Health related

issues

GOOD news on a number of health-related issues was announced at a meeting of CHAT (Community Health Around Torpoint).

The meeting was told that CHAT had heard that any woman who needs a follow-up after breast screening will now be able to attend Derriford Hospital in Plymouth rather than making the 100-mile round trip to Treliske in Truro.It was also reported that there have been improvements in the amount of National Health dentistry available at the surgery by Torpoint School. There will now be a dentist there for a full five days a week for emergency treatment for people in pain who are not registered with a dentist. The telephone number to ring is 01752 812457.

Meanwhile, a letter has been sent by CHAT to Mr Cadwallader of Sheviock Parish Council to thank him for his help in improving the Western National bus service from the Torpoint Ferry to Derriford Hospital. A bus now goes to Derriford from the Devonport side of the ferry at six and 36 minutes past the hour. Buses come back at 11 and 41minutes past the hour. A ticket can be bought from Torpoint or the outlying areas for the whole journey.

CHAT volunteers

A PARTY to thank all CHAT (Community Health Around Torpoint) volunteers will be held on June 1. There will be entertainment and tea at the party which takes place a few days before Volunteers Week which runs on June 4-7.

The organisation, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has around 60 volunteers.

The CHATlink one-stop-shop for information and advice has three new volunteers who are ready to be trained. Ideally CHAT would like eight people for each training course. The organisation would be pleased to hear from anyone who could give half a day a month to help at the CHATlink centre in Macey Street mainly as a receptionist and answering phone enquiries.

If you could help, please telephone 01752 812020 or 812850.

CHATlink offers many services plus a daily updated board of job vacancies. The Citizens Advice Bureau attends on Tuesday afternoons and Wednesday mornings, and the Employment, Benefits and Child Support Agencies are there every Thursday morning.

There is also a police advice surgery on the second and fourth Wednesday afternoon of the month. Other agencies attend on a monthly basis. The CHATlink telephone number is 01752 812020.

CHAT meeting

MARGARET Hall told a recent CHAT (Community Health Around Torpoint) meeting that a questionnaire was soon to be delivered about the town's proposed sports hall.

She emphasised the importance of the questionnaire being completed.

She also mentioned that if anyone was interested in seeing a report on the strategy for leisure in Caradon, she had a copy.

Meanwhile, there was further discussion at the meeting about the plans for changes in the radioactive discharges into the River Tamar by DML. It was agreed to write to Torpoint Town Council to discover its position on the subject and to send a copy to Caradon District Council and the local primary care group.

The meeting also heard from Chris Kelly who had attended the Rural White Paper conference held at the Hall for Cornwall in Truro. She had found it a useful day.

The emphasis of the day had been on collective leadership particularly by small businesses. Money is available and parishes can claim grants to put together parish plans. There are also grants for the regeneration of market towns. On the subject of grants, CHAT will hear the result of its lottery application in June.

Everyone is welcome to attend any of CHAT's monthly meetings which are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm in the Torpoint Health Clinic, Hooper Street.

Library event and

fundraising

PROFESSOR Goodvibes, a puppeteer, will be staging a show at Torpoint Library next week.

The show has been arranged as an Easter holiday event for children by the library and will take place on Friday, April 20, from 10.30am to 11.30am.

Library manager Kate Wilton said: 'Professor Goodvibes does Punch and Judy shows as well as other puppetry.

'Admission will be strictly by ticket only. The tickets cost £1 and are available from the library.'

Meanwhile, the library has raised more than £110 for good causes.

Staff threw themselves into the fun of Red Nose Day for Comic Relief which had the theme of Say Pants to Poverty.

Items of underwear were prominent in the library and a total of over £50 was raised. The library also backed the Green Wellie Day appeal to help those in the countryside hit by the foot and mouth crisis.

A display was mounted and a green wellie was placed in the library for donations. The sum of £60 was collected in the boot.

Lions trip to

the Eden project

THE Torpoint and Rame Peninsula Lions Club is organising a coach trip to the Eden Project.

The trip will take place on Friday, May 11, leaving the town at 9.30am.

The visit to the huge biomes near St Austell will include a guided tour.

Tickets costing £12 for adults and £10.50 for senior citizens are available from Dave Rosson's barber shop in Harvey Street.

Twinning Association

THE new chairman of the Torpoint and District Twinning Association is Joy Kentisbeer from Crafthole.

Joy succeeds Stan Martin, the current Mayor to Torpoint, in the post.

Torpoint and the villages of Wilcove, St John, Antony, Sheviock, Crafthole and Portwrinkle are twinned with the town of Benodet on the south coast of Brittany in France.

Blood donation

THE Council chambers at Torpoint are hosting a blood donation session on Friday April 27. The times for the event are: 1.30 to 3.15 pm and 5 to 7.15 pm.

JESSICA Kinsman

Jessica graduates

from training

PILOT Officer Jessica Kinsman, from Torpoint has graduated from the No 187 Initial Officer Training Course at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell in Lincolnshire.

The Reviewing Officer during the parade was Air Marshall Sir Peter Norriss.

Jessica, aged 21, whose parents, Paul and Jeanette, still live in Torpoint, attended Torpoint Comprehensive School before working as a Senior Accountancy Assistant for Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust. She joined the RAF in May 2000 and is soon to begin her professional training on a 23 week Air Traffic control course at RAF Shawbury, Shropshire.

A keen sportswoman, Jessica enjoys netball, kickboxing and swimming. Her twin brother, Daniel, also serves with the armed forces as an Air Trooper at Middle Wallop.