Dunstable News Desk

NHS England has removed special measures on Bedfordshire's health body, after it delivered on an improvement plan to stabilise its finances and put the organisation on a firmer footing. Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group was placed under 'legal directions' in 2015 after it delivered a £42m uncontrolled loss over the previous two years. The 'legal directions' meant that a new Accountable Officer and Executive team was appointed and the organisation was closely scrutinised to ensure better financial management and corporate governance was put in place. The organisation also increased its clinical leadership, appointing a number of clinicians, including a new chair to the health body, to ensure that all decisions were made with patients in mind. Dr Alvin Low, Chairman of Bedfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group said, "We are delighted that NHS England has lifted 'legal directions'. It is a resounding endorsement of the hard work and commitment show

  Events and Courses Summer Unconference - Tuesday 11 July, 10am – 4pm. Bunyan Meeting Rooms, Bedford. Organised by Bedford Community Network, this is a free, delegate-led event for voluntary organisations in Bedford Borough.   An unconference is an unconventional conference which is organised, structured and led by the people attending it. There is no fixed agenda, no-one has selected the speakers before the event, no-one has decided for you what an 'Important Topic' is, and there will be no 'death by powerpoint' keynote speech!   If you have an idea for a session or a burning issue you'd like to raise then come to the event and pitch it, but you don't need to have all the answers!  If you don't have any ideas for a session, come to the event anyway, see what other people are suggesting and get involved!   The venue has multiple rooms so we can cater for several workshops and discussions. Once we've filled the timetable with all the interesting topics,

Dunstable Men-In-Sheds put on a display at the Cheering Volunteers event organised by Central Bedfordshire Council and held at Grove Theatre on Tuesday evening. The group fosters the health and wellbeing of men and is open to those aged 55+. It provides facilities so that men can meet, share common hobbies and interests, learn and share skills, as well as developing new ideas and helping with community based projects. The men come from all walks of life and enjoy good company, a cup of tea, chatting while having fun. Woodworking, metalworking and craft working are among the things catered for. The 20+ strong group meet at the Meadway Allotment site in Dunstable, and typically opens Monday Wednesday and Friday mornings, as well as Thursday evenings. All members have an equal say, and it runs on a voluntary basis. The group aspires to do a lot to help Dunstable community. Dunstable Men-In-Sheds are affiliated to UK Men's Sheds Association, who provide practical support. If

​ ​     CVS Update  |  5 June 2017     Happy Volunteers' Week! Volunteers' Week is an annual celebration of the fantastic contribution millions of volunteers make across the UK. It takes place from 1-7 June every year.  Why not take the opportunity to say 'thank you' to your existing volunteers? Go to  http://volunteersweek.org/  for more information. CVS Volunteering has a new online volunteering recruitment system. Potential volunteers are now able to browse and register for local opportunities 24/7. If your organisation has volunteering roles you want us to promote, then email Paul Atkin today ( paul@cvsbeds.org.uk ) to get set up. To look at the current list of opportunities online  click here. EVENTS AND COURSES Safeguarding our Communities from Harm,  Saturday 10 June (1pm-4pm) - This 'Train the Trainer' session is being run by Bedfordshire Police at the Police Headquarters in Kempston for staff from voluntary organisations in Bedford who may come across o

How do you pay for parking at Dunstable Asda when all your old £1 coins have gone? A yellow sticker says "This machine does not accept the NEW £1 coin Other UK coins accepted Apologies for any inconvenience" A red sticker says "This machine does not accept new 5p and 10p coins" Horizon Parking are responsible for the parking meters at Asda car park. When asked what are people supposed to do when they want to pay for parking at Asda, an Horizon spokesperson said, "You could ask customer services at Asda, I'm sure they'd be obliging." When it was pointed out to Horizon that Asda was not responsible for the car park, and Horizon were, the Horizon spokesman said, "Sorry." When it was pointed out that it was inconvenient to go into the store for change, and then to return to the parked vehicle, by which time it might have been fined, the Horizon spokesman said, "I see, Sir." When asked on what date the meters wo