Public invited to voice their objections to close Corbar Birth Centre

PRESS RELEASE

27^th October, 2011

Public invited to voice their objections to close Corbar Birth Centre

High Peak residents opposed to NHS Derbyshire County’s controversial plans to close Corbar Birth Centre will have the chance to voice their opposition at a series of public meetings in Buxton.

With the collection of more than 4500 signatures from people objecting to the plans to shut Cobar Birth Centre, Derbyshire PCT has decided to give local residents the opportunity to hear and discuss the case for slashing healthcare services for women and children in the area.

Save Corbar Birth Centre (SCBC), the campaign group working to save Buxton’s midwife-led unit is urging local people to attend the public meetings and make themselves heard.

“The NHS’s case for closing Corbar Birth Centre is based solely on saving costs yet how can you put a price on the safe and stress-free delivery of a new life.

“These meetings will give us, the public, the chance to make sure our local NHS accounts for its unacceptable plan to call time on Corbar. We want to question the PCT’s decision to shut the only birth centre in North Derbyshire and ask why vital ante natal, maternity and post natal services must be accessed outside the county?, said Fiona Lichfield, SCBC spokesperson.

Closing Corbar Birth Centre will result in women in the High Peak becoming dependent on health services in Cheshire and Greater Manchester. With births per midwife at Stockport’s Stepping Hill Hospital (SHH), currently running above the Royal College of Midwives recommend guidelines. This trend will only increase with the closure of Corbar Birth Centre, resulting in an additional stress for women in labour across the High Peak as well as an increased workload for midwives at SHH and Macclesfield General Hospital – the two maternity units proposed by Derbyshire PCT to replace Corbar Birth Centre’s services. In 2010 SHH was closed to new admissions on eight separate occasions.

The SCBC campaign is backed by the National Childbirth Trust and Andrew Bingham MP for High Peak, and has more than 1300 followers on its dedicated Facebook page.

The public meetings to hear and discuss the arguments for closing Corbar Birth Centre will take place at the Octagon at Pavilion Gardens in Buxton on Friday 30^th September from 9.30am to 11.30am and on Monday 3^rd October from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

For further information about the campaign to Save Corbar Birth Centre email savecorbarbirthcentre@yahoo.co.uk or search for Save Corbar Birth Centre group page on Facebook.

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Notes to editors

For more information about the Save Corbar Birth Centre campaign and for interview requests, please contact Fiona Lichfield at savecorbarbirthcentre@yahoo.co.uk

Chapel backs the campaign to save Corbar

Chapel-en-le-Frith folk showed their support for the Save Corbar Birth Centre (SCBC) campaign this weekend by adding more than 150 signatures to the petition, which calls upon Derbyshire Primary Care Trust to maintain its services.

On Saturday (July 9^th), SCBC received an overwhelming response to their fight to keep the High Peak’s only midwife led birthing unit open despite plans to shut the centre.

And local businesses in the town also joined the crusade by agreeing to hold copies of the petition in their shops and showrooms for people to sign. Capelli hairdressers, Halls hardware store, In a Pickle deli, Em & Teds and Concept photography all now have petitions.

SCBC member, Claire Rajah who was helping with the petition signing in Chapel said that despite the unseasonably summer weather there had been a fantastic response from people to the campaign.

“During the course of the morning I spoke to dozens of people who felt very strongly that Corbar should remain open. There were many signatures who told me that not only had they given birth at Buxton, their children had chosen to deliver their children at Corbar as well. Testament to the fact that Corbar has, and continues, to provide a vital service to the people of Derbyshire”

Signatures to the petition urge Mark Todd as Chairman and David Sharp as Chief Executive of NHS Derbyshire County to retain and promote the Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton as it is a vital facility for families in the High Peak especially given the challenges presented to the area through rurality, climate and road links.

Following NHS Derbyshire County and NHS Derby City’s announcement in late May (2011) to review Corbar Birth Centre operations, a pre-engagement process was declared. SCBC’s petition will be presented to Derbyshire PRC in August, when the formal engagement period will take run until October 21st. A final decision about Corbar’s future is due in November.

For more information about SCBC or to request a copy of the petition, email savecorbarbirthcentre@yahoo.co.uk.

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Photo caption: Save Corbar Birth Centre collects signatures in Chapel. From back right, Fiona Lichfield, Claire Rajah, Jo Pebbles, Julie Parker and Mandy Berriman joined by youngsters (from right) Constance Rajah, Thomas Pebbles and James Pebbles.

For more information and/or to request imagery and interviews, please contact Fiona Lichfield on 07795431627.

Campaign to save Corbar comes to Chapel

PRESS RELEASE

July 4th, 2011

Campaign to save Corbar comes to Chapel

This Saturday (9^th July) the campaign group working to save Corbar Birth Centre from closure will be in Chapel-en-le-Frith to petition local residents and businesses for their support.

From 9.30am to midday, Save Corbar Birth Centre (SCBC) campaign group will be in the town centre with copies of their petition for people to sign.

Signatures to the petition urge Mark Todd as Chairman and David Sharp as Chief Executive of NHS Derbyshire County to retain and promote the Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton as it is a vital facility for families in the High Peak especially given the challenges presented to the area through rurality, climate and road links.

Backed by the National Childbirth Trust as well as High Peak MP, Andrew Bingham and more than six local councillors from the region, SCBC group is opposed to Derbyshire Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) proposal to close the High Peak’s only midwife led birth centre.

Fiona Lichfield, spokesperson for SCBC believes that many people in Chapel-en-le-Frith will want to sign the petition.

“Since this group was established, myself and others members of the group working to retain Corbar in the community have been overwhelmed by the support for our campaign to allow High Peak pregnant women to choose where they can deliver their babies.   

“This petition will show those with the power to maintain and promote Corbar’s much valued and respected services that their plans to shut Corbar are not just ill founded they are also extremely unpopular.” 

Following NHS Derbyshire County and NHS Derby City’s announcement in late May (2011) to review Corbar Birth Centre operations, a pre-engagement process was declared. SCBC’s petition will be presented to Derbyshire PRC in August, when the formal engagement period will take run until October 21st^. A final decision about Corbar’s future is due in November.

The petition is also available to sign at various shops and office across the High Peak. For more information about SCBC campaign group, email savecorbarbirthcentre@yahoo.co.uk. 

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We need your support to Save Corbar Birth Centre

PRESS RELEASE

June 26^th, 2011

We need your support urges Corbar campaign group

The campaign group opposed to the proposed closure of Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton is calling upon people in the High Peak to sign their petition.

Save Corbar Birth Centre (SCBC), which is backed by the National Childbirth Trust and High Peak MP Andrew Bingham, is urging local residents, businesses and public service providers to put their name against the closure of the High Peak’s only birth centre.

Signatures to the petition urge Mark Todd as Chairman and David Sharp as Chief Executive of NHS Derbyshire County to retain and promote the Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton as it is a vital facility for families in the High Peak especially given the challenges presented to the area through rurality, climate and road links.

Fiona Lichfield, spokesperson for SCBC, said it was imperative that people living in the High Peak demonstrate their dismay and opposition at Derbyshire PCT’s plan to close Corbar.

“If we want women in the High Peak to have the choice of delivering their babies at a local midwifery-led unit in the county, then we need to make sure our voices are heard.”

Following NHS Derbyshire County and NHS Derby City’s announcement in late May (2011) to review Corbar Birth Centre operations, a pre-engagement process was declared. SCBC’s petition will be presented to Derbyshire PRC in August, when the formal engagement period will take run until October 23^rd. A final decision about Corbar’s future is due in November.

The petition is available to sign at various shops and office across the High Peak yet SCBC would like to see more individuals and organisations come forward to help collect signatures.

Fiona added: “Since our campaign began our Facebook group has grown by the hundreds, and our Action Day earlier this month saw more than 1,700 pledges yet the battle to save Corbar has only just begun.

“We now need local residents and businesses to help us spread the word and collect signatures. Ultimately our aim is to have the petition available to sign in post offices, leisure centres as well as in offices and shops across the High Peak so that everyone has the opportunity to pledge their support.”

Copies of the SCBC petition are available for individuals, businesses as well as community groups by emailing savecorbarbirthcentre@yahoo.co.uk. Alternatively requests for petitions can be made by telephoning Fiona Lichfield on 07795 431 627

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Notes to editors

Copies of the petition to save Corbar Birth Centre are currently available to sign at:

Little Rascals in Buxton

Hairs and Grace in Buxton

Sidebothams Jewellers in Buxton

Nought to Five in Buxton

The Wild Carrot in Buxton

High Peakers sign-up to save Corbar

Latest news from the campaign...

PRESS RELEASE

High Peakers sign-up to save Corbar

The campaign to save Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton from closure by Derbyshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) gained more than 1730 supporters on Saturday (June 18^th).

More than a thousand people in the region signed the petition to maintain the service that allows expectant mothers the choice of delivering their baby at a midwife-lead unit in Derbyshire. If Corbar closes, low-risk women in labour would have no option than to deliver their babies at maternity units in hospitals in Greater Manchester or Cheshire.

Campaigners from Save Corbar Birth Centre (SCBC), which has the backing of the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), High Peak MP Andrew Bingham and more than six local councillors from the area, were in the towns and villages in the area to make people aware of the proposed cuts to maternity services in their county.

In just 6 hours, 1738 people had signed SCBC’s petition to stop Derbyshire PCT from shutting down Corbar and jeopardising the antenatal and postnatal care of mothers and newborn babies in the High Peak.

In Buxton an overwhelming 940 signatures were collected from SCBC and campaign supporters; High Peak MP Andrew Bingham, Buxton Councillor Pam Reddy, and former mayor of High Peak Borough Council, Robin Baldry.

The additional signatures were collected from New Mills (277), Whaley Bridge (247) and Glossop (274).

Fiona Lichfield, from SCBC said the response from people asked to sign the petition was very positive. “It’s apparent from our petition signing on Saturday that people living in the High Peak want to save Corbar not just for its strategic location, more importantly, to keep the centre’s midwives here. We heard countless stories of Corbar’s midwives going above the call of duty to care for women and babies from the area. It was a very heart warming experience.”

She added: “On behalf of SCBC, I’d like to thank everyone who signed-up to our campaign to keep Corbar Birth Centre alive. Saturday’s support shows that we have the backing of the High Peak.

Copies of the petition to sign are available as shops and offices across the High Peak. For more information, email savecorbarbirthcentre@yahoo.co.uk

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Notes to editors:

To speak to a representative from Save Corbar, please contact Fiona Lichfield at mailto:savecorbar@yahoo.co.uk or phone 07795431627

HIGH PEAK MUMS TAKE TO THE STREETS TO ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT

This Saturday (June 18^th), Save Corbar Birth Centre campaign group is planning a day of action across the High Peak.

Save Corbar Birth Centre, the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) lead group, supported by more than 1350 people, and backed by High Peak MP, Andrew Bingham, will this weekend, launch its petition to stop Corbar Birth Centre in Buxton from closing.

In a bid to cut costs, Derbyshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) has proposed to close Buxton’s Birth Centre, despite concerns from local residents about transport routes and times to the region’s alternative birthing units at Macclesfield General Hospital (MGH) and Stockport’s Stepping Hill Hospital (SHH). The closure of Corbar would mean women in labour face a minimum car journey time of 25 minutes to SSH or a 30 minute race across ones of England’s most dangerous roads, the A537, to MGH

In addition to limiting patient choice, Save Corbar Birth Centre is also worried that if Corbar ceased, the quality of antenatal and postnatal care for mothers and new-born babies would be reduced as alternative maternity services struggle to cope with the complexities of High Peak’s rural demographics and landscape.

Local residents, community groups and businesses are being urged to pledge their support to stop Derbyshire PCT from shutting the High Peak’s well respected and popular birthing unit. Closure of Corbar could also mean the loss of jobs for Midwives Assistants from the centre.

This Saturday, concerned mothers and members of Save Corbar Birth Centre group will be asking people to sign its petition at:

Buxton - Spring Gardens – 9.30am -3.30pm

Glossop -

Norfolk Square

– 9.30am -1pm

New Mills – Town Centre – 9.30am-1pm

Whaley Bridge – Outside the Mechanics Institute – 9.30-1pm

A separate morning is being organised at a later date for Chapel En Le Frith.

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Notes to editors:

To speak to a representative from Save Corbar, please contact Fiona Lichfield at savecorbarbirthcentre@yahoo.co.uk.

Excellent home swap animation film

You’ve got to hand it to Home Base Holidays for their latest promotional offering to introduce the concept of exchanging properties for holidays. This is great. My final word on the subject is watch this

Surprised by Bolsover

Here’s a little secret that not many people know. Derbyshire is home to one of England’s finest medieval attractions, Bolsover Castle. This place is not just a haven for time travellers, it’s also a great day out for families, as we discovered last Saturday. Despite quizzing my friends and neighbours in the village, it transpired that everyone has heard of Bolsover Castle but no one has been. Equipped with information provided by the site’s mangers, English Heritage, and a postcode for Tobias (our very posh SatNav speaker) we set out to conquer Bolsover. A 40 minutes drive from our home, and we began to see the majestic Castle towering down onto the village of Bolsover. This place has not one but two castles (well one fortress ruin and a Duke’s show home) to explore at your leisure. Our children loved the freedom of Bolsover Castle. Running from building to building and room to room they played hide and seek and re-enacted dungeons and dragons themes. They were in paradise, and we were happy to see them enchanted with this wonderful monument. They built mini castles and dressed up as Cavaliers in The Discovery Centre as well as marvelling at the displays of swordsmanship from the performing knights. We ate our picnic in the grounds, spent more than one penny in the sparkling clean toilets and where very tempted with the play swords from the shop. At a very reasonable price of just over £7 per adult for entry, we will be sure to return, especially as we discovered a CAMRA pub located just five minutes away. The Arkwright Arms may be a little tired in places yet you can’t fault the range of ales on offer or the dragon and shoe-house slides. The children once again surprised us with their endless energy to enjoy themselves by spending a good hour happily playing in the pub’s beer garden. Close the draw bridges Bolsover Castle, you’ve not seen the last of us.

Stuck in a rut

Is it just the curse of Chinley Chuckles or has the weather put a damper on my enthusiasm to become listed on Intervac? After spring cleaning the bedroom and photographing them, I’ve now come to a complete standstill. Part of my trouble is that I’m torn between looking for a job (yes that saga continues), general mother duties, and planning the forthcoming camping holiday to Bournemouth. Perhaps the truth is that our home needs more than just a quick dust and hoover for our listing on Intervac. Have other houseswappers experienced this problem before, I’d love to know your thoughts.

In an attempt to get motivated, I’ve put together a quick summary of items or jobs that I believe myself and other potential house swappers need to consider.

1. Soul searching

Ask yourself if you’re ready to offer your home and not just your house and garden but bed linen, cutlery and possibly DVD collection to strangers? If not, then house swapping is isn't for you. Does the thought of living by someone else’s rules on holiday fill you with dread, especially when they are not around to enforce them? House swapping takes time and effort, although it’s worth it for the rewards, it’s not for everyone.

2. Research the market

Take time to investigate the plethora of holiday swapping organisations available on the net. Don’t just look around these sites; find out what people, especially members, say about them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions as the better informed you are the wiser your choice will be.

3. Be an estate agent

Take a good look at your home and garden, and start to think as an estate agent would. Be honest and think how a holiday swapper would see your home. Would you like to stay in a house where the kitchen cupboard doors are falling off? Could you sleep in a bedroom without curtains? Don’t panic. View this time as the ideal opportunity to get all those nagging jobs around the home done. Your house does not have to be a Grand Design yet it does need to be clean and tidy.

Further reading about holiday house swapping from the Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/the-complete-guide-to-home-swaps-1401595.html

The house swap shop of sites

Well I’ve taken the bait to do a house exchange and now all that’s left is the mountain of tasks to set this objective in motion. One of the greatest challenges facing potential houseswappers is choosing where to advertise their homes. Luckily for me this decision has already been taken care off via my fairy PR mother. For the next 12-months our little house in the country will be available for holiday house swaps through intervac. Now before I launch into a sales pitch on our home, let’s take some time to discuss the range of houseswapping sites on that big wide web.

A quick Google lists an array of website offering this service. The big names in the business are;

Homelink – Established in 1953, this site is the oldest international home exchange organisation in the world. Currently run by a British couple in Winchester, it’s a very informative website with heaps of information. Although our home may not fit into its target bracket of show houses, it’s a fantastic resource for anyone who may be thinking about a houseswap.
Guardianhomexchange – If you’re house is more of a home rather than a showcase of the latest products and designs than this site could be for you. Not great on general houseswapping information so it’s probably best to do your homework elsewhere before you sign-up.
Luxehomesswap – In their own words ‘Luxe Home Swap offers a different spin on the well-established home exchange for vacations concept, focusing on a more stylish experience - with many homes you won't find listed anywhere else.’ This is one for Chinley Chuckles to dream about.
Intervac – This international outlet has been going for more than 50 years and has representatives in most countries to review all listings. As this is the site we’ve chosen to go with, you’ll be hearing a lot more about them in the future.
In addition to the big boys there are specialist holiday house exchange websites catering for families with children, people living on narrow boats and even teachers.
Canaljunction – If you’re looking for a novel houseswap then this site may be worth checking out. Homeowners can exchange their houses for a holiday on a narrow boat and vice versa.
Matchinghouses – Houseswappers that need to consider disabled access or have limited mobility can exchange with people with similar accessibility needs. The site has a range of properties in the UK and further afield.
NCT House Swap – Recommend by Prima Baby and Essentials this site caters just for families, and has been active since 1976. Chinley Chuckles has previously used this site and although the swap didn’t go to plan we couldn’t fault the website or its administrators.
Swap My City Pad – A relative newbie to the market place, this site is dedicated to city dwellers. If you’re an urbanite and would like to discover new cities around the globe then you’re probably best suited here.
Homes Around The World – For gay and lesbian houseswappers this resource lists homes and flats around the world for couples, singles and families. The site has now extended its network to include gay-friendly houseswappers.

Of course there are loads more holiday house exchange websites out there. This list is just a selection. If you’d like to add a site just include the details on the comments section or email me, and I’ll endeavour to include them.

Alternatively you could do as we have and just ask friends and family if they’d like to exchange homes. We’ve had a lovely houseswap in France, and we’re just started organising another one for later this year with some friends in Shrewsbury.

The journey begins for real this time

It’s been a long time. Didn’t know what to write. Couldn’t find the time to express myself.

There are many excuses for my absence yet the greatest hurdle was clarifying exactly what I was going to write about. Finally I think I’ve got an ‘issue’ or ‘story’ that I’d like to share with you.

Last week I was contacted by a fellow PR professional who asked me if I’d like to undertake a houseswap? The proposal was that I would gain free membership of their client’s holiday houseswapping online network in exchange for becoming a case study. With two houseswaps already under our belts I decided to take my colleague up on the offer; and to begin a diary of our next home exchange via my blog. My aim is to share the highs and lows of house swapping minus the glorified advertising claims you might read on the brochures.If you’ve got any advice on this subject I’d love to hear from you.

More very soon…I promise