With the greatest respect to Fleetwood Town, I’m not sure Saturday’s return to action comes into the ‘big-game’ category.

Granted, this will be the first ever time these teams have met.

And Fleetwood’s sensational six promotions in ten years mirrors Rovers’ similarly remarkable rise up the Football League.

But you’d still be hard pressed to find any Rovers fans licking their lips at the prospect of a trip to the Highbury Stadium to face the Cod Army. It’s not a fixture that leaps out at you.

And that’s slightly worrying from a Doncaster point of view, as Paul Dickov’s men look to build on the momentum they gathered prior to the international break.

Because, so far this season, Rovers have lived up to their ever-growing reputation for saving their best performances for the bigger occasions.

They turned it on at Yeovil on the opening day of the season.

Their best display at home, thus far, has come against a Preston team expected to figure in the promotion shake-up.

They impressed in the Capital One Cup against Championship opposition.

And they maintained their impressive record in derby matches under Dickov by beating Chesterfield and then Scunthorpe with a certain degree of swagger and style.

The exception to the rule came at league leaders Bristol City, where Rovers were second best even before Harry Forrester saw red.

It is very apparent that James Coppinger, Jamie McCombe and Richie Wellens - some of the most senior pros in the Rovers dressing room - have all been quoted recently as saying top six is a realistic target for Doncaster, despite Dickov and the club’s attempts to downplay expectations.

There is a belief among Rovers’ squad that, on their day, they can beat anyone in this division.

But to finish anywhere near the top six Rovers can’t afford just to turn it on when it suits.

The defeats against Port Vale, Oldham and Walsall have highlighted that Doncaster are far from invincible. They are prone to an off day.

And if complacency is the reason for those dips, it needs to be stamped out immediately. This weekend is the perfect time to start.

This week is the eighth national Get Online Week, inspiring people across the UK to get online and do more with digital skills.

We all know that, over the last few years, the internet has revolutionised the way most people live their lives. It has fundamentally changed the volume of information available to people and the speed with which they can access that information.

Websites are fundamental to most businesses and some are solely web-based traders.

So many transactions now happen electronically that losing your internet connection can really stop you in your tracks.

Online interactions are also changing the way in which public services, and politicians, interact with local people. Indeed, Doncaster Council is currently redeveloping its website to include more transactional features, making it easier for residents to access public services.

Even I have started to blog and tweet! You can follow me on Twitter at @MayorRos.

There are issues too. The people who are less likely to be online are the elderly and those who cannot afford it. In the modern age where seemingly everything is done over the internet, that presents a challenge. People who can’t get online often find it more difficult to get the best deals, for example on gas and electricity prices. That means sometimes those who can least afford to pay more end up doing exactly that.

It’s one of the reasons we made sure residents could sign up to my Big Power Switch by phone or in person.

Getting online is clearly a good thing though, so we must do what we can to help people access the internet and provide modern web-based services for people who wish to use them.

That is why I was very heartened to hear about local residents Ruby Bowling, aged 93, and her husband George, 92. Ruby was the first recipient of an ebook from Doncaster Council’s Digital Library, making use of the service before anyone else.

Since then, Ruby hasn’t looked back - she uses her iPad to look at old photographs, read books, and keep in touch with their son Steven, who uses the internet to speak to them from the Solomon Islands.

Speaking about her online life and the Digital Library, Ruby said: “Reading has always been such a big part of my life. I love having all my books there at the touch of a button, as well as photos and other things. I’d recommend getting online to anyone and everyone.”

I couldn’t agree more. What’s more, for those who don’t have internet access at home they can still pop to the library, take out an old fashioned paper book and, while they are there, use our public internet facility to do their online jobs.

We are also asking members of the public to complete a survey of their internet usage, to help us make our online services even better. For more details visit {http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/digital|Doncaster Council online|click here}

* Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster

A woman has been convicted of stealing almost £7,000 from the high profile Doncaster homelessness charity she worked for.

Cheryl Brough, aged 42 of Headingley Close, Kirk Sandall, pleaded guilty at Sheffield Crown Court to 18 counts of theft from the M25 housing and support group charity, based on South Parade in Doncaster town centre.

Brough, who was employed both as secretary and assistant director of operations during her time with the M25 housing and support group, admitted to stealing a total of £6,900 from the charity’s internal funds.

The theft counts relate to money taken from the charity between the period October 1, 2012 and November 13, 2013. An M25 spokesman confirmed that the charity became aware of irregularities in their accounts in November last year, when an internal investigation was launched.

Police were made aware of the irregularities and following an investigation, Brough was arrested in March 2014 and charged in June 2014 in connection with the offences. Brough was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court on October 10 to a total of nine months in custody, suspended for one year.

She has also been ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, and to repay the £6,900 stolen from the charity by November 7.

The M25 housing and support group charity was set up in Doncaster in 1994 and since then has worked to prevent homelessness and relieve, support, and assist homeless people in the borough and surrounding area by providing accommodation either directly or by any other charitable means.

The charity employees around 60 workers in a number of different services, and also has a board of trustees who are responsible for ensuring the charity provides quality services.

A spokesman for the board of trustees said Brough had brought ‘disrepute to M25 and the good people of Doncaster’.

They added: “I can confirm that the board of trustees of M25 worked closely with South Yorkshire Police to bring the prosecution against Cheryl Brough.

“We also carried out an internal investigation using specialist external advice.”

“Following the conclusion of that investigation the M25 board of trustees implemented a number of recommended actions which have resulted in a more robust management structure and financial procedures.”

“Cheryl Brough has let down our clients and broken the trust in her relationships with work colleagues and the board.” Investigating officer Detective Constable Victoria Stewart said of the case: “Brough abused her position of power in a charity for vulnerable and homeless people, to steal money for her own financial gain.

“To exploit her position in this manner and take money away from those really in need is appalling.”

“I am pleased that as part of her conviction Brough has been ordered to pay back the money she stole.”

Brough was contacted regarding this story, but declined to comment.

A total of five people have been arrested following an armed police operation in Mexborough and Denaby, targeting drugs supply and organised criminal activity.

The arrests were made yesterday after warrants were carried out in Oliver Road, Schofield Street, Lorna Road and Woodlands Way at the culmination of a three-week operation targeting drugs supply and organised criminal activity.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault. He has been bailed today (Friday 17 October) while enquiries continue.

A 22-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman were arrested on suspicion of possession of a Class B drug and possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply. They have been bailed while enquiries continue.

A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of public order offences. He has been bailed pending further enquiries.

An 18-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of public order offences and obstructing a police officer. He has been bailed pending further enquiries.

A 35-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of shoplifting, having been wanted for a number of weeks.

Chief Inspector Adie Brown, who led the operation, confirmed that a number of armed response officers took part in the operation.

He added: “Yesterday’s activity was the largest part of our three-week targeted campaign to tackle drug dealing and criminal activity in the Mexborough and Denaby areas.”

“Over 50 officers from Doncaster, as well as specialist firearms and roads policing officers, were involved in what has been a very successful operation.

“We have seized a number of firearms as well as removing significant quantities of drugs from the streets of Doncaster, disrupting organised criminality and making the local community a better place for our residents to live and work.”

Superintendent Natalie Shaw said: “This is by no means the end of our work to identify and apprehend those dealing in drugs and bringing criminality to our community.

“Our enquiries will continue and we are committed to responding to local residents’ concerns about these issues.

“We are grateful for the information we have already received from the public to assist us with this operation, but we still need your help.

“Anyone with information about suspected criminal activity should report it to police on 101, or speak to your local Safer Neighbourhood Team.”

If you wish to report crime anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

November is fast approaching and, as the Poppy Appeal Organiser for Epworth and Belton, could I ask if there is anyone who is willing to give up their time to help with this year’s Poppy Appeal can they please contact me as soon as possible.

I know that it is a bad time of year for most people as the nights are dark, long and probably very wet.

But this is the time when we are able to really show our support for our Armed Forces and their families.

All the money collected is used for the welfare of serving, retired and injured servicemen and their families in time of need.

Sunday November 9 sees remembrance service at St Andrew’s Church, Epworth. Anyone wanting to join the march to church, meet at Albion Hill Memorial Garden at 10.30 am.

Tuesday November 11 sees Epworth Market Square two-minute silence and Last Post, gather at 10.45 am in Market Square.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in the past. And all those who will do so in the future.

Steve Croot

Poppy Appeal Organiser

Secretary Epworth RBL

Rookery Croft

Epworth DN9 1SJ

(01427 872223)

road safety

Slow down!

On October 1 at approximately 5.40am our son was knocked off his bicycle as he was cycling to work, by a white car, just beyond the mini roundabout at Belton.

The car didn’t stop but went speeding off towards the motorway. Our son ended up in a field with the bike on his back. He is now nursing a bad back and a sore hand.

The bike needs attention and, to make matters worse, he has lost a day’s pay which he can ill afford.

We would just like to ask the driver of the white car to slow down in future and be on the lookout for cyclists.

Our son was wearing the usual high visibility jacket and showing good lights on his bike, both back and front. He was clearly visible.

If that white car driver is you, please take more care or there may not be a second chance for our son.

Stuart and Jo Holland

Church View Close, Belton

nhs strike

Despite bleak weather conditions on Monday, health workers in Goole and Scunthorpe joined picket lines in support of a four-hour strike called by their trade unions in protest at the government’s continued squeeze on pay.

Workers are justifiably angry at the Tory-led government’s decision to reject the recommendations of the independent NHS Pay Review Body that our health staff receive a 1% rise in their salary.

Pay for the workers on the front-line looking after our residents have not kept up with inflation - 60% of staff will not have any salary rise this year whatsoever.

Meanwhile the Financial Times reported on October 13 that FTSE 100 directors’ pay soared by 21% in the past year and average wages have failed to even keep pace with inflation.

Nurses, hospital and ambulance staff are the backbone our NHS. They are selfless public servants who do not work to the clock. They go above and beyond the call of duty.

They are not asking for the world. They just want what is fair for their families.

David Cameron gave millionaires a £40,000 pay rise last year. By refusing this offer from the Pay Review Body, he has made his priorities clear for the UK and the NHS is far behind in the queue.

The four-hour walk-out which came between 7am to 11am is the first national strike by NHS workers since 1982. It is also the first time ever the College of Midwives have gone on strike, which is more evidence of the grievance felt by NHS staff.

It goes against the very nature of their vocation for our health workers to strike. The fact that they have been driven to this should shame our government.

I call on the government to hold talks in good faith with the trade unions so that further disruption can be avoided for everyone’s sake.

Jacky Crawford

Labour Prospective

Parliamentary Candidate for Brigg and Goole

The Met Office has forecast a mixed bag when it comes to the weather for Doncaster over the weekend.

Going into this evening it will become increasingly cloudy and breezy with spells of initially light and patchy rain giving way to scattered heavy and blustery showers.

It will be drier but breezy by dawn. Minimum Temperature 14C.

On Saturday it will be bright and breezy with some sunny spells, perhaps occasionally cloudier with isolated showers in the south.

It will feel a little less warm than today given the stronger wind. Maximum Temperature 17C.

Sunny spells and increasingly isolated showers are expected Sunday and Monday with heavier rain then blustery showers possible Tuesday.

Cross Keys are a club that have played a big part in my own development as I played a lot of my youth rugby there so the fixture had extra meaning for me especially with friends and family watching.

They are also a club that history shows love this competition having previously been runners-up, taking some very notable Championship scalps like Moseley and Cornish Pirates.

They came out of the blocks very quickly and caught us napping on Saturday. Before we knew it, we were four mins in 10-0 down with another 36 mins of playing up the infamous Pandy Park slope to come.

Thankfully the boys hit their straps before anymore damage was done and turned a 10-0 deficit into a 20-15 half time lead.

After a few momentary defensive lapses in concentration in the early stages of the second half, we were behind again. However, our never-say-die attitude shone through and we stuck to our guns, keeping the ball well.

We managed to tire them and work into what proved to be an unassailable 37-25 winning position.

Keys obviously didn’t read the script and pegged us back making it a very nervous last few minutes but ultimately we prevailed and got the win.

On a personal note, I was happy with my performance. The scrum asserted itself giving the fast boys outside a chance to play and I was involved in a fair bit of play in the loose in both attack and defence.

It was a particularly memorable day for me as my little girl was also there watching.

We’re very pleased with the five-point win as I’ve a feeling the other two teams in our group (Cornish Pirates and Bedford Blues) could find this place a potential banana skin.

Police have stepped up patrols to tackle nuisance off-road motorbikes at a former pit site.

Officers from the Rossington Safer Neighbourhood Team carried out cycle patrols near the old colliery.

They noticed several off-roaders – who were able to get away before officers could take action.

Colts were on the wrong end of an eight-goal thriller in Scunthorpe.

A Jamie Castelow hat trick helped Bruces Beacon on their way to victory over Crowle with Byron Waudby slamming home a brace for the home side.

Colts recorded three in response via Calum Breads, Dan Smyth and Dan Barrowcliffe but it was not enough as Beacon ran out comfortable winners on Saturday.

Division Two strugglers Crowle have the opportunity to kickstart their 2014-15 campaign on Saturday as they prepare to welcome neighbours Scunthonians to the Isle in the Johnstone Insurance Nursing Cup.

Meanwhile, it’s also cup action for Westwoodside Rangers on Saturday as they return to the field this weekend following a break to face Crowle’s recent opponents Bruces Beacon.

Kev Blow’s Rangers will be aiming to build on their emphatic 15-3 cup victory over Santon on October 4.

Police officers are ‘devastated’ by the Rotherham abuse scandal, a former inspector hoping to become the region’s next crime tsar has said.

Jack Clarkson, the UKIP candidate vying to replace former police and crime commissioner Shaun Wright after he stood down, launched his campaign in the town.

The Sheffield councillor said there had been a ‘breakdown’ between the police and public because of Labour politicians.

He wants to focus on community policing, cut paperwork, ‘roll back the tide of political correctness’, support frontline staff and ensure all taxi drivers have CRB checks - among other priorities.

Mr Clarkson said: “It pains me that public trust and respect have been shattered – that’s why I am so passionate about rebuilding it in South Yorkshire Police.

“I don’t believe in political correctness. I just want to see honest, transparent and fair policing, to bring criminals to justice without political interference or victimising those who are innocent.

“The police officers I talk to are as devastated as I am about what has happened in South Yorkshire.

“The political establishment, elected and in the force command itself, are the ones who have let you down.”

Mr Clarkson was backed by Euro MP Paul Nuttall, UKIP’s deputy leader.

He said: “Nobody trusts the old Labour establishment to ensure fairness and toughness in policing. In a man with Jack’s experience, UKIP has both.”

Mr Clarkson, and his three rival candidates, will go head-to-head in a live debate hosted by The Star next week.

There are still spaces for members of the public to attend the debate, which will take place at Sheffield Hallam University’s Pennine Lecture Theatre from 7.15pm next Wednesday, October 22.

To book a place - or to suggest a question - email ellen.beardmore@thestar.co.uk, call 0114 276 7676 ext 3459, or write to PCC Election Debate, The Star, York Street, Sheffield, S1 1PU before noon on Monday, October 20.

An afternoon of skiffle, country and western, and blues is being offered at The Ivanhoe Centre in Conisbrough.

The ‘Bus Pass Buskers’ will perform on Monday, October 27, at 2pm. The event will cost £5 to attend and include two games of bingo.

Epworth Ladies Hockey Club are still searching for their first back-to-back wins of the season.

The Isle side had the chance to follow-up from last weekend’s impressive 3-0 victory over Huddersfield with success against Brigg Seconds.

However, Epworth came up against a home team intent on continuing their early season promotion push in Yorkshire Four as Brigg ran out 3-1 winners.

That result left Epworth nursing three defeats and one success from their opening four matches following last season’s promotion into Yorkshire Four.

However, the team have plenty of time to get their consistency going and have a good opportunity to set their stall out on Saturday when they welcome Bradford Firsts to Thorne Trinity Academy.

However, despite a poor start which saw Bradford record three defeats on the bounce, the West Yorkshire outfit will be going into this weekend’s tie on the back of a confidence-boosting 5-4 success over Bingley Bees Seconds.

Eighth-placed Bradford and Epworth, in ninth, are both on three points in the table with the West Yorkshire side just shading it on goal difference following their similar starts to the 2014-15 campaign.

The tie takes place on Saturday, 2.30pm, at Trinity Academy in Church Balk.

Being born and bred in Doncaster, I’ve always supported the Rovers – and still do, despite now living so near to Sheffield’s Bramall Lane that away games there feel like home games for me.

However, Sheffield United are such a laughing stock for many people – even around Bramall Lane itself – because of the club’s culture of impatience and petulance when it comes to managers. One week they’re praising Nigel Clough, the next they’re grumbling about how he apparently has to go.

While some say this is nothing out of the ordinary for a club whose supporters quite liberally boo their own team off the pitch at the sound of a whistle, I blame the Blades’ board of directors for actually disposing of managers so easily over the years. This is something Doncaster Rovers don’t do – and something that makes me proud to be a Donny supporter and season ticket holder.

In the modern game, we’ve all seen the horror stories of the likes of Portsmouth who, thankfully, were brought back from the brink of extinction by their own fans, again demonstrating the importance of initiatives like the Viking Supporters Cooperative at Doncaster Rovers. Operating without major losses is important to those in control of our club, and that’s something we can be grateful for in an era of boom-and-bust football finances.

The plans for sustainable growth with a view to long-term success are something we can put our faith in as far as the powers that be at Doncaster Rovers go.

As mentioned before, the Club Doncaster project, and the links to supporters’ groups, keep the club grounded firmly in the roots of Doncaster as a town, and the youth movement is something that creates a healthy investment for the future. Despite the difficult summer he was subjected to, Paul Dickov needs stability to contribute to that sustainability on his part. No, Sheffield United we are not.

Young people are impatient, I realise that. But I still remember the days on the dilapidated remains of Belle Vue with a few hundred hardcore supporters still standing firm, and I don’t ever want to go back to that. Without patience and sustainability, younger fans would risk knowing such dark valleys just over the lofty mountains of fleeting glory.

Having thrown down the gauntlet to their B&I Cup Pool D rivals at Cross Keys, the Knights now hope to win successive battles at home.

“That’s the aim.” said Knights director of rugby Clive Griffiths following the 37-32 win at Pandy Park.

“We’ve got the hard one out of the way and we’ve now got two back-to-back games against Cornish Pirates and Bedford Blues coming up.

“If at the end of that period we are three (wins) and nought, then it would be looking very promising for the quarter-finals.

“We’ve only played one game, and it is dangerous to look ahead.

“But I’ve said that we are going to give it a go because I feel we’ve got a good enough squad and good back-up with Leicester as well if we do get a few knocks, so it would be foolish not to give it a go.

“As I say, we are not getting carried away because there is a lot of rugby to be played. But with a following wind, the bounce of the ball and the luck of the draw, it is a competition in which we could do well.

“We needed to get back on the horse on Saturday after losing to Cornish Pirates in the league the week before and the boys showed a lot of determination.

“Whatever competition you are playing in it’s all about winning so that you go into the next game with some momentum.

“It was a very good win,” he added.

“Any team who goes down to Wales and beats one of the top Principality Premiership sides can be satisfied.

“Welsh sides always raise their game anyway when they play English sides, especially at home.

“What made it even tougher for us on Saturday was the fact that they had around nine players from Newport Gwent Dragons in their squad.”

Griffiths rung the changes at the weekend with five men making their starting debuts this season, and he admits the form of some of the players has caused him a few selection headaches ahead of the Pirates’ game.

Winger Andy Bulumakau certainly staked his claim with what Griffiths described as a ‘gem of a try’.

“He knocked off a couple of defenders and then accelerated away. It was an outstanding individual effort,” he enthused.

Veteran head coach Glen Kenworthy also played around 50 minutes.

“Glen never ever lets anybody down and it’s good to have a man like that in your corner,” said Griffiths.

The Welshman was also delighted to see Will Foden make his first competitive start of the season.

He said: “It’s going to take him a while to get back to the top of his game but I’m so pleased to see him back because I’m not sure people understand how bad his injury was.”

Paul Keegan says Rovers have no excuses for not sticking to their plan at Fleetwood today.

But the Irish midfielder is hoping for a whole lot more than that - he’s hoping practice makes perfect.

According to Keegan, boss Paul Dickov has been in his element on the training ground over the last fortnight.

“The international break is a good time for the manager to get a hold of us and work on some important aspects of our team shape and our play,” said Keegan.

“I think the manager enjoys it because he’s got a good block of time to work hard with us.

“It’s not just a case of firefighting, like when you play Tuesday, you’re off Wednesday and then you’re getting ready for Saturday. You can’t really do a lot.

“So we’ve had a couple of good weeks and the lads have really enjoyed it.

“We’re looking forward to Fleetwood,” he added.

“The manager’s drilled down exactly what he wants from the game so I don’t think anyone can go out there with any questions about what they should be doing.

“We’ve worked hard so hopefully we can go there and get a result.”

Keegan revealed that Rovers’ training has focused on defensive aspects of their game.

He said: “We’ve conceded too many goals at the start of the season and we’re trying to cut that down.”

Doncaster Rovers Belles have the definition of a must-win game this weekend.

They must beat Yeovil Town Ladies on Sunday, in their final home game of the season, to maintain any hope of winning FAWSL2.

Gordon Staniforth’s side are currently in second place, five points adrift of league leaders Sunderland.

But Belles do have a game in hand on the Lady Black Cats and their goal difference is currently three goals superior to their title rivals.

Victory for the Belles on Sunday would take the FAWSL2 title race down to the final day of the season, while anything less than three points for Doncaster would hand the title to Sunderland.

Staniforth said: “It will be a tough test against a promising Yeovil team.

“They put up a brave fight away and it was only two goals from captain Leandra Little from set pieces that separated the sides.

“We need to continue our excellent form on a brilliant playing surface at Keepmoat to finish the season and go into the last match with a chance of winning the league.”

Belles, who have won their last five games, end their season at bottom of the table London Bees next Sunday. Sunderland’s final game is at Millwall Lionesses.

Tickets for tomorrow’s game are available from the Keepmoat Stadium ticket office priced £6 adults and £3 concessions. Under 10s will be admitted free.

You may have seen on the website this week that we made a massive stride in terms of credibility this week.

Team Verrico is absolutely delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Malcolm Reed as Chief Medical Advisor to the charity.

Professor Reed is one of the two professors involved in treating Anna – he is an absolute gentleman and became a friend of Anna’s throughout her illness. He was absolutely gutted when the cancer took hold again after her mastectomy. The night that he called us to tell us that the CT scan showed the cancer had returned and was rampaging through Anna’s body will haunt me for the rest of my life. We held each other in shock and horror through the witching hours, terrified that our 17 year marriage was going to be terminated in the worst possible way without anything that we could do. When we saw Prof Reed face to face the following morning, Anna and I were both determined that whatever the future held, he had to continue to help us fight these illnesses that deprive families of parents.

And Malcolm’s pedigree is second to none. He currently holds the position of Head of Department of Oncology at the University of Sheffield as well as the post of Honorary Consultant Surgeon for the Teaching Hospital Trust. Soon, he will take the position of Dean of the Medical School at the University of Brighton. Professor Reed has achieved over 200 publications predominantly relating to cancer and its treatment and further is the only surgeon on National Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer Screening (a national committee which advises government on policy related to breast cancer screening).

Further details of Professor Reed’s career to date, can be viewed at https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/oncology/staffprofiles/reed.

As a leader in his field, the Team Verrico trustees will be asking for Professor Reed’s opinion before committing any of the charity’s funds to support research, with Professor Reed being able to offer expert advice as to the likely efficacy of the proposed project(s). We hope that this expert guidance will help the charity ensure that any money spent is used in the best way possible.

Professor Reed was recently interviewed for our awareness films that were showcased at the Charity Launch Ball 2014. Having worked closely with the Verrico family and then the charity for over a year, Professor Reed is well versed with the spirit and aims of Team Verrico: “I was immediately struck by the sheer force of nature that was Anna and Paul Verrico and soon realised what remarkable individuals and team they were. I am delighted that the strength of Anna’s personality lives on and is helping Paul and the entire team in their efforts to support research efforts into this type of breast cancer to help understand the disease and find new treatments to try and prevent other families from suffering the same experience. Anna was an inspiration to all those who knew and met her and that inspiration is driving the efforts of Team Verrico today.”

So, all in all a coup. I constantly remind myself that had Anna survived, Team Verrico would still exist. It is her vision that inspires me to push things forward. We are therefore honoured to have this level of expert support to help the charity further its objective in the very best ways possible. The fact that Professor Reed is relatively local to the Isle and has treated other Isle women for breast cancer again creates a bond which increases our credibility and makes it more likely that we will receive corporate support.

Paul Verrico

Doncaster CVS has extended the deadline for its Community and Voluntary Sector Awards 2014 to Thursday, October 30.

Explains Kelvin Fitton from headline sponsor of the awards, Smith Craven: “We’ve had an excellent response so far and made the decision to extend the deadline to give even more people and organisations the chance to nominate their community and voluntary sector stars.

“There are some incredible individuals, community groups, social enterprises, projects and volunteers in Doncaster who all deserve to be formally recognised and rewarded for their work. I’m very proud to be part of the awards again this year.”

For more information on the awards, visit www.doncastercvs.org.uk - nominations can be emailed to Sharon Coe at Doncaster CVS: scoe@doncastercvs.org.uk

The awards will form part of Doncaster CVS’s AGM and will take place at the Keepmoat on Friday, December 5 from 9.30am - 1.30pm with a buffet lunch for all attendees.

VAUXHALL’S ambition in 2015 is to overtake their arch rival Ford to become the UK’s No 1 car manufacturer and the car that could help them achieve this objective is the all new Corsa supermini that goes on sale in January writes Bryan Longworth.

The latest Corsa which is priced from £8,995 on the road resembles the outgoing model and has the same dimensions and basic shape but every element in the car is new and it will be available with three or five doors.

However, Vauxhall’s stylists have done an excellent job with new Corsa particularly up front where the new supermini has an Adam type trapezoidal grille that helps to provide it with plenty of street appeal and a new identity.

Corsa has been Vauxhall’s best selling car for many years and has been No 2 in the UK sales charts behind the Fiesta selling 83,000 in its last full year outstripping the total full range sales of manufacturers like Seat, Skoda, Renault and Citroen making the UK the best market in Europe for Corsa.

Ford’s Fiesta is the only car in the UK to outsell the Corsa and Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director, Tim Tozer, said they were planning to take sales from Fiesta with new Corsa which would help to realise the ambition of his predecessor to become the UK’s top manufacturer next year.

Under the bonnet there will be new engines and transmissions with the introduction of a 1.0-litre three cylinder petrol engine with a balancer shaft to make it smoother - most of the Corsa rivals now have three cylinder engines which have low emissions and impressive fuel consumptions but this will be the first three pot power unit to have a balancer shaft.

New Corsa has a re-designed chassis and has a lower centre of gravity which aids stability and roll characteristics and the new speed sensitive steering has a City mode that helps low speed manoeuvering and parking making the car much more user friendly.

There are also new driver safety systems including hill start assist and automatic park assist which enables the car to self steer into a parking place along with a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The interior features a seven inch colour touchscreen control centre that has features such as voice command, Bluetooth and an area for locating and charging mobile phones plus audio functions.

And the new model is available with heated front seats and steering wheel, windscreen soft tone ambient lighting, full size panoramic roof plus bi-xenon headlights and a rear view camera.

The size of the interior and boot remain the same as on the previous model but the interior is extremely striking and will impress potential customers to new Corsa with the sales split expected to be 60 per cent for the three door version and 40 per cent for the five door.

Vauxhall has made it clear that the Fiesta is their main target and that they hope to take sales away from it which could lead to them overtaking Ford as the UK’s no 1 manufacter sometime next year.

Fact File

Model: New Vauxhall Corsa.

Doors: Three and Five.

Engines: Petrol and diesel plus three cylinder petrol.

Transmission: Two new six speed manual and automatic gearboxes.

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For the third year in a row, Park Lodge in East Yorkshire will be running a packed Christmas programme for 2014, which this year starts with the launch of a series of Christmas Display demonstrations by renowned creative designer Delise Thorp.

Former florist Delise will be at Park Lodge for five sessions only, showing guests how to put some ‘wow’ into their Christmas displays. From extra special table dressings to fabulous garlands and wreaths, Delise will demonstrate how to add those special touches to make your Christmas sparkle!

The demonstrations take place at 7pm on 30 October, 12/19/28th November, plus 2.30pm on 28 November. Tickets are £10 each including a glass of fizz and mince pie. Places are limited and must be booked in advance by calling Jo on 01405 764500.

Sharon Bayston, proprietor of Park Lodge and inspiration behind the Christmas programme said: “We’re delighted that Delise Thorp is joining us this year and are really excited to see her Christmas display demonstration. Each session will be different and will show you how to create something very special, using a wide range of wonderful Christmas decorations. We’re also thrilled to be preparing to launch the rest of our Christmas programme, which will start with the opening of our magical Winter Wonderland Store on Saturday 25th October. I’ve selected some beautiful, unusual products for the store and I’m sure people will enjoy choosing something a little bit different to decorate their homes with.”

Designed for all the family to enjoy, the rest of the Park Lodge Christmas programme will include the return of Santa’s Grotto with Rudolph and Dancer, the popular Supper with Santa, plus a corporate programme for companies looking to book Christmas parties and events. Full details will be announced at the beginning of November and will be available on the Park Lodge website.

Park Lodge is located just off Finleys Lane in West Cowick, nr. Goole and just minutes from J36 of the M62 and J6 of the M18. For details of Christmas at Park Lodge visit the website at www.parklodgeshootingschool.co.uk, call 01405 764500 or email info@parklodgeshootingschool.co.uk