All Councillors are summoned to a

BURTON OVERY PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

on Wednesday 21st September 2016 at 7.30 p.m. in the village hall

1. Apologies for absence

2. Questions from members of the public

3. Declarations of Members interests

4. To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 20th July 2016

5. Matters arising and not on the agenda

6. Finances - a. Street Lighting – to receive update , welcome Rob van Leeuwenb. Payments – Clerk (salary x 2), Your Locale (Neighbourhood Plan), Grant Thornton (Audit),

J. Ireland (Internal audit), British Heart Foundation (Defibrillator) & LCC (website provision)c. Annual Return – External auditor certificate & report Appendix Ad. Revised Bank Mandate/internet banking form – to approve and sign To be tabled

` e. Interim bank statement – to receive and approve debit card payment Appendix B

7. Employer Responsibilities - Automatic Enrolment - to agree course of action Appendix C

8. Planning – to considera. 16/01232/FUL – White Cottage, Bell Laneb. Heather Nursery – to receive updatec. 16/01231/FUL The Beeches Cottage, Town Streetd. Satellite dish, 2 Tilers Cottage

9. Housing Needs Survey – to receive update and to discuss next steps

10. Submission of Gt. Glen Neighbourhood Development Plan for examination – to consider responseThe submission documents are available to view online at www.harborough.gov.uk/consultation

11. Village hall broadband – to receive update

12 .Neighbourhood Plan – to receive update

13. Defibrillator – to receive update

14. Sheepwatch UK –to receive Toolkit and discuss next steps Appendix D

15. Training and seminars – to receive update on precept setting meeting

16. Correspondence – for discussiona. LRALC Development and Member Support Questionnairehttp://www.leicestershireandrutlandalc.gov.uk/form-for-completion21.htmlb. Leicestershire Fire & Rescue service – request for a Fire Ambassador Appendix Ec. Voluntary Action South Leicestershire – consultation on Community Champions project Appendix F

17. Correspondence - for informationa. Annual Parish Liaison meeting – Wed 02.11.16, eveningb. LRALC 2016 Newsletter No.4 Appendix G

18. Items for the next Agenda – Annual Asset Maintenance check

The date of the next meeting is 19.10.16THE PUBLIC ARE MOST WELCOME TO ATTEND ALL MEETINGS OF THE PARISH COUNCILALL APPENDICES MAY BE SEEN ON THE WEBSITE OR BY APPLICATION TO THE CLERKKate Barker 16.09.16Tel 07827 797125 www.burtonoverypc.org.uke-mail: burtonoverypc@gmail.com

From LRALC Appendix CAutomatic Enrolment- a Guide for Town and

Parish CouncilsTown and Parish Councils are soon to be involved in the Automatic Enrolment,compulsory pension scheme. A number of Councils have already received formalnotification from the Department of Work and Pensions of their Staging Date, andduring 2015 the remainder should be informed.

However there are a number of Councils who are currently under the impression thatAutomatic Enrolment won’t apply to them, due to the fact that their Employees don’tmeet the qualifying criteria.

There are numerous Parish Councils who may only employ one or two individualsworking no more than ten hours per week. Consequently these Employees are notearning enough to hit the qualifying rate of pay, and the Council is under theimpression that they don’t have to act.

This is a mistake, and could lead to a Council facing prosecution by the PensionsRegulator for not complying with their statutory duties. Even if the Council’sEmployees don’t meet the qualifying criteria to be enrolled, the Council as theirEmployer needs to complete the Declaration of Compliance.

This informs the Pensions Regulator of what action, if any is needed, the Council hastaken to comply with its legal obligations, and must be completed within five monthsof the Staging Date.

From Gov.UK

Check who you need to enrol approximately 9 months before your staging date

Carry out a quick review of your staff to help you work out what you have to plan next. Whenassessing who you'll need to automatically enrol, there are three different categories of staff toconsider as illustrated in this table and explained below.

Your staff are people you pay via a payroll. You must assess them for automatic enrolmentbased on their ages and how much they earn, regardless of how many hours they work for you.

Monthly grossearnings Age Weekly gross

earnings

From 16 to21 From 22 to SPA* From SPA to

74

£486 and below Has a right to join a pension scheme 1 £112 and below

Over £486 up to£833 Has a right to opt in 2 Over £112 up to

£192

Over £833 Has a right toopt in

Automaticallyenrol 3

Has a right toopt in Over £192

Figures correct as of 2015/2016. *SPA = state pension age1 Has a right to join a pension schemeIf they ask you to, you must provide a pension scheme for them, but you don’t have to paycontributions.2 Has a right to opt inIf they ask to be put into a pension scheme, you must put them in your automatic enrolmentpension scheme and pay regular contributions.3 Automatically enrolYou must put these members of staff in your automatic enrolment pension scheme and payregular contributions. You don’t need to ask their permission. If they give notice, or you givethem notice, to leave employment before you have completed this process, you have achoice whether to automatically enrol them or not.

It is against the law to try to influence your staff into opting out of your pension scheme.

You must carry out a full assessment of all your staff when you reach your staging date.

Staff who don't need to be automatically enrolled

Which tasks do I need to carry out if none of my staff need to beautomatically enrolled?

Whilst your staff are not eligible for automatic enrolment, they can still ask to go into apension scheme. If that happens you must put a pension scheme in place and may haveto pay contributions into it as well. Even if you don’t have any staff to automatically enrol,you’ll still need to complete the following tasks.

You must write to all of your staff to let them know that they have not been automaticallyenrolled but can ask to go into a pension scheme. For more information, go to write toyour staff.

You must complete your declaration of compliance to let us know that you’ve met yourlegal duties. For more information, go to complete your declaration of compliance.

If you have staff aged between 22 and state pension age, you’ll need to check each timeyou pay them whether their earnings are over £192 a week (£833 a month). If theirearnings are over this amount, you’ll need to provide a pension scheme for them. Thisincludes anyone who starts working for you after your staging date as well. For moreinformation, go to your ongoing automatic enrolment duties.

Do I need to set up a pension scheme if none of my staff are eligiblefor automatic enrolment?

No, there is no need to set up a pension scheme if you have no staff to automaticallyenrol. However, while your staff may not be eligible for automatic enrolment, they can stillask to go into a pension scheme. If this happens, you’ll need to set one up at this point. Ifyour member of staff earns more than £112 a week (or £486 a month), you must makecontributions to the scheme as well. If they earn less than this, you can choose whetheryou wish to contribute or not.

If you have staff aged between 22 and state pension age, you’ll need to check each time you paythem after your staging date whether their earnings are over £192 a week (£833 a month). If theirearnings are over this amount, you’ll need to provide a pension scheme for them. This includesanyone who starts working for you after your staging date as well

Summary Burton Overy parish Council staging date 1st July 2017

I have confirmed who the most senior person in the organisation is – for thepurposes of receiving correspondence – i.e. the Clerk(!) Would you prefer that tochange?

Three months before the staging date I will check that nothing has changed &draft a letter to myself informing me of my rights. To be signed by the Chairman?

I don’t intend to ask to join a pension scheme.

I will keep records of all correspondence for six years.

As it stands, BOPC is highly unlikely to employ anyone who is automaticallyenrolled or who has a right to opt in. However a future clerk may ask to join apension scheme and the parish council would have to provide one if that wasthe case, but would have no requirement to make any contributions. Does thePC wish to leave any investigations about pensions until that point comes, if it does?

Within five months of the staging date the senior person in the organisationshould complete the Declaration of Compliance and submit this to ThePensions Regulator. Clerk?

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©

A community response to a National Problem

SheepWatch UK Toolkit

To help people work together to reduce the number of dog attacks on sheep,

support responsible dog ownership and enable stress-free dog walks

www.terena.co.uk/sheepwatch-uk Produced April 2016 (new website to be release soon www.sheepwatch.co.uk)

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Contents

An introduction to the issue Who are SheepWatch UK Aims and Objectives Introduction to the Campaign What are you going to be doing? Points to keep in mind before you start

1. Preparation for the Groups Meeting About the Pledge Card

2. Running the Groups Meeting Example of the running order Farmers and Dog Walkers

3. Preparation for the Launch 4. The Launch

Example of activities 5. Celebrations

Support during the Campaign After the Campaign The SheepWatch UK Website APPENDIX Examples of key Pledges and how to demonstrate them at the launch Samples Press release Letter to a community group Poster Mini leaflet Letter to an MP Advice Taking photographs and a permission form Insurance Political statement Understanding Dog Walkers Can the Law help? What else can we do? Some practical pointers about signs

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An Introduction to the Issue

Thank you for contacting us and deciding to do something positive about dog attacks on sheep in your area.

This is a situation that everyone is responsible for and a problem that affects everyone (even those that don’t own sheep or dogs). It is a situation that affects food prices, animal welfare, community relations and much more. It is a problem that needs tackling by bringing people together, using education and illustration. It is not a problem that will be solved overnight but by taking action as a community, the chances of success are far higher.

Our countryside is one of the UK’s tremendous assets, valued by millions of people, including both farmers and dog walkers. It is crisscrossed by a network of public footpaths that means everyone can enjoy the landscape. It may be argued that by shutting footpaths we will remove the problem of dog attacks on sheep, not only would this not solve the problem but it would also alienate vast numbers of people from better understanding the source of their food.

Dog walkers are also often a valuable asset to the countryside, witnessing events that would otherwise go unseen, supporters of nature, and in some cases they have successfully been used by farmers to keep an eye on their stock at sensitive times of the year.

No-one operates well in isolation and so the most effective way of dealing with a problem taking place in a community, is for the members of that community to join together, fully understand the problem, and then find the most effective way of solving it. In this case we are looking at the problem of dog attacks on sheep. This toolkit is a suggested way of carrying some messages across your community, with the intention of bringing everyone closer together and enabling better safety for people, animals and relationships.

When reading the Toolkit, you should keep in mind that there are about 4 million dog walks taking place EVERY DAY in England alone and most people walk their dogs responsibly. Most dog owners do not intend to injure sheep and most are devastated when their dog becomes a killer (many offering to have their dog put to sleep when they realise what has happened). This is why education and co-operation is so important. If people better understand the danger of dogs loose with sheep, and if people better understand the damage their dog can do to a sheep without even biting it, the vast majority of people will change their behaviour to protect both the sheep and their beloved pet dog. By working as a community this change can take place.

Years ago farms were close to the wider community and this meant everyone had a closer understanding of how animals and farms work, but these days we are aware that many people have never been close to a sheep and never had the opportunity to understand them. Seeing a dog chase sheep is often a cause for laughter or even admiration of the dog trying to herd them. Many people do not recognise that the sheep has absolutely no defence against a dog and the only reaction is to run which causes a dog to chase. The sheep are running because they are terrified (yes terrified) and they can quite often die of shock later in the day. During one incident in March 2016 in West Sussex, 116 sheep died because dogs chased them – not one single sheep was bitten, they died from shock and

being crushed together. It cost the farmer in excess of £17,000.

Sheep also have great personalities, are not stupid (they just rarely fight back), die easily, are loving mothers, have a complex social structure, they do not eat meat or even Mars Bars (which some children have tried to feed them), get depressed if kept alone and can make lovely pets (if you have loads of grass). Sheep are also a large part of our farming economy and many people eat lamb, wear wool and eat feta cheese, all of which can be provided by sheep.

Sadly the problem of dogs attacking sheep appears to be an issue right across the UK.

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Just to give you a flavour of the complexity of this issue we have listed some of the main points below, to help everyone understand the main problems:

With 4 million dog walks taking place in England daily, it is important to understand that only a very VERY small minority cause a problem to sheep.

There are no accurate statistics for sheep worrying because farmers rarely report it unless their losses are big enough to warrant an insurance claim. SheepWatch UK tries to keep records of the reports it receives on our website but we are aware that this is only a tip of the iceberg.

It is very hard to bring a conviction because it is very hard to prove which dogs were involved – even if you saw it

We must be sure not to divide dog walkers and farmers – most people act responsibly, it is a minority causing the problem (as usual). We must not divide the community by blaming everyone for what a small number of people are doing (or not doing) - that point is important.

Sheep worrying costs us all because the costs to the farmer eventually get passed to the consumer – loss of animals, vets bills, time spent clearing up, time spent on injured animals, cost of carcass disposal, cost of time on paperwork, loss of future offspring from that animal, loss of unborn lambs, abortions, death through shock.

People do not realise that a dog simply chasing sheep can cause death (even if it does not bite), they leave the field with their dog and do not see the impact – sheep can die of shock several days later, sheep abort their lambs through stress, sheep sometimes do not conceive due to shock, sheep simply become exhausted and lie down, never to get up again.

People think that sheep are only at risk if chased at lambing time, but the problem runs across the whole year:

o Fear - causes shock which kills (this takes place all year). o Summer - sheep rest during summer and stress affects their wellbeing. o Autumn – sheep are with the ram and may not conceive if stressed. o Winter – sheep are pregnant and highly vulnerable to shock and stress. o Spring – sheep have lambs with them and both sheep and lambs are highly vulnerable.

There are laws which prohibit dogs chasing sheep, and we have a section about the laws later in the pack. The problem with the present laws is they are complex, overlapping and often get lost amongst the other crimes communities are struggling with.

This is where you come in – education is better than a big stick – education means people understand what effect their actions have. Hopefully together we can alter this sad situation.

This campaign is designed to be an effective community response to a national problem. It is designed so all members of a community feel they have influence through small, inexpensive actions. It is also designed to be fun and inclusive. Finally, it is designed to be very simple.

This type of campaign has already been run in villages and towns across England on other issues, and so this is a tested ‘blueprint’ to make the administration of the project simple and with minimum input of time.

Each community is encouraged to ‘own’ their campaign.

Support through the SheepWatch UK team is available through the website, telephone and email.

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Who are SheepWatch UK? SheepWatch UK has been set up by

Terena Plowright (Dog trainer, owner of South Downs Show, Sweep’s Sheepdog Show) Doug Jones (Parish Councillor, Member of the South Downs National Park Authority, Trustee of Buriton Village to Village Charity (Ghana)

When they saw the devastation caused to a nearby farmer who had dogs attack his sheep, and then realised how often this happens, they decided to set up an education programme to reduce the number of attacks across the UK.

It really is no more complex than that! Two people trying to make a difference!

They set up a facebook page which attracted hundreds of thousands of hits, they set up a website page, they then launched the campaign on 1st Feb 2016, their story was reported in newspapers and magazines, they were then asked to appear on BBC Countryfile – all in the space of 3 months! This seemed to confirm that there is a huge amount of support for a community response alongside a legal or top down approach. We work very closely with some of the best organisations in the world who offer us support and advice at all levels of campaign development:

NFU South East

Farmers Union of Wales

The Kennel Club

National Sheep Association

Police

Without this support we would find life very difficult. Once we started to speak to people we realised how large and how widespread the problem really was and so we started to record the figures for sheep worrying, sheep injured, sheep killed and dogs destroyed. After three months, at the end of March 2016, we found we had recorded over 600 dead sheep, all killed by dogs. We now record figures reported to us creating a portfolio of evidence generated through the website, trying to produce a picture of the nature of the problem. We know these figures are just the tip of the iceberg as many attacks go unreported. And so here we are! We are producing a guide for communities to use across the country, through which they can educate those living in their village/parish/or other small geographical area. BUT – we ask that if you have ideas you think should be included or altered please let us know. Or if you have items that worked for you or inventive suggestions, please send us pictures or your thoughts. We are keen to develop the pack as we move forward.

Please enjoy bringing your community together to solve this problem

We are a not-for-profit organisation

NB. This Toolkit has been produced for general use across the UK. We are aware that there is slightly different legislation (and different structures of local government, parish councils etc) in different parts of the UK; but we feel that this Toolkit should provide a helpful starting point for communities everywhere.

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Aims and Objectives of SheepWatch UK

Aims

To reduce the number of dog attacks on sheep

To promote the safety and well being of our UK flock To encourage education about sheep farming to the general public To encourage responsible behaviour in the countryside

To encourage responsible dog ownership

Objectives

To educate the general public to keep dogs on leads near sheep and help to protect their National Flock

For communities to help dog walkers make better choices about where to find hassle-free,

safe walks with their dogs. To ask farmers to put signs up to indicate when and where sheep are in the field to remove

the excuse 'I didn’t know there were sheep in the field' To consider current legislation, enforcement and fines – including changes if necessary To set up a website to record the true nature of the problem and number of attacks To estimate the cost to the industry

To drive a campaign at community level

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Introduction to the Campaign

What is the local campaign about?

The point of the local campaign is to raise awareness and to educate people. To do this, the campaign needs to be highly visible and to get people excited about the message – this can be very difficult to do!

People rarely change behaviour because they are simply told to do so. They are more likely to change behaviour if they understand why they need to, if they find it rewarding, and if they feel they are protecting something that is theirs (i.e. the National Flock).

The following pages suggest a process which has been trialled before and has worked for communicating a community message and changing people’s behaviour via activities and a series of Pledges.

The process is based on the following principles:

Engage a wide range of local community groups in the campaign eg Scouts or church.

Get them to identify their own key Pledges (from a list) that are relevant to their community

Bring dog walkers and farmers together to help create a situation where they can support each other – eg signs on field entrances, dogs on leads

Get each group from the community to ‘own’ and ‘communicate’ one of the many Pledges and create a display or activity about it at a launch event eg keep dogs on a lead near sheep or chasing sheep can abort lambs

Hold a launch event with the groups giving displays about their chosen Pledge

Produce a local SheepWatch Pledge Card for people to display in their windows to pledge support for protecting the local flock

The method for achieving all this is outlined below.

Why a Local Campaign is needed?

This problem appears to exist all across the country, but each area may have different issues that lead to situations where dogs attack sheep. For example some areas will be highly populated, in some areas

the sheep will wander across miles of unfenced mountains, in some areas there will be footpaths crossing downland, and in some areas stray dogs may be a big issue.

This means that a National Campaign led from the top will not be as effective as a local campaign that addresses the local issues and understands the local community – this is why YOUR campaign is important to YOUR community.

Education and support will be different in each area, and although we are providing a basic toolkit, you and your neighbours and friends will need to identify what your community needs to pull from this kit and manipulate it to make it most effective – and we know you have loads of imagination to do that!

It has also been proved that community campaigns are often the most effective, helping to bring the community closer together and also breaking any divisions between local groups giving them a common project.

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What are you going to be doing?

The information below will take you through this process step-by-step.

2. Groups Meeting

4. Launch

and card release

5. Photos and

celebration

1. Prep for community groups info meeting

Book venue

Contact all community groups.

Articles in Magazines

Send out invites

Put up invites to event

Print off the pledge card

Groups Meeting

Overview of the campaign

Collect contact names

Choose messages for cards

Decide date for launch event

Involve dog walkers and farmers

3. Pre Launch

Book venue

Plan stands by community groups representing the key messages

Articles in Magazines

Print SheepWatch Cards for windows

Invite villagers to the event

Farmers start putting up signs on gates

Launch and card dispersal

Message ‘Get your card in your window’

Groups represent each message.

Collect new contacts

Get cards delivered to the houses

Get lots of photos put in the Parish Magazine and website

Get press coverage

Have a little celebration

We can provide

an additional pack

which you may

want to use to

help with this

We can provide

an additional

launch pack

which may help

with ideas for this

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Points to keep in mind before you start When first starting out with a campaign, it can seem as if there is a never ending list of things to do. We cannot stress enough that it is a good idea to take your time and make sure everyone understands what is going to happen and how. Make sure everyone is on board. This toolkit will make it much easier as this method has been tried and tested and has (so far) worked. It is however, open to suggestions and there may be small alterations you need to make to enable it to fit the character and make-up of your community. There are a few basic points that you should be aware of:

1. Don’t rush the campaign – it should be fun, not a nightmare. 2. Speak to a few people you know in the area to see how they take to the idea. 3. If you are not a member of the Parish or Town Council, it is better to involve them at

an early stage as they can be a great support. 4. Remember to keep it simple and local – don’t involve superstars who live outside the

area as they will bring in a million outsiders – this is about your community 5. Find out if there have been any sheep attacked locally and find out who owned them.

Encourage your local farmers to be part of it from the start. Once you have read this toolkit and have decided that you want to run the campaign, then you need to find out some information to allow you to plan ahead.

1. Is there a Community or Parish Magazine and what is the date of the next few publications.

2. Is there a Website for your community? This can make communication easy as you can direct people to information updates.

3. When is the next Parish or Town Council meeting. 4. How far in advance do you need to book the village hall. 5. When are other major events in the village taking place so you can take part or avoid

them as necessary. 6. Does the Village / Town or District Council have a fund with a hundred pounds

available to pay for printing posters and hall hire (you will need to apply for that funding asap).

7. Is there a local farmers meeting, a prominent farmer, or a young farmers group that you can involve right at the start

Ask if you can give a presentation at the next Parish or Town Council meeting. They will normally allow you some time, perhaps 30 minutes (incl set-up) for a community initiative, and like to hear about local ideas. We can provide you with structure for a talk if needed. Once you have engaged the Parish or Town Council (or not) you can begin to gather a group to run the campaign. You can now begin to prepare for the Groups meeting.

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1. Preparing for the Groups Meeting Overview.

The purpose of the Groups meeting is to bring all the group leaders, the Parish Council, school and other organisation leaders together in one place. It is also a chance to invite farmers and dog walkers to explain their concerns and to discuss options for improving the situation as a community. Everyone can then decide whether they want to be part of the campaign and they can take the information back to their colleagues or group. The easiest way to do this is to present all the information to them at a big meeting – a Groups Meeting. Logo

Use the SheepWatch UK logo and personalise it to your village, adding the name of your community at the bottom. You can then use the logo with all your publicity and people will begin to recognise it.

Book the Room Booking the meeting room will give you a date to focus on. Some campaigns have found evenings during the week the most useful, although some have done it on a weekend. Some groups have used the village/ town hall and some have used the local school, you know your community so you will be able to make a judgement on this. It is better to avoid August or Christmas week because so many people are away or busy and avoid school holidays if possible. Community groups

Contact the local community groups and make sure they understand the importance of the Campaign but also how it can help them. For example, Beavers, or the Scouts could use the campaign to work towards their badges, etc.. There is usually a list of your community groups in your Community Magazine. Ask each group to send a representative to the Groups Meeting (sample letter at the back of the pack in case you would prefer to write) A phone call is often all it takes.

Some of the community groups and organisations you may want to involve

Farmers Scouts Guides Religious groups Dog walkers Dog trainers Yoga group Young farmers WI Pre –school grp U3A Beavers Business clubs Parish Council Local shop Gardening club Publicans Vets Pet shop Schools Local businesses Local cafe Local agility club Other Contact the businesses and invite them to find out how it can help their business. Make sure the local Councils (Parish, District, County) are aware of your event and the Councillors. All these group leaders will then feed the information to people attending their own community group meetings and it saves work for you later in the campaign.

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Invite the Police who have an amazing understanding of the situation re dog attacks in your area and will also understand how the law works so can explain this to your attendees at the meeting. Farmers and dog walkers

It is a imperative to involve both these groups and get them to understand how important the campaign is. They can really communicate with people using their experiences and can make changes to help alter people’s behaviour. Farmers are usually very willing to put signs on gates which warn dog walkers that sheep are in a field and dog walkers are usually good at understanding clear messages. Please see the section on ‘Farmers and Dog Wa lkers action’ – after the Groups meeting information.

Pledge choices

At your Groups meeting, you will want to get people to focus on some important messages which are expressed in the form of Pledges, and choose their best ones to go on the back of the SheepWatch Pledge Card (explained later) for the windows. In the Appendix of the Toolkit is a list of Plegess you could choose to go onto your card. Print these off and make sure there will be enough for people to share and see whilst they discuss their choices at the Groups meeting. Don’t give them one each as sharing will encourage conferring.

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About the Pledge Card

Side one (with the sheep on) faces the road and side two faces into the house to remind the family of their pledges

Example of a Pledge card

The pledge card has your community name where this card says ‘Buriton’ The pledge card has the pledges chosen by your community at the ‘Groups Meeting’ printed on the back The pledge card will be delivered to all the houses in the community (by scouts or by volunteers) The pledge card goes into the window of all the houses and businesses to show support for the campaign. You need to decide how to get these printed – often a grant from either the Parish or District Council will help, or even your local County Council representative may have some funding available.

Our household in Buriton pledges to:

1. Keep our dogs on leads when near sheep

2. Observe signs put up by farmers 3. Keep our dogs secure in our

garden 4. Understand that even chasing

sheep can cause death 5. Understand that pregnant sheep

can abort their lamb if stressed.

We want to keep Buriton sheep safe and will encourage visitors to follow these pledges. We will behave the

same when visiting other villages and rural communities.

Contact details. info@blablabla.bla

We want to help keep our Buriton sheep safe.

We have pledged! Please join us!

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2. Running the Groups Meeting This is your opportunity to convince the group leaders in your community that they need to come together to help reduce the number of dog attacks on sheep and the number of dogs running loose without an owner/carer with them. The community is going to do something special and everyone should be part of it.

Make sure the meeting is positive and fun.

A few Pointers

a) Don’t forget to leave a sheet of paper by the door to gather people’s names and contact details. It is really annoying when you have a big group of supporting people and the next day you have no idea who they are. You must not pass this information to any other group or business by law, without getting written permission from those on the list. Make sure that the form states that you will use this to contact them and the information will be held on a computer but will not be passed on. You can then keep these people informed of the progress of the campaign and the date of the launch.

b) Maybe offer tea and coffee if you can, and perhaps your village shop or pub will give you these for free if you explain what you want it for (put a ‘Thank you’ on the table where they are served). Think of things to make people feel welcome.

c) Get someone to bring a camera so you can record the event (see notes on the law about photos in the appendix).

d) Only use local people. This is about your community, there are lots of occasions where people can hear famous celebrities and it gets boring!! Your people will speak about your community, now that is special!!

e) Invite a local farmer to speak and a local dog walker or dog walking group, and also the police may have some useful information to share.

f) Make sure they know that the idea is supporting everyone’s interests and that it is not blaming

anyone and everyone needs to be part of the change. The vast majority of dog owners walk their dogs responsibly. There are notes about the importance of understanding the needs of dog owners in the appendix in this toolkit.

g) PRINT OFF A SAMPLE PLEDGE CARD and take it to the meeting so people know what it is.

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Example of a Running order for the Groups Meeting:

Introduction – Local Champion / community representative

Presentation – A presentation explaining the concept and reasons for the campaign. Giving an overview of the national and the local issues (we can provide material for this). Have an example of a SheepWatch Pledge Card printed off.

Police or Farmer explains the attacks taking place in your community and surrounding areas also touching on the National Problem (we have info) so people understand this is a big problem.

Where are we now – The Local Champion explains who is already involved and who is at the

meeting e.g. Dog walking group, school, etc. Summarise why the groups feel it is important. Describe the purpose and tasks for the Break-out groups (to provide ideas for the launch). Introduce a local farmer – especially if they have had a dog attack on their sheep.

Break out groups:

At the back of the room are tables which the meeting moves to for discussion. They have 3 challenges to complete –

Elect a representative from the group to feedback to the main meeting.

Pick and discuss the 3 most important messages from the list.

Each Group representative may also start thinking about which message their group may want to interpret at the launch (although you can alter this later)

We have a suggested list later in the pack. Feedback to the Main meeting.

Each table or group representative reads out their top three messages. The local champion will list the ideas for use at the launch. The 5 messages with the most votes will go on the back of the SheepWatch Pledge Card. Forming a contact group or informal committee Those wanting to become part of the informal committee can stay back for a few minutes to discuss future meetings.

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Farmers and Dog Walkers If the community are running a campaign to help stop dog attacks on sheep, the key people to help find solutions will be dog owners and farmers. Please encourage sensible discussion between the two groups, many people may belong to both groups. Both farmers and dog owners need to make changes to their behaviour and habits but we feel the small effort will be well rewarded. Here are some ideas which could make a difference which could be initiated after the Groups meeting and which can be announced and put into action at the launch.

Farmers putting signs on entrances to fields containing sheep. ‘Sheep in field – dogs on leads’ (or similar). This could help with letting dog walkers know there are sheep in the field. You could either design your own signs or take a look at our website and see if our signs are available yet.

Maybe add space on the signs for the farmer’s phone number so a dog walker can report any problems with sheep e.g. one tangled or sick. This can encourage the dog walker to care about the animals and thus protect their interests.

Farmers taking signs down when the sheep are moved. This is key to stop walkers becoming ‘sign blind’. If they come across a sign and then see no sheep in the field, they are less likely to take notice of future signs they encounter.

Dog walkers actually taking notice of the signs and understanding that having a dog under close control is often not enough when sheep are in a field as instinct can easily take over. Putting dogs on a lead is essential practice near sheep. Get dog walkers to all set a good example.

Farmers to make sure their fields are secure near footpaths – lower the base of gates and make sure fencing is adequate.

Dog owners to make sure their gardens are secure to reduce the amount of dogs roaming loose at night –dogs in fields with sheep are often without their owners.

Farmers could also put up signs saying ‘sheep free zone’ to indicate where dog walking on their land is preferable – if people are better informed, they make better choices.

Ask farmers to report all dog attacks on sheep to the police and SheepWatchUK, without the statistics we won’t have a true record of the crime.

Dog walkers need to understand that it is a crime to allow dogs to chase sheep (even if they do not bite the sheep) and dogs can legally be shot if caught in pursuit.

You may come up with many more ideas similar or more inventive to these – please share your ideas with us so we can help other communities.

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3. Pre Launch Planning This section is to help you plan the launch of the campaign and to organise the printing of the SheepWatch Pledge Cards to be distributed throughout your community (to go into the home/business windows) Gather together a main bunch of contacts from those that volunteered at the Groups Meeting.

The unofficial committee will need to meet to decide:

The length of time to run the campaign (from Launch to finish usually 2 weeks)

What information to go on the back (eg your contact details) of the Pledge card as well as the Pledges from the Groups Meeting

The date and venue for the Launch

The method and funding for the printing of the SheepWatch Pledge Card for every household/business and some spares

The distribution method for the SheepWatchUK Pledge Card (by hand or by Parish Mag etc)

How to organise the groups which have agreed to represent some of the Pledges from the list (later in the pack), and contact any that were going to discuss with their community group before making the decision.

Whether to have further profile raisers during the campaign period (list of suggestions elsewhere in the toolkit).

Press and advertising eg posters for the Launch (give start and finish times) Invite local papers etc to the launch

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4. The Launch

(not in July, August or Christmas)

The Launch should be a local event and do not make it just part of another event (it won’t save time) as it will get lost and become just one table in the corner. People from the local community should be involved and it is advisable to only use local speakers. This is about Local not famous!!.

You don’t want half the County arriving to see the famous person – you want to get a message across to your community. The Launch could take place at the Village Hall or School, or anywhere in the community where there is a very large room. We cannot stress enough the importance of involving the school and children in the campaign.

See if the local pub or another organisation will provide some refreshments. Run a poster competition for the local children in the lead up to the launch and display these on the walls. The aim of the launch is to engage as many local people as possible. You want to use the launch to communicate as many of the messages as possible using the community groups as the messengers interpreting the Pledges – a list of ideas for each Pledge is later in the Appendix section of the Toolkit.

Example of the activities for a Launch

Collect names and contacts as people enter.

Let everyone mingle for a while and explore the group’s displays.

Make sure the message is clear – ‘Get the card in your window’ – have a sign in the middle of the room or a banner or get it by the main door.

Make sure people understand that each stand is about a different message – maybe number them.

Give them a card as they enter so they discover the ‘point’ of the event.

Introduction – Welcome everyone and explain the campaign.

Explain why the community should try to reduce Dog attacks on sheep and why it is important to act together.

Messages– explain the messages and how the farmers will put signs on field gates.

Explain what support is available eg a contact number, website, etc

Speeches – Let members of the public or members of community groups explain why acting together is important to them – this bit can be very emotional – farmers and dog walkers are really important or the local farming representative.

School or Group of children – sing or perform a short play or other activities.

Events – Give a list of other events happening during the campaign (if any).

Leave people to wander around the displays Conclusion – Make the SheepWatch UK Card visible, make the campaign a success.

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Some pointers

Make sure people know the date when they need to put the SheepWatchUK Pledge Cards in the window (and the earliest date they can take them down).

Give a start and finish time and don’t make the event too long – 3 hours is about the max – this means people don’t think they will need to give up their entire weekend.

Maybe get a blow up version of the SheepWatch Pledge Card so it is visible at the Launch all over the place.

Don’t forget to thank any funders/refreshment providers either by a poster or by announcing it – you may need help later and they will appreciate this.

Take photographs or you will kick yourself if you don’t (note on the law on taking photos is in the appendix). Your local Parish Magazine or newspaper will welcome good photographs. It is worth asking someone to be responsible for this task so it does not get forgotten.

5 Celebration After all the hard work, you need to celebrate. People need to feel there is an end point so make sure you ‘wrap up’ the campaign. Place pictures of the event in your Parish or village magazine along with a short article Hold a BBQ with all the folk who were central to the campaign Announce the outcomes of the campaign in the local paper – these may be educational success, bonding and support between groups in the community or other good news. Send your success to us so we can add it to the website along with photos of what happened. Some people will have overcome being shy to speak, gained new skills, told emotional private stories – they need to be thanked.

Be proud of what you achieved – its important to step back and give each other a pat on the back!

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Support during your Campaign

Support will be available during your campaign.

1. SheepWatchUK are available by email or sometimes on the telephone, so you can contact us at any time if you have questions or just need some inspiration.

2. Gather ideas and support from other communities. You could use some that are at the same stage as you for support, and use those that are ahead of you to learn about pitfalls or great ideas.

If you need help – phone or email us. We want to help, so you succeed!!

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After the finish of the Campaign You can run these ideas after the campaign finishes to keep the momentum going or during the

campaign to raise the profile further!

Putting on other relevant events after the launch helps to keep the message alive. You can focus on different issues during different times of the year.

Exhibition. Consider having a stand at local events eg village or country shows, so that the campaign

remains visible. Set up a gazebo on the village green on a Saturday so individuals have a chance to ask questions.

Hold a Market Have a market where all the goods sold are all local which promotes local farming and

local produce, thus showing the importance of respecting the countryside.

Newspapers. Keep the newspapers involved. They will make sure the campaign stays in the minds of

members of the community, constantly reminding them of the messages.

Organise a village walk – through land that does not affect sheep, so that dog owners know where they can go and people without .dogs know where they can suggest a walk to other dog walkers.

Poster Competition – Children love a poster competition and this will allow them to have great fun. You can run 4 x classes because you will need 4 x posters. Below are the examples for the poster topics which can then be photocopied and put around the village at the relevant time of the year.

Summer poster – Sheep relaxing after bringing up their lambs. Please don’t chase us we are tired and trying to regain our composure ready for the rams arrival. (key message is the sheep are still vulnerable to stress)

Autumn – Rams and Ewes courting. Please don’t interrupt by chasing us about, we are trying to make lambs! (key message is that if stressed they wont conceive).

Winter – Please don’t make our pregnant ladies run about the field. (key message is ewes abort lambs if stressed and chased)

Spring – We love our lambs, please watch out for our safety. (key message is the lambs are vulnerable and young)

Record keeping – If you keep records of the attacks in your community, you may like to report the

reduction. Also please encourage continued reporting of attacks to the police and to SheepWatch UK

Scarecrow Community Message An additional tool (can also run the following year)

A really wonderful way of spreading the message is to run a scarecrow competition during the two weeks that the card is displayed in the window.

Ask households to put a scarecrow in their front garden which carries one of the pledges. For example

Put a scarecrow of a person with a (scarecrow) dog on a lead and a (scarecrow) sheep next to it.

Ask the local pub to offer a meal for two adults and the toy shop for a 10.00 voucher for the kids to be awarded to the winning household!

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The SheepWatch UK Website The website is still being developed but we want to promote what you are doing and use it as a point where you can share thoughts, ideas and things that were a success. It also provides an opportunity to engage with other campaign Champions. The website address at the moment is www.terena.co.uk/sheepwatch-uk but will soon move to an independent site thanks to some donations (www.sheepwatch.co.uk) We will ask you for your details and add your group to the site.

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APPENDIX

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Examples of Key Pledges for the back of your card And ways of demonstrating them at the launch

1. Always keep all dogs on leads when in a field with sheep.

Have displays of different leads showing that retracting ones are good. Pictures of what happens when you don’t put the dog on a lead.

2. We are asking our farmers to put our notices up to warn us they have sheep in the field Have examples of the notices and some pictures of them on the gates Ask farmers to come and help at the stand to talk to people

3. All sizes of dogs and all breeds can potentially attack sheep Get the children of different sizes to put on a play showing that the children do the same things – and so do different sized dogs. Explain even a small dog can chase sheep – and chasing sheep can kill them.

4. Everyone thinks their dog is the exception to the rule – until it’s too late Get some quotes put up from people who made this mistake

5. Dogs escaping from back gardens are often a big part of the problem Put up some example good fencing and bad fencing in a display to make people think

6. Ask farmers to report any attacks or even sheep worrying (chasing) to the police and fill in the 3 minute form on the SheepWatchUK website. Have examples of the form and ask a policeman to join your display to explain the importance of reporting the incident – no report, no crime, no statistics.

7. Your dog can be shot or put to sleep if it is chasing sheep or attacking sheep Build a dog’s grave in the hall and put on the headstone ‘Billy the dog - shot for chasing sheep’

8. Just chasing sheep can kill them (In March 2016, 116 sheep died from being crushed and shock without a single bite from the dog) Get a doctor and nurse (pretend) and put a sheep (pretend) in a bed and nurse it for shock and crush damage.

9. Sheep often die from shock long after the chase has finished – sometimes days later Get one of the games where you have to move the hoop round the wire without the buzzer sounding – say this is about the chances of a sheep dying of shock after being chased – can you get through the problem? State this is not exact statistics but representative of the problem.

10. Sheep who are pregnant are at serious risk of aborting their lambs after being chased by a dog This is a tough one! - We are waiting for your suggestions!

11. Please take note – farmers have notices telling you if sheep are in their fields – put dogs on a lead. Ask people to sign to commit to putting their dog on a lead if they see a sign

12. Sheep are expensive, generally anything from £50 – £400.00. The most expensive sheep sold for £231,000.00 – imagine the claim if your dog killed that one! Have pictures of some sheep and their values – you can get this off farming ads

13. If farmers incur costs (time, vets bills, loss of sheep and lambs) eventually it will put the price of our food up. Get a cut out farmer and stick the extra costs he may incur on him from a dog attack – and then ask who will pay the bills?

14. Farmers get very emotionally drained by seeing their sheep ripped to bits – it can be a horrifying experience.

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Maybe get a big tear painted by children and put a bucket of water underneath and then say ‘how many buckets of tears will farmers lose before we face this problem.

15. Not all sheep die when they are bitten – they can lie for hours seriously injured waiting for the farmer to arrive. We can provide edited pictures of the damage caused to sheep by dogs – it will be a sad display but will carry a vital message

16. A community that does not care about suffering is a ..................... Get the general public to fill in the blanks on a sheet with this quote repeated loads of times.

17. Ask the local farmers to bring some sheep to the launch and make sure they have names so the general public relate better to them. If people see sheep as having ‘feelings’ they are more likely to protect their welfare.

18. Write to your MP Have a sample letter which people can adapt for use to send to their MP to keep the government informed of what is happening in the community

19. Help people to take happy, healthy, hassle-free dog walks Have examples on a map of where people can walk comfortably in your area avoiding fields with sheep in.

Other ideas for carrying a message – group of young children sing a song, or read out their poems (this is usually emotional), get reusable bags printed with the logo. These are just ideas! We are sure with the imagination and skills of people in your village or community, you will develop lots of different ways of communicating these and other relevant messages. Please send us your ideas and lots of photos please! Don’t forget to ask the farmers for help, the young farmers (they will probably have a local group), and also the vets and dog walking groups.

Each community group should represent ONE pledge and create a display or activity for the launch

Finally, one class got all the children to draw a sheep and write their name on it. They stuck the sheep on a roll of wallpaper to create a flock. The big writing said please protect our sheep. They hung it round the hall for the launch.

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Sample Press release

Remember to keep the press release relevant to your community and add a couple of quotes to make it personal. Don’t forget to add contact details and the main SheepWatch UK website address can also help people understand the campaign. You can use any of the information or quotes from the article below: (Wecton is a fictitious town).

................................................ ‘SheepWatch UK is coming to Wecton’

Local residents are coming together for a Group Meeting to set up ‘SheepWatch Wecton’, an initiative where the community will pull together to help reduce Dog attacks on sheep. Dog attacks on sheep have been rising in number across the country and many people are horrified at the suffering that is happening. The campaign began in Hampshire when Terena Plowright and Doug Jones decided to do something because they were so shocked at the number of dog attacks in the UK – they wanted to ‘make a difference’. The inititative was so successful that since then they have had hundreds of thousands of hits on the facebook page and website and communities all across the UK want to be part of this change in attitude to sheep welfare. ‘The campaign is great fun’ said Terena ‘ it gives the community a way to work together to tackle this horrific issue and makes it a positive experience instead of a nightmare and is also intended to help people take happy, healthy, hassle-free walks with their dogs’. Local resident (name) explained ‘The number of dog attacks have increased across the country and in our county and has worried many of our residents for a long time now and we thought it was time that we acted together to make some small changes that will make a big difference. This is why we are starting ‘SheepWatch Wecton’. The Groups Meeting will be held this week and then a launch will be announced in the near future when everyone will be invited to join the campaign. For more information contact Jill on 00202883 or email lksjd@lkajsd.com. More information can be found at www.terena.co.uk/sheepwatch-uk

..............................................

Sending a photograph (such as a group of you with the ‘SheepWatch Wecton’ logo) will encourage the press to use the article – they love pictures (see notes on the law regarding taking photos at the back of the pack). Email them a copy of the logo – again it gets it into the public eye so it becomes recognised. Can you send us a copy of the articles if you get time please, as we love to keep an album.

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Sample letter

Here is a sample letter to send you your village community groups.

Dear

Are you or your organisation interested in helping us to act together and reduce the number of dog attacks on sheep? Hundreds of sheep are killed by pet dogs every month. Increasing awareness and education can make a real difference.

A small number of Wecton residents are setting up a voluntary campaign for ‘SheepWatch Wecton’. Our aim is to take the successful blueprint campaign started in Hampshire and to introduce it to Wecton. We want to help protect the national flock, educate our residents, reduce the suffering, and support our farming community. Most of us are dog owners and therefore we care about all animals and this campaign will let everyone share the countryside safely.

What is the ‘SheepWatch’ campaign?

Put simply, the campaign aims to encourage and support local people to take easy and straightforward steps in their community to reduce dog attacks on sheep – supporting local farmers by publicising key messages. The campaign is also asking farmers to put signs on their gates if sheep are in the field so dogs can go on the lead.

The campaign will also aim to help people take happy, healthy, hassle-free walks with their dogs.

Group meeting: 7.30pm, Wednesday 30 April, in the main hall at xxx School

To kick off the campaign, we are holding a meeting of representatives from all the community groups in Wecton where the SheepWatch Campaign will be explained in detail. It will be addressed by Joe Bloggs from the local farm and Jack and Jill from the local dog walking group who will explain some of the issues.

Those attending the meeting will be invited to help choose a number of simple actions they consider to be most relevant to the area which would enable people to make a difference to our community today – and long into the future.

Who is invited?

Please accept this letter as your personal invitation. The meeting is also open to everyone who lives or works in the Parish and so all businesses, societies, churches and schools – as well elected bodies – are invited to send a representative.

We believe this is an important campaign that could benefit us all –individuals, families, organisations, businesses and the area as a whole. We would be delighted to see you or a representative of your organisation on the 30th of April, at 7.30pm in xxx main hall.

Light refreshments

We aim to make this a concise meeting lasting no more than two hours, including time for drinks and nibbles. There is no need to RSVP, but if you are certain that you – or a representative – will be attending, please let me know. It will help us to ensure that there is adequate seating and refreshments. Simply phone 01000 70000 or e-mail cxxxxx@xx.com

We look forward to welcoming you to the start of ‘SheepWatch Wecton’.

Yours sincerely

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Sample letter to your MP Dear xxxxxx MP,

I am proud to be able to let you know that we are running a SheepWatch (community) campaign.

We have become aware that dog attacks on sheep are increasing in number across the UK and we are concerned for the safety of dogs, for animal welfare, and for the business of the local farmers.

We would like you to support our community response to this issue and would also like to invite you to learn more about this issue by attending the launch if you are available.

We are holding our launch at (place) on (date)at (time) and many of the community groups are involved including the school, the parish council, the church, and others.

SheepWatch UK is a national organisation which is collecting figures on dog attacks on sheep and also supporting us in our education programme and activities.

We would like to understand whether the government is aware of this serious issue and would like to hear of any actions or activities planned to reduce the number of attacks.

We do hope you can join us and look forward to hearing from you.

Your MP’s address can be found on the government website by putting in your post code

http://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/mps/

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Launch Event

Time, Day, Location

Residents, dog owners and farmers Working together

To protect Buriton’s flock of sheep

Let’s join together and Reduce dog attacks on sheep.

Watch out for the Pledge Card through your door!!

All welcome!

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Launch Event on

SATURDAY 18TH JULY 2016 AT 11am

Village Heath Community Centre

SHORTS ROAD. Email xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Buriton, part of the solution

Join us to help stop the

suffering caused by dog attacks on sheep and to find out more

about our campaign

SAMPLE MINI ADVERTS – Great to leave at petrol stations

and corner shops

Each year thousands of sheep are

killed or injured by pet dogs

We have decided to join the many communities fighting this problem.

Come join us in the village hall to find out more or find out how you

can help.

Our local flock of sheep are important to us – let’s help keep

them safe.

This is a National Problem that local people can help solve

For more information please call local co-

ordinator, Joe Bloggs

on 00101001010 or email email@emailaddress.co.uk

Be part of the solution!

Use this example to to make

your own little leaflets to print off so you can leave

them at shops, the church,

garages, etc etc. Print them back to back and you should get 8 per page. This saves

paper, gets the message across and saves money

Someone with a good knowledge of computers

would be good for this bit!!

(Blame Terena for this version)

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Advice

Notes on taking photographs

You used to be able to take photographs of anyone and print them anywhere – this has now changed for the protection of children. If you take pictures at your events please take the following precautions.

1. If you take a picture of an adult please ask them if you can use it for publicity. It can backfire if a complaint goes to the press about use of a photo which causes problems.

2. If you take a photograph of a child you MUST MUST MUST take the following action

You must ask the parent /guardian for permission and get this in writing and

state in writing on the same form what you want to use the photo for (see below). It is worth preparing a few forms before the event and keeping them in your pocket.

If a parent / guardian is not available or with the child then make sure that the face of the child is not visible.

You may think this is extreme but some children / adults have been tracked down by violent adults because of a photograph in a paper which has alerted them to the area where they live. This is just one example but there are many more reasons to be careful and respect people’s privacy. Over the page is a sample document for you to use (please fill in the relevant bits which are in RED)

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SheepWatchUK (Village)

Consent Form

For Photography and Images of Children

To the Parent or Carer

SheepWatchUK (Village) wishes to take photographs of activities that involve your child. The photographs may be used for

displays, publications and on a web-site by us, by the Local Authority (LA) or by local newspapers.

The children may be named by the media but home addresses will never be give out. Images will never be associated with

material on issues that are sensitive.

Before taking any photographs of your child, we need your permission. Please answer the questions below, and

sign and date the form. You can ask to see images of your child held by the organisation. You may withdraw

your consent, in writing, at any time.

Name of child (Block Capitals):

Name of person responsible for the child:

I understand that:

the local media may use images of this event held on the date below for SheepWatch (Village).

photographers acting on behalf of the local Group or Central SheepWatch Campaign or the Local

Authority may take images for use in displays, in publications or on a website;

embarrassing images will not be used;

all material will be regularly reviewed and deleted if unwanted.

Having read the above statement, do you give

your consent for photographs and other images

to be taken and used? (please tick the appropriate box / boxes).

The term “published” refers to being used on the

campaign or local authority publications

(including websites) or in the media.

YES, I give my consent for pictures to be taken but

only used by the local group.

YES, I give my consent for pictures of my child to

be published, with their names and ages, in the press

or on the Campaign, Local Authority or press websites.

YES, I give my consent for pictures of my child to

be published in the press or on the Campaign, Local

Authority or press websites but not for them to be

named.

NO, I do not give my permission for pictures to be

taken and used.

Signature of person responsible for the child:

Relationship to the child:

Date (Date/Month/Year):

Name of SheepWatchUK (Village) representative who collected this form - .........................................................

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Insurance

If you are holding an event, please make sure you are insured. Often the hall you are hiring will have insurance cover for community groups to use but you must check this. . It is also advisable to ‘Risk Assess’ your event before you start. This will increase your legal status if there is an accident – and yes accidents do happen however hard we try. A risk assessment can be carried out by you very easily:

1. Think about your event and any risks – write them down 2. Write: are they a 1, 2, or 3 (where 3 is a serious risk) 3. Then write what you have done to reduce the risk to a (1) category.

e.g. Lead across passageway – high risk (3) – put mat over lead (1) This shows the insurers that you thought things through to try and reduce risk. If you are holding an event for the public you must do this........ boring but true!!

POLITICAL STATEMENT SheepWatchUK is not a political organisation and is not linked to any political organisation or affiliated organisation. SheepWatchUK will therefore not support any ‘SheepWatchUK Committee’ that allows party politics to be promoted or advertised at any event, or on any information, or that accepts political funding, donations of any kind. If this does occur SheepWatchUK will immediately withdraw its support from the local campaign. SheepWatchUK receives donations from individuals and from non-political organisations and any hint of political preference, support or approval would seriously jeopardise the work of SheepWatchUK. Nor would SheepWatchUK wish to be associated with any political party. Locally organised full cross party debate on Dog attacks on Sheep may be possible but would need agreement in writing from all local parties.

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Understanding a Dog Walker’s needs, and working together to help stop attacks

The vast majority of dog owners walk their dogs responsibly, respecting the livelihoods of farmers and landowners. But the problems caused by a few irresponsible dog owners can be devastating. In order to try to change behaviours it is helpful to understand why dog owners do what they do – we understand whoever is reading this may have a dog and we hope you see yourself reflected here (we did!). Findings from research highlight the following:

it is very rare for dog owners to intentionally cause problems

problems arise because people are always looking for places they can walk their dogs, preferably close to home and away from traffic

above all, they are looking for somewhere their dogs can be exercised off lead. It is also useful to understand the following characteristics of dog walkers, also drawn from research studies:

because of physical, social and psychological benefits of owning a dog, the strength of the feeling that owners have towards their dogs can be very strong

the most important influence on the behaviour of dog walkers is, therefore, likely to be the welfare of their dog

hence, restrictions on how and where owners can exercise their dogs (off-lead) may not always be popular or effective.

But research has also found that:

the majority of dog walkers are aware of how to behave responsibly and have an understanding of appropriate behaviour

most are willing to comply with restrictions and required behaviours if they are provided with clear information and explanations

many do not know, or believe, the problems their behaviour can cause

dog owners feel that there is often a lack of clarity about what is expected of them, and a particular lack of clarity about the meaning of the term 'close control' (an expression often used in signs and the law)

in the absence of clear, relevant information dog walkers are likely to take clues from other dog walkers, from their surroundings and from what they feel is best for their dog.

Implications for communities:

Try to influence behaviours in positive ways

Do not come across as ‘anti-dog’

Use signs that provide clear explanations for restrictions

Seasonal signs (eg. lambs in fields) that are left up all year reduce credibility

Good behaviour by other dog walkers can have a big influence.

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Can the law help? The laws relating to the ‘rights and responsibilities’ of dog walkers in the countryside are complex, fragmented, misunderstood and subject to a range of conditions and subjective legal tests. There may also be slight differences between England, Wales and Scotland. These notes are based on the situation in England.

Even when the law seems clear, it can be difficult to use, as clear evidence is needed to show that at a given time, at a certain place, a specific dog owner broke the law. Legal action can be complex and is far from certain to succeed. It can also be costly in terms of time and create bad feeling in small communities which benefits no-one.

The law does make it illegal for owners to allow their dogs to do certain things, like chase sheep or attack protected wildlife: see the section on ‘Worrying Livestock’ below.

However, enforcing the law is not easy, which is why this Toolkit suggests other ways of influencing behaviour and managing access to farmland. Whilst opportunities for fines and criminal prosecutions exist in theory, the resources available for implementing them limit the potential of using the powers, in isolation, as a way of promoting responsible behaviour by dog walkers. Enforcement of the legislation falls to a number of different organisations although in most cases where a breach of the legislation constitutes a criminal offence it is the responsibility of the police to enforce the law. The resources available to catch, identify and prosecute transgressors are, however, often extremely limited. Hence, to complement a ‘sticks’ based approach by enforcing the law, a number of local authorities have developed some positive, practical management approaches (a ‘carrots’ approach) to create wider and longer-term reductions in irresponsible behaviour. Every Police Force should have a Dog Liaison Officer and they can be a very useful source of advice – and communities should also discuss ideas with Council Dog Wardens. Worrying livestock

It is a criminal offence if a person’s dog worries livestock on agricultural land.

Worrying is defined as attacking or chasing so that injury, suffering, abortion or loss of value is reasonably likely to occur.

Only in the case of sheep, and only when they are in an enclosure or field, is it an offence if a dog is not on a lead or under close control. As “close control” is not defined, this causes confusion and conflict for dog owners and farmers, so it’s best not to use this term on signs or when talking to dog owners.

It is not against the law for a dog to be off-lead in a field of livestock, as long as it is not chasing or attacking farm animals (and still under “close control” in fields of sheep).

Nor does being off-lead in itself give a landowner the right to shoot a dog. Shooting dogs

If a dog is worrying, or about to worry livestock, and there’s no other means to prevent it doing so, then in a very limited range of circumstances, the dog can be shot without the person pulling the trigger being liable to be sued for damages.

However, a generic right to shoot a dog that is, for example, off the lead in a field of livestock does not exist and anyone shooting a dog could be prosecuted if unnecessary suffering is caused.

Shooting a dog should be the last resort.

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So, what else can we do? Although the law alone is unlikely to make a big difference to the behaviour of most dog owners, there are other ways you can improve dog owners’ behaviour. Many of these solutions are not expensive or complicated; they just require problems to be solved in different ways. Firstly, work with your local farmers to clarify the problem: You will have a greater chance of success if you firstly identify:

What are the most important problems? There may be several things you’d like to change, but it’s best to focus on one or two key issues that repeatedly cause serious problems.

What are the most sensitive areas? Concentrating on the places where good behaviour is really important (e.g. in fields with sheep) is likely to be more effective than trying to get dogs on a lead everywhere or in empty fields

What are the most sensitive times? Signage and other measures are more effective if erected when sheep are actually in the field and removed when the sheep are removed, rather than being left up all year.

Who is causing the problem? If it’s just a few people, it will usually be more effective to specifically deal with their behaviour, perhaps by involving the dog warden, Police, or speaking with them directly. If it’s several local people or visitors, improving signage, access management and information is a better option.

And then consider the options: There isn’t a single, one-size-fits-all answer for everywhere. For the most common issues, here are some options to consider, all of which can reduce problems:

improve signage

identify places where off-lead is not a problem

signpost alternative or better routes

speak with visitors

consider re-routing or fencing paths

improve stiles

involve the dog warden

consider changes to your local Rights of Way Improvement Plans

apply for a restriction if on Access Land

consider opportunities for Public Space Protection Orders (which have replaced Dog Control Orders).

Rights of Way Improvement Plans Many of these plans, produced by local authorities in England and Wales, include actions which relate to the promotion of responsible behaviour by users (not only dog walkers) and often refer to the need to raise awareness of the Countryside Code. Somerset County Council included some actions more specifically related to responsible dog walking and also produced a ‘Guide for Dog Owners and Walkers on Public Rights of Way and Open Access Land’.

36

Access Land

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 regulates the public's rights on Access Land in England – but is often misunderstood. Two general conditions on walkers with dogs were included in the Act, namely that the entitlement to access does not apply if a dog is not on short lead in the vicinity of livestock, or between 1 March and 31 July each year. A short lead is defined as a fixed lead of no more than 2 metres. However, the Act does not make it an offence for people not to adhere to these conditions. The person merely forfeits that particular access entitlement, and at worst becomes a trespasser under civil law (unless some other statute applies). In some circumstances Natural England can agree to additional on-lead and no-dogs conditions on access land. Some short-term closures can be done relatively simply but longer term ones are more complicated. More details are available from Natural England.

Public Space Protection Orders

PSPOs were introduced with the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. They replace Dog Control Orders (DCOs) which had been introduced in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. PSPOs allow local authorities in England and Wales to better control how public land is used by dog owners and balance this with wider uses of the area. Amongst other things, PSPOs can exclude dogs from designated areas, require dogs to be kept on leads and restrict the number of dogs that can be walked by one person at any one time. They last for three years and must then be reviewed. Unlike DCOs, PSPOs cannot be made by parish, town or community councils. Only District, County and Unitary Authorities (including London Boroughs) can introduce these orders.

37

Practical things about signs SheepWatch UK will be producing some signs after we have carried out some further investigation, however, there are already signs available on the market for you to use but you may want to consider the points below when choosing which best fits your community. Good signage that’s tailored to your specific situation can reduce conflict. However, getting signage right is not easy and needs thought. Poorly worded or badly installed signs are of limited use. Signs will be most effective when they:

say precisely what behaviours you do want, eg “Please keep your dog on the path and use a lead”

avoid using imprecise terms like “close control” or “be responsible”

give explanations to backup what you are asking for eg. “Sheep in this field are all pregnant”

highlight safety issues for dog owners such as risks from livestock if dogs run about (eg. “Please do not let your dog approach or chase any livestock in this field. It can cause serious harm and your dog can get lost or injured”

indicate where sensitive areas start and finish, eg fields of sheep

seasonal signage is removed or covered up when not needed

are refreshed and updated; regular visitors will often only look at the same sign once

has had its meaning and understanding checked by dog owners

do not come across as anti-dog or anti-access

explain where off-lead is not a problem

signs are not helpful when they can be snapped and create a litter problem – create robust reusable signs

Please remember that whilst signs are useful, the following factors need to be remembered:

If you state sheep are in the field and they were moved 6 weeks ago, people will stop taking notice of ANY signs in the area

Signs also need an educational process such as this campaign to change long established behaviour.

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This document is copyright and the ideas within it are the Intellectual Property Rights of Terena Plowright.

SheepWatchUK would like to thank everyone who has supported us through time, money and ideas. More information is on the main website. www.Terena.co.uk/sheepwatch-uk SheepWatch UK logo design by Paul Martin: pm@pmdc.co.uk with thanks. Contact details SheepWatch UK www.terena.co.uk/sheepwatch-uk Central contact: Telephone 079 189 413 98 TerenaPlowright@gmail.com Doug.Pam@btinternet.com SheepWatch UK c/o The Sustainability Centre Droxford Rd East Meon, Hampshire GU32 1HR We are a not-for-profit organisation.

Market Harborough Fire Station,

Fairfield Road,

LE16 9QJ

Dear Parish Councillor,

My name is Stefan Douglas and I am a District Manager for Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. I am

responsible for all the fire service resources in the Harborough District.

Part of the remit of any fire service is to respond to emergencies but another equally important part of the

fire service remit is to help prevent emergencies taking place.

Our goal throughout Leicestershire is to make communities safer whenever and wherever we can.

As part of this drive to make the people of Leicestershire as safe as possible a lot of work goes on with the

Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to develop emergency contingency plans for villages to help them manage

in the event of flooding, snow, prolonged power outage etc.

LFRS has input into those plans both in the development and testing phases and this has created a good

number of plans that cover many of the villages in the Harborough District.

Alongside these contingency plans I would like to create a closer and more effective relationship

between your communities and your fire service. We are blessed to live in one of the most beautiful parts

of the country with some of the best villages and small communities to be found anywhere in the UK.

I see the role of the parish council being instrumental in fostering this closer relationship with the Fire

Service, developing it and ensuring it is sustainable.

To this end my aim is to have a nominated ‘Fire Ambassador’ in every parish council across the

Harborough District. This person would be my primary point of contact within the villages. Information that I

have could be passed to this person and shared with the parish. Equally any questions or concerns from

the residents could be passed through the ‘Fire Ambassador’ to me for dealing with.

I would try and get a member of my team to attend a parish meeting if required and I would invite the

nominated ambassador to relevant safety events that take place in the district.

Having this point of contact would help us to identify and assist with some of the most vulnerable of your

local residents. You know your communities far better than I ever will and it this knowledge combined with

my resources can really make a difference to those who need help most.

I firmly believe the establishment of this informal role within Parish Councils will be of great benefit to both

councils and the Fire Service. If you agree and can suggest an appropriate person then I would be most

grateful.

If you have any questions then please let me know.

Yours faithfully,

Stef Douglas (Stefan.douglas@lfrs.org 07800 709840)

Manager of the Harborough District

Our Ref: Your Ref: Please ask for: Stef Douglas Date: 05/7/16

The Campaign to End Loneliness identifies that 10% of people aged over 65 feellonely all or most of the time. To reduce this, VASL's Community Champions projectrecruits volunteers to help isolated or lonely people to find out what’s happening intheir neighbourhood, support them to enjoy activities, socialise and make newfriends, show them the benefits of the internet, especially if they’re housebound,achieve their personal goals, whatever they may be, and overcome challenges anddifficulties by focusing on the positives.

We think older people's loneliness and isolation is a whole community issue, and inorder to develop Community Champions and seek further funding to continue it, wewould like to ask older people, community members of any age and representativesof organisations some questions about the causes of loneliness and isolation in olderpeople, and how we can involve the whole community in overcoming it.

We would like all members of the community to fill in this survey, whatever your age,giving as much or as little information as you are able.

If you have any questions, please contact Rohini Corfield or Jenny Young at VASLon 01858 439262 or champions@vasl.org.uk

For more information about the project please see the www.vasl.org.uk website.

This survey will close on Wednesday 28 September 2016.

Community Champions Consultation Questions

1. Do you believe that loneliness and isolation amongst older people (60+) is aproblem in Harborough District?

2. If yes, how do you know this?

3. What do you think causes older people to become lonely and isolated (you mightwant to think about older people that you know)?

4. What do you think are the barriers to older people connecting with others (family,friends, neighbours, community groups etc.)?

5. Do you have any suggestions about how to overcome any of those barriers?

6. What activities do you know about already that lonely and isolated older peoplemight be able to get involved with?

7. How do you think communities, either groups or individuals, could help to reduceolder people’s loneliness and isolation?

8. How do you think organisations, for example councils or health services, couldhelp to reduce older people’s loneliness and isolation?

9. Is there any help that you could offer us reduce loneliness and isolation inHarborough District?

Name ____________________________________________ (optional)

Date of birth____________________________________________________ ( optional)

Please return to VASL, The Settling Rooms, St Mary’s Place, Market Harborough, Leics,LE16 7DR

2016 Newsletter No.4 ContentsTop Tip – Planning and “Reserved Matters” ................................................................................ 3

Transparency Fund for Sub-£25k Councils .................................................................................. 3

Smaller councils must publish their mandatory annual data sets - act now! ................................ 5

LRALC Annual Report 2015-16 ................................................................................................... 5

Personnel Advice & Solutions Ltd – Council HR News ................................................................ 5

NALC and SLCC Salary Scales 2016-18 ..................................................................................... 5

Leicestershire County Council Annual Parish Council Liaison Event July 11th 2016 - Presentations

..................................................................................................................................................... 6

Practitioners' Guide 2016 - complete guide now available ........................................................... 6

NALC Documents ........................................................................................................................ 6

LAIS Briefings .............................................................................................................................. 6

NALC Chairman & Chief Executive’s Reports April 2016 & June 2016 ....................................... 7

Parish contact details – request to check and update .................................................................. 7

LRALC Job Evaluation Service .................................................................................................... 7

East Midlands Funding Forum (EMFF) Bulletin ........................................................................... 7

Open letter from Anglian Water Private Pumping Stations Campaign Team ............................... 7

New BIG Lottery Grant Fund for One-Off Community Events ...................................................... 8

Skipton Building Society - Grassroots Giving ............................................................................... 8

Book your new autumn 2016 GoLearn course early and save money ......................................... 8

Make the most of the summer holidays with Leicester Park & Ride ............................................. 9