Category: children

Ruddington Roadworks Resume

Graham Wright

The very welcome, festive respite for Ruddington’s long suffering residents and motorists – especially for those wanting to get in and out of our village at ‘rush hour’ – is now at an end. Since lengthy junction layout improvements and new utility installations at the Kirk Lane/Loughborough Road/Flawforth Lane crossroads began in July 2023, they have caused significant frustration, with long, peak-time delays for drivers and bus passengers; most recently due to months of temporary 4-way temporary signals for pipe-laying by Severn Trent Water. Unfortunately, this major work resumes this Monday 8th January 2024,…

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Apply Now for UK Shared Prosperity Funding

Graham Wright

Ruddington organisations delivering a project are being reminded they can apply for up to £40k from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), supported by the UK Government. Applications should be made as soon as possible via Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC), which is currently inviting community groups, businesses, voluntary or public sector organisations from our village to apply for the support by the deadline of Friday January 19th, 2024. Projects can cover a broad range of initiatives, and examples include: • Creating and improving local green…

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Our ‘Outstanding’ New School

Graham Wright

Staff, pupils and parents at a new Ruddington school, which only opened its doors just over a year ago, are celebrating the highest possible ratings following its first Ofsted inspection. Operated by Polaris Children’s Services at 165, Loughborough Road (formerly known as ‘Easthorpe House’ and the home of NHS Rushcliffe Clinical Commissioning Group up until June 2020), the Grade 2 listed building has been sympathetically modified to create ‘Easthorpe School’ – which is specifically for pupils aged 7 to 16 with special educational needs. Two Ofsted inspectors visited its premises from November 14th to 16th…

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Twixmas Roundup from our Railway

Graham Wright

With Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre now closed until 2024 (3rd January) here’s a quick progress report as we reach the end of another busy year at Ruddington’s popular railway. Firstly, Great Central Railway (Nottingham) (GCRN) reports that all the main building work on its new carriage shed here in Ruddington is now complete. Not only will this substantial new structure protect four, 1950s-built carriages from the elements and damage, but also the planned flat floor means it will be suitable for indoor events, and there is also a small workshop.…

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No More School Places in Ruddington?

Graham Wright

Nottinghamshire County Council has indicated that the expansion of a new school in Edwalton will be the focus of its efforts to accommodate future generations of Ruddington children, rather than creating more school places here. This is despite a summer petition by village resident Katie Santana on behalf of aggrieved parents in Ruddington whose children were unable to secure a place at James Peacock Nursery and Infants School in September. It’s the first time this has ever happened, and was blamed on the hundreds of new homes currently being built…

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Teenager Arrested Over Allotment Thefts

Graham Wright

Police are appealing for anyone with further information to come forward after two separate incidents at a Ruddington allotments within just three weeks. ‘Hareham Gardens Allotments’, at the corner of Musters Road and Asher Lane, was first targeted on the night of November 24th/25th after several sheds were broken into and tools reportedly worth around £500 stolen from one of them. Then, on the night of December 13th, nearby residents reported another break-in at the allotments to the police. Officers attended Asher Lane at around 12.40am on 14th December 2023 and…

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Ruddington’s ‘Home Alone’ Elves Return!

Graham Wright

After Santa’s been to visit us with his elves, very early on Christmas Day, there’ll again be additional activity that lunchtime thanks to Ruddington’s own little helpers. As in previous years, they’re being co-ordinated by ‘chief elf’ Laura Ratcliffe, of Ruddington Mums (pictured top), to deliver festive meals all around our village to older residents who it’s known will be spending the big day alone. “We have a team of volunteer elves again who are serving an extra home cooked Christmas Day dinner and delivering it to the elderly residents of…

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The True Meaning of Christmas

Graham Wright

Whilst Ruddington’s wide variety of festive celebrations among traders and other village organisations in the run up to Christmas are hard to beat, it’s always good to remember the significance of this special period from a religious point of view. That’s what our three very active Christian churches in Ruddington are inviting us to do in the coming days, and here are their main Christmas services for 2023: Sunday 17th December Nativity Sunday Service @ 10.30am | Ruddington Baptist Church in St Peter’s Rooms – an all-age, interactive retelling of the…

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Penguin Spotters Wanted!

Graham Wright

We’d expect no less from our nationally famous Ruddington Yarn Bombers than to adorn our village in amazing, festive style at this time of year. However, the Yarn Ninjas’ Christmas creations this time around have surpassed even previous standards – including giving the kids something fun to do between now and the end of this month.  Called the ‘Pesky Penguins Trail’, youngsters are invited to see how many of the little black and white knitted birds – in various attire – they can find lurking in different locations around Ruddington.…

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‘Good Causes’ Cash Handed Out

Graham Wright

The three beneficiaries of the 2022-2023 ‘Local Community Fund’, courtesy of shoppers at the Ruddington Co-op, have now received their money. They were Ruddington & District U3A, The Ruddington Pantry and 1st Clifton Scout Group. The cash is generated by Co-op members each time they buy groceries, insurance, financial and funeral services – and altogether totalled £10.4m to nearly 4,000 good causes during the past 12 months. Locally, Ruddington and District U3A (pictured top) received £2710.81. Barbara Breakwell from the U3A says: “We are delighted to have been chosen as a Local Community…

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