Free early education and childcare for children in Stockport is increasing from 12 1/2 hours a week to 15 hours a week from September this year. As well as the new and extended hours, there will be more flexibility for parents who won’t be restricted to just morning or afternoon sessions.

The free hours are available at most early year’s providers including day nurseries, pre-schools or playgroups, independent schools, maintained nursery schools or classes, and accredited childminders who are part of an approved network. From September 2010, the following will apply:

· a free place is available for up to 15 hours a week

· no more than six hours can be claimed on one day

· there is a maximum of 570 hours per year (e.g. 15 hours during 38 week term time during the academic year)

· the free entitlement is available for all children from the start of the term after they become three years of age

· no more than two schools/settings are permitted at one time

For further information please contact Family Info Link on 0808 800 0606, email info@familyinfolink.co.uk or visit www.familyinfolink.co.uk.

Stockport Council is supporting Foster Care Fortnight which runs from 17th to 30th May in a bid to recruit more carers.

The Council’s Fostering team will be holding events during the two weeks including a weekend of promotions in Merseyway and St Petersgate on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th May. Foster Care Fortnight is an annual campaign to raise the profile of fostering and highlights the need for more foster families.

This year’s theme is ‘Do You Have The Skills To Foster?’ which aims to encourage people to consider a career in fostering and focus on the personal and professional skills that a modern foster carer needs to fulfill their role as a child care expert.

As part of the Stockport Boost campaign the Mobile Advice Centre, known as the ‘Benefit Bus’, is back in Mersey Square in Stockport Town Centre on Monday 26th April to Friday 30th April, from 9.30pm to 3.30pm.

This is the third year the benefits bus has been visiting Stockport. Over the last three years Stockport residents who have visited the bus and applied for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit have received more than £88,000 in Benefits. For more information about the ‘Benefit Bus’, contact the Council’s Benefits Hotline on 0161 217 6015 or visit www.stockport.gov.uk/benefits.

Borough residents looking for events which will stimulate those creative juices during the Easter holidays should come along to one of Stockport’s many visitor attractions.

There’s plenty going on for all the family to enjoy in Stockport over Easter. Below are some of the activities taking place:-

· Make a Pompom Chick on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st March at Hat Works. Suitable for ages 5 to 11. Two sessions available: 10.30am to 12noon and 1.00pm to 2.30pm. Cost £3 or Leisure Key holders £2.50. Booking essential, call 0161 355 7770.

· Join the Carrot Quiz at Bramall Hall and discover where the Easter Bunny has hidden his carrots. Running between Thursday 1st to Sunday 11th April. Suitable for ages 5 to 10. Free with normal admission price. Available 1.00pm to 4.00pm

· Make an Easter Bonnet at Hat Works on Tuesday 6th April. Suitable for ages 5 to 11. Two sessions available from 10.30am to 12noon and 1.00pm to 2.30pm. Cost £3 or Leisure Key holders £2.50. Booking essential, call 0161 355 7770.

· ‘Pick and Mix’ Sweets Through the Ages on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th April at Staircase House. Try lots of sweets from the past. Suitable for ages 8 to 10. 10.00am to 12noon. Cost £4. Booking essential, call 0161 480 1924.

For further information of what’s going on throughout Easter, pick up an Easter Event Guide from participating venues or call the Tourist Information Centre on 0161 474 4444.

Margaret Newton and Rosie Deverell from FLAG will be holding a drop-in information session on Wed 10th Feb from 2-4pm at Cafe Unity in Heald Green.

FLAG is a free independent service that puts people who need practical or emotional help, due to disability or illness or age, in touch with those local organisations who provide it.

FLAG is your link to the health and social care services provided by a consortium of independent voluntary organisations in the area, as well as the services provided by Stockport Council.

Whatever your problem, issue or need, talk to FLAG first. If help is available, FLAG will make sure you find it. The service is informed, independent and confidential.

For more information, email info@stockportflag.org.uk, telephone 0161 474 1042 or drop into Cafe Unity in Heald Green, 2-4pm on 10th Feb.

The ViaMichelin route planner site has an interesting feature: it allows you to plan your route, anywhere in Europe, by bike or on foot in addition to driving.

I’ve been giving it a test drive, and it’s not bad - but far from perfect.

In my testing, the cycle route planner directs you down smaller roads when the route’s the more direct, as you’d expect.  It also picks up on at least some places where a bike can go and a car can’t, such as where two roads connect but bollards prevent cars passing through.

Essentially, it seems to pick the shortest route, avoiding motorways, and using these cut-throughs where it can.

What it doesn’t do, yet, is have any way to avoid routes unsuitable for less experienced cyclists.  For example, in planning a route from Gatley to Manchester, it has no hesitation in sending me up Kingsway and sending me round the junction by East Didsbury station in Parrs Wood (a particularly challenging junction when you’re cycling south out of Manchester).

It’s a good start, but I’d love to see an option that actively tried to avoid dual carriageways and complex junctions, and was aware of signed cycle routes and paths.

Don’t miss Gatley’s Christmas Market at BossCo’s car park this afternoon, from 3.30 to 8pm.  More information here.

 Bramall Hall will be hosting a special Tudor Living History Day on Sunday 22nd November.   People can immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of an authentic recreation of the 16th century as the Davenport family welcome you into their home.   

Visitors can find out more about traditional crafts such as spinning and carding, embroidery and the art of calligraphy. Or learn about the health properties of herbs and spices in the Still Room with Good Wife Kate.  There will be an opportunity for children to help the family cook prepare the herbs for baking and roll out the jumbles (Tudor biscuits). Or perhaps you would prefer to watch the hilarious jig puppet show in the Ballroom.

All the activities will be brought to life by a variety of costumed characters and traditional Tudor music playing throughout the Hall.  The event takes place between 11.00am and 4.00pm and there is no need to book in advance. Admission costs £4.95 for Adults and £3.50 for Concessions/Under 16s and Leisure Key.   For more information about the event, contact Bramall Hall on 0161 485 3708 or visit www.bramallhall.org.uk

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today challenged Gordon Brown at Prime Minister’s Questions on planned cuts to Housing Benefit.

Current Government plans are to scrap excess payments to local housing allowance claimants where their rent is lower than the rate of the allowance. This would see some of the poorest families in the country up to £780 a year worse off.

Nick asked:

“How is it possible that in the middle of a recession, with unemployment now at two and a half million and rising, this Government, a Labour Government, wants to change the local housing allowance rules to take £15 a week from some of the poorest families in Britain?”

I’ve received this from Andrew Stunell, Lib Dem MP in the neighbouring constituency of Hazel Grove

The Government is set to cut nearly £800 from the budgets of some of Stockport’s poorest people in April, according to Hazel Grove MP Andrew Stunell.

Government plans to alter the Local Housing Allowance could leave low-income families up to £780 a year worse off. At the moment, families receiving Local Housing Allowance (LHA) are able to keep up to £15 a week if they choose a home with a rent below the Local Housing Allowance’s maximum for their area. Chancellor Alistair Darling now proposes removing the £15 a week payment from April next year.

Estimates indicate that around half of all the people receiving LHA pay a contractual rent that is lower than the LHA maximum rate. This means that over 1,500 people in the borough will lose out as a result.

Commenting, Andrew Stunell said:

“£15 per week may seem like small change to Government Ministers, but for local families struggling to make ends meet this money is important.

“The government has a track record in secretly raising taxes for the poorest and most vulnerable people. Now they want to take away a vital source of their income just like that.

“Cutting this scheme will save very little money, if any at all, but will make a huge difference to local families budgets. This is irresponsible behaviour from Labour during a recession, and Gordon Brown has once again abandoned the people who need the most help.”

Now Mr Stunell is joining with other Liberal Democrat MPs to press the Government for a rethink.