LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: You have your say

Members of Ely Diocesan Mothers’ Union braved strong winds and heavy showers to stand together at 1.03pm on Saturday November 27 for three minutes to raise awareness for the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence.

This is an international campaign which begins on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against women and ends on the International Human Rights Day (November 25 - December 10).

It is supported by Mothers’ Union, a worldwide organisation, with a global membership of four million women and men.

Standing in silence outside the West End of Ely Cathedral, members were campaigning on this Global Day of Action, building on last year’s focus of #nomore1in3 (no more one in three), highlighting the fact that 1 in 3 women will be impacted by some form of violence.

MU members wore purple scarves in their solidarity and support of victims, and were joined by Canon Jessica Martin from the cathedral and diocesan MU chaplain, Revd Mike Banyard.

Our thanks go to those members who braved the elements to stand alongside those silently suffering from abuse.

Just to the right inside the main west door of Ely Cathedral is a display that will remain during the Campaign, which includes further information regarding the 16 Days of Activism Campaign and includes the work of the MU throughout the year supporting women’s refuges locally.

DEBBIE TYE

Ely Diocese MU Trustee

Switch the salt and reduce your risk of stroke

In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, more than 127,000 adults have been diagnosed with high blood pressure.

And for every ten people diagnosed with high blood pressure, seven remain undiagnosed and untreated.

That’s extremely worrying to our charity as high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of stroke.

One of the ways to reduce blood pressure is to reduce your sodium intake.

Most of this sodium is in the salt we eat and that’s why we’re proud to support Season with Sense, a public health campaign which aims to drive down consumer sodium intake.

The good news is that by making small changes to our diet – such as cutting the amount or type of salt - we can greatly reduce our risk of serious health issues.

If you find it hard to cut out salt completely, there are alternatives to regular table, sea and rock salts such as LoSalt® which has two thirds less sodium without any taste compromise.

Find out more at www.seasonwithsense.com.

When you’re out shopping, watch out for the special tubs of LoSalt® on sale in supermarkets. For every tub sold a 20p donation will be made to help fund the vital work we do to support stroke survivors and carers.

The tubs will also have information attached to help shoppers understand the FAST test.

Face, Arms, Speech, are the most common signs that someone is having a stroke.

Time tells you that Stroke is a medical emergency and you must phone 999 straight away. We are thrilled that this vital information will be getting into the hands of 150,000 people.

Please do note that if you take some types of medication that affect potassium levels, LoSalt® and other reduced sodium salt alternatives may not be suitable for you. This includes people receiving medication for diabetes, heart or kidney disorders. Check with your GP for advice.

JULIE BOUVERIE OBE

Chief Executive

The Stroke Association

Royal British Legion says ‘thankyou’

Soham Royal British Legion committee and members would like to thank the residents of Soham for their contributions to this year’s Poppy Appeal.

Because of complications arose over the usual parade and wreath laying around the war Memorial, a Drum Head service was arranged as an alternative.

It is too early to say what arrangements will be in place next year but several residents have said that this year’s Remembrance Sunday went very well.

It was arranged in a bit of a hurry but thank you Soam once again for your support.

John AITCHISON

Secretary

Soham branch, Royal British Legion

The issue is opposition – lack of it

The Tories can get away with sleaze when there’s no real opposition.

From the beginning of the pandemic, Labour leader Keir Starmer spent all his time agreeing with Boris Johnson in a show of “national unity.”

That’s why the Tories manage to survive scandal after scandal.

They escaped after adviser Dominic Cummings showed there was one law for the rich and another for the rest. They have not been called to account for the £37 billion spent on a failing test and trace system.

Johnson even survived revelations that he would rather “let the bodies pile high” than push forward plans for a third lockdown.

Above all, the government remains ahead in the opinion polls even though it presides over one of the worst death rates in the world.

Starmer has called on Johnson to “answer, apologise and act” over sleaze allegations.

It’s got through to him that there is a chance to inflict real blows on the Tories.

But so much of the criticism is phrased as a defence of “parliamentary standards” and the “good name” of British democracy.

Labour supports essentially the same system as now.

Starmer even chose to announce that Labour was no longer in favour of abolishing the House of Lords. Parliament is an unrepresentative, unaccountable front that covers for the real relations of power.

As the pandemic highlighted, it is a mechanism for the enrichment of the tiny elite of business-people who have an inside track to ministers and top civil servants.

Instead of seeking to polish and rescue parliament’s reputation, Labour and the unions should be campaigning for a complete clean out of corrupted MPs.

And the cosy dinners, the freebie trips and holidays, the football match tickets and the fat extra salaries to deliver for corporations must all go.

JOHN SMITHEE

Families deserve our support and help
Each year AAA Motorcycle Training Ltd have supported Littleport Foodbank at Christmas to help ensure all the children whose families are relying on the foodbank for help at this difficult time receive a gift come Christmas day.

This year is no different!

We have launched our toy appeal to help make Christmas special for even the neediest of children within our community this year.

We are also extending this to gifts for adults who rely on the food bank who will spend Christmas alone. Being alone at any time of the year is difficult but especially Christmas.

This year we are really pleased to announce that we are being joined by M&M Motorcycles, Waterbeach to help make this happen.

Simply drop your gift to either the award-winning AAA Motorcycle Training in Littleport or to M&M Motorcycles, Waterbeach, the gifts are then collected and delivered to the foodbank in time for the big day.

Help put a smile on someone's face this Christmas.

We will also, as usual be collecting Christmas treats and food to help the foodbank ensure everyone gets a little something special come Christmas.

AMANDA HELLMANN

AAA Motorcycle Training Ltd

Mixed views on green bins

Dozens took to our social media channels to air their thoughts on the decision to suspend green bin collections for seven weeks.

Here’s some of the views expressed:

Not a problem for us this time of year but i bet certain people will be dumping theirs God knows where.

DIANA SHEPHERD

I'll have nowhere to put my bunnies waste

JENNIFER CARROLL

Do we get a rebate on the council tax?

GEOFF EVERETT

We didn't have a black bag collection from our communal facility for 3 weeks recently - no doubt some very happy rodents in town!

IAN PURATH

Have the council tried an agency for support ??

NICK COUSINS

What a nightmare! All my trees are still dropping leaves - I have about 2 green bins worth to go, and apparently no more collection/ What about all the food peelings/coffee/tea waste etc over Christmas/Dec/Jan?

REBECCA McLOUGHLIN

All the green waste will end up in the black backs. Not exactly environmentally friendly. We should be encouraging correct recycling and disposal not encouraging people to dump it in other ways.

LUCY AMANDA

If it's no hardship, why bother with the green bin at all? People in north Ely, Witchford, Sutton and Haddenham can get to the recycling centre if they have a car and plenty of time to spare.

If you are in Soham, Reach, Wicken, Fordham it will be much harder.

SIMON HARRIES

Council representative complaining about the amount of food waste in black bags so the answer is to get rid of the green bin collection? Doesn’t make any sense - now we’ll need to put our food waste in black bin bags!

We don’t have a lot of food waste but it’ll definitely build up over Christmas.

SAM WHITAKER