Page 20 - link magazine

20 swindonlink.com • November 2009
Mansfield
Begbie
Associates Ltd
Providing mortgage services for the community since 1987 fitness classes, Salsa, and over 50s’ They last for 5 to 8 weeks. For details
Set off your mortgage
And you could be saving
for Christmas
We may be able to find you a lower interest rate.
You may have to pay an early repayment charge
to your existing lender if you remortgage.
Whether you’re planning to move to a
new house or to remortgage your property,
with over 21 years experience
providing mortgages in Swindon,
Mansfield Begbie Associates aim to
provide an excellent and personal service.
There may be a fee payable at completion
for placing your mortgage. The precise amount
will depend on your circumstances
but the maximum will be £300.
However, no completion no fee.
Mansfield Begbie Associates arranges mortgages with
the majority of building societies and banks in the UK when babies are given up at birth
For a free mortgage consultation and
further information, call us now.
Your home may be repossessed if you
do not keep up repayments on your mortgage
Swindon
772779
e: [email protected] H0096015 tion that, even when approved,
www.mansfieldbegbie.co.uk
Mansfield Begbie Associates Limited is an appointed representative of
Legal & General Partnership Services Limited which is authorised and regulated by the
Financial Services Authority for advising on and arranging mortgages and insurance attend a ‘panel’ for approval. That For more information see: www.
1 - 21 November 09.indd 20
Exciting courses recruiting in the North
There is a host of new courses and adult learning opportunities hap-
pening at various school venues around North Swindon, organised
and coordinated by dynamic extended schools coordinators Sandra
Collis and Lisa Parkinson. The courses are for adults and
Computing for beginners, com-
plementary therapy workshops, are open to any level of experience.
call Sandra Collis or Lisa Parkinson
Tai Chi are amongst the many ac-
tivities at Nova Hreod, Rodbourne on 608199.
All courses are listed at: www.
Cheney, Moredon, Abbey Meads
and Isambard. novahreodisambardess.org.uk
Coordinator Sandra Collis said,
“Extended Services is all about At Peatmoor
providing learning opportunities New members are welcome at:
for all the community, and making
use of our school buildings for the Beginners Gymnastics for chil-
benefit of everyone.” dren aged from 4½ years on Thurs-
Highlights in November include days, 4pm to 4.45pm;
courses and workshops starting on: Parent & Toddler/Baby Group
3rd: Next steps computers - Free on Tuesdays, 10am to 12 noon. £1
4th: Beginners’ art workshop per session, includes refreshment.
5th: Poetry workshop Both activities meet at Peatmoor
19th: Christmas floristry Community Primary School dur-
A ten week Spanish for beginners ing school term time. For details or
course starts on 13 January, costing to book a taster gym session call
£5 in total. Caroline Bowles on 887473.
Don’t leave it too long if adoption
is something you might consider
As the country celebrates National Adoption Week from
9 to 15 November, one Swindon adopter advises not to leave it
too long if you think adoption may one day be for you
After years of ‘shall we, shan’t we’ - have children now, that is - we
finally agreed to go for it. Two years later we weren’t unduly perturbed
but it was a throwaway comment by the doctor which led to fertility
tests. “Nothing conclusive, just ‘inexplicable’,” he said.
By now time was marching on year old. Four months later - after
and when friends announced they interviews with the child’s social
were adopting we realised we worker; approval from social work-
weren’t too old. After an initial ers and a further panel approval
meeting with a borough council for matching - our child came to
family placement officer we had to live with us (on placement). A few
wait ages before we could begin the months later we all attended court
home study. The wait in Swindon and the adoption was legal.
is currently 12 months before your We were fortunate that match-
‘link’ social worker comes out to ing happened incredibly quickly.
your home and asks you everything This is the exception. We know
and anything about your life, your of people today who have waited
more than two years to be matched
history and your feelings.
During this time we talked about - and that’s after the initial one year
‘matching’ - what kind of child we wait and seven or eight months of
hoped to adopt. Gone are the days home study.
Swindon Borough Council foster-
by unmarried mums. Now many of ing and adoption services does not
the children available for adoption need to appeal for adopters - there
have been taken into care, and could are many, many couples on their
we cope with the behaviours an books or going through the process.
emotionally or physically abused But, during National Adoption
child might have? Week, if you are starting to think
Our link worker was fantastic, about adoption but are not quite
really helpful and positive, and sure, register your interest, attend
there were police checks, medical an initial meeting and continue
checks, references, an intensive weighing up whether it’s right for
training course - and the realisa-
you during the initial long wait.
Our child is fantastic and the
matching could take another two whole experience has been posi-
years or more. tive; that’s not to say there haven’t
When everything was finally been challenges, but that’s another
ready, 6 or 7 months later, we had to story...
week we received details of a one swindon.gov.uk/adoption
16/10/2009 13:33