Luton Music Service, launched in 2012 to give every child the opportunity of learning a musical instrument, is facing swingeing cuts.

The Luton News understands that funding from Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Education is to be slashed by more than 75 per cent, meaning the end of one-to-one and paired tuition by the end of the academic year.

Luton Borough Council carried out an extensive consultation with parents to plan for the introduction of a new charging system, due to come into effect shortly.

A spokeswoman said: “We will phase in the new prices between April 2014 and September 2015, as respondents to the survey said increases were being brought in too quickly.

“We have also included a 10 per cent discount for siblings, which addresses another of the concerns raised in the survey.”

She added: “Children in care and the families of children entitled to free school meals will continue to receive tuiton free of charge under the new arrangement.

“It will bring Luton in line with the majority of music services in the region and will ensure we can continue to provide tuition for Luton children.”

Doog Moody of Greenbank Music Village in High Town feels strongly that one-to-one or shared lessons are an essential part of high quality musical education and should be available to all students.

He said: “We’ve been approached by several parents who are unhappy that individual lessons will be ceasing and we’d like to alert people to other options.

“There is a positive alternative at an affordable price – we could fill some of these needs.

“Greenbank has been working with several schools for a number of years.

“We have many different tutors covering all styles and instruments. They are highly trained experienced professionals who have also been subject to the appropriate legal checks.”
> For more information call Doog on 01582 457477.

A series of raids on Luton shops have uncovered eight selling illegal cigarettes.

Luton Borough Council Trading Standards, and revenue and customs raided nine shops in total.

Three had already been caught selling illegal cigarettes last September in a similar operation.

Around 12,500 cigarettes, 12kg of tobacco and quantities of counterfeit and non-UK duty paid alcohol and snuff were seized with an estimated market value of £9,000. Officers discovered one premises completely crammed with stock, including microwaves on the shop floor stuffed with cigarettes found by a sniffer dog. Officers also seized dangerous skin bleaching creams.

Gerry Taylor, Director of Public Health at the council, said: “This is a good example of excellent partnership working between the Council and HMRC to stop this illegal and irresponsible trade.”

“But it is worrying that after a similar crackdown last September, we have again found illegal products on sale, with some shop owners continuing to flout the law even after being caught before.

“We are also concerned that we have again found unsafe skin bleaching cosmetics on sale.”

If you have good reason to believe illegal goods are being sold in Luton, please call 08454 04 05 06 with as many details as possible.

>For more information on illegal tobacco and support on stopping smoking, see www.tobaccofreeluton.co.uk

The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), Luton & South Bedfordshire Branch collection at Luton Town Football Club before the game against Wrexham on February 25 raised £387.40.

Thanks go to the football club for giving permission to the branch for a collection and to all those collectors who gave up their time on a chilly evening to support the charity.

Money raised by events and collections is always used to help people and their families living with MND in the LU postcode area (Luton, Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard).

To learn more about MND, the branch, meetings and events, phone Betty Jackson on 01582 613052.

Alternatively, visit www.mndassociation.org

A lottery funded website documenting Luton and its people during World War I is being officially launched on Friday.

The website, launched by Luton Culture, will become an interactive archive which helps people upload and discover not just the history of Luton during World War I but also the experiences of current Lutonians’ family members, whether they lived or served in Luton or elsewhere in the world.

From Friday to Monday The Mall will be hosting a mini WWI exhibition and collecting day in Central Square. If anyone has anything World War I related they can bring it along. Project volunteers will photograph or scan it and add it to the site. Find out more at http://www.worldwar1luton.com/

A pilot project to introduce South Asian women to Luton Town Football Club was a ‘complete success’, according to its founder.

The scheme, From Headscarves to Football Scarves, saw close to 100 women invited to watch the Hatters triumph over Chester City on Saturday at Kenilworth Road- the first time many of the group had been to a football game.

The project came together after two months of planning between the club, community groups and Luton Sixth Form College’s student development adviser Butch Fazal.

The group wore t-shirts sponsored by Beds Fire and Rescue with the initials for ‘Come On You Hatters’ as they watched John Still’s men win 3-0.

Mr Fazal, who is also the chair of National Asians in Football Forum, said that the project was put together to tackle ‘misconceptions on both sides’.

He said: “We knew that there would be a lot of apprehension but none of the problems we thought we would have actually came up.

“The club is situated right in the heart of the South Asian community but there is still a gap to bridge with supporters and residents there.”

Mr Fazal added his admiration for the club and supporters who were seated close to the group.

He said: “All of the girls really enjoyed themselves and there was a fantastic atmosphere. Fans around us in Block G were teaching the girls some of the chants which was great to see.”

Sixth Form College student Sabeera Dar added: “Projects like this boost social integration in a wonderful way.”

Luton octogenarian Christina Allen wanted to die there and then when she was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer three years ago.

It’s a far cry from the way she feels now – and it’s all thanks to Keech Hospice Care.

“I didn’t want to go initially,” she admitted. “But it saved my sanity. It was altogether different from what I expected.

“Now I come once a week and I look forward to it. You meet people in the same situation and you’ve got lots in common.

“Lesley from Hospice at Home takes me shopping on Wednesdays or we go to the garden centre and have a cuppa and a chat and it’s great.

“My whole life has changed so much. Now I want to live every day I’ve got left to the full.”

Christina’s feelings are echoed by Roy Downing, 67, of Putteridge who has prostate cancer which has spread to his bones.

Roy ran the his own domestic appliance repair business until he became ill. And he too resisted going to the hospice when it was first suggested.

He said: “I thought as long as I’m alive I don’t want to go to a place that reminds me of death.

“But once you come, you’re hooked. You meet some lovely people, particularly the staff.

“You don’t realise they’ve probably got problems of their own because they never talk about them.

“I come as a day patient and it’s good to see the doctor here. He keeps an eye on me, watches my pain control and always has time to listen.”

The grandfather of four also meets up once a week with Hospice at Home volunteer Eric Whitmarsh, 74.

Eric, of Warden Hills, is a former retail credit controller. When he retired four years ago, he wanted to do something useful. He saw an ad for Hospice at Home volunteers, immediately applied and has been happily involved ever since.

“I enjoy taking Roy out,” he explained. “And I feel it’s also helping his wife Diane, who hasn’t been too well herself.

“She’s free to do whatever she wants and it makes me feel useful and appreciated.”

Roy said: “Eric and I go to various places. The Icon Hotel always recognise us and say ‘Tea for two, with extra hot water and biscuits?’ And they always ask how I am.

“We sort out most of the world one week, and the rest the next. We discuss lots of things and we’ve become friends.

“It gives me something to look forward to.

“He helps me in other ways – I can’t bend down to get my shoes on and Eric always does it for me. He says it’s all part of the service.”

Roy wishes more people were aware of what’s available. “It’s there if you need it,” he said.

A mum was knocked unconscious during a robbery as she pushed her child along Byron Road in Luton on Monday.
Police are now appealing for a Good Samaritan who found the 17-year-old after the attack, to come forward.
The young mum was pushing her child’s buggy at 7pm in an alley which runs alongside a park in Byron Road, when she was stopped by a man who demanded her bag.
He then hit her over the head, and fled with the bag, containing a purse, cash, a bank card, nappies, baby cream and a child’s alphabet book.
The officer in charge of the investigation, Det Con Tom Hamm is keen to trace a woman who called emergency services after discovering the unconscious mum and who could help with identifying the attacker.

He said: This was a cowardly attack on a young mum whose main concern was for the safety of her child. We know a lady found the victim and alerted the emergency services and we need to trace her as she may hold vital information that could help this investigation. I would also ask anyone else who say the incident or anyone who can help identify the man responsible to come forward and speak with officers, in confidence.”
The man is described as black, with twisted floppy hair, aged about 18, and wad wearing a black hooded top, blue jeans and black Nike training shoes.
Anyone with any information can contact police on 01582 394498 or Bedfordshire police on 101 or text information to 07786200011.
You can also contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Teachers gathered at Market hill yesterday to take part in the action against the government.

Members of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) shouted: “Save education, get Gove out.”

Bodrul Amin, divisional secretary for Luton NUT, said: “We are here today to defend our pay, pensions and working conditions.

“We do not feel the governments policy is benefiting children.

“We regret the inconvenience it has caused to parents and pupils but they need to realise that if we do not act now then the education system will suffer.”

David Mingay, a teacher from Richmond Hill, said: “I’m striking to save education, this government has destroyed it, they have put unqualified teachers in the classrooms and cut hours for qualified teachers, the government won’t listen, so we are left with no option.”

Many schools closed causing disruption to childrens education and some parents had to take the day off work.

A Sundon Park food distributor faces fines of up to £110,000 after 11 workers were arrested by immigration officers.

A Home Office immigration enforcement operation found that MS Foods Ltd, on Camford Way, employed 11 immigration offenders from Pakistan aged from 25 to 42.

Seven of the men had overstayed their visas and the remaining four were working in breach of their visa conditions.

Eight were taken in to immigration detention pending their removal from the UK, the others have been released on immigration bail while the Home Office works to return them to Pakistan.

The company now faces financial penalties of up to £10,000 for each of the illegal workers unless the owner can demonstrate that appropriate pre-employment checks were carried out, such as seeing a passport or Home Office document.

Dominique Newbury, from Home Office Immigration Enforcement, said: “Whatever the size of the business, if we have information to suggest it is employing illegal workers we will take action. With potential fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker the financial hit to a company can be substantial.”

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact https://www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

A teenage leukaemia sufferer who kept her commitment as a St John Ambulance cadet was rewarded with a trip to Buckingham Palace, where she met Princess Anne.

Emily Prescott, 13, was one of 80 young people to be invited to St John Ambulance’s Young Achievers Reception, where she was honoured for her hard work and selflessness for the charity.

Despite being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia last year the Ashcroft High School student still attends every meeting she can make when not an inpatient in hospital.

Emily, whose condition is still being treated with medication and chemotherapy, has also volunteered at the Remembrance Day parade, the Kite Festival and Bedford’s River Festival.

She said: “I am very pleased and proud to have been recognised as a Young Achiever. It really means a lot to me. Going to Buckingham Palace, meeting The Princess Royal and talking to other cadets about their amazing and inspiring achievements was wonderful.

“I have volunteered for many events and, although my first aid knowledge has not been called upon so far, I have been able to use it on myself, applying dressings and monitoring any changes.”

Emily’s efforts were praised by Wendy Human, the charity’s training director.

She said: “Emily has been an asset to her local community all year round and she fully deserved to be rewarded with this invitation.

“The reception is a great way for us to recognise the commitment and outstanding work of these young people. They have all proven themselves.”

Beds Police is ‘seriously failing’ victims of domestic abuse, a report as found.

An investigation into English and Welsh police forces by HM Inspectorate of the Constabulary listed Beds Police as one of the worst for dealing with victims of domestic abuse.

The damning report meant that the force was just one of four across England and Wales that needed immediate remedial action as HMIC was “so concerned about the scale and extent of the failings” following an inspection in November.

A subsequent action plan drawn up by Beds Police was also found wanting, as a re-inspection by HMIC in February found that “little had been done”.

Initial concerns centred around the “potentially dangerous” way in which the force indentified and protected victims of domestic abuse.

The report found that most calls from victims were received in the force control room and that in some cases call handlers were not getting enough information to establish the level of risk.

This “inconsistent and sometimes limited” approach meant that officers attending victims did not always have the full history of the case.

HMIC assessors ruled that “weaknesses in leadership” hindered strategic planning on domestic abuse, while officers’ focus is on the offender and crime rather than the victim.

Since a follow-up inspection in February, Beds Police has drawn up a more detailed plan on handling domestic abuse. This has been considered by HMIC, which will re-inspect the force in September.

Chief constable Colette Paul admitted the force’s failings following the report.

She said: “It was clear things were nowhere near as good as they should be when it comes to dealing with victims of domestic abuse. Since then we have worked even harder to improve the service we provide and we are committed to making safeguarding those affected by this crime the number one priority.”

“The number of officers working on the assessment of victim’s vulnerability has been increased and there is now also greater scrutiny.”

Police and crime commissioner Olly Martins added: “It is undeniable that the report highlights some organisational and systemic issues that make for uncomfortable reading. (Colette Paul) has already put in place an improvement programme that I am confident is addressing the very issues HMIC are highlighting.

“I will of course hold the Chief Constable to account for delivering the improvements we need to see.”

A motorist got an £80 parking fine when she paused on an empty roundabout to read a road sign - for just nine seconds.

Saleswoman Katy Lee, 37, got lost trying to find a car park at Luton Airport for a meeting in January.

Bright low-level sunshine was making it difficult to see the signs and she briefly stopped to check one before parking in the short-term car park.

She was stunned a few days later when a parking fine arrived at her home in Horsham, West Sussex.

Katy challenged the demand but was furious when she was told her appeal had been rejected - and she would have to pay the full £80.

She said: “I was entering the airport and I couldn’t work out what entrance to go in to in the bright sunlight.

“I paused, for about nine seconds apparently, and then went into the short term car park immediately.

“If I parked illegally I would pay the fine, there’s no doubt about it, there’s no hesitation, I would have absolutely paid it.

“But I can’t even tell you how angry and generally upset I am about everything.”

Parking operators APCOA have now backtracked since Katy went to the press with her story and cancelled the fine.

A spokesman said: “Upon reviewing the CCTV Ms Lee’s PCN was rescinded on the grounds that she was not deliberately trying to evade the parking charge, more so trying to gather her bearings which is completely understandable.

“Drivers should only expect to be penalised if they are seen to use the restricted ‘no stopping at all times’ zones as pick-up or drop-off points.

“Ms Lee was clearly not in breach of these terms which is why we are pleased to cancel the PCN.

“My colleague has since spoken to Ms Lee to apologise for the oversight and the cancellation of the PCN, which Ms Lee is very happy with.

“We have also reassured Ms Lee that our processes don’t penalise those that stop to find directions.”

The 75th anniversary of the Luton & Dunstable Hospital ‘s official opening means more to Pat Lawrence than most former patients.

For Dunstable woman Pat was operated on at the L&D several months before Queen Mary performed the opening ceremony on February 14, 1939..

Pat was 13 and had her tonsils removed during the first week after the hospital opened for business in 1938

In those days there were just six wards, three for men and three for women.

“My doctor was Dr Crarer and I remember Matron Redman, who was very strict but fair,” said Pat.

“She didn’t allow anyone to sit on the edge of the bed and only two visitors were allowed for each patient with visiting times being very strictly observed.”

Pat spent two weeks in the L&D which cost her father two guineas as it was 10 years before the NHS brought free healthcare to the nation.

Pat and her husband Norman, who have been married for 68 years, have vivid memories of the hospital#s early days, including a bird’s eye view of the original buildings under construction.

As a young lad, Norman was a great fan of Sir Alan Cobham’s Flying Circus, which parked on fields at Lewsey, every spring.

People could buy a short trip in a plane as a treat and Norman’s first flight, aged 12, was in a Gypsy Moth at a cost of 2s 6d – or half a crown.

The following year he took a trip in a larger 12-seater plane, this time for 3s 6d, although the additional sixpence for a programme proved too great an expense.

The plane was piloted by Sir Alan Cobham himself and again they soared over the building site that would become the Luton & Dunstable Hospital a year later.

The hospital’s connection with the Cobham family lives on in the Cobham Clinic, which is the private wing of the L&D.

As youngsters, Pat and Normanstood in the crowds to get a glimpse of Queen Mary when she arrived to open the hospital. They can remember her looking very solemn.

A man was threatened at knife point during an attempted robbery on Monday in Calverton Road.

The incident happened at approximately 7.35pm when the 27-year-old victim had been to the shops and used a cash machine.

Two men approached the victim and demanded he hand over his wallet before the victim walked away and got into his car. The two offenders left the scene on foot empty handed.

The officer in charge of this investigation, Detective Constable Gill Cowley, is keen to trace anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone who may have been approached by two men in the area.

The first offender is described as a black man, between 25 to 30 years old, 6 foot tall with a medium build. He wore a black peaked cap and a black jacket with fur on the hood.

The second offender is described as a black man, of the same age range and wearing similar clothes with velcro training shoes. He is approximately 6 foot 2 inches tall. Anyone with information relating to this incident can contact DC Cowley, in confidence, on 01582 394471, or Bedfordshire Police on 101.

Rotary has for many years helped young students to appreciate the skill and value of technology design and construction, which could help them in the direction of a career in this field.

Rotary technology tournaments take place all over the country.

Members from eight Rotary clubs in Luton and Central Bedfordshire organised their popular annual event at Stopsley Baptist Church, attracting 31 teams each comprising four students from local schools, colleges and academies.

This year’s challenge was to design a device to enable radioactive material to be safely handled remotely from a distance of 1500mm.

The teams, who were divided into three age groups, were asked to provide tools, instruments, adhesives, drawing equipment etc to assist in designing and constructing the device from the materials supplied, such as wood strips, dowel, rubber bands, screws, string and card.

The teams were marked on design analysis and development, construction skills and quality, the final test result and the completion of the task in the time allotted. Each team in turn demonstrated their creation to the Rotarian judges, all with appropriate skills, and the winners were announced.

The picture, above, features the winning intermediate age group team from the brand new Central Bedfordshire University Technical College, which opened in 2012 in Houghton Regis. The team (l to r Emma Marks, Jack Reidy, Rhys Puddiphatt and Adam Baker) are with design engineer John Hockey, who has wide experience in many fields of engineering design and development.

John presented awards to winners and runners-up in the three categories including Manshead Upper School in Dunstable who have now received a runners-up award in two consecutive years. This was followed by a fascinating address by John which was much appreciated by his young audience. Congratulations also to the Samuel Whitbread Academy at Clifton, Redborne Upper School from Ampthill and Bedford Free School whose teams shared the awards with a high standard of construction.

Schools are welcome to apply for information on next year’s tournament by contacting John Halstead on halsts@hotmail.com.

School pupils are set to be given a grounding in personal finance during the sixth annual My Money Week.

The scheme aims to introduce children to financial education before it becomes a compulsory part of the national curriculum in September.

Run by the Personal Finance Education Group charity, My Money Week reached 1.3 million young people nationwide in 2013.

Schools including Tennyson Road Primary and Weatherfield Academy took part last year and PFEG chief executive Tracey Bleakley hopes this year’s programme will be the most popular yet.

She said: “From this September, financial education will finally become a compulsory part of the national curriculum.

“This means that this year’s My Money Week gives teachers at both primary and secondary level an ideal opportunity to give their pupils a head start in learning these vital life skills.”

My Money Week will start on June 9 and offers teachers free access to online resources aimed at children between four and 19.

Teachers can learn more at pfeg.org/mymoneyweek.

A leading evidence-based researcher has called for people with dementia “to be listened to” in order to “revolutionise” services.

Professor Mike Fisher, who was speaking in his inaugural lecture as a professor at the University of Bedfordshire, questioned whether people directly affected by dementia were asked for their views on the services provided.

Professor Fisher’s thoughts come after a systematic review conducted by the University’s Tilda Goldberg Centre (which specialises in social work research) identifying the experiences of people living with dementia and the services they receive.

“The research has found that people in their late 50’s and early 60’s, who are diagnosed with dementia, will now tell you what they want,” said Professor Fisher, who joined Bedfordshire in 2012.

“Personal user input will revolutionise dementia services, but they (people with dementia) need to be listened to.”

He added: “If we are assessing the quality of scientific research that underpins policy, we have to question whether the people who use the services are included in that research, and their definition of what counts as an outcome.

“I don’t see how scientific researchers can be in a position to say they have investigated the outcome of a community mental health service, for example, and not ask the people who are receiving the service, whether the outcomes were the ones they wanted.

“If that is happening then we are simply saying that what professionals and service providers want as outcomes are the only outcomes that matter – which is simply not true.”

Professor Fisher has enjoyed a distinguished 30-year career in research and development in social work, including a five-year stint as Director of Research at the National Institute for Social Work.

A man suffered head injuries after being pushed to the floor, stamped and kicked.

The assault took place at 8.40pm on March 14 as the victim was walking along Cross Street in Luton.

The victim became involved in an argument with a group of men and one of them then pushed and punched him to the floor before stamping and kicking the victim in the head.

The group then fled the area and the victim made his way home where he called the police.

Detectives have searched CCTV which captures the assault taking place but are now asking for members of the public to help identify the man pictured.

DC Timothy Worden, who is investigating the assault, said: “This was a disgusting attack which left the victim with a rather nasty injury to the back of his head. I would urge anyone who witnessed the incident or knows the offender to get in contact with Bedfordshire Police.”

If you have information relating to this incident, contact DC Worden, in confidence, on 01582 394434, the non-emergency 101 number, or text information to 07786 200011.

Call me old school, but I do believe that modesty befits a man. I’m talking about a man because the last time I checked I was one, and the phrase runs lightly off the tongue – the same principle applies to people of all shades of gender classification, however they chose to disport their reproductive parts.

But I digress. Modesty. If something goes right for you, it’s not seemly to scream or shout, to pull up your top to reveal a specially-prepared vest with a message to your sick gran, or kick off on some elaborate choreographed routine.

We’re not all Premiership footballers, thank goodness, but we all have little moments of triumph in our everyday lives to which the correct response is a half smile, a downward look and an optional shrug, however much you want to start fist-pumping and hissing ‘Yesssss!’ like a kettle on steroids.

But that’s not enough for the numpties who oversee TV quiz shows, and their insistence on inappropriate self-congratulation can only nibble away at the proper place of modesty in our society,

That’s because the production pillocks in charge of the glitzier sort of show – the likes of University Challenge and Mastermind are honourable exceptions here, but I must sadly point the finger at the otherwise peerless Pointless as well as many other flimsier formats – insist that absolutely everyone applauds absolutely everything.

It doesn’t matter it your answer is a bog-standard effort or a piece of left-field inspiration that leaves everyone in the studio gob-smacked with your arcane intelligence – you’re going to get a round of applause.

But worse than that, you are going to have to applaud yourself.

Why this is so I cannot fathom. It may be for symmetry, it may be that it makes it easier to edit the finished show if everybody is applauding all the time. Whatever the reason, it’s wrong and we need to put a stop to it.

Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if we carried over this carry on into everyday life?

Imagine a simple supermarket queue – the customer would doubtless deserve a ripple of applause for not needing any help packing, for getting their PIN number right, for producing their loyalty card – the list of little achievements in even the simplest transaction is endless.

The cashier would have to get a round of applause for completing the process so that they didn’t feel left out, and of course everyone in the queue – the lengthy queue, of course, because all this nonsense would take time – would be expected to join in.

So let’s all agree that it needs to be reined back in a bit. Applause and acclamation should be reserved for those special moments in life, not the everyday victories that should be taken in your stride.

More than 5,500 people took part in this year’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in Bedfordshire. Results have now been combined with those from across the UK, helping the RSPB to discover some interesting changes among our most popular garden birds, with some species that benefit from a bit of extra help creeping up the rankings.

In Bedfordshire, it’s all change in the top ten with blue tits moving back into the top three after dropping down the league table in 2013.

The previous occupier of the second spot, blackbirds, have dropped to number four.

Goldfinches have climbed another two places since last year, and now perch at number six.

The robin, which has been as high as number eight in the past ten years, has dropped back to number ten.

Scientists believe that the weather has played a role in the ups and downs in this year’s top ten as many of the birds were recorded in lower numbers in gardens due to the mild conditions. Some species, such as blue tits, were likely to be more reliant on food provided in gardens than others, such as blackbirds, which could easily find their favoured foods like worms and insects in the countryside.

Just ten years ago, goldfinches were in 14th position nationally, but scientists believe that the increase in people providing food like nyjer seed and sunflower hearts in gardens, may have contributed to their steady rise to number six.

Overall numbers of species such as blackbirds, fieldfares and redwings may appear to have dropped in our gardens since last year, but in many cases this is not because these populations are in decline but because these species don’t need to come into our gardens during mild winters due to there being plenty of natural food available in the wider countryside.

However the continuing declines of some species are of greater concern. Numbers of starlings and song thrushes have dropped by an alarming 84 and 81 per cent respectively since the Birdwatch began in 1979. Both species are on the UK ‘red list’ meaning they are of the highest conservation concern.

There is slightly better news for the house sparrow, as the declines appear to have slowed, and it remains the most commonly seen bird in our gardens. However, it remains on the red list as we have still lost 62% since 1979.

Rachael Murray, speaking for the RSPB in the East, says: “2014 was always going to be an interesting Big Garden Birdwatch as the winter has been so mild, and we wondered if it would have a significant impact on garden birds.

“They were out and about in the wider countryside finding natural food instead of taking up our hospitality. The good news is that this may mean we have more birds in our gardens in the coming breeding season because more survived the mild winter. It is a great time to give nature a home by putting up a nesting box and supplementary feeding”

Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director says: “Many garden birds rely on us humans for help. During winter, birds need extra food and water, and at other times of the year, as well as sustenance, a safe place to shelter and make their home can really give them a boost.

“Two of the species that moved up the rankings this year, blue tits and goldfinches, are adaptable, friendly garden birds and great examples of birds that can flourish with our help. If we put up a nestbox, leave out some food or let our gardens grow a bit wild they’ll be among the first to take advantage.”

This year, for the first time, participants were also asked to log some of the other wildlife they see in their gardens.

The RSPB asked whether people ever see deer, squirrels, badgers, hedgehogs frogs and toads in their gardens, to help build an overall picture of how important our gardens are for giving all types of wildlife a home.

This information will be analysed and results will be revealed next month.

The Big Schools’ Birdwatch is part of the Big Garden Birdwatch. The UK-wide survey of birds in schools has revealed that the blackbird is the most common playground visitor for the sixth year in a row. 85% of schools that took part in the survey in the Big Schools Birdwatch saw blackbirds, with an average of five birds seen per school, slightly down on 2013 figures.

Giving Nature a Home is the RSPB’s latest campaign, aimed at tackling the housing crisis facing the UK’s threatened wildlife. The charity is asking people to provide a place for wildlife in their own gardens and outside spaces – whether it by planting pollen-rich plants to attract bees and butterflies, putting up a nestbox for a house sparrow, or creating a pond that will support a number of different species.

The RSPB hopes to inspire people across the UK to create a million new homes for nature.

To find out how you can give nature a home where you live visit rspb.org.uk/homes