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                                            NEWS & VIEWS
         A tribute to          Introducing the local fire crew                         There's No Place
   Lollipops Founder               by Leading Fireman                                     Like Home...
   Greta Hodkin, organiser  of  the   Andrew Hargreaves                                 but could your house do
   Lollipops Toddler Group, Shaw   Welcome to the first of a series of                 with a little extra care and
   writes:                     quarterly articles written by                                  attention?
   We want to pay tribute to our   some of the members of                             If you dream of having your
   Founder and mainstay these past   Wiltshire Fire Brigade appointed                 home completely spring-
   two years, Mrs Debbie Griffiths.   to serve at Westlea Fire Station                cleaned or if you need regular
   She's moving onto 'pastures new'   when it opens later this year.                  help with chores like ironing or
   to continue work with the Pre-  As you may have seen from                          would just like someone to come
   SchoolPlaygmups Associ-ation as   the last issue of  The Link                      and clean your oven Les Daniels
   an Area Organiser. Her skills in   magazine the brigade are                        could have the solution.
   working with children and   already maintaining afire engine                         Les worked as Operations
   parents, will now reach the wider   at the Link Centre every night                 Manager for a large cleaning
   community.                  and at weekends, and this has                          services company and was
     Lollipops was founded in
   January 1988, Debbie's in-  generated some excellent                               responsible for cleaning
                                                                                      Carrefour for five years. "I
   novation, dedication and    feedback from residents in West
   enthusiasm for children to learn   Swindon and from the firemen                    started thinking how marvellous
   and develop through con-    serving there.                                         it would be if householders
   structive play has meant that from   All of us who are to serve at   Andrew Hargreaves   could have the same service -
   a group of approximately 12   the new station already live in                      someone they could phone when
   children, it has now grown to 3   Westlea and this gives us a   variety of tasks undertaken by   they needed help with cleaning
   groups of approximately 75   special sense of responsibility to   firemen in the course of their   or maintenance." So Les started
   children, with ever increasing   our local community. Those of   duty. The first half of January   Homelovers in 1987 to bring
   numbers on the waiting list.   us new to Westlea like myself,   alone has seen us attend house   domestic help to the house-
     This growth has meant ever   having moved from five miles   fires, chimney fires and car fires   holders of Thamesdown.
   increasing fund raising efforts by   down the road in Wootton   as well as road traffic accidents   Homelovers will tackle any
   the group and the continual   Bassett, have been spending   and petrol spillages.   cleaning job but it is not just a
   support of members families and   some of our time getting to know   It is the sheer diversity of a   house-cleaning service. Les and
   friends. We would like to express   the area thoroughly so that we   fireman's job that makes it so   his team will also handle small
   our special thanks to David   will be ready to go when the   interesting to him, and as the   DIY jobs including painting or
   Griffiths, Debbie's husband, who   station opens.      year progresses we hope to use   putting up shelves, or mowing
   has given his continual support   Since the beginning ofthe year   these pages to keep you   lawns.
   throughout.                 Westlea firemen have already   informed about the role of   You can give Les and his ladies
     From past members it has been                                                    a ring on 727926.
   apparent that her direct work in   responded to nearly 40 calls and   Wiltshire Fire Brigade in Westlea
   motivating all member has eased   these have been fairly
   the step for both the child and   representative of the wide
   parent, from Toddlers to
   Playgroup. This can be a traumatic
   time as mothers do not stay at   Greendown                     HOMEL 0 VERS
   playgroup as they do in Toddler
   Groups. If both have been used to   Playgroup                       Does your home need
   doing more activities, as we do in
   Lollipops, the change is not so   Jumble Sale                a little more care and attention?
   noticeable.
     Debbie's introduction of an    Fresh brook              From a once-a-year spring clean to regular
   effective rota system of jobs within   Community Centre
   the Group means that the pressure                         domestic help, Homelovers has the answer.
   was off the original dedicated   Saturday 24th
   helpers and onto the Group as a   February                      All aspects of domestic help are
   whole, making growth viable.
   Many similar groups find the ever   10.30a.m. -            covered by this service - ironing, window
   increasing demand on the few a    12. 30pm.                       cleaning, oven cleaning, etc.
   great problem.
     We all wish Debbie and her   Refreshments
   family well for the future and our                            Call Les Daniels on 727926
   loss will be the wider community's
   gain.
   Debbie was presented with a bracelet and a cake by members of Lollipops at her
   last visit on 22 January                                     Vi Stevens (Electrical)
                                                                    Electrical Contractor & Engineer
                                                                         Domestic, Commercial
                                                                        & Industrial Installations
                                                                         Fire Alarm Installations
                                                                 24 hour, 7 days a week call out service
                                                                    -No job too big -No job too small

                                                                       Economy 7 Total Heating
                                                             A remarkably effiecient system that could
                                                               change your mind about home heating
                                                           'Quality work Guaranteed 'Competitive rates
                                                                         Tel: Swindon 870948
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