YEP Letters: January 3

Concern over the price of petrol

Mel Smart, Farsley

In September the price of a barrel of oil was 72 dollars. Today it is 52 dollars a barrel.

If this is so, why is petrol and diesel going up? Surely if it has come down by 15 per cent, prices at the pump should be coming down by an amount similar.

Someone is making a lot of money out of this and it is not the motorist.

Schools crisis is case of history repeating itself

Coun Peter Gruen, school governor and councillor for Cross Gates & Whinmoor ward

Both your leading articles regarding the critical underfunding in schools and unprecedented levels of violence experienced by school staff, make very timely reading at the start of the new year.

For those of us who have been extensively involved in school life as governors this is a sad case of history repeating itself. Back in the late 80s and early 90s, I recall so-called temporary buildings which had long outlived their use, a massive backlog of basic maintenance and eight year plus painting schedules.

Not only was the capital allocation from the then Tory government wholly inadequate to mend the patches in the roofs, we could not even patch the patches! It took a Labour government to massively inject funding to build new schools and bring many other buildings back to provide a fit for purpose teaching and learning environment.

Now we are back to those days where Government lack of funding means decisions are made to increase class sizes, diminish available staff resources and limit the range of opportunities for students. Not to mention properly valuing the huge contributions made by school staff and recognising their dedication and professionalism through fair pay. And all this at a time, as you correctly point out, when staff face more threats of physical attack and need more support for their wellbeing at work.

So can we start the new year by thanking everyone involved in making our schools happy, safe and great places of learning?

Your year to volunteer?

Jo Hunt, Volunteer Development Manager, Barnardo’s East Region

We’d like to urge readers to make a new year’s resolution to become part of a team that helps support vulnerable children in the Leeds area.

As the UK’s leading children’s charity, we’re looking for people to help us to continue our vital work with disadvantaged children, young people and their families, either by fundraising, volunteering in our shops or volunteering directly with children and families.

By giving us a little of your spare time, you will gain invaluable experience that could provide a stepping stone to a new career or an opportunity to add to your personal statement for college or university. We also offer a chance to make new friends and have fun by joining the team at your local Barnardo’s store.

Volunteering is a great way to build confidence and an opportunity to try new things as well as being good for emotional health and wellbeing.

Our volunteers – who are all ages and come from all walks of life - are given full training and on-going support and have the opportunity to gain a level 2 NVQ in a range of excellent courses.

To find out more about volunteering with Barnardo’s, please pop into your local Barnardo’s store or visit the website at www.barnardos.org.uk/volunteering.

Thank you, we look forward to meeting you in 2019.

Thank you for your support

Thelma Wilson, Coordinator, Guide Dogs Leeds & District Volunteer Fundraising Branch.

A fundraising collection that Guide Dogs held in Leeds city centre on Friday December 21 raised a total of £854.50.

Thanks to everyone who contributed. The money will go towards helping to provide freedom and independence to more people within the local community who are blind and visually impaired.

A Brexiteer’s fantasy?

Alan Slomson, Leeds 6

I wonder if A Hague (YEP Letters, December 31) can produce any evidence to support his claim in connection with medical drugs that “we invented most of them in the first place”?

Or, as seems more likely, is this just another example of a Brexiteer’s fantasy?

Fight to leave packed train at rush hour

Dave Prince, Harrogate.

RAIL services from Harrogate to Leeds have continued to be really poor since May.

I make the trip three times a week and pay £10.60 return before the new year fare increase.

Delays of 20 minutes-plus are common with trains so overcrowded that people cannot board at Leeds to return to Harrogate. Heading towards Leeds, people are also often unable to board after Pannal.

The service is often at breaking point during the evening peak. I have had to force my way out of a train at Starbeck as it was so full. This on a line that is now a penalty fare route.

The new class 170 Turbostar units are indeed welcome and a great improvement but are three-carriage only trains and don’t seem to run at rush hour when four or five carriages are needed.

Why are elected representatives not pressurising Northern who 
are failing to meet their service franchise commitments, rather than claiming everything is OK or remaining silent?

More rail use will reduce road congestion but only if we get extra capacity quickly.

We need our elected representatives to step up and at least try and get improvements out of 
Northern. I know many who make the trip to Leeds daily by train and feel the same way.

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