As an independent museum and charity, the museum receives no regular support from local or central government. Its income comes solely from admission fees, events, room hires and through sales at its shop, which all dried up when the museum closed in March to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
For an uncertain period of time, trustees say this posed a real threat to the survival of the museum.
There have been over 200 pledges from individuals, business and groups - many of whom are from families who worked in the carpet industry in Kidderminster.
Now, trustees have begun to consider the wider implications of the lockdown - the adjustments they will need to make on reopening and the challenge of getting income back up to its usual level while abiding by social distancing guidelines.
The fundraising campaign has been extended until June 10 in an effort to raise an extra £4,000. To donate, visit crowdfunder.co.uk/kidderminster-museum-of-carpet.
The Carpet Museum Trust was founded in 1981 with the aim of establishing a museum for the exhibition of items of local historical and educational interest connected with the manufacture of carpets.
Its collection includes machinery, designs and a large archive of ledgers, board minutes and accounts from the many carpet manufacturers based around the town.
The museum also houses the only archive of original copies of The Shuttle newspaper after they were rescued from Dudley Record Office.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-04--Hairdressers, barbers and salons may reopen later this month in new plans

Hairdressers , barbers and beauty salons could reopen in line with non-essential retail in the next two weeks - according to reports .
Since lockdown began , all non-essential retail was forced to drop their shutters indefinitely as only a handful of businesses were allowed to trade .
Last month , the UK government announced that all non-essential retail including clothing and electrical stores would be able to reopen from June 15 .
Car dealerships , which were also among the first to close in March , reopened to customers earlier this week .
But the Prime Minister Boris Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , barbers and beauty salons in England this month .
However , it remains unclear when they will reopen across Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland .
According to The Telegraph , ministers are said to be in 'discussions ' about bringing the date forward for such retail to reopen .
The report said the PM was looking to bring the date forward in a desperate bid to boost the economy , following months of closure .
Currently , hairdressers , barbers , beauty and nail salons , including piercing and tattoo parlours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Business has reportedly drawn up guidance that could see such businesses given ‘ dentist-style ’ Personal Protective Equipment .
One source told The Telegraph that the reopening of salons would be treated under `` similar rules '' to dentists .
But the claims have been met with criticism from the National Hair & Beauty Federation , which has urged salons and barbershop owners not to be 'overly influenced ' by reports .
It said it had not yet 'seen ' draft government guidelines regarding the reopening of the trade as it said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PPE would be required .
It said : `` We are asking the government to urgently complete the development of the guidelines and release them as soon as possible so business owners know exactly what is required of them to reopen and operate safely . ''
It comes as dental practices in England are set to reopen their doors on June 8 after they were given the go-ahead to resume treatment .
In a letter to all dental practices in the country , Sara Hurley , chief dental officer , said face-to-face care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Adding that all practices will need to have the correct personal protective equipment ( PPE ) , necessary infection prevention and control requirements .
In the joint letter with Matt Neligan , NHS England director of primary care and system transformation , Ms Hurley said : `` We support the full resumption of routine dental care , in a way that is safe , operationally deliverable and allows dental practices flexibility to do what is best for patients and their teams . ''

Since lockdown began, all non-essential retail was forced to drop their shutters indefinitely as only a handful of businesses were allowed to trade.
Last month, the UK government announced that all non-essential retail including clothing and electrical stores would be able to reopen from June 15.
Car dealerships, which were also among the first to close in March, reopened to customers earlier this week.
But the Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly considering plans to reopen hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons in England this month.
However, it remains unclear when they will reopen across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
According to The Telegraph, ministers are said to be in 'discussions' about bringing the date forward for such retail to reopen.
The report said the PM was looking to bring the date forward in a desperate bid to boost the economy, following months of closure.
Currently, hairdressers, barbers, beauty and nail salons, including piercing and tattoo parlours are banned from trading.
The Department for Business has reportedly drawn up guidance that could see such businesses given ‘dentist-style’ Personal Protective Equipment.
One source told The Telegraph that the reopening of salons would be treated under "similar rules" to dentists.
But the claims have been met with criticism from the National Hair & Beauty Federation, which has urged salons and barbershop owners not to be 'overly influenced' by reports.
It said it had not yet 'seen' draft government guidelines regarding the reopening of the trade as it said it needed to be clear about what PPE would be required.
It said: "We are asking the government to urgently complete the development of the guidelines and release them as soon as possible so business owners know exactly what is required of them to reopen and operate safely."
Dental pratices set to reopen on June 8
It comes as dental practices in England are set to reopen their doors on June 8 after they were given the go-ahead to resume treatment.
In a letter to all dental practices in the country, Sara Hurley, chief dental officer, said face-to-face care in practices can resume next Monday.
Adding that all practices will need to have the correct personal protective equipment (PPE), necessary infection prevention and control requirements.
In the joint letter with Matt Neligan, NHS England director of primary care and system transformation, Ms Hurley said: "We support the full resumption of routine dental care, in a way that is safe, operationally deliverable and allows dental practices flexibility to do what is best for patients and their teams."


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-05--Kidderminster postman to tackle 12-hour Sion Hill run

A DARING Kidderminster postman is swapping the breathtaking views from Mount Snowdon for more familiar surroundings in his hometown as he attempts a gruelling uphill run for charity .
Shaun Marshall was set to take on the Snowdon 24 race , attempting to run up and down the iconic mountain as many times as possible for 24 hours in aid of KEMP Hospice , but the event had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Undeterred , the former Royal Marine decided to hold his own mountain challenge closer to home - and where better than the hill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Shaun will attempt to run up and down Sion Hill in Kidderminster for 12 hours straight .
Photo from Google Maps Shaun , 46 , said : `` My race up Snowdon had to be cancelled , but KEMP still needs funds like most charities to keep going .
`` I couldn ’ t do Snowdon so I thought what else is steep and horrible to climb ?
`` I ’ m a postman now so I go up Sion Hill quite a bit - it 's not a nice hill .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and run up and down it for 12 hours and raise some money . ''
The father-of-two is no stranger to exhausting challenges , having previously completed four Iron Man triathlons and a 100-mile race for charity .
Most recently , he ran for 24 hours while dressed as Santa to raise money for KEMP .
Shaun said : `` I do quite a bit of fundraising for KEMP Hospice .
I live round the corner so I used to walk past every day .
`` We have used the hospice as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s our charity in Kidderminster , it ’ s Wyre Forest 's charity .
Everyone here has been touched by KEMP in some way . ''
Shaun will attempt to run the 840-metre route up and down Sion Hill as many times as he can in the time limit next month , in what he is calling the 'Hell on Sion Hill 12-hour Challenge ' .
`` I 'm most nervous about coming down the hill , '' he said .
`` I use it as a training aid and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit of a skill as you 're using your other muscles .
`` It ’ s going to take me out of the zone , I know it will - I just need to focus on being able to switch on for 12 hours straight . ''
Shaun is hoping to raise £1,800 in sponsors .
Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/shaun-marshall14 to donate .

Shaun Marshall was set to take on the Snowdon 24 race, attempting to run up and down the iconic mountain as many times as possible for 24 hours in aid of KEMP Hospice, but the event had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Undeterred, the former Royal Marine decided to hold his own mountain challenge closer to home - and where better than the hill he climbs regularly on his postal rounds?
Shaun will attempt to run up and down Sion Hill in Kidderminster for 12 hours straight. Photo from Google Maps
Shaun, 46, said: "My race up Snowdon had to be cancelled, but KEMP still needs funds like most charities to keep going.
"I couldn’t do Snowdon so I thought what else is steep and horrible to climb?
"I’m a postman now so I go up Sion Hill quite a bit - it's not a nice hill. I decided I'll use that instead and run up and down it for 12 hours and raise some money."
The father-of-two is no stranger to exhausting challenges, having previously completed four Iron Man triathlons and a 100-mile race for charity.
Most recently, he ran for 24 hours while dressed as Santa to raise money for KEMP.
Shaun said: "I do quite a bit of fundraising for KEMP Hospice. I live round the corner so I used to walk past every day.
Shaun Marshall during a 24-hour Santa Dash for KEMP Hospice
"We have used the hospice as a family, but I support KEMP because it’s our charity in Kidderminster, it’s Wyre Forest's charity. Everyone here has been touched by KEMP in some way."
Shaun will attempt to run the 840-metre route up and down Sion Hill as many times as he can in the time limit next month, in what he is calling the 'Hell on Sion Hill 12-hour Challenge'.
"I'm most nervous about coming down the hill," he said. "I use it as a training aid and it's quite horrible. It's a bit of a skill as you're using your other muscles.
"It’s going to take me out of the zone, I know it will - I just need to focus on being able to switch on for 12 hours straight."
Shaun is hoping to raise £1,800 in sponsors. Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/shaun-marshall14 to donate.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-05--Lockdown care packages given to isolated Wyre Forest families

A £7,000 grant has paid for personalised care packages for Wyre Forest 's already-isolated families during lockdown .
Big Local DY10 HBG have been funding family support charity Home-Start Wyre Forest during the pandemic to enable to staff and volunteers to deliver weekly care packages to its families for a three-month period .
Home-Start manager Belinda Darby said : `` This grant has enabled us to respond to the exceptional circumstances and ensure that we can safely provide the families we support with a very personal package each week to let them know we are thinking about them and are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ` t provide our usual home visiting and group services .
`` For isolated families who were already finding life difficult the lockdown has been an additional pressure which , without support , could lead to mental health crisis , increased tension and even a breakdown in family relationships .
`` We are so grateful for this grant from DY10 HBG Big Local for making life a little brighter for local parents and children ” .
The packages have been filled with activities for children , resources and treats to make family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been providing telephone support to its families until face-to-face visits and group support can resume .
The care packages will be delivered each week until the beginning of July .
Brenda Lines , chairman of the DY10 HBG Partnership , said : `` It is difficult to imagine how difficult it must have been for many of our families .
`` The Partnership is beginning to look forward to see how it can support the community as we hopefully come out of the pandemic .
`` We have granted a further £2,000 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – details about this I have no doubt will be announced by Home-Start soon .
”

Big Local DY10 HBG have been funding family support charity Home-Start Wyre Forest during the pandemic to enable to staff and volunteers to deliver weekly care packages to its families for a three-month period.
Home-Start manager Belinda Darby said: "This grant has enabled us to respond to the exceptional circumstances and ensure that we can safely provide the families we support with a very personal package each week to let them know we are thinking about them and are there to help, even if we can`t provide our usual home visiting and group services.
"For isolated families who were already finding life difficult the lockdown has been an additional pressure which, without support, could lead to mental health crisis, increased tension and even a breakdown in family relationships.
"We are so grateful for this grant from DY10 HBG Big Local for making life a little brighter for local parents and children”.
The packages have been filled with activities for children, resources and treats to make family life a bit easier.
Home-Start has been providing telephone support to its families until face-to-face visits and group support can resume.
The care packages will be delivered each week until the beginning of July.
Brenda Lines, chairman of the DY10 HBG Partnership, said: "It is difficult to imagine how difficult it must have been for many of our families.
"The Partnership is beginning to look forward to see how it can support the community as we hopefully come out of the pandemic.
"We have granted a further £2,000 to Home-Start to support their summer activity programme – details about this I have no doubt will be announced by Home-Start soon.”


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-05--Video: Clouds of smoke from garden building, Stourport

CLOUDS of black smoke were spotted billowing from the area of Cook 's Garden Centre nursery in Stourport .
Fire @ @ @ @ @ Hub , Droitwich and Stourbridge , plus a water carrier from Leominster , rushed to @ @ @ @ @ North at 3.30pm .
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said a market gardening @ @ @ @ @ Neighbours took to social media to share their concern after thick clouds of black smoke @ @ @ @ @ site .
Clouds of smoke in Stourport .
Photo by Kerry Edwards Four fire engines @ @ @ @ @ an ambulance were seen heading towards the scene shortly afterwards .
The Shuttle has approached @ @ @ @ @ comment .
15:30 @ HWFireWFhub @ HWFireDroitwich @ Stourbridgefire and water carrier from @ HWFireLeominstr @ @ @ @ @ fire , Bewdley Road North , Stourport .
— HWFireControl ( @ HWFireControl ) June @ @ @

Clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the area of Cook's Garden Centre nursery in Bewdley Road North on Friday afternoon (June 5).
Fire crews from the Wyre Forest Hub, Droitwich and Stourbridge, plus a water carrier from Leominster, rushed to the scene at 3.30pm.
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said a market gardening building was on fire.
Neighbours took to social media to share their concern after thick clouds of black smoke were seen billowing from the site.
Four fire engines, three police cars and an ambulance were seen heading towards the scene shortly afterwards.
Cook's has since posted on social media to thank people for their concern, and confirmed its main site in Worcester Road is "open as normal".
Clouds of smoke in Stourport. Photo by Kerry Edwards
The garden centre reported there were thankfully no injuries as a result of the fire.
A Facebook post said: "As you may be aware there has been a fire at the Bewdley Road nursery today.
"We would like to personally thank the fire service for their super quick response which kept damage and stock loss very minimal.
"More importantly nobody got hurt! Thank you for everyone’s concern and messages but we’re all okay."


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-05--Bewdley window displays photos of 164 Wyre Forest key workers

THE faces of 164 of Wyre Forest 's key worker heroes are featured in a window display at a Bewdley estate agents .
Hayden Estates put out an appeal for photographs of local key workers to feature in the heart-warming tribute at its office in Load Street .
Manager Sara Hayden was inspired to create the collage after hearing stories of the difficulties friends and family members have faced during the pandemic .
She said : `` My partner 's grandparents have carers come in and my brother 's ex-girlfriend who he 's still very close with is also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her in a while and she told she had worked between 70 and 80 hours on week .
`` I 've heard stories of carers not being able to get hold of tests and being told to buy their own PPE .
`` I just became more and more horrified and wanted to do something to say thank you to them all .
`` We had the Clap for Carers but now that 's stopped , I thought we 'll get this display up in its place . ''
The window tribute features @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wyre Forest and beyond , including shop workers , carers , firefighters and police officers .
Sara said : `` I put the pictures up on Thursday night in place of the Clap for Carers and we ' e already had loads of nice comments and people sharing the photos online .
`` People have rung up the office to say it 's a lovely thought .

Hayden Estates put out an appeal for photographs of local key workers to feature in the heart-warming tribute at its office in Load Street.
Manager Sara Hayden was inspired to create the collage after hearing stories of the difficulties friends and family members have faced during the pandemic.
She said: "My partner's grandparents have carers come in and my brother's ex-girlfriend who he's still very close with is also a carer.
"We hadn't seen her in a while and she told she had worked between 70 and 80 hours on week.
"I've heard stories of carers not being able to get hold of tests and being told to buy their own PPE.
"I just became more and more horrified and wanted to do something to say thank you to them all.
"We had the Clap for Carers but now that's stopped, I thought we'll get this display up in its place."
The window tribute features 164 photos of key workers from across Wyre Forest and beyond, including shop workers, carers, firefighters and police officers.
Sara said: "I put the pictures up on Thursday night in place of the Clap for Carers and we'e already had loads of nice comments and people sharing the photos online.
"People have rung up the office to say it's a lovely thought.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-05--Land set for new Stourport Medical Centre sold for £300k

THE development of a multi-million pound medical centre to replace two of Stourport 's doctors ' surgeries has taken an important step forward .
Wyre Forest District Council has sold its land at Dunley Road for £300,000 to allow the development of a new state-of-the-art facility to get under way .
Stourport Health Centre and York House Medical Centre will be merged to form the new practice , which is expected to be up and running by spring 2021 .
The centre will care for 21,500 patients and feature 76 car parking spaces , electric car charging points and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sale of the land in July last year and a planning application for the new medical centre was approved by the Planning Committee in December .
Councillor Fran Oborski , Wyre Forest 's cabinet member for economic regeneration , planning and capital investments , said : “ I am delighted that the sale of the land has been completed and that Stourport will now be able to benefit from modern facilities for GPs and primary care , as Bewdley and Kidderminster have already done .
`` We have achieved market value for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the receipt to invest in other worthwhile capital projects in the district.
” The money from the sale will go towards the council 's Evergreen Investment Fund , which provides funding for future investment .

Wyre Forest District Council has sold its land at Dunley Road for £300,000 to allow the development of a new state-of-the-art facility to get under way.
Stourport Health Centre and York House Medical Centre will be merged to form the new practice, which is expected to be up and running by spring 2021.
The centre will care for 21,500 patients and feature 76 car parking spaces, electric car charging points and an on-site pharmacy.
The council agreed the sale of the land in July last year and a planning application for the new medical centre was approved by the Planning Committee in December.
Councillor Fran Oborski, Wyre Forest's cabinet member for economic regeneration, planning and capital investments, said: “I am delighted that the sale of the land has been completed and that Stourport will now be able to benefit from modern facilities for GPs and primary care, as Bewdley and Kidderminster have already done.
"We have achieved market value for the land and will be able to use the receipt to invest in other worthwhile capital projects in the district.”
The money from the sale will go towards the council's Evergreen Investment Fund, which provides funding for future investment.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-05--Video: Clouds of smoke from garden nursery fire in Stourport

OWNERS at a Stourport garden centre have thanked people for their concern after a fire at one of its buildings .
Clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the area of Cook 's Garden Centre nursery in Bewdley Road North on Friday afternoon ( June 5 ) .
Fire crews from the Wyre Forest Hub , Droitwich and Stourbridge , plus a water carrier from Leominster , rushed to the scene at 3.30pm .
Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said a market gardening building was on fire .
Neighbours took to social media to share their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were seen billowing from the site .
Four fire engines , three police cars and an ambulance were seen heading towards the scene shortly afterwards .
Cook 's has since posted on social media to thank people for their concern , and confirmed its main site in Worcester Road is `` open as normal '' .
Clouds of smoke in Stourport .
Photo by Kerry Edwards The garden centre reported there were thankfully no injuries as a result of the fire .
A Facebook post said : `` As you may be aware @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bewdley Road nursery today .
`` We would like to personally thank the fire service for their super quick response which kept damage and stock loss very minimal .
`` More importantly nobody got hurt !
Thank you for everyone ’ s concern and messages but we ’ re all okay . ''


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-06--Mission to build £35k hen rescue house near Kidderminster

PLANS to build a new haven for rescued hens near Kidderminster rely on a local animal sanctuary raising £35,000 in donations .
Goodheart Animal Sanctuaries hopes to develop a new dedicated rescue house at its facility in Milson to help more hens saved from the egg-laying industry .
Claire Woolley , from Goodheart , said : `` Laying hens are often kept in cramped conditions without the space or freedom to behave as they would naturally .
This means they can ’ t preen their feathers , dust bathe , or scratch for food in the soil .
The new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 160 rescue hens at one time '' The team at Goodheart believe that every sentient creature should live free from harm and exploitation , so they ’ re taking action to change the lives of laying hens . ''
The sanctuary currently has the capacity to care for around 20 hens at one time , most of which have spent their lives living in cramped cages with no access to the outdoors .
Once built , the new hen house will provide ample space and access to the outdoors with native plants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cosy coop for up to 160 feathery residents .
Liz the rescue hen was in poor health when Goodheart took her in As part of its appeal to raise £35,000 to make the project a reality , Goodheart has launched a new range of nine colourful gift cards which can be given as presents , while also helping to support hens in need .
The cards range from a £10 voucher to give a hen a shelter or plant a Buddleija bush - to a £50 `` love birds '' card to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Claire said : `` These gift cards are part of the charity ’ s fundraising activities to build a new home for the lucky few hens who can be rescued from the egg laying industry .
`` The new facility will be home to 160 rescued hens at any one time .
Over the years , this means that hundreds or even thousands will get a second chance at a life worth living .
`` These colourful cards offer a fun way of doing good while helping to keep our family and friends @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be used to care for rescued hens and to enable Goodheart to rescue more hens facing slaughter . ''
For more information or to order a gift card online , go to goodheart-animal-sanctuaries.myshopify.com/collections/our-hen-house-appeal .

Goodheart Animal Sanctuaries hopes to develop a new dedicated rescue house at its facility in Milson to help more hens saved from the egg-laying industry.
Claire Woolley, from Goodheart, said: "Laying hens are often kept in cramped conditions without the space or freedom to behave as they would naturally. This means they can’t preen their feathers, dust bathe, or scratch for food in the soil.
The new Goodheart Home for Rescued Hens will house 160 rescue hens at one time
"The team at Goodheart believe that every sentient creature should live free from harm and exploitation, so they’re taking action to change the lives of laying hens."
The sanctuary currently has the capacity to care for around 20 hens at one time, most of which have spent their lives living in cramped cages with no access to the outdoors.
Once built, the new hen house will provide ample space and access to the outdoors with native plants and enrichment, as well as a safe and cosy coop for up to 160 feathery residents.
Liz the rescue hen was in poor health when Goodheart took her in
As part of its appeal to raise £35,000 to make the project a reality, Goodheart has launched a new range of nine colourful gift cards which can be given as presents, while also helping to support hens in need.
The cards range from a £10 voucher to give a hen a shelter or plant a Buddleija bush - to a £50 "love birds" card to feed two hens for a year.
Claire said: "These gift cards are part of the charity’s fundraising activities to build a new home for the lucky few hens who can be rescued from the egg laying industry.
"The new facility will be home to 160 rescued hens at any one time. Over the years, this means that hundreds or even thousands will get a second chance at a life worth living.
The new Goodheart hen giftcards
"These colourful cards offer a fun way of doing good while helping to keep our family and friends smiling.
"Every penny raised will be used to care for rescued hens and to enable Goodheart to rescue more hens facing slaughter."
For more information or to order a gift card online, go to goodheart-animal-sanctuaries.myshopify.com/collections/our-hen-house-appeal.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-06--How to pick the best printer for your home office needs

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed ’ s editors .
Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission .
For many reasons , 2020 is not shaping up the way we thought it would .
One thing I absolutely did not expect to need ?
A printer .
Like many of you , the folks at Reviewed are working remotely for the near future .
While that ’ s giving me an excuse to finally set up a proper home office , it means that I need to revisit a chapter of my life I was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ printer shopping .
But where do you even start ?
If you ’ re like me , you only have to print a handful of documents per year .
That ’ s just how things are now ; I bought a house and I didn ’ t have to print a single thing out .
For the few times I ’ ve needed a paper copy of something , I either print it at work , the library , or I pay a few pennies at a nearby copy shop .
Now ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , receipts , contracts , and colouring book pages to keep my kids distracted .
For the millionth time this month , I ’ m asking myself , ‘ How did this happen ?
’ With flashbacks of all the awful printers I ’ ve owned over the years running through my mind , I finally bit the bullet and bought one : An HP OfficeJet Multifunction Printer and a pack of paper .
HP makes some of the best-selling printers on the market , but we recommend most people skip the Instant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TJ Donegan I ’ ll be honest : I wasn ’ t confident in this decision .
I did my research , but I don ’ t like buying anything under duress .
The self-checkout immediately asked if I wanted to pay extra for a protection plan—on the paper .
While I am riveted to find out why I ’ d need a protection plan on paper , it wasn ’ t a reassuring moment .
Also , I ’ m cheap , so I passed .
Setting it up was surprisingly easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the same : Unbox it ; remove every piece of tape and cardboard you can find inside ; pop in the ink cartridges ; and turn it on .
Inevitably realize you missed at least one piece somewhere , find that , and you 're golden .
In the end , I ’ m pretty happy .
For less than $ 100 ( I paid about $ 70 on sale ) , the OfficeJet 3830 was the best combination I could find of : Is it the best printer I ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well , it was on sale , seems affordable to operate , and when I tested it on my work laptops ( a Dell XPS 13 and a MacBook Pro ) , it didn ’ t require me to install any extra software .
I would also skip the Instant Ink subscription service , which seems right for some people but for most is worth ignoring .
There are some other things I don ’ t like , but most of them are pretty universal to home printers .
The biggest one is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ USB-B to plug into the printer .
Yes , that 's USB-B .
When you think `` USB port '' you 're generally picturing a `` USB-A '' cable or a brand-new `` USB-C '' cable .
Here ’ s what the most familiar USB connectors look like , with USB-B all the way off to the right where it belongs : USB-B is the one way on the right that you 've ( hopefully ) never had to deal with before .
Credit : Wikicommons / Viljo Viitanen Full-size USB-B cables are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because virtually nothing else you own will use it .
Compare that to smaller “ Mini ” or “ Micro ” USB cables ( which are technically USB-B cables with smaller connectors ) , which have been used for more than a decade on phones , cameras , video game controllers , mp3 players , etc .
Printers are large and don ’ t need to use smaller connectors , but if they ’ re not going to include the cable in the box ( which most don ’ t because they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least choose a more common connector .
I have 17 mini-USB cables in my junk drawer .
The only reason I own a full-size USB-B cable is my last printer used the same pointless port and I had to pay £12 for one when the Wifi stopped working .
The USB and Ethernet ports are located on the back , for hooking it up for wired internet and as a fax machine .
Credit : Reviewed / TJ Donegan Full-size USB-B cables are the Michael Collins of USB cables .
No , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aka the Apollo 11 astronaut not named Buzz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong .
The guy who flew the mission to land on the moon that you didn ’ t know existed until right now .
Wild , right ?
At least he was useful .
Anyway , so far I ’ m pretty happy with the HP that I bought .
If your needs are a bit different , there are definitely some other models to consider that are similarly well-regarded .
Here 's my shortlist : If you need something cheaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ HP DeskJet 2622 .
It costs £45 and it 's one of the best-selling printers at a bunch of retailers , with generally stellar reviews .
If you need to print a few thousand pages per month ... then go with a laser option like the HP LaserJet M479fdw .
An inkjet printer can cost 3-4x as much to print per black-and-white page .
If you just print a few hundred pages , those savings wo n't mean much .
If you print a few thousand every month ?
The laser printer will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you need that kind of printing capability , you likely aren ’ t standing in an aisle at Target wondering how the hell we got here .
For the rest of us , we ’ re just trying to make it through .
I hope nothing happens to my paper .
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered .
Follow Reviewed on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram for the latest deals , product reviews , and more .
Prices were accurate at the time this article was @ @ @ @ @ @ @

For many reasons, 2020 is not shaping up the way we thought it would. One thing I absolutely did not expect to need? A printer.
Like many of you, the folks at Reviewed are working remotely for the near future. While that’s giving me an excuse to finally set up a proper home office, it means that I need to revisit a chapter of my life I was more than happy to be rid of: printer shopping.
But where do you even start? If you’re like me, you only have to print a handful of documents per year. That’s just how things are now; I bought a house and I didn’t have to print a single thing out. For the few times I’ve needed a paper copy of something, I either print it at work, the library, or I pay a few pennies at a nearby copy shop.
Now? I need to print out shipping labels, receipts, contracts, and colouring book pages to keep my kids distracted. For the millionth time this month, I’m asking myself, ‘How did this happen?’
With flashbacks of all the awful printers I’ve owned over the years running through my mind, I finally bit the bullet and bought one: An HP OfficeJet Multifunction Printer and a pack of paper.
HP makes some of the best-selling printers on the market, but we recommend most people skip the Instant Ink program. Credit: Reviewed / TJ Donegan
I’ll be honest: I wasn’t confident in this decision. I did my research, but I don’t like buying anything under duress. The self-checkout immediately asked if I wanted to pay extra for a protection plan—on the paper. While I am riveted to find out why I’d need a protection plan on paper, it wasn’t a reassuring moment. Also, I’m cheap, so I passed.
Setting it up was surprisingly easy, and just about every printer will be the same: Unbox it; remove every piece of tape and cardboard you can find inside; pop in the ink cartridges; and turn it on. Inevitably realize you missed at least one piece somewhere, find that, and you're golden.
In the end, I’m pretty happy. For less than $100 (I paid about $70 on sale), the OfficeJet 3830 was the best combination I could find of:
Affordable price
Printer speed per minute
Wireless capability
Ink costs
Good, if mixed user reviews
Is it the best printer I’ve ever used? Meh. It prints well, it was on sale, seems affordable to operate, and when I tested it on my work laptops (a Dell XPS 13 and a MacBook Pro), it didn’t require me to install any extra software. I would also skip the Instant Ink subscription service, which seems right for some people but for most is worth ignoring.
There are some other things I don’t like, but most of them are pretty universal to home printers. The biggest one is the connector, which uses a full-size USB-B to plug into the printer. Yes, that's USB-B. When you think "USB port" you're generally picturing a "USB-A" cable or a brand-new "USB-C" cable. Here’s what the most familiar USB connectors look like, with USB-B all the way off to the right where it belongs:
USB-B is the one way on the right that you've (hopefully) never had to deal with before. Credit: Wikicommons / Viljo Viitanen
Full-size USB-B cables are basically known as “printer” cables because virtually nothing else you own will use it. Compare that to smaller “Mini” or “Micro” USB cables (which are technically USB-B cables with smaller connectors), which have been used for more than a decade on phones, cameras, video game controllers, mp3 players, etc.
Printers are large and don’t need to use smaller connectors, but if they’re not going to include the cable in the box (which most don’t because they’re also wireless—and cheap) then at least choose a more common connector. I have 17 mini-USB cables in my junk drawer. The only reason I own a full-size USB-B cable is my last printer used the same pointless port and I had to pay £12 for one when the Wifi stopped working.
The USB and Ethernet ports are located on the back, for hooking it up for wired internet and as a fax machine. Credit: Reviewed / TJ Donegan
Full-size USB-B cables are the Michael Collins of USB cables. No, not the Irish revolutionary. The other one, aka the Apollo 11 astronaut not named Buzz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong. The guy who flew the mission to land on the moon that you didn’t know existed until right now. Wild, right? At least he was useful.
Anyway, so far I’m pretty happy with the HP that I bought. If your needs are a bit different, there are definitely some other models to consider that are similarly well-regarded. Here's my shortlist:
If you need something cheaper... then I'd go with the HP DeskJet 2622. It costs £45 and it's one of the best-selling printers at a bunch of retailers, with generally stellar reviews.
If you need to print a few thousand pages per month... then go with a laser option like the HP LaserJet M479fdw. An inkjet printer can cost 3-4x as much to print per black-and-white page. If you just print a few hundred pages, those savings won't mean much. If you print a few thousand every month? The laser printer will eventually make up the cost. But if you need that kind of printing capability, you likely aren’t standing in an aisle at Target wondering how the hell we got here.
For the rest of us, we’re just trying to make it through. I hope nothing happens to my paper.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-06--600 homes plan approved at Lea Castle Hospital, Kidderminster

PLANS to build 600 new homes on the site of the old Lea Castle Hospital near Kidderminster have been given the green light .
Planning consent was secured for the development at the end of May and now Vistry Partnerships - formerly Galliford - has secured a £137m contract from Homes England to bring the project forward .
James Warrington , regional managing director of Vistry , said : `` We are very pleased to be working in partnership again with Homes England and our excellent consultant team on this large scale regeneration project which will transform a redundant former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The development will provide a range of new high quality homes , boosting economic growth in the area whilst enhancing the local environment to become a flagship new place to live . ''
The site will be made up of one to four-bedroom homes , including development of the local highway network , while adjacent land will be promoted for employment opportunities such as start-up business units and a cafe or shop .
Open spaces and play areas will also be included in the development .
Cookley residents previously raised concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounding roads .
The Crescent , off the A449 Wolverhampton Road , forms an access road to the former Lea Castle Hospital site and neighbours feared their `` peaceful '' estate could soon see hundreds of cars passing through .
Lea Castle Hospital , which was previously a mental health unit , treated and assessed more than 600 people in its heyday in the 1960s and boasted facilities including a hydrotherapy pool and dental clinic .
The centre closed its doors in 2008 , despite campaigning from groups including the Lea Castle Action @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust and employed 187 people before the closure was announced .
Trust bosses had decided to close the site following a public consultation .
The future of the hospital site had been uncertain for many years , with rumours circulating that it could be redeveloped as a science business park , a prison or a traveller ’ s site .
It also became a target for metal thieves and The Shuttle reported in 2013 how residents were worried by the use of the site for police exercises @

Planning consent was secured for the development at the end of May and now Vistry Partnerships - formerly Galliford - has secured a £137m contract from Homes England to bring the project forward.
James Warrington, regional managing director of Vistry, said: "We are very pleased to be working in partnership again with Homes England and our excellent consultant team on this large scale regeneration project which will transform a redundant former hospital site into a vibrant new community.
"The development will provide a range of new high quality homes, boosting economic growth in the area whilst enhancing the local environment to become a flagship new place to live."
The site will be made up of one to four-bedroom homes, including development of the local highway network, while adjacent land will be promoted for employment opportunities such as start-up business units and a cafe or shop.
Open spaces and play areas will also be included in the development.
Cookley residents previously raised concerns the plans would lead to congestion on surrounding roads.
The Crescent, off the A449 Wolverhampton Road, forms an access road to the former Lea Castle Hospital site and neighbours feared their "peaceful" estate could soon see hundreds of cars passing through.
Lea Castle Hospital, which was previously a mental health unit, treated and assessed more than 600 people in its heyday in the 1960s and boasted facilities including a hydrotherapy pool and dental clinic.
The centre closed its doors in 2008, despite campaigning from groups including the Lea Castle Action Group.
The hospital site was run by Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust and employed 187 people before the closure was announced. Trust bosses had decided to close the site following a public consultation.
The future of the hospital site had been uncertain for many years, with rumours circulating that it could be redeveloped as a science business park, a prison or a traveller’s site.
It also became a target for metal thieves and The Shuttle reported in 2013 how residents were worried by the use of the site for police exercises.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-06--Photos of fire damage at Cook's garden nursery in Stourport

PHOTOS show the damage caused to a Stourport garden nursery following a fire on Friday afternoon .
Cook 's Garden Centre says the fire was confined to the check-out area at its nursery in Bewdley Road North , which is used during open days , and a nearby glasshouse , which was completely destroyed in the blaze .
A glasshouse was destroyed in the fire Clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the building at around 3.30pm , and fire crews from the Wyre Forest Hub , Droitwich and Stourbridge , plus a water carrier from Leominster , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's later posted on social media to thank people for their concern , and confirmed its garden centre in Worcester Road is `` open as normal '' , reporting that stock loss was `` minimal '' .
Cook 's Garden Centre said the stock loss was minimal Bosses also reassured members of the public that no one was injured in the fire .
Sharing photos of the fire damage on Facebook , they said : `` Thank you everybody for your kind comments after yesterday ’ s fire at the nursery and thank @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quickly controlled the blaze .
• VIDEO : Clouds of black smoke from garden nursery fire in Stourport '' You can see it was confined to our open day check out area and the glasshouse which is now totally lost .
`` Do not fear it will all be rebuilt in time for open days next year . ''

Cook's Garden Centre says the fire was confined to the check-out area at its nursery in Bewdley Road North, which is used during open days, and a nearby glasshouse, which was completely destroyed in the blaze.
A glasshouse was destroyed in the fire
Clouds of black smoke could be seen billowing from the building at around 3.30pm, and fire crews from the Wyre Forest Hub, Droitwich and Stourbridge, plus a water carrier from Leominster, were sent to the scene.
Cook's later posted on social media to thank people for their concern, and confirmed its garden centre in Worcester Road is "open as normal", reporting that stock loss was "minimal".
Cook's Garden Centre said the stock loss was minimal
Bosses also reassured members of the public that no one was injured in the fire.
Sharing photos of the fire damage on Facebook, they said: "Thank you everybody for your kind comments after yesterday’s fire at the nursery and thank you to our wonderful fire service which quickly controlled the blaze.
Read more:
"You can see it was confined to our open day check out area and the glasshouse which is now totally lost.
"Do not fear it will all be rebuilt in time for open days next year."


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-06--This is how much ITV Love Island stars earned using TikTok during lockdown

A new report has revealed how much the stars of ITV 's reality show Love Island are being paid to post content on social media platform TikTok during lockdown .
Since lockdown has confined most of us to our homes , posting on the video-sharing platform has become more appealing than ever before .
Due to the app ’ s rapid growth over the last year , building up millions of active users , many influencers have made the shift over to TikTok , and Love Island contestants are no exception .
Analysis by OnBuy has estimated how much Love @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The number of followers , likes and engagement rate were analysed to determine roughly how much money each star has made between lockdown beginning on March 23 and June 1 .
The top 20 earners are as follows : Luke Trotman ( Luke T ) was crowned the Love Island king of TikTok .
While he has the most followers out of the contestants ( 1.1m ) , estimated figures revealed that he can make up to £878 from one single TikTok post .
Since March 23 , the report said he uploaded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ £22,851 since lockdown began .
Second on the list is series five winner Amber Gill , who earns £818.95 per post .
Since March 23 , she has created 20 different TikToks and reached the total estimated earning potential of £16,379 from the app alone .
In third is Luke T ’ s girlfriend , Siannise Fudge .
She was a contestant on series six , and has raked in a sum of £702 per TikTok .
With an estimated earning of up to £570 per TikTok , in fourth place is series @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highlighted that Kady has the potential to be the highest earner since lockdown began .
This is partially due to her high earnings per post , but mainly due to the fact she has been the most active out of the list , posting 75 videos .
Here are the results in full , along with the estimated earnings per post :

Since lockdown has confined most of us to our homes, posting on the video-sharing platform has become more appealing than ever before.
Due to the app’s rapid growth over the last year, building up millions of active users, many influencers have made the shift over to TikTok, and Love Island contestants are no exception.
Analysis by OnBuy has estimated how much Love Island TikTokers are earning per post.
The number of followers, likes and engagement rate were analysed to determine roughly how much money each star has made between lockdown beginning on March 23 and June 1.
The top 20 earners are as follows:
Luke Trotman (Luke T) was crowned the Love Island king of TikTok. While he has the most followers out of the contestants (1.1m), estimated figures revealed that he can make up to £878 from one single TikTok post. Since March 23, the report said he uploaded 26 Tiktoks, earning him a potential £22,851 since lockdown began.
Second on the list is series five winner Amber Gill, who earns £818.95 per post. Since March 23, she has created 20 different TikToks and reached the total estimated earning potential of £16,379 from the app alone.
In third is Luke T’s girlfriend, Siannise Fudge. She was a contestant on series six, and has raked in a sum of £702 per TikTok.
With an estimated earning of up to £570 per TikTok, in fourth place is series two contestant Kady Mcdermot. The analysis highlighted that Kady has the potential to be the highest earner since lockdown began. This is partially due to her high earnings per post, but mainly due to the fact she has been the most active out of the list, posting 75 videos.
Luke Trotman. Picture: ITV
Here are the results in full, along with the estimated earnings per post:


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-06--Facebook reveals new tool to delete multiple old posts at the same time

Facebook has finally provided a solution for users eager to get rid of several older posts .
The social network announced on Tuesday , June 2 , that it 's adding an option to let users delete multiple posts at the same time .
When will I get the new feature ?
The feature will roll out on mobile devices first before landing on desktop and Facebook Lite in the future .
How will I be able to access it ?
'Manage Activity ' will be available by accessing the activity log on your Facebook profile .
From there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archiving .
The archiving option removes posts from your feed but allows you to keep them private .
There is also a trash option to delete posts completely .
The posts stay in trash for 30 days before permanently disappearing .
Users can also sort posts by date , or for posts with specific people , Facebook said .
What has Facebook said about the changes ?
In a statement , the company said : `` Whether you ’ re entering the job market after college or moving on from an old relationship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lives , and we want to make it easy for you to curate your presence on Facebook to more accurately reflect who you are today . ''
Previously , Facebook had made it more difficult for users to get rid of several posts quickly .
Users had to click on each post individually and select 'Delete ' to have them removed .

The social network announced on Tuesday, June 2, that it's adding an option to let users delete multiple posts at the same time.
When will I get the new feature?
The feature will roll out on mobile devices first before landing on desktop and Facebook Lite in the future.
How will I be able to access it?
'Manage Activity' will be available by accessing the activity log on your Facebook profile. From there, you can check off multiple posts for archiving.
The archiving option removes posts from your feed but allows you to keep them private. There is also a trash option to delete posts completely.
The posts stay in trash for 30 days before permanently disappearing.
Users can also sort posts by date, or for posts with specific people, Facebook said.
What has Facebook said about the changes?
In a statement, the company said: "Whether you’re entering the job market after college or moving on from an old relationship, we know things change in people’s lives, and we want to make it easy for you to curate your presence on Facebook to more accurately reflect who you are today."
Previously, Facebook had made it more difficult for users to get rid of several posts quickly.
Users had to click on each post individually and select 'Delete' to have them removed.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-07--Family's plea after Stourport teen woke up blind from op

A YOUNG Stourport woman is pinning her hopes on alternative treatment abroad after a `` routine '' operation left her completely blind .
Chloe Brookes had already lost her hearing due to NF2 - a rare genetic disorder which causes tumours on the brain - when an operation to remove another growth last week led to her waking up unable to see .
The 19-year-old 's family are hoping a clinic in Germany will be able to return some of her eyesight through alternative therapy , and are fundraising to help pay for the treatment and adapt their home for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Chloe was getting pain over her left eye and after having a scan , it was confirmed a tumour was pushing against her optic nerve .
Chloe was diganosed with Neurofibromatosis 2 at the age of 13 '' The only option was to have the tumour removed , so at 8.37am last Wednesday , she said goodbye and went in for yet another surgery to take the pressure away .
`` The amount of operations she 's had and knowing all the risks with those , this operation did n't seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ operation turned into a nine-hour operation .
`` At 4pm , I had a phone call to say she had woken up blind .
`` The way I reacted , it was like there had been a death - I could n't go into her bedroom because that 's how she left it .
I 'm just starting to come to terms with it . ''
Chloe was born partially-blind and was diagnosed with NF2 at age 13 .
With dreams of becoming a professional singer , Chloe auditioned for the X-Factor and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but her worsening condition forced her to drop out of the competition .
The tumours were starting to affect her hearing .
Chloe underwent numerous surgeries to remove the growths , as well as chemotherapy , but by age 17 , she had completely lost her ability to hear .
That year , Chloe met the love of her life Tom , and the pair tied the knot in 2019 .
Mum Annie said : `` Chloe adapted quickly to changes in her condition .
She became very reliant on her phone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people around her were saying .
Chloe has undergone several operations to remove tumours on her brain '' Chloe could still speak to us , but that was a godsend for us - at least we could still talk to her on some level .
That wo n't be possible now . ''
Annie said Chloe is recovering well in hospital and has already been making jokes - while her family 's only way of communicating back has been to lift Chloe 's hand to answer 'yes ' , move it downwards to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gently to say ' I do n't know ' .
A fundraising page has been set up to raise money to adapt an outdoor relaxation area for Chloe at home , and also to raise money towards potential treatment abroad .
Annie said : `` Chloe is only 19 and has her whole life ahead of her and we just help .
With all the love and support of others , we can make her quality of life as great as it can be . ''
To donate , go to gofundme.com/f/help-improve-chloe039s-home-life .

Chloe Brookes had already lost her hearing due to NF2 - a rare genetic disorder which causes tumours on the brain - when an operation to remove another growth last week led to her waking up unable to see.
The 19-year-old's family are hoping a clinic in Germany will be able to return some of her eyesight through alternative therapy, and are fundraising to help pay for the treatment and adapt their home for Chloe's needs.
Mum Annie said: "Chloe was getting pain over her left eye and after having a scan, it was confirmed a tumour was pushing against her optic nerve.
Chloe was diganosed with Neurofibromatosis 2 at the age of 13
"The only option was to have the tumour removed, so at 8.37am last Wednesday, she said goodbye and went in for yet another surgery to take the pressure away.
"The amount of operations she's had and knowing all the risks with those, this operation didn't seem like anything, but a routine three-hour operation turned into a nine-hour operation.
"At 4pm, I had a phone call to say she had woken up blind.
"The way I reacted, it was like there had been a death - I couldn't go into her bedroom because that's how she left it. I'm just starting to come to terms with it."
Chloe was born partially-blind and was diagnosed with NF2 at age 13.
With dreams of becoming a professional singer, Chloe auditioned for the X-Factor and got through to the second round - but her worsening condition forced her to drop out of the competition. The tumours were starting to affect her hearing.
Chloe underwent numerous surgeries to remove the growths, as well as chemotherapy, but by age 17, she had completely lost her ability to hear.
That year, Chloe met the love of her life Tom, and the pair tied the knot in 2019.
Mum Annie said: "Chloe adapted quickly to changes in her condition. She became very reliant on her phone, using the speech-to-text function to understand what people around her were saying.
Chloe has undergone several operations to remove tumours on her brain
"Chloe could still speak to us, but that was a godsend for us - at least we could still talk to her on some level. That won't be possible now."
Annie said Chloe is recovering well in hospital and has already been making jokes - while her family's only way of communicating back has been to lift Chloe's hand to answer 'yes', move it downwards to say 'no', and rock her gently to say 'I don't know'.
A fundraising page has been set up to raise money to adapt an outdoor relaxation area for Chloe at home, and also to raise money towards potential treatment abroad.
Annie said: "Chloe is only 19 and has her whole life ahead of her and we just help. With all the love and support of others, we can make her quality of life as great as it can be."
To donate, go to gofundme.com/f/help-improve-chloe039s-home-life.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-07--The best barbeque to get in 2020

The best barbeque to get in 2020

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed ’ s editors .
Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission .
Almost any food tastes better when it ’ s cooked on a BBQ .
The smoky flavour and high-temperature-sear that a charcoal BBQ can kiss choice cuts of meat with are the stuff culinary dreams are made of .
BBQ chicken , veggies or salmon with a convenient , easy-to-use gas BBQ ?
Perfection .
No matter whether you ’ re buying your first BBQ or looking to upgrade your outdoor cooking experience , our extensive research and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suit your needs .
For those that adore the ease and consistency that comes from cooking with gas , Weber ’ s Spirit II E-310 offers the perfect balance of build quality and features , at a reasonable price .
Looking to BBQ on the go ?
Weber 's Q 1200 portable gas BBQ could be just the thing .
If you prefer the rich , smoky flavour that results from cooking over charcoal , the Napoleon NK22L-LEG-2 Charcoal Kettle BBQ our pick for charcoal BBQs , will make you happy .
Looking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from cooking over a kamado-style BBQ ?
You 'll want to check out Big Green Egg 's Large Egg Kamado Cooker .
The Weber Spirit II E-310 may be the brand ’ s entry-level BBQ , but it didn ’ t act like a lesser product when it came to performance .
It was our favourite BBQ to use on every test , producing perfect sear marks on burgers , evenly cooked chicken , and picture-perfect asparagus .
It can ’ t hold quite as much food as our upgrade pick , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ food that does fit will be cooked evenly to perfection .
This BBQ is proof that BTUs are not the end-all-be-all in BBQ choice .
Its 30,000 BTUs cranks out an impressive amount of heat—we created indirect heat by turning a single burner on high heat , then heating the BBQ to 160 degrees ; and when we turned all the burners on low , it hit an impressive 200° C ( which was hotter than some of the higher BTU BBQs we tested ) .
We also loved some of the aesthetic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well put together and built to last .
They really thought of everything with this BBQ : a side-mounted propane tank with a gas meter , sturdy side tables , and grates that fit together perfectly .
It was also one of the few BBQ that had hooks on the side for hanging your cooking tools , and the Weber lids were the only ones designed to vent smoke away from tunnelling into your face .
As a bonus , this BBQ is also iGrill ( a Bluetooth enabled thermometer that mounts permanently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alerts and data right to your smartphone ) compatible .
As compared to some of the other BBQs , the Weber was significantly easier to build , too .
Although there were a lot of little parts to put together , the instruction manual was clear-cut and easy to understand .
The Weber Spirit II E-310 isn ’ t the cheapest BBQ on the market , but it ’ s absolutely worth the price .
When you take all the factors into account—performance , ease of use , and aesthetic appearance—this BBQ was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Get the Weber Spirit II from Amazon for £579 The Napoleon NK22CK-L is the best charcoal grill you can by , right now .
Credit : Reviewed / Lindsay Mattison The Napoleon Charcoal Kettle BBQ was our favourite charcoal BBQ in our test group .
It aced our cooking tests and its design features set it apart from the competition .
For starters , it sits on four legs instead of the standard three that most kettle BBQs come with ; making it both sturdy and stable .
Its ash bucket is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handle that keeps your hands nice and clean as you remove the ashes .
Clipping the ash bucket into place was a bit tricky at first , but once we figured it out it stayed put without a problem .
Finally , there ’ s the BBQ ’ s wide , round rim that rests in the middle of the coal bed while you ’ re cooking .
Initially , we thought this rim was designed to keep the briquettes out of the centre of the BBQ .
However , we quickly realized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up along with the coals , distributing the heat evenly throughout the BBQ .
When it came to cooking on the Napoleon , we had no complaints .
It proved capable of holding 12 to 13 burgers at a time and created a gorgeous overall char when we cooked over direct heat .
Raking the coals for indirect heat was nearly effortless ; its wire cooking grate had hinges on each side that allowed us access to the briquettes underneath .
Additionally , the vents on the top and bottom of the BBQ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of this worked together to create an ideal heat distribution for indirect heat cooking .
Being able to control the airflow is important when cooking over charcoal ; the bottom vents control the heat of the fire , while the top exhausts hot air and smoke out of the BBQ .
• None we could find Get the Napoleon Charcoal BBQ from The BBQ Shop for £206 Big Green Egg 's kamado cooker is incredibly versatile—but you 'll pay a high price for its famous adaptability .
Credit : Reviewed / Lindsay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a charcoal BBQ that can do it all—BBQ burgers and steaks , smoke ribs and pork shoulders , or bake bread and pizza—and budget isn ’ t a concern , you might want to consider the Big Green Egg .
Kamado-style BBQs like the Egg use charcoal as their fuel , but they have thick , ceramic sides which store a ton of heat .
Since most charcoal BBQs aren ’ t made from ceramic , this feature makes kamado BBQs stand out because they can radiate heat around the food as you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an added efficiency with the coals themselves ; after we finished our tests , the Egg had more charcoal left than any of the other BBQs , ready to relight the next time we wanted to use it .
The Large Egg we tested had a 56 cm BBQ space that could fit about a dozen burgers .
It excelled at both high- and low-temperature tests , cooking up burgers with perfect BBQ marks and golden brown , crispy-skinned chicken drumsticks .
The bonus with the Egg is you can also use it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or turned into a smoker with the purchase of the ConvEGGtor , a ceramic plate that facilitates indirect heat cooking .
Overall , we loved cooking on the Egg , and its vent system had the best temperature control of any charcoal BBQ we tested .
It is large and heavy , but the wheels make it easy to move around and it locks firmly in place .
Unfortunately , we weren ’ t impressed with the lack of an ash bucket .
Cleaning out the spent ashes from the bottom of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and required a proprietary tool .
It also took significantly longer to cool down than the rest of BBQs and the body of the BBQ stayed super hot to the touch , something you ’ d want to keep in mind as you ’ re planning your BBQing sessions .
Get the Large Big Green Egg at The Big Green Egg Online Store for £1045 The Weber Q is a powerful , versatile portable grill that 'll serve you well for years to come .
Credit : Reviewed / Lindsay Mattison During testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ away from rest of the portable BBQs we cooked with .
It has cast-iron grates , giving us beautiful , well-defined BBQ marks on the burgers we cooked on it .
Although it only has one burner , it was able to deliver a surprising amount of heat and consistently at that : heat distribution across the Q 1200 ’ s cast-iron grates proved even enough to allow for great grilling , cooking food evenly over its entire surface .
This is a BBQ that offers enough space to cook for a small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its surface , ) and packs up compact enough to disappear once your meal is done .
When it comes to features , the Q 1200 was one of the few portable BBQs we tested that had side tables that were sturdy enough to hold a plate full of food .
The BBQ ’ s plastic side tables fold in to keep the BBQ compact for portability , although you will want to let the BBQ cool down before stowing them away to keep them from melting .
It ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the BBQ isn ’ t in use ; these BBQs are light enough that the wind can catch the tables and blow the whole thing over !
That lightweight came in handy when it came to carrying the BBQ , and its handles were cool enough to hold even after cooking over high heat .
• Side tables are sturdy enough to hold a full plate • Fits a lot of food for its compact size • Lightweight enough to blow over in high wind Get the Weber Q 1200 from Amazon for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
In the eternal debate over whether a gas BBQ or a charcoal BBQ is better for outdoor cooking , there is no wrong answer .
If you ’ re cooking your food on the BBQ instead of inside the house , it will capture that beautiful charred essence and smoky flavour from cooking over open flames .
You likely already have strong opinions on the topic of gas versus charcoal and we ’ re not here to change your mind .
If you ’ re still on the fence on the subject @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and cons of using each type of BBQ to help you choose the right one for you .
Let ’ s talk gas BBQs , first .
Gas BBQs are more convenient than charcoal BBQs .
That they don ’ t use charcoal as fuel not only makes a gas BBQ easier to clean ( no ash ! )
, but it also cuts down its initial heating time .
That gas BBQs come equipped with electric starters or a spark wheel to ignite its gas burner helps to get you cooking faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well .
It ’ s easy to easier to control the heat while you ’ re BBQing with gas than it is when using charcoal ; to adjust the heat up and down , simply twist a knob instead of fiddling around with hot coals .
It is an annoyance when you run out of gas , though , so we love these newer BBQs that have a handy meter right on the side of the BBQ .
Charcoal BBQs , on the other hand , are significantly less expensive than their gas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cooking over a charcoal BBQ , as the briquettes they use for fuel infuse smokey elements into the food .
The coals created by burning those briquettes can burn hotter than propane or natural gas , which can be a pro or a con : you ’ ll get a serious sear on your food if that ’ s what you ’ re going for , but it ’ s also easy to burn your food over 700° F temperatures .
While these appliances are called “ BBQs , ” they heat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flames .
That makes them closer to an electric griddle than a BBQ .
However , if you want to BBQ indoors or live somewhere that cooking over an open flame is frowned upon , an indoor BBQ will do the trick .
Pro tip : in order to use an electric BBQ , you need an accessible plug ( a feature that not all decks or patios have ) , or a high-powered extension cord .
Get the Weber Pulse 1000 Electric BBQ from Amazon for £466.99 The product experts at Reviewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Follow Reviewed on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram for the latest deals , product reviews , and more .
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time .

Almost any food tastes better when it’s cooked on a BBQ. The smoky flavour and high-temperature-sear that a charcoal BBQ can kiss choice cuts of meat with are the stuff culinary dreams are made of. BBQ chicken, veggies or salmon with a convenient, easy-to-use gas BBQ? Perfection. No matter whether you’re buying your first BBQ or looking to upgrade your outdoor cooking experience, our extensive research and testing have uncovered the best products to suit your needs.
For those that adore the ease and consistency that comes from cooking with gas, Weber’s Spirit II E-310 offers the perfect balance of build quality and features, at a reasonable price.
Looking to BBQ on the go? Weber's Q 1200 portable gas BBQ could be just the thing. If you prefer the rich, smoky flavour that results from cooking over charcoal, the Napoleon NK22L-LEG-2 Charcoal Kettle BBQ our pick for charcoal BBQs, will make you happy. Looking to enjoy the incredible versatility that comes from cooking over a kamado-style BBQ? You'll want to check out Big Green Egg's Large Egg Kamado Cooker.
Credit: Weber
BEST GAS BBQ
Weber Spirit II E-310
The Weber Spirit II E-310 may be the brand’s entry-level BBQ, but it didn’t act like a lesser product when it came to performance. It was our favourite BBQ to use on every test, producing perfect sear marks on burgers, evenly cooked chicken, and picture-perfect asparagus. It can’t hold quite as much food as our upgrade pick, the Weber Genesis II E-310, but the food that does fit will be cooked evenly to perfection.
This BBQ is proof that BTUs are not the end-all-be-all in BBQ choice. Its 30,000 BTUs cranks out an impressive amount of heat—we created indirect heat by turning a single burner on high heat, then heating the BBQ to 160 degrees; and when we turned all the burners on low, it hit an impressive 200° C (which was hotter than some of the higher BTU BBQs we tested).
We also loved some of the aesthetic features, and the BBQ itself felt well put together and built to last. They really thought of everything with this BBQ: a side-mounted propane tank with a gas meter, sturdy side tables, and grates that fit together perfectly. It was also one of the few BBQ that had hooks on the side for hanging your cooking tools, and the Weber lids were the only ones designed to vent smoke away from tunnelling into your face. As a bonus, this BBQ is also iGrill (a Bluetooth enabled thermometer that mounts permanently to the BBQ table and can send alerts and data right to your smartphone) compatible. As compared to some of the other BBQs, the Weber was significantly easier to build, too. Although there were a lot of little parts to put together, the instruction manual was clear-cut and easy to understand.
The Weber Spirit II E-310 isn’t the cheapest BBQ on the market, but it’s absolutely worth the price. When you take all the factors into account—performance, ease of use, and aesthetic appearance—this BBQ was an obvious choice for Best Gas BBQ.
Pros
Cooks evenly and perfectly sears meat and veggies
Produces impressive heat for 30,000 BTUs
Sturdy, well-built design and features
Cons
Only holds about 18 burgers
Get the Weber Spirit II from Amazon for £579
The Napoleon NK22CK-L is the best charcoal grill you can by, right now. Credit: Reviewed / Lindsay Mattison
BEST CHARCOAL BBQ
Napoleon NK22K-LEG-2
The Napoleon Charcoal Kettle BBQ was our favourite charcoal BBQ in our test group. It aced our cooking tests and its design features set it apart from the competition. For starters, it sits on four legs instead of the standard three that most kettle BBQs come with; making it both sturdy and stable. Its ash bucket is larger than most and has a wide-grip handle that keeps your hands nice and clean as you remove the ashes. Clipping the ash bucket into place was a bit tricky at first, but once we figured it out it stayed put without a problem. Finally, there’s the BBQ’s wide, round rim that rests in the middle of the coal bed while you’re cooking. Initially, we thought this rim was designed to keep the briquettes out of the centre of the BBQ. However, we quickly realized that the rim’s metal heated up along with the coals, distributing the heat evenly throughout the BBQ.
When it came to cooking on the Napoleon, we had no complaints. It proved capable of holding 12 to 13 burgers at a time and created a gorgeous overall char when we cooked over direct heat. Raking the coals for indirect heat was nearly effortless; its wire cooking grate had hinges on each side that allowed us access to the briquettes underneath. Additionally, the vents on the top and bottom of the BBQ were easy to open and close. All of this worked together to create an ideal heat distribution for indirect heat cooking. Being able to control the airflow is important when cooking over charcoal; the bottom vents control the heat of the fire, while the top exhausts hot air and smoke out of the BBQ.
Pros
Distributes heat evenly
Sturdy and stable
Good capacity
Cons
None we could find
Get the Napoleon Charcoal BBQ from The BBQ Shop for £206
Big Green Egg's kamado cooker is incredibly versatile—but you'll pay a high price for its famous adaptability. Credit: Reviewed / Lindsay Mattison
MOST VERSATILE CHARCOAL BBQ
Big Green Egg Large
If you’re looking for a charcoal BBQ that can do it all—BBQ burgers and steaks, smoke ribs and pork shoulders, or bake bread and pizza—and budget isn’t a concern, you might want to consider the Big Green Egg. Kamado-style BBQs like the Egg use charcoal as their fuel, but they have thick, ceramic sides which store a ton of heat. Since most charcoal BBQs aren’t made from ceramic, this feature makes kamado BBQs stand out because they can radiate heat around the food as you cook. The ceramic sides also create an added efficiency with the coals themselves; after we finished our tests, the Egg had more charcoal left than any of the other BBQs, ready to relight the next time we wanted to use it.
The Large Egg we tested had a 56 cm BBQ space that could fit about a dozen burgers. It excelled at both high- and low-temperature tests, cooking up burgers with perfect BBQ marks and golden brown, crispy-skinned chicken drumsticks. The bonus with the Egg is you can also use it as an induction oven to cook bread or turned into a smoker with the purchase of the ConvEGGtor, a ceramic plate that facilitates indirect heat cooking.
Overall, we loved cooking on the Egg, and its vent system had the best temperature control of any charcoal BBQ we tested. It is large and heavy, but the wheels make it easy to move around and it locks firmly in place. Unfortunately, we weren’t impressed with the lack of an ash bucket. Cleaning out the spent ashes from the bottom of the BBQ was a bit of a chore and required a proprietary tool. It also took significantly longer to cool down than the rest of BBQs and the body of the BBQ stayed super hot to the touch, something you’d want to keep in mind as you’re planning your BBQing sessions.
Pros
Very versatile
Very efficient
Great temperature control
Cons
Expensive
Slow to cool
Hard to clean
Get the Large Big Green Egg at The Big Green Egg Online Store for £1045
The Weber Q is a powerful, versatile portable grill that'll serve you well for years to come. Credit: Reviewed / Lindsay Mattison
BEST PORTABLE GAS BBQ
Weber Q 1200
During testing, the Weber Q 1200 immediately pulled away from rest of the portable BBQs we cooked with. It has cast-iron grates, giving us beautiful, well-defined BBQ marks on the burgers we cooked on it. Although it only has one burner, it was able to deliver a surprising amount of heat and consistently at that: heat distribution across the Q 1200’s cast-iron grates proved even enough to allow for great grilling, cooking food evenly over its entire surface. This is a BBQ that offers enough space to cook for a small crowd (we easily fit six burgers on its surface,) and packs up compact enough to disappear once your meal is done.
When it comes to features, the Q 1200 was one of the few portable BBQs we tested that had side tables that were sturdy enough to hold a plate full of food. The BBQ’s plastic side tables fold in to keep the BBQ compact for portability, although you will want to let the BBQ cool down before stowing them away to keep them from melting. It’s a good idea to stow the tables when the BBQ isn’t in use; these BBQs are light enough that the wind can catch the tables and blow the whole thing over! That lightweight came in handy when it came to carrying the BBQ, and its handles were cool enough to hold even after cooking over high heat.
Pros
Consistent heat distribution for even cooking
Side tables are sturdy enough to hold a full plate
Fits a lot of food for its compact size
Cons
Lightweight enough to blow over in high wind
Get the Weber Q 1200 from Amazon for £329
Gas or Charcoal—How Do You Choose?
In the eternal debate over whether a gas BBQ or a charcoal BBQ is better for outdoor cooking, there is no wrong answer. If you’re cooking your food on the BBQ instead of inside the house, it will capture that beautiful charred essence and smoky flavour from cooking over open flames. You likely already have strong opinions on the topic of gas versus charcoal and we’re not here to change your mind. If you’re still on the fence on the subject, however, here are the pros and cons of using each type of BBQ to help you choose the right one for you. Let’s talk gas BBQs, first.
Gas BBQs are more convenient than charcoal BBQs. That they don’t use charcoal as fuel not only makes a gas BBQ easier to clean (no ash!), but it also cuts down its initial heating time. That gas BBQs come equipped with electric starters or a spark wheel to ignite its gas burner helps to get you cooking faster than charcoal users can manage, as well. It’s easy to easier to control the heat while you’re BBQing with gas than it is when using charcoal; to adjust the heat up and down, simply twist a knob instead of fiddling around with hot coals. It is an annoyance when you run out of gas, though, so we love these newer BBQs that have a handy meter right on the side of the BBQ.
Charcoal BBQs, on the other hand, are significantly less expensive than their gas counterparts. Many people prefer the flavour of cooking over a charcoal BBQ, as the briquettes they use for fuel infuse smokey elements into the food. The coals created by burning those briquettes can burn hotter than propane or natural gas, which can be a pro or a con: you’ll get a serious sear on your food if that’s what you’re going for, but it’s also easy to burn your food over 700° F temperatures.
What About Electric BBQs?
While these appliances are called “BBQs,” they heat your food using a coil instead of flames. That makes them closer to an electric griddle than a BBQ. However, if you want to BBQ indoors or live somewhere that cooking over an open flame is frowned upon, an indoor BBQ will do the trick. Pro tip: in order to use an electric BBQ, you need an accessible plug (a feature that not all decks or patios have), or a high-powered extension cord.
Get the Weber Pulse 1000 Electric BBQ from Amazon for £466.99
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-07--Rare butterfly spotted in Wyre Forest wood for the first time

WORK to improve a Wyre Forest woods for wildlife has paid off after a rare butterfly was spotted in the area for the first time .
Shatterford Wood saw areas of a conifer plantation cleared last year to create sunny glades and wide woodland paths , while trees were thinned out to expose a bank to sunlight .
Shatterford bank before the clearance works .
Photo by Sean Webber The work was part of a project by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Worcestershire County Council , funded by a European Regional Development Fund grant , in an effort to bring wildlife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making the most of the newly-adapted environment is a rare dingy skipper butterfly , which has never been recorded in the wood before now .
The dingy skipper is known from the wider Wyre Forest area , although numbers of this small grey-brown butterfly have declined by 61 per cent since the 1970s .
Shatterford Woods after the clearance works .
Photo by Sean Webber The recent sighting is causing a stir for wildlife lovers .
Sean Webber , Natural Networks project officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust , said : “ When the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ looked rather drastic but the process of felling and removing trees often looks much worse than it is and vegetation is already bouncing back .
“ It won ’ t be long before we see a diverse range of wildflowers and other plants that will be of great benefit to the wildlife here .
“ To discover that a dingy skipper has been seen here so soon is really great news .
`` The work we undertook in conjunction with volunteers from Butterfly Conservation and the landowner , Forestry England , was primarily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insects – the fact that we ’ re seeing results so early in the process is really heartening.
” Skipper butterflies usually hold their wings folded - more like a moth than a butterfly - but dingy skippers can often be seen basking on bare ground with their wings spread .
The dingy skipper in Shatterford Wood .
Photo by Steve Horton Its colouring helps to keep it camouflaged when basking on bare ground and when roosting on dead flowerheads overnight .
Colonies of dingy skippers are found in open and sunny habitats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so the recent work in Shatterford Woods will have helped to attract them to the area .
Their caterpillars feed on bird ’ s-foot trefoil , greater bird ’ s-foot trefoil and horseshoe vetch and it is hoped that the recent work will help these and other plants to flourish .
Richard Boles , Wyre Best Forester for Forestry England , said : “ It is great to see that the joint work within Shatterford has greatly improved the ride network and there is no doubt that this work has encouraged the dingy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ improved habitat .
“ We are pleased to be a part of this project and look forward to seeing what other positive effects come as a result.
” Mike Williams , of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation , added : “ We have worked on many past projects with Forestry England to benefit many of our rarer butterflies but this is the first time we have focused work at Shatterford Woods .
“ This is a great result and we are grateful to Natural Networks for providing the extra support that enabled this project @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provides free biodiversity enhancement reports from experts at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and offers match-funded grants to carry out the recommendations .
Small and medium businesses as well as public and third sector organisations are eligible for funding of between £2,000 and £200,000 for projects such as tree planting , creating of wildflower meadows and increasing biodiversity along water courses .
For more information about the project , visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/natural-networks .

Shatterford Wood saw areas of a conifer plantation cleared last year to create sunny glades and wide woodland paths, while trees were thinned out to expose a bank to sunlight.
Shatterford bank before the clearance works. Photo by Sean Webber
The work was part of a project by Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and Worcestershire County Council, funded by a European Regional Development Fund grant, in an effort to bring wildlife back to the area.
Among those making the most of the newly-adapted environment is a rare dingy skipper butterfly, which has never been recorded in the wood before now.
The dingy skipper is known from the wider Wyre Forest area, although numbers of this small grey-brown butterfly have declined by 61 per cent since the 1970s.
Shatterford Woods after the clearance works. Photo by Sean Webber
The recent sighting is causing a stir for wildlife lovers.
Sean Webber, Natural Networks project officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said: “When the work took place last year, it looked rather drastic but the process of felling and removing trees often looks much worse than it is and vegetation is already bouncing back.
“It won’t be long before we see a diverse range of wildflowers and other plants that will be of great benefit to the wildlife here.
Shatterford Woods bank revegetating. Photo by Mike Williams
“To discover that a dingy skipper has been seen here so soon is really great news.
"The work we undertook in conjunction with volunteers from Butterfly Conservation and the landowner, Forestry England, was primarily to benefit butterflies, moths and other insects – the fact that we’re seeing results so early in the process is really heartening.”
Skipper butterflies usually hold their wings folded - more like a moth than a butterfly - but dingy skippers can often be seen basking on bare ground with their wings spread.
The dingy skipper in Shatterford Wood. Photo by Steve Horton
Its colouring helps to keep it camouflaged when basking on bare ground and when roosting on dead flowerheads overnight.
Colonies of dingy skippers are found in open and sunny habitats including wide woodland rides and clearings, so the recent work in Shatterford Woods will have helped to attract them to the area.
Their caterpillars feed on bird’s-foot trefoil, greater bird’s-foot trefoil and horseshoe vetch and it is hoped that the recent work will help these and other plants to flourish.
Richard Boles, Wyre Best Forester for Forestry England, said: “It is great to see that the joint work within Shatterford has greatly improved the ride network and there is no doubt that this work has encouraged the dingy skipper to move in and explore the improved habitat.
Shatterford Wood bank revegetating. Photo by Mike Williams
“We are pleased to be a part of this project and look forward to seeing what other positive effects come as a result.”
Mike Williams, of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation, added: “We have worked on many past projects with Forestry England to benefit many of our rarer butterflies but this is the first time we have focused work at Shatterford Woods.
“This is a great result and we are grateful to Natural Networks for providing the extra support that enabled this project to proceed.”
The Natural Networks project provides free biodiversity enhancement reports from experts at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and offers match-funded grants to carry out the recommendations.
Small and medium businesses as well as public and third sector organisations are eligible for funding of between £2,000 and £200,000 for projects such as tree planting, creating of wildflower meadows and increasing biodiversity along water courses.
For more information about the project, visit worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/natural-networks.


kidderminstershuttle--2020-06-07--Martin Lewis issues 'important' advice to homeowners on mortgage holidays

Martin Lewis has released 'important ' advice on mortgages for all homeowners across the country .
The MoneySavingExpert shared information on three-month mortgage holidays , which follows an update by regulator , the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) .
What has Martin said ?
Martin said : `` Under the regulator 's plans , you will have until October to apply for one , and those who have already had one can extend .
`` Yet interest racks up and it can impact you creditworthiness .
`` My hope is that as these holidays are specifically for the short-term @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the practice is so widespread , it wo n't be used by many firms , and where it is it wo n't tarnish individuals ' credit reputation for too long .
`` But there 's no real way to know .
Most importantly , I do n't believe this should stop anyone who needs a mortgage holiday from getting one , if it 's crucial for cash flow , just do it .
`` Yet for those on the border , who may find it temporarily useful but can cope without it , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racks up during the payment holiday and I 'd err on the side of caution . ''
What have the FCA said ?
Christopher Woolard , interim chief executive at the FCA , added : `` Our expectations are clear - anyone who continues to need help should get help from their lender .
`` We expect firms to work with customers on the best options available for them , paying particular attention to the needs of their vulnerable customers , and to provide information on where to access help and advice .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mortgage payments , it is in their best interests to do so .
But where they ca n't , a range of further support will be available .
`` People who are struggling and have not had a payment holiday will continue to be able to apply until October 31 . ''
What have UK Finance said ?
Stephen Jones , the CEO of UK Finance , added : `` Banks and building societies will continue to help their customers get through the crisis and have a wide range of support available .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ situation should check with their lender to discuss which form of support would be the best choice for them . ''

The MoneySavingExpert shared information on three-month mortgage holidays, which follows an update by regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
What has Martin said?
Martin said: "Under the regulator's plans, you will have until October to apply for one, and those who have already had one can extend.
"Yet interest racks up and it can impact you creditworthiness.
"My hope is that as these holidays are specifically for the short-term financial hit of coronavirus, and as the practice is so widespread, it won't be used by many firms, and where it is it won't tarnish individuals' credit reputation for too long.
"But there's no real way to know. Most importantly, I don't believe this should stop anyone who needs a mortgage holiday from getting one, if it's crucial for cash flow, just do it.
"Yet for those on the border, who may find it temporarily useful but can cope without it, add this to the fact that interest racks up during the payment holiday and I'd err on the side of caution."
What have the FCA said?
Christopher Woolard, interim chief executive at the FCA, added: "Our expectations are clear - anyone who continues to need help should get help from their lender.
"We expect firms to work with customers on the best options available for them, paying particular attention to the needs of their vulnerable customers, and to provide information on where to access help and advice.
"Where consumers can afford to restart mortgage payments, it is in their best interests to do so. But where they can't, a range of further support will be available.
"People who are struggling and have not had a payment holiday will continue to be able to apply until October 31."
What have UK Finance said?
Stephen Jones, the CEO of UK Finance, added: "Banks and building societies will continue to help their customers get through the crisis and have a wide range of support available.
"Anyone with concerns about their financial situation should check with their lender to discuss which form of support would be the best choice for them."