⏩ The Gloucester Start: Monday February 24th
Knife law 'good start' | Half marathon to return | Things to do this week
Good morning, welcome to Monday’s Start. Before we get into today’s bulletin, can I ask a quick favour? If you’ve found the Start in any way useful in the 50-odd editions I’ve published so far please can you share it and recommend to friends, family, colleagues and others in and around our city? There’s nothing as good as word of mouth and personal recommendations to help new things like this grow, and I’d hugely appreciate it. 🙏 Now onto today’s edition.
🔪 More still has to be done to tackle knife crime after the introduction of Ronan’s Law, according to the co-founder of Gloucester’s Increase the Peace charity. New regulations around the selling of knives online are, though, a ‘good start’, said Delroy Ellis. - BBC Gloucestershire
⛅ Today’s weather: Brighter and mild, slightly higher chances of rain at the start and end of the day.
💷 The new chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council will earn more than the Prime Minister. Jo Walker takes up the role in May which carries a salary of £189,000 after her appointment was ratified by councillors. - Gloucester News Centre, via the Local Democracy Reporting Service
☀️ Solar panels will soon be installed on six primary schools around the county, including two in Gloucester. Castle Hill Primary School and Tredworth Junior School are part of the £2million rollout. - BBC Gloucestershire
🚬 Cigarettes worth £3,000 were stolen by men wearing balaclavas who used a wheelie bin to take their haul away after threatening staff in a Brockworth shop. - Gloucestershire Live
🔍 Ofsted inspectors have praised services for care leavers and older children at Gloucestershire County Council. Inspectors visited in January but also highlighted issues with record-keeping and ‘frequent oversight’ from senior managers. - BBC Gloucestershire
🏃 Organisers are getting things ready for the return of Gloucester Half Marathon and 10k next month. The city’s ‘historic streets and picturesque routes’ will provide the course, with money raised going to Sue Ryder. It’s on March 30th. - Gloucestershire Live
🚨 Police continue to investigate a stabbing in Kingsway last week. A man was left injured in Boddington Drive on Friday morning. Men in dark clothing and face coverings were seen leaving the area. - Gloucester News Centre
🛩️ New measures are in place at Gloucestershire Airport after a series of near misses between aircraft. Flying operations will be spread throughout the day after the vast majority of incidents occurred within the same time window. - Gloucestershire Live
🎒 Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre says consultations held so far over the planned merger of two primary schools have been ‘inadequate’ and has called for timelines to be delayed. The Greenshaw Learning Trust wants to close Moat Primary and move children to nearby Robinswood Primary Academy. - Alex McIntyre
💪 Gloucester-Hartpury finished the regular season of the Premiership Women’s Rugby as table-toppers with a comprehensive win over Harlequins as they chase a third title in a row. They face Bristol in the play-off semi-finals next. - BBC Sport
⚽ Gloucester City AFC sit third in the table in the Non League Premier League South after a 94th minute winner against Poole. - Gloucester City AFC
📌 Community Noticeboard
Got some community news you want to shout about? Submissions are welcome - indeed encouraged - via this quick form
📌 Join to celebrate one year of Roots Gloucester on Saturday. From 2.30pm-4pm there’s a community fair to meet with community groups (including the Gloucester Start), taste food samples, engage with stalls and displays. From 4pm-4.30pm celebrate one year by meeting the staff to hear the story so far. Then food and fun from 4.30pm-5.30pm with free soup and hot drinks. More here.
📌 The Gala Club, in Fairmile Gardens, Longlevens, is undergoing a rebrand and is now known as The Oxstalls Community Hub. It’s the same location and facilities, but with ‘fresh new changes’ on the way too. More here.
📌 Great Western Air Ambulance Charity opens a new shop in Brockworth tomorrow (Tuesday). It’s the organisation’s fifth in the county. More here.
📌 The Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum is looking for volunteer shop assistants, with hours available throughout the week. More here.
📌 Gloucestershire Bundles is holding a donation event on March 9th and is in need of children’s toys and equipment including books, playmats, electric sterilisers, baby baths, pushchairs, stairgates and more to go to families in need. More here.
Five things to do this week
🏺 Behind the scenes tour of the Museum of Gloucester | Today (Monday), 10.30am | £14 | Details
🎤 Banned Bandito performance poetry at The Dick Whittington | Tuesday, 8pm | Free | Details
🔮 Psychic & Spiritual Show at The Fox & Elm, Tuffley | Wednesday, 6.45pm | £15 | Details
🪡 Scrap Square Challenge course in textile craft at Gloucestershire Resource Centre, Alfred Street | Thursday, 10am | Booking advised | Details
🐉 The Whilers - otherworldly giant light creatures - in King’s Square | Thursday for seven days/evenings | Free | Details