Letters

I do appreciate what this lady is saying, but as far as I am aware the village precept is money that is spent in the village and not used to 'prop up' city social problems.

That's fine by me if good value is the end result.

Even with cheap travel, we pay a lot in Bradford Met for very little and we in the Steeton area have no say on how our money is spent.

However, if things go as planned, in a couple of months I myself will be living in North Yorkshire, so no doubt I will be finding out for myself.

R P BEALE,

Currer Walk,

Steeton.

SIR - I would like to thank Ilkley and Keighley MP Ann Cryer for replying to my letter (KN 6.3.98).

She now claims that welfare to work will save money 'in the long term', savings which can then be used for health and education. Really?

I am sure she has heard of my favourite economist John Maynard Keynes who once said: "In the long term we are all dead!" So, the long term actually means that there will be no savings from welfare to work in this Parliament or even the next (ten years!); and that assumes there isn't a recession, which would require even more money for the scheme.

I support our Labour Government's welfare to work programme, despite its various flaws; the Tories should have done it years ago.

However, I maintain that when Labour MP Ann Cryer says it will save money for health and education, she is misleading her constituents. It will not.

ROBERT REYNOLDS,

Westminster Crescent, Clayton, Bradford

SIR - I don't know about you, but for me the Super League has been a massive let down. No, I'm not having a go at the clubs who play in it, they are head and shoulders above teams playing in other leagues.

My gripe is with the people who conjured this idea up in the first place.

Am I right in thinking such clubs as Batley, Hunslet, Featherstone, yes and Keighley, are going to be hard pressed to survive?

I doubted at the time if full-time Rugby League could be maintained especially when clubs in the Super League are struggling.

It all started off promisingly enough, but time and time again over the past five years Keighley has been short-changed and ripped off by people with a view to super excellence, but excellence for who? And at whose expense?

Over the past years Cougars' football has been on a high, but of late things are at a pretty low ebb. But at the end of the day it's about results.

During the fifties we didn't have a great team or play super rugby but we did command an average crowd of 5,000, in fact one cup game at Lawkholme the attendance was 14,500. That was on Saturday, and during winter.

I know we cannot live in the past, and Keighley people are pretty tolerant people, but can we really afford full-time rugby and keep being bailed out, or is the writing on the wall?

I sincerely hope not for the sake of the club and the people of Keighley, but above all for Rugby League itself.

E REDMAN,

Strawberry Fields,

Keighley.

SIR - Three years ago I was diagnosed with osteoporosis - it came as quite a shock. During all my years of laughter in showbusiness I had very little illness - suddenly I was told I had fragile bones that could break very easily.

I turned to the National Osteoporosis Society (NOS) for more information and to offer my support for raising funds.

It wasn't until last March, when I suffered five crush fractures in my spine, that I discovered the terrible pain osteoporosis can cause and my very real need for help.

At this point I contacted the NOS national telephone helpline and discovered a real blessing - the NOS nurse advisors.

The nurses give confidential, expert information to men and women with osteoporosis and anyone who is concerned about their bone health.

This is a free service from the NOS- you only pay for your phone call in the normal way. As well as giving up-to-date, positive advice the nurses are wonderfully supportive and sympathetic - they really are a lifeline of care and concern.

I have recently been made a patron of the NOS and I would like all your readers to know that help for them, a friend or family members is just a phone call away - whether you want information about diagnosis, treaments, pain relief, diet, exercise, the menopause or any other aspect of osteoporosis. The helpline is open every week day between 9.30am and 5.30pm on 01761 472721.

If you can't get through first time please keep trying!

PATTY COOMBS,

Patron, National

Osteoporosis Society.

SIR - Your report of the attack on two women in the South Street area of Keighley in last week's Keighley News highlights the need for Community Safety measures at night. SAFE RIDER is one such scheme.

It is a women's safe transport service and guarantees the personal safety of all women passengers travelling at night.

Crime and the fear of crime is known to be a widespread worry among women who wish to go out at night.

Bradford Council, who provide the majority of the funding for Safe Rider, recognised this, and it is also recognised that many women now live alone and could become prisoners in their own homes without the means to travel in the evenings safely.

The service has grown in popularity since it started in January 1992 and has become a lifeline for many of our passengers, who tell us that they would not otherwise go out in the evenings.

This year, SRB has enabled the service to be extended. There are two buses running nightly.

It is available for any woman travelling in the Keighley area providing it is pre-booked. For more details ring 611800 Mon-Sat, 6-8pm.

PAT SCHOFIELD,

Secretary, Safe Rider.

SIR - Could you kindly consider letting your readers know of the following changes to SSAFA Forces Help in the Keighley District please.

SSAFA Forces Help, the charity that offers help to all serving and ex service people and their families, now has a Bradford number for Keighley people to ring.

The contact is Bill Eagleton, Divisional Secretary, on Brad-ford 392358.

Bill has taken over Keighley for administration work, but SSAFA still has local volunteers in Keighley who will continue their casework duties as before.

DAVID DENNIS,

SSAFA Forces Help.

SIR - If you can help us for a couple of hours during this year's Red Cross Week, then we can help more people facing a crisis in your area.

The British Red Cross needs your help during its biggest fundraising event of the year - Red Cross Week, which this year takes place between May 2-9.

We will boost fundraising, recruit volunteers and raise public awareness of the work of the Red Cross in the UK during the Week.

We can boost the funds we need to provide local services for vulnerable people with your active support.

Many people know of the Red Cross's work overseas, and our work here might seem a little less dramatic, but it is just as vital for people facing real crises.

The range of work carried out includes helping housebound or disabled people make important journeys, using the Red Cross Transport and Escort service, and loaning families wheelchairs so that they can look after a frail relative at home after an accident.

Helping out in Red Cross Week needn't take up all your time, if you can spare just a couple of hours during the week it will help make a real difference.

Volunteers can collect door-to-door or in the High Street, deliver counter top trays, write letters, organise coffee mornings or distribute leaflets.

Last year's Red Cross Week raised £20,000 for West Yorkshire Branch, and the funds were used to support Red Cross volunteers who give much needed services to vulnerable people.

Demand for our services has never been higher, so we hope that the public's support will be generous this year.

Donations can be made at Red Cross shops in Shipley, Wakefield, Otley and Heckmondwike.

You can also contact the West Yorkshire Branch at Branch Headquarters, Beech House, 333 Leeds Road, Idle, Bradford BD10 9AB, tel (01274) 620999 to find out how you can help.

JULIA BROADWITH,

British Red Cross,

West Yorkshire Branch.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.