ANGELthe

AN UPDATE ON BURSLEM REGENERATION PROGRESS

ISSUE 8 Spring 2008

Healthcare boost for BurslemHealthcare boost for Burslemcentre pages

Page three

Revised plansfor formerRoyal Doulton site unveiled

IN 2004, the BurslemMasterplan drawn up byconsultants W.S. Atkins waspublished. The culmination ofalmost two years’ work, theMasterplan was the mostsignificant study everundertaken for the MotherTown.

Issued as supplmentaryplanning guidance, theMasterplan had sharp teeth,but those teeth were neverused to bite hard. For somethe strength of Atkins’ workwas an embarrassment, andweak decisions issued in itsname were seen for what theywere – weak!

Happily, the AtkinsMasterplan is still in place.Wisdom has prevailed andnew consultants, Hypostyle,have been instructed toupdate it to cater for changesthat have either occurrednaturally or by neglect since itwas first published.

The original work wasstrong enough to stand thetest of time. Furtherconsultation is virtualyunnecessary, and thosecharged with theresponsibility of implementingthe Masterplan have seen thiswith commendable clarity.

So too have the developers.They have a small moment oftime to clamber through theeye of a needle. We should beunder no illusion about this.

Good development comesabout by implementing soundplanning principles, and asgood a starting point as anywill be the decisions taken onthe former Doulton site in NileStreet.

The Masterplan willcontinue to hold the linebetween successful andunsuccessful regeneration ofthe Mother Town.

Masterplanwisdomstill prevails

By HughEdwardsChairman ofThe BurslemRegenerationCompany

2 T H E A N G E L

INTEREST is mounting in the BurslemTownscape Heritage Initiative which haslimited funding of around £3.5 million

available to improve the look of historicbuildings in the centre of the Mother Town.

Already grants totalling around £100,000 havebeen paid under the scheme for a number offacelift and refurbishment projects – and severalmore are in the pipeline.

Owners or leaseholders of suitable propertiesin the Townscape Heritage Initiative area areeligible for as much as 90 per cent of theproject’s cost.

Those who have benefited from the BurslemTHI so far include: the United Reform Church onMoorland Road, where a fire damaged room hasbeen totally refurbished to provide amenities forthe community; the Kismet restaurant in QueenStreet which is extending into a vacant building

next door while retaining its period-stylefrontage; and Victoria’s Tailors opposite theQueen’s Theatre have had new windows anddoors, with more proposals for some newguttering and possibly a new roof.

Suleman Nakhooda, Project Manager, said:“There has been a good take up so far, and aswell as the work currently in progress the THIhas attracted grant applications for aboutanother 20 projects – most of which havedetailed plans for what is proposed.”

For more details on the Burslem THI and tocheck whether you are within the schemeboundary, please log on towww.stoke.gov.uk/burslemthi2

Suleman Nakhooda can be contacted at theBurslem Regeneration Company Office, BurslemSchool of Art, Queen Street, Burslem, ST6 3EJ orphone 01782 236420.

SWAN Square is soon to betransformed from an “uglyduckling” town centre site intoan attractive Continental-stylepublic piazza.

The £268,000 project hasalready seen the demolition ofthe ageing subterraneantoilets, which have been filledin to make way for a numberof stylish “wow factor”features, some of which weresuggested by residents.

Work on the final phase ofthe exciting Swan Squarescheme, developed by the citycouncil and the Regeneration

Partnership to improve animportant gateway to theMother Town, starts in mid-May and, weather permitting,will take three months tocomplete.

A gravel terrace andsandstone features will helpcreate a 21st century publicspace, ideal for meetingfriends, passing the time orstopping for a sandwich. Partof the piazza will create spacefor outdoor stalls, raising thepossibility for more specialistmarkets.

The original iron railings

that used to surround thetoilets will be re-used and re-painted to form a barrierbetween the seating area andtraffic making deliveries tonearby business premises.

Julian Read, RegenerationManager, said: “The new SwanSquare initiative will create afitting entrance to Burslem andthe project will have a reallypositive effect on QueenStreet, Nile Street and SwanBank, while also providing animpressive outdoor amenity forthe people of the town andvisitors to the area.”

£3.5m grant fund for town facelifts

‘Ugly duckling’ to be beautiful Swan piazza

An artist’s impressionshows how SwanSquare will look.

T H E A N G E L 3

Revised Doulton site plansooze urban style

An artist’s impression showing a facade of part of the planned residential scheme.

REVISED plans for thedevelopment of theformer Royal Doulton site

at Burslem have been submittedto the City Council following apublic consultation exercise.

Developers St ModwenProperties has amended itsscheme for the 11 acres of landlocated in a key area of thetown. The proposals are still amix of business units, offices,workshops and homes – butthere have been significantchanges to the residentialelement.

Previously 175 new homeswere planned – now there are140 of mixed styles suitable foran urban location includingfashionable mews and moretraditional houses. The homeswill be mostly two or threebedroom but there will also besome four bedroom with avariation in building heightranging from two, two-and-a-halfto three storeys

St Modwen Regional DirectorMike Herbert said: “The revisedresidential plans have a moreurban design rather thansuburban. Consequently thelayout follows straight linesrather than curved lines. Therewill be public art features and acentral landscaped open spacewhich will be a communal areafor the benefit of the residents.”

Although most of the oldfactory will be demolished, thehistoric courtyard buildings atthe former main entrance in NileStreet will be retained for thebusiness element of thescheme. As part of the revisedproposals St Modwen is makinga financial contribution tolandscaping and other

enhancements to the “townend” of Nile Street.

“This will strengthen the linkbetween the development andtown centre, making it more ofan extension to the towncentre,” said Mr Herbert.“Vehicle access to theresidential development will bevia Hobson Street and LingardStreet and there will be anadditional pedestrian accessfrom Nile Street.”

As The Angel went to press,members of the City Council’sDevelopment Control Sub-Committee were expected toconsider the planningapplication for the scheme attheir April meeting. Shouldcouncillors give planningapproval, work would begin laterthis year.

An artist’s impression ofhow the Royal Doultonfactory courtyard will lookas part of the newdevelopment.

St Modwen Regional DirectorMike Herbert examines layoutplans at the former RoyalDoulton factory site.

4 T H E A N G E L

DOZENS of homesin Middleportreceived a facelift

as part of a £1.1 millionmakeover project.Terraced houses hadfront windows, doors,roofs, guttering,boundary walls and gatesrepaired or replaced, aswell as having masonryrepointed and painted.

The work was carriedout by RENEW NorthStaffordshire as part ofthe huge programme tomake run downneighbourhoods in thearea attractive andpopular places to live.

Resident Jamie Walker’shome benefited from anew front door, frontwall, patio, a retiled roofand loft insulation.

She said: “It looksabsolutely brilliant. Whenit’s finished it will look asgood as a new house.The whole street will lookgreat and it will certainlyhelp give the area abetter reputation.”

Jamie’s home is one of27 properties in NewportStreet improved underthe project. More than 30homeowners andlandlords in EllgreaveStreet, 12 in St Paul’sStreet, six in Sant Streetand others in ChurchSquare and Globe Streethave also signed up forthe work.

PEOPLE who want to make a difference toBurslem have been given the chance to play animportant part in the regeneration of the MotherTown.

Those with a strong commitment torejuvenating the town were invited to apply formembership of the Burslem RegenerationCompany Board, which aims to bring togetherthe private, public, community and voluntarysectors to help deliver the regeneration requiredto secure the future prosperity of Burslem.

The Board has been re-constituted, meaning

that seven Board members needed to beappointed, and these positions were advertisedin the local press. All the applications, whichhad to be received by no later than April 7th,are now being considered.

Successful applicants will be required toattend approximately four Board meetings ayear and they may also be expected to serve onBoard sub-groups. No remuneration or expensesare paid for these posts, but membership of theBoard offers an exciting and rewarding role inthe regeneration of Burslem.

JOB seekers and peoplewho use other publicservices now have aconvenient and easy to usetown centre customeraccess point situated withinthe library building inQueen Street

And a second facility inBurslem will open shortly inthe form of a job pointinside the new Children’sCentre at Port Vale FootballClub’s Vale Park stadium.

Both offer free directphone access to staff tomake inquiries not onlyabout job searches but alsoa range of other issuesincluding benefits, taxcredits and pensions.

In addition customershave free use of a computer,supplied by the LibraryService, for up to two hours.This can be used as anonline job search facility,and through thedirect.gov.uk website thecomputer facility also linksthe user with information ona host of issues as varied asadult learning, recyclingand how to give upsmoking.

Residents in Burslemwho need to make a claimfor a working age benefit,such as JobseekersAllowance or SicknessBenefit, should call a singlecontact point – 0800 0556688.

Calls are free from alandline but charges mayapply when calling from amobile phone. The contactcentre will arrange to callpeople back if asked.

Phil Rowley, HanleyJobcentre Plus Manager,said: “Working withpartners to provideJobcentre Plus serviceswithin community locationsis just one example of theway we are helping peopleget easy access to ourservices.”

Jamie Walker and her son Jake outside their newly-renovated housein Newport Street, Middleport.

Two newjobs pointsin town

Board applications being considered

Families delighted withhomes facelift

T H E A N G E L 5

STOKE-ON-TRENT College’sBurslem campus isleading the way with one

of the UK’s first centres forenvironmentally-friendlyplumbing and heating skills.

Students gain expert adviceon renewable energy while theiremployers can expand therange of services they bring to21st century building projects.

As well as helping the newgeneration of apprentices learntheir trades, the EnergyEfficiency Centre welcomesexperienced plumbers andheating engineers “back toschool” to update their skills.

Plumbers from all over thecountry are signing up for thelessons which will help promotean increase in the use of greentechnologies in buildingprojects.

Courses range from a solarpower awareness day totraining that brings experiencedplumbers and heating engineersup to speed with the latesttechnology.

Students learn about solarpanels for hot water andphotovoltaic panels for thegeneration of electricity, andhow these green technologiescan be integrated with existingplumbing and heating systems.

Martin Ball, programmemanager for building andengineering services, is one ofthe team behind the EnergyEfficiency Centre run through

the college’s Centre forVocational Excellence (COVE).

He said: “As environmentalissues rise to the top of theagenda in almost all walks oflife it’s no surprise we aregetting tremendous interest inthe scheme.

“We’re finding thatapprentices who have visitedthe centre are going back totheir employers and theexperienced tradespeople arecoming along to find out more.

“We are training them to doinstallations of complete newsystems, as well asconcentrating on upgradingexisting systems at a cost thatpeople can genuinely afford.”

The Energy Efficiency Centreis a joint venture funded by thecollege and the Dane HousingGroup.

A FREE employmentagency service in Burslemhas helped 147 localbuilders find jobs sincelaunching in June.

Over 350 have receivedtraining through the NorthStaffordshire ConstructionEmployment Centre, whichranges from a one dayhealth safety course tothree weeks in advancedplastery or excavation.

The centre in MoorlandRoad links skilled workerslooking for jobs withcontractors who are shortof hands, putting locals atthe front of the queue.

Project Manager TimRobins said: “Over 2,500clients have registeredwith the centre and a lotof our former clients whoare now employed havesaid they have the centre’sfree services to thank fortheir new jobs.

“Just this morning I wasspeaking to a man whocompleted an excavatordriving course through thecentre and is nowoperating one of thosevehicles for a living.”

New course teachesgreen skills

A modelfor bestpractice

Pictured installing a solar panel atthe Stoke-on-Trent College EnergyEfficiency Centre are, left to right,students Lee Saxton,Ben Parkes,Tom Wise and Matt Goodwin.

6 T H E A N G E L T H E A N G E L 7

TENS of thousands ofpatients in the Burslemarea are making the most

of 21st century health care... inVictorian hospital buildings atthe Haywood Hospital.

The Haywood is already at theforefront of providing communityservices close to where peoplelive. Now all eyes are on thelaunch of a new £35m hospitalon the site in just over a year’stime to complete thetransformation.

And there are better thingsahead for the hospital which, likean iceberg, is much much morethan it first appears.

Now in its seventh year, theHaywood’s Walk In Centre forminor injuries and ailmentsalready attracts 40,000 patientsa year – hardly a secret.

But few would know thehospital – off High Lane, near thehigh school – also boastsimaging and hydrotherapyservices, a fracture clinic anddeep vein thrombosis centre,rheumatology and rehabilitationspecialties and is a regionalcentre for wheelchairs and limbfitting.

Construction work is onschedule for the opening of thenew buildings in summer 2009.There will be additional wardspace (five large wards and onesmaller unit) and accommodationfor existing services. A welcomeaddition for communities in thenorth of Stoke-on-Trent will be anew outpatients clinic, givingaccess to a range of specialties.

Hospital manager Helen Duffysaid: “The expanding range ofservices we provide at theHaywood provide a real double

benefit. They take pressure offbusy departments at the mainhospital complex at Hartshill,such as A&E, and they meanpeople living in the north of thecity can receive the care theyneed closer to home.

“Construction of the newhospital is well underway andwe’re in the middle of a complexplanning procedure to enable asmooth transfer from the oldbuildings to the new.”l Plans for the new hospital sitewere on show at an open daywhere school students andresidents were given an insightinto the area’s health services.

ATTRACTIVE gardensreplacing Victorianbuildings at theHaywood will play animportant role in somepatients’ treatment.

Kerbs, gravel and sandareas will all be includedto help patients’rehabilitation and peoplewith new artificial limbs.

Hospital managerHelen Duffy said: “At themoment people usekerbs in the car park toget used to their newlimbs or as part of theirrehab. But we’re lucky tobe planning almost everyaspect of the newhospital to make acontribution to caring forpatients.”

MEMORIES of the Haywood’s long history will feature ina Staffordshire University arts project to mark themassive redevelopment. Arts for Health will also provideartwork which will decorate the new buildings.

PUPILS at a school in Burslemare celebrating a double bonusthanks to new play equipmentand an after-school club.

The £35,000 worth of newequipment at John BaskeyfieldVC Primary School includes alarge play unit with steps, abridge and chute slides, awalled off area for five-a-sidefootball and netball, andbasketball shooters.

School Business ManagerIan Picken said: “Thecontained area will enablechildren to play fast ballgames without impinging onothers in the playground whoprefer different activities.

“The basketball shooters areshaped like big witches’cauldrons with multiple exitholes and you don’t knowwhich one the ball will comeout of.”

The outdoor play area alsosports low level climbing wallsand an elevated stage forrehearsed or impromptuperformances.

Ian said: “We will use thestage for drama in the summer,while for the rest of the year it

can just be an element ofplaytime.”

The after-school club, whichis launching on 14th April, willcomplement the breakfast clubthat runs from eight in themorning, fitting in with theschedules of parents who workthroughout the day.

Run by staff from BuildingBlocks Nursery at Tunstall, theclub will run until six in theevening and provide sportsfacilities, arts and crafts, TV,videos and computer games, aswell as a quiet space forhomework.

Ian said: “The after-schoolclub will give what we callwraparound care. This meansparents will be able to work injobs any time between eightand six and know their childrenwill be in good hands.”

Building Blocks NurseryManager Melanie Lowton said:“Children shouldn’t see theclub as an extension of school.They can choose whichactivities to take part in andsnacks will be provided to keepthem going until their parentsor carers pick them up.”

Pupils celebrate abonus at the double

Construction work on schedule for state-of-the-art facilities at Burslem’s Haywood Hospital complex

New £35m project boosts

health services

RETIRED rheumatologist Ted Hothersall, Stoke PCT Chair Paul Warsop and Haywood High Schoolhead teacher David Dickinson look at the model of the new Haywood Hospital.

Fifteen year-old Haywood HighSchool student Demi Jonesvisits the oral health stand

Thanks for the memories

Signal Smokebusters project worker Kim Knight with Nelufar Dawakuli, aged 15, at the Haywood open day.

Gardens will helptreatment

Enjoying thenew playequipment arepupils, back tofront, NimairaAziz, JayWilliams andJessica Hill.

6 T H E A N G E L T H E A N G E L 7

TENS of thousands ofpatients in the Burslemarea are making the most

of 21st century health care... inVictorian hospital buildings atthe Haywood Hospital.

The Haywood is already at theforefront of providing communityservices close to where peoplelive. Now all eyes are on thelaunch of a new £35m hospitalon the site in just over a year’stime to complete thetransformation.

And there are better thingsahead for the hospital which, likean iceberg, is much much morethan it first appears.

Now in its seventh year, theHaywood’s Walk In Centre forminor injuries and ailmentsalready attracts 40,000 patientsa year – hardly a secret.

But few would know thehospital – off High Lane, near thehigh school – also boastsimaging and hydrotherapyservices, a fracture clinic anddeep vein thrombosis centre,rheumatology and rehabilitationspecialties and is a regionalcentre for wheelchairs and limbfitting.

Construction work is onschedule for the opening of thenew buildings in summer 2009.There will be additional wardspace (five large wards and onesmaller unit) and accommodationfor existing services. A welcomeaddition for communities in thenorth of Stoke-on-Trent will be anew outpatients clinic, givingaccess to a range of specialties.

Hospital manager Helen Duffysaid: “The expanding range ofservices we provide at theHaywood provide a real double

benefit. They take pressure offbusy departments at the mainhospital complex at Hartshill,such as A&E, and they meanpeople living in the north of thecity can receive the care theyneed closer to home.

“Construction of the newhospital is well underway andwe’re in the middle of a complexplanning procedure to enable asmooth transfer from the oldbuildings to the new.”l Plans for the new hospital sitewere on show at an open daywhere school students andresidents were given an insightinto the area’s health services.

ATTRACTIVE gardensreplacing Victorianbuildings at theHaywood will play animportant role in somepatients’ treatment.

Kerbs, gravel and sandareas will all be includedto help patients’rehabilitation and peoplewith new artificial limbs.

Hospital managerHelen Duffy said: “At themoment people usekerbs in the car park toget used to their newlimbs or as part of theirrehab. But we’re lucky tobe planning almost everyaspect of the newhospital to make acontribution to caring forpatients.”

MEMORIES of the Haywood’s long history will feature ina Staffordshire University arts project to mark themassive redevelopment. Arts for Health will also provideartwork which will decorate the new buildings.

PUPILS at a school in Burslemare celebrating a double bonusthanks to new play equipmentand an after-school club.

The £35,000 worth of newequipment at John BaskeyfieldVC Primary School includes alarge play unit with steps, abridge and chute slides, awalled off area for five-a-sidefootball and netball, andbasketball shooters.

School Business ManagerIan Picken said: “Thecontained area will enablechildren to play fast ballgames without impinging onothers in the playground whoprefer different activities.

“The basketball shooters areshaped like big witches’cauldrons with multiple exitholes and you don’t knowwhich one the ball will comeout of.”

The outdoor play area alsosports low level climbing wallsand an elevated stage forrehearsed or impromptuperformances.

Ian said: “We will use thestage for drama in the summer,while for the rest of the year it

can just be an element ofplaytime.”

The after-school club, whichis launching on 14th April, willcomplement the breakfast clubthat runs from eight in themorning, fitting in with theschedules of parents who workthroughout the day.

Run by staff from BuildingBlocks Nursery at Tunstall, theclub will run until six in theevening and provide sportsfacilities, arts and crafts, TV,videos and computer games, aswell as a quiet space forhomework.

Ian said: “The after-schoolclub will give what we callwraparound care. This meansparents will be able to work injobs any time between eightand six and know their childrenwill be in good hands.”

Building Blocks NurseryManager Melanie Lowton said:“Children shouldn’t see theclub as an extension of school.They can choose whichactivities to take part in andsnacks will be provided to keepthem going until their parentsor carers pick them up.”

Pupils celebrate abonus at the double

Construction work on schedule for state-of-the-art facilities at Burslem’s Haywood Hospital complex

New £35m project boosts

health services

RETIRED rheumatologist Ted Hothersall, Stoke PCT Chair Paul Warsop and Haywood High Schoolhead teacher David Dickinson look at the model of the new Haywood Hospital.

Fifteen year-old Haywood HighSchool student Demi Jonesvisits the oral health stand

Thanks for the memories

Signal Smokebusters project worker Kim Knight with Nelufar Dawakuli, aged 15, at the Haywood open day.

Gardens will helptreatment

Enjoying thenew playequipment arepupils, back tofront, NimairaAziz, JayWilliams andJessica Hill.

PLANS are taking shape fora new commercial radiostation at the Queen’s

Theatre, which will beginbroadcasting from inside thebuilding this year.

It is hoped the station, namedIce Radio, will hit the DABdigital and internet airwaves inSeptember with four studiosbuilt into the Price Street sideof the Burslem theatre.

The station will reachlisteners as far away as Chester,Uttoxeter, Knutsford andPenkridge.

Theatre Manager Steve Ballsaid his son, also named Steve,would control programming atthe station, having worked as apresenter and DJ for eight yearsat Signal 1.

He said: “Ice Radio willbroadcast modern, cutting edgemusic and offer a localalternative for radio lovers.

“It will raise the profiles ofboth Burslem and the Queen’sTheatre, and produce newadvertising opportunities forlocal businesses who want tomake more people aware oftheir services.”

The station will double as amedia centre, where youngsterscan gain training and experiencein audio mixing, presenting andadvertising.

Steve said: “Ice Radio will

create opportunities for youngpeople in Burslem who want tobreak into the media industrybut lack experience.

“I’m sure this will be the firsttime many of them have beeninside a broadcasting orrecording studio.”

The plans will cap years ofrefurbishments to the buildingsince part of its ceilingcollapsed in 1998, wreckingseating and forcing the theatreto close. Since then, grants fromthe Townscape HeritageInitiative have breathed new lifeinto the venue, funding newseating, plumbing, heating,staging, decoration andarchitectural features.

Steve said the work hasenabled the Queen’s Theatre tohost large scale events, such asa 700-strong corporateconference to be held bySteelite International in April.

The venue also promises tofill seats in the same monthwith a stage adaptation of JohnSteinbeck’s tragedy set in theAmerican depression, Of Miceand Men, which is a set text forGCSE English students.

Performances will bepreceded by a workshop aimedat pupils studying the tale.

8 T H E A N G E L

Above, Theatre Manager Steve Ball points to the refurbishedstalls and circle at the Queen’s Theatre in Burslem.

New radiostation plan at theatreNew radiostation plan at theatreNew radiostation plan at theatreNew radiostation plan at theatreNew radiostation plan at theatreNew radiostation plan at theatreNew radiostation plan at theatreNew radiostation plan at theatre

THE UK’s largest ChristianRadio Station hasestablished its centre ofoperations at Burslem andis planning to set up as amedia training facility forother religious charities.

United ChristianBroadcasters (UCB) haverenovated their building inWestport Road – the formeroffices of Severn TrentWater – to make ready forits expansion of services.

UCB Senior PublicistPaula Cummings said: “Thenew training centre willprovide cost-effectivetraining on subjects suchas media, human resourcesand legal issues forChristian charities,churches andorganisations.”

While UCB broadcastsfrom another property inHanchurch, the Burslemcomplex is the centre ofthe charity’s marketing,fundraising, graphic designand prayerline activities.

The centre has also beenused as a base forvolunteers of the charityOperation Christmas Child,who used the site to packover 15,000 festive giftboxes for Romanianchildren last year.

Paula said:“Since April2007, when UCB firststarted broadcasting itsUCB UK radio service onDAB in the Stoke-on-Trentarea, we are reaching morepeople locally. A third ofour audience is comprisedof people from all walks oflife who have come toappreciate the positive,uplifting and encouragingprogramming on the issuesof life which affecteverybody.”

You can tune into UCBon a DAB digital radio,digital satellite or online atwww.ucb.co.uk.

Christiantrainingcentre

New radiostation planat theatre

Burslem fringe opensnew axis for the artsCHART-TOPPING Britpop hero John Power tops the bill at thefirst Burslem fringe of the citywide Axis arts festival in May.

The week after the headline events are staged across Stoke-on-Trent will see a series of events in the Mother Town.

Between May 8 and 11 there will be a programme ofworkshops, concerts and classes aimed at involving as manypeople as possible in the arts. These include folk musicsessions at the Leopard, salsa dancing classes at the School ofArt and songwriting at the George Hotel.

Power – the songwriter behind Britpop sensations The La’sand Cast – plays at the Leopard on Saturday May 10.

For more information the website at www.axisfestival.co.ukAxis spokesman Ben Sutcliffe said: “Anyone interested in the

arts should come along and bring a friend.”

T H E A N G E L 9

FIREFIGHTERS at the town’s station havebeen giving teenagers crash courses infirst aid and fire hose techniques.

The training was given in six half-daysessions to groups of 12 to 14-year-oldsand 16 to 18-year-olds from Stoke onCollege and local schools.

Their achievements were honoured at

the end of the courses with a passing outparade where the students demonstratedtheir new skills before an audience offamily and friends.

City Youth Intervention CoordinatorTracy Creswell said: “The course isdesigned to develop the young people’steam work and social and communication

skills. Achieving the goals we set themboosts the students’ confidence and selfesteem, while working with others makesthem more aware and respectful of otherpeople. The course also gives them acertificate they can show off to provethey can achieve goals and see thingsthrough.”

A SMALL antiques shop inBurslem’s Market Place isspreading ceramic

artwork made in the city tocollectors across the globe.

Burslem Antiques sells busts,vases, figurines and toby jugsby Spode, Moorcroft, Mintons,Beswick, Wedgwood, RoyalDoulton and many other worldfamous pottery brands tocustomers from as far away asthe USA and Japan – somepieces costing thousands ofpounds.

The collection dates back tothe 1750s, drawing its subjectsfrom myths, history andcartoons.

While one shelf displays alife-sized bust of MarieAntoinette, another holds asword-wielding St George withhis dragon adversary lyingheadless beneath his horse.

Quirkier pieces include aplane-shaped teapot piloted bythe Red Baron with a spout for

a propeller. Further towards theback of the shop, the collectionmoves on to characters from thepage and screen: Daffy Duckscowls from a toby jug while,across from him, a figurine ofthe artful dodger slumps on abarrel with his hands in hispockets.

The literary theme continuesupstairs in the shop’sClayhanger Tearoom, namedafter Arnold Bennet’s novel.

For the shop’s owner DerekBradbury, who once worked asa placer in the bottle ovens ofW. H. Grindley, the business isabout preserving and promotinggreat art.

Burslem-born Derek said: “Ihave been passionate about theartwork of pottery since I firstsaw the bottle ovens at 15 andrealised how difficult it is tomake beautiful pottery.

“Unlike a canvas painter, theceramic artist must apply hiscolours to a 3D surface, as wellas calculating how they willchange under the firing process.

“I collected pottery for yearsbefore setting up shop here andthere are many pieces I wouldnever sell.”

When Derek bought thepremises, a former butcher’s,structural engineers said thebuilding was unsafe for trading,

but a £240,000 refurbishmenthas lavished a new roof, floors,brickwork, plumbing andelectrics on the building.

Since then, the business hasgrown an extensive web site,enabling it to serve clients fromacross the UK and the world.

Derek said: “We have sold toserious collectors from Paris,New York, Tokyo and Hiroshima,among many others.

“It’s impressive how many ofthem really do their homeworkand know exactly what they arelooking for.”

Over 2,000 of the shop’streasures can be viewed onlineat www.burslemantiques.co.uk

Firefighters give training courses to teenagers

Antique potteryfor the world

Antique dealer DerekBradbury pictured inhis shop holding atwo-handled vaseproduced in 1920 byMacIntyre Burslemand exclusivelydesigned by Moorcroft.

10 T H E A N G E L

IT’S not surprising that PortVale Football Club plays sucha big role in the lives of

people who live within a goalkick of the club’s Vale Parkground in Burslem.

For the Federation of StadiumCommunities – the nationalcharity that aims to improve thequality of life in stadiumneighbourhoods – has its headoffice in the Enterprise Centrewithin the Vale Park complex.

The Federation set up ValePark Community Initiative (VPCI)which over the past two and ahalf years has explored howPort Vale and the Vale ParkStadium can be utilised as aresource for the 1,000–strongcommunity that lives in theneighbourhood of the footballclub.

Now the Federation ofStadium Communities isspearheading a bid for freshfunding so the project can becontinued for a further threeyears.

The VPCI is unique as it’s theonly project of its kind focusedon a football club, working to anaction plan based on regularcommunity consultation and ledby a steering group made up oflocal residents, communityorganisations and publicagencies – including Port Vale,the local Primary Care Trust, theCity Council and Football in theCommunity.

Already the project has beensuccessful in bringing togetherclub and community in anumber of ways, such as:

l Port Vale Tales – a DVDmade by Haywood High Schoolpupils based on their interviewswith former players and oldersupporters about theirmemories of Port Vale FC overthe last 50 years. As well asbringing the generationstogether, the project wasdesigned to develop media andinterviewing skills of theyoungsters who took part.

l A month long programmeof activities at Vale Park lastyear to promote healthy livingculminated in a smoke-freeHealthy Match Day.

l Valiants Against RacismCommunity Shield FootballTournament.

The involvement of theFederation of StadiumCommunities has also led toVale Park being involved ininitiatives such as healthywalks, tackling obesity andencouraging more people in thecommunity to play football.

Judy Crabb, Chief Executive of

FSC, said: “Bringing Port Valeand the local communitytogether not only helps toimprove the wellbeing andquality of life of people who livein the Vale Park area, but alsocontributes to the regenerationBurslem as a whole.

“With future funding we willfocus on the management anddelivery of those projects whichhave most effectively used thepower of sport, the brand of theclub and the stadium facilitieson offer in order to engage thelocal community and addresslocal issues.”

VALECommunity

inthe

An Update on Port Vale Football Club’s Community Activities

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

Julie Crabb, Chief Executive of the Federationof Stadium Communities, pictured at Vale Parkin the section of eight seats which the clubwill give over next season for the use ofcommunity groups and good causes.

Minister officially opens new enterprise centreGOVERNMENT minister ShritiVadera, pictured, unveiled a plaqueto officially open the Vale Parkenterprise centre supporting newand growing businesses.

Baroness Vadera – Minister forBusiness and Competitiveness –visited to launch the EnterprisingBritain 2008 contest to find theUK’s best place to start a business.

Last year North Staffordshirescooped the prestigious award, withVale Park’s community facilities animportant part of the winning bid.

A third of the club’s 20 units –

built with support from regionaldevelopment agency AdvantageWest Midlands – have already beenlet to new businesses, with a greatdeal of interest in the remainingfully-serviced offices.

Vale Chairman Bill Bratt said:“The centre is an opportunity forthe club to support new businessesin an area that has suffered its fairshare of job losses. The units fitinto the wider regeneration of NorthStaffordshire and are anotherfeature cementing the club at theheart of the community.”

Initiative boostsquality of life andwellbeing

T H E A N G E L 11

VALE’SpioneeringValiantsAgainst Racismcampaignworks withseveral organisations,community groups and footballsupporters to combat racismand promote racial equality atthe club and in the community.

VAR reaches out to Black,Asian and all other ethnicminorities in the communitythrough a wide range of eventsand by encouraging them to usethe club’s facilities.

One of the biggest events onthe calendar is the annualValiants Against RacismCommunity Shield FootballTournament which last yearbrought together ten teams fromthe local area with players frommany ethnic backgrounds.

The work of VAR wasrecognised when Port Vale FCwas awarded the prestigiousKick It Out Racial EqualityStandard Preliminary Levelnational award, only the thirdFootball League club to do so.

VAR Chairman Doctor SteveBradbury said: “There arestrong signs that we are beingsuccessful in helping toestablish Port Vale as a modelof best practice in dealing withracism and promotinginclusion.”

PORT Vale through its Football in theCommunity Scheme is helping to combatthe growing problem of child obesity with

MEND, a fun filled programme aimed atencouraging youngsters in Burslem to keep fitand eat healthily.

MEND (it stands for Mind, Exercise,Nutrition,Do It!) is a free after-school activity for childrenaged between seven and 13 whose BMI ( bodymass index) indicates they could be prone toobesity or weight problems.

The three-year initiative comes at a time whenthe UK has the highest rates of obesity inEurope and a staggering 30 per cent ofunder-16s in England are obese or have weight –related health problems. Port Vale is the firstfootball club to become involved in the nationalMEND initiative and this is also the first time ithas been launched in North Staffordshire.

The programme, which consists of twice-weekly two-hour sessions over ten weeksbetween 5pm and 7pm, places equal emphasison behaviour, exercise and nutrition.

Youngsters use the superb facilities in ValePark’s community gym for non-competitiveexercises, as well as classroom-style

accommodation in the stadium for informalsessions where they learn about nutrition, diet,and how to read food labels, as well as howtheir body works and other issues designed tomake them fitter, healthier and happier.

The MEND initiative is being delivered inBurslem by a partnership of The Federation ofStadium Communities, Port Vale Football in theCommunity, regeneration and social housingagency Midland Heart and the City Council’sClosing the Gap programme, a schemepromoting sport and fitness for people inStoke-on-Trent.

Youngsters who take part in the MENDprogramme at Vale Park can look forward to anawards evening at the end of their course whenthey will have a chance to meet Port Valeplayers who will present prizes and talk to thechildren.

Jim Cooper, Port Vale’s Football in theCommunity Manager, said: “The wholeprogramme has been designed so that thechildren have lots of fun while learning abouthow to look after their bodies and mindsthrough exercise and eating the right sort offood.”

CONSTRUCTION has been completed on the £800,000 Children’s Centre in the Lorne StreetStand. Pictured above at the outdoor play area which overlooks the Vale Park pitch is PaulMoore, left, Site Manager for the main contractors Kier, handing over the keys to Ian Barber,centre, City Council Project Officer for The Early Years and Childcare Service and Mike Aldridge, Vale Commercial Manager. Furniture and equipment will now be moved in before the“One Stop Shop” for children’s services opens its doors to youngsters and parents in mid-April.

Club helps to tacklechild obesity

EIGHT seats in the top tier ofthe Vale’s Lorne Street standwill be given away next seasonfor the use of community groupsand good causes. Organisationscan apply to the Vale to havethe seats free of charge for anyone of the 23 home leaguegames and friendly matches.

Club Chairman Bill Brattsaid:“These seats are availablefor groups and charities in ourarea who can benefit from them.

“It could be a fundraiser or forpeople who would not normallybe able to go to a match. Theseats will be allocated on afirst-come, first-served basis.”

Seats forcommunity

Keys handed over for new Children’s Centre

A modelfor bestpractice

The Angel is produced on behalf of Burslem Regeneration Company by Smith Davis Press

THE Titanic brewery inLingard Street has defiedthe fate of its namesake to

win national acclaim and sellover 1.7 million pints a year ofits unique beers.

Named in honour of the ship’sCaptain John Edward Smith,who lived and went to schooljust down the road in Etruria,Titanic’s tipples have won over30 awards, including CAMRA’sMidlands Beer of the Year andThe Guardian’s Bottled Beer ofBritain.

The beers may seem lighthearted with names like Icebergand Lifeboat, but the brewerymaintains links with Titanicenthusiasts and fundraisesregularly for the Royal NationalLifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Dave Bott, who runs thebusiness with his brother Keith,said: “The Titanic was afascinating chapter of historyand we genuinely want tocommemorate it, along with thecountry’s broader maritime past.

“That is why we sponsor theRNLI and have ties with theTitanic Society.”

Now in its 23rd year, thebrewery is also leading the wayin green production methodswith sensors installed on sitethat turn off the lightingautomatically when an area isnot being used.

Dave and Keith have cut theweight of their bottles by 80grams each, which uses lessglass and petrol to transportthem. Dave said: “At the end ofthe process, we give the malt toa farmer who feeds it to hispigs and the hops are used bygardeners to fertilise their soil.

“We deliver the beer in ametal cask which we reuse overand over, producing zeropackaging waste.”

Titanic’s profile is due to riseeven higher this spring when itwill sponsor music and eventson the Burslem Fringe of thecitywide Axis Festival.

Dave said: “We are veryproud to be based in Burslemand look forward to seeing ittake a big part in the festival.”

Burslem historian FredHughes said: “It’s great to see

the brewery taking a prominentplace in our town.

“I have always loved therange of beers for their tongue

in cheek names, highlightingour city’s links with that iconicship and its unforgettablevoyage.”

LONGPORT Railway Stationis steeled against vandalsthanks to a new CCTVsecurity system andreinforced waiting shelters.

The makeover funded byregional developmentagency Advantage WestMidlands has installedeight cameras, two cameracontrol cabinets and a pairof steel waiting shelters.

Other enhancementscarried out by the NorthStaffordshire CommunityRail Partnership includenew display screens,poster frames and public

address speakers andfloral displays around thestation.

Central Trains ProjectSupport Manager Sanj Alisaid: “These improvementsare aimed at making thestation vandal proof aswell as more pleasant tolook at with the flowersand vegetation.”

A survey carried outafter the works had beencompleted showed 87 percent of passengers feltsafer while waiting fortheir train on the revampedstation.

Award-winninglocal brewerysteams aheadas it highlightscity’s links withiconic ship

Security is improvedat Longport Station

Celebratingthe rise of theTitanic

COME SINK A TITANIC – Jim Ray, Assistant Manager atBurslem’s Bull’s Head pub, which is owned by the town’sTitanic Brewery, with a selection of its top tipples.

Titanic brewer Dave Bott with another pint of their finest.