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The Mighty Jukebox

12:00 am 7:00 am

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The Mighty Jukebox

12:00 am 7:00 am


JCBs Pothole Pro comes to Newcastle, SEND ‘Together we Thrive’ Event

Written by on 10 October 2024

Staffordshire’s JCB Pothole Pro is coming to Newcastle on a mission to help patch up the town’s potholes and prepare roads for surface treatments.  From Wednesday 23 October, you will be able to spot the machine repairing potholes and defects in Newcastle between the A34 London Road to Belgrave Road.  The machine will also be making its way to Vessey Terrace on 28 October, where it will be carrying out works From A34 London Road to Victoria Road. This is to prepare the road to undergo surface dressing – a process that prolongs the life of roads by up to 15 years.   The Pothole Pro is a unique 3-in-1 machine, designed to repair potholes in an average time of eight minutes. Staffordshire County Council will be carrying out more than 450 preventative maintenance schemes in 2024/25 totalling around 1.5 million square metres.  This is all part of a £50 million investment in maintaining and improving Staffordshire’s highways over the next three years.

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More than 400 people with an interest in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities known buy the acronym SEND, have met to share their knowledge and experiences at the second annual “Together We Thrive” event.  Parents, professionals and others with an interest came to the event organised by the dedicated parents of children with SEND through the Staffordshire Parent Carer Forum, to discuss, share insights, and explore a wide range of SEND services.

Efforts to enhance SEND support are ongoing throughout Staffordshire, however funding from central government remains a challenge both locally and nationally.

Jonathan Price, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for SEND, attended the event and said: “The event has been a great opportunity to connect the whole SEND network in Staffordshire.

“It shows the power of coming together to support our SEND community. The wealth of information and resources available will undoubtedly make a positive impact on the lives of many families.”

The event featured vibrant marketplace of stands from NHS and Local Authority Teams, Family Hubs, Education Providers, Charities, and Community Groups.

In the past five years, Staffordshire has seen an increase of nearly 30% in the number of children with special educational needs or disabilities, now surpassing 22,800. Despite this rise, government funding has not matched the growing demand.  Local authorities are now seeking ways to optimise available resources to better support these children in their education, social interactions, and overall development.