Cllr Olivia Rowley for Ossett & Gawthorpe

There have been a few burglaries over the holiday period, try to ensure your garages and out buildings are secure.

Happy New Year to all. I will be at my surgery at the Darby and Joan hall at Gawthorpe on Saturday 7th from 10 to 11am. If you have any issues or concerns or just want a chat, do call in.

What’s your favourite tree species? 🌳

Did you know we are giving away 4,000 FREE trees to Wakefield district residents to plant in their gardens?

Trees are great at providing habitats for wildlife such as birds 🦉By planting your free tree you’re helping to improve nature!

Since 2020 we have planted 100,000 trees and this winter, we’re planning to plant 50,000 more.

To register your interest and for more information simply follow the link: https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/environment-and-climate-change/climate-change/our-woodland-creation-programme/

Are you looking for a resolution that's easy to keep? How about vowing to beat fly-tipping? 🚯

By disposing of waste responsibly and reporting fly-tipping incidents. You're contributing to a cleaner Wakefield and setting a fantastic example for your neighbours!

What's your resolution for 2024? Share it with us in the comments below! 👇

Report fly tipping: https://orlo.uk/rNMSD
or by calling our customer services team on 0345 8 506 506 📞

One in five UK households are in privately rented homes, while rents for new tenancies are up by more than 25percent since 2020. If you are threatened with eviction, do contact the Council’s Housing Advice section.

public services will not recover until the 2030’s, even under a Labour government, with a decade long wait to clear the backlog in the National Health Service and the courts, there will be little money to promise a major spending programme according to a study from the Institute for Public Policy Research, which will frustrate impatient voters. The new government will inherit one of the most challenging contexts in terms of public services of any new government since the Second World War.

I think the Alpha nursery has closed??

The bottom half of earners will lose any gains from next week’s lowering of national insurance payments when their income tax bills go up in April, will pull some people into paying higher rates as their wages rise, it will only favour those earning over £26,000 and above . Those earning about £50,000 will gain the most.British households are on course to be poorer by 4 percent or £1,200 on average, going into the coming election than they were coming out of the last one. something never seen before in modern British history!

We went to see Wonka yesterday, the theme the ‘greedy rule the needy’ kept being repeated. The cost of living crisis has made it a struggle for many to put food on the table at Christmas but for the US tech billionaires and Russian obligarchs alike, the festive season is all gravy. Including Britain’s James Dyson and Jim Ratcliffe, the world’s wealthiest mostly got richer in 2023.

a recent report published by the Office for National Statistics found that there are more than 1.4million ‘truly vacant’ dwellings in England and Wales. it is estimated that even if a fifth of these were made habitable , this would solve the homelessness crisis at a stroke.

🎄 Being a granny is a real joy at Christmas! ❤️

I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas with your nearest and dearest. Nollaig Shona Daoibh! 🎄

Christmas🎄 & New Year🍾 holidays can be rubbish . 🗑️

The celebrations create more waste than at any other time of the year. 🗑️🚚

This can cause fly-tipping which is both illegal and an eyesore. ☹️

You can be fined if you're caught handing over your waste to someone who is not licensed.

Let us help you get rid of your extra waste, responsibly and safely.

On refuse collection days our team will collect extra waste.

Have a look at our website which has resources and information pages. Check out the link in comments.

If you can, make sure you retrieve your waste bin as soon as it’s emptied otherwise the wind might blow it away!

Storm Pia is with us and causing some disruption as it passes through the district. high winds are forecast to peak this afternoon but winds are predicted to continue into early Sunday morning. A power cut is affecting parts of Ossett.Northern Power are estimating that power should be restored by 7.45 this evening. the traffic signals are out on Wakefield Road, out to junction 40. teams are working to create a temporary traffic signal where needed, but best to avoid the area if possible.

Did you know how many waste disposal options you have this Christmas? 🎁

As our household waste increases over the Christmas period please be mindful of how you get rid of waste ♻

If you’re asking someone to dispose of your rubbish, always carry out the relevant checks and ask the company for their waste carrier registration and get a receipt before you hand over your waste and your money 🕵️‍♂️

A full list of waste disposal options can be found here: https://orlo.uk/sZkAT

Date for your diary, if we want advice on benefit entitlement. Loads of people are not claiming, so come along to Ossett community centre on January 23rd from 11 to 4pm.

Happy International Kindness Day! Kindness costs nothing but means everything. It is not just about being polite or considerate; it is also recognizing the shared humanity in all of us. We hope you choose kindness today and everyday to create a world where empathy and compassion flourish.

After 908 days in foster care, Miriam has a forever family. Congratulations on your adoption day, Miriam ❤️⁠
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Can you guess how many bin collections there are in the district every week? 🤔

Share your guesstimate in comments.👇

Clue: it's a lot! But we're really pleased to say that we're in the top 10 of least complained about councils in the country when it comes to bin collections! 🙂

We received 277 complaints between September 2022 and September 2023, according to an independent survey.

A big round of applause👏 to our team for their hard work.

To find if you're right about how many bins we pick up each week, and more 👉 https://orlo.uk/2x1kW

Our Year - Wakefield District 2024 will be an inclusive year long celebration of our district. it will provide a unique opportunity to bring our communities together and connect them to the district’s amazing cultural and creative assets and outdoor spaces, as well as showcasing what makes our communities special. it will also provide support to the cultural and creative sector to drive growth and show case local talent , providing quality employment opportunities into the future for our residents. most, importantly, Our Year will develop a trail blazing programme of activity for everyone to enjoy, establishing the district as a great place to live , learn, play, work, visit and thrive. to achieve this, Our Year will bring significant external investment into the district , benefitting our communities and wider economy. the programme has been developed over the last eighteen months through a programme of community and partner engagement and will feature activity across Council services, partners and within our communities.

Just got the Community Awareness Programme, Christmas newsletter. this chair is based in Market Street, off Westgate in Wakefield and as many as 124 clients coming in to their centre each day and unfortunately it keeps growing! the chair of the charity, also a founder Elizabeth Hubert recently received an Unsung Hero award. One of the kitchen volunteers is 90 years old! With the help of the Wakefield Express and the Chantry Rotary Club, 640 hampers have recently distributed to families across Wakefield. Great work!

As the festive season approaches and winter flu concerns rise, local GP surgeries in Wakefield want to reassure the public that appointments are still available, even during evenings and weekends. if your GP practice is closed, simply call your GP practice as usual and you will be directed to GP Care Wakefield, the dedicated evening and weekend GP service in the area. it is open to same day appointments and advice every Monday to Friday 5-9.30pm . Saturdays 9am-5pm. Sundays 9-1pm and on bank holidays 9-3pm. outside of these times call 111 or 999 for life threatening emergencies.

Please 🤣

prioritise online safety for a joyful holiday season. Are you planning to gift new technology to your children this holiday season? Before the excitement of unwrapping begins, take a moment to set up security controls ahead of the big day. This way you can be sure you are establishing a secure digital environment.with just a few extra steps , you can play a crucial role in protecting young people from the challenges of the online world. prevent them from encountering fake news, misinformation and potentially harmful interactions by taking proactive measures.a free the holidays , you can create an open conversation about the importance of online safety and establish boundaries in terms of their new devices. This holiday let the gift of technology be accompanied by a safe and responsible online experience. find out to set up safety controls by contacting https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping:children -safe /online-safety/parental-controls/ and also on Wakefield’s Council safeguarding web site.

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help keep Christmas safe and joyful for children. Christmas should be a magical time for children and young people, same as their childhood. but unfortunately , it is not a time of merriment and joy for all. changes in appearance, behaviour or communication can be signs of something more worrying. we know it might not always be clear , but Children’s services are asking everyone to make safeguarding their business this festive season. so don’t let feeling neighbourly make you hesitate in raising a child welfare concern if you have one. Just think , what if you are right ? Share a concern by calling 03458 503 503 or look at the Council’s web page to learn more about the Council’s safeguarding Christmas campaign.

Just in time for Christmas! our grants scheme is posting out the grants we have supported. £2000 is going to the Camera Club to buy a computer, £7,320 is going to Ossett Town juniors football club for the Spring Mill mower project, £3,124 has been allocated to the Ossett War Memorial Community Centre for their Annex roof replacement project and £2,495 has been given to the Brickhouse Youth Club for their youth development project. Good wishes to all.

It is my regular ‘surgery!at the community centre in on Friday 11.30 to 1pm. If you have any issues you wish to discuss with me or wish to just call for a chat, do call in. it’s the coach house, so the first building after the gate.