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    • Leicester Communities Together Festival – Helen’s Report

      Leicester Communities Together Festival – Helen’s Report
      Sep 13 2025

      The Leicester Communities Together Festival on 13 September 2025 transformed Jubilee Square into a hub of advice, creativity and community spirit. Reporting for Soar Sound, Evington Echo editor Helen Pettman spoke with groups including Citizens Advice, Age UK, Leicester Libraries and Turning Point. The event highlighted support for carers, fostering, mental health and local services, while also celebrating arts and volunteering. Well attended and lively, the festival showed Leicester’s strength in collaboration and the importance of connecting residents with opportunities.

      On 13 September 2025, Jubilee Square came alive with the Leicester Communities Together Festival, an event designed to bring residents, community groups and services together in one shared space. The day was marked by music, activities for families and stalls offering advice and information on everything from housing and welfare to health, creativity and volunteering.

      As part of the coverage, Evington Echo editor Helen Pettman reported for Soar Sound, speaking with stallholders, volunteers and visitors. Her interviews highlighted the contribution of Citizens Advice, Leicester City Council’s Adult Social Care team, Age UK, Leicester Libraries, Turning Point and Focus Charity, alongside many others. Each group showcased the services they provide and explained how people can access support or get involved.

      The range of voices heard reflected the diversity of Leicester itself. Advice for carers, information about fostering, guidance on energy costs and debt, mental health support and creative opportunities all featured in the conversations. Many groups also stressed the value of meeting other organisations face-to-face, strengthening partnerships and working together to benefit local communities.

      The festival was well attended, lively and informative, with visitors enjoying both entertainment and practical guidance. For Evington residents, it offered a chance to connect with city-wide services as well as to see how local organisations play a part in supporting neighbourhood life. The organisers deserve credit for creating a day that was both useful and enjoyable, and which reflected Leicester’s commitment to collaboration and community spirit.
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      1 h et 8 min
    • Evington GP Meeting 10th December 2024

      Evington GP Meeting 10th December 2024
      Dec 12 2024
      A Public Meeting was held on Tuesday 10th December at 7.00pm at Evington Village Hall LE5 6 DN This meeting was chaired by Cllr. Zuffar Haq (which invited residents to give their views about the changes taking place in Evington – the closure of the Doctors Surgery on the Common, the closure of the Post Office and the closure of the Pharmacy.) Full meeting podcast: https://evingtonecho.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Evington-GP-Meeting-001.mp3 Present at the meeting were: Cllr Zuffar Haq (Chair) He was representing many residents who had contacted him and were horrified at the 10 days notice to close the Surgery on the Common on Friday 13th December. Two representatives from MPs: Shivani Raja MP and Shockat Adam MP. Two representatives from the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board. Rachna Vyas (Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating Director and Nil Sanganee Chief Medical Officer) About 100 residents, at least 50 were patients of the surgery on The Common. The Meeting about the Closure of the Doctors’ Surgery on The Common Cllr. Zuffar Haq opened the meeting by explaining about the loss of facilities in Evington Village and that no further movement had been made with the NHS about the Doctors surgery on the Common, since the meeting at Pilgrim Gardens on 4th December. He said that Downing Drive and Willows were not creditable alternatives and that the Netherhall practice at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Centre involved residents in a 2- hour bus journey there and 2 hours back. He went on to explain that the Centre Bus service was not fit for purpose and stops after 8.00pm. The Chair, Cllr. Zuffar Haq, then asked for questions and comments from the floor. The first question asked about the centre being taken over by the community and whether anyone had looked at the Community Fund being approached to buy the property and upgrade it, or an alternative GP practice to take it on. The Chief Medical Officer (Nil Saganee) explained that a consultation was started in March this year to hear all views after the landlord said the site would no longer be available after 31st December. (The consultation only elicited 84 responses, 51% against closure and 25% supporting it. Dr Wood and son have stated that no date was given for closure.) That no quick decision was made, and that a lot of work was done to look at alternatives for the 1,000 patients who use the practice. He said that Dr. Wood can sell the building to whoever he likes, so the sale is different from the contract to run a GP surgery. He said that it wasn’t viable to keep running the GP practice at the Common, and that much work had been done to mitigate the problems to patients. He said the closest practice was 0.8 miles away, but there were others 1 and 2 miles away and that they could offer quick registrations. The Chief Medical Officer then explained all the options that were available from the full team at the Netherhall practice. As people joined the meeting late, they were asked to move to the front where there were extra chairs. A member of the audience pointed out that there were more housing developments on the doorstep with more people needing doctors surgeries. They pointed out the difficulty of taking patients into already full practices, and described the problems that occur when practices are saturated. Cllr. Zuffar Haq pointed out that in Leicester the average number of patients per doctors’ surgery is 2,000 but nationally it is 1,200. He said that if a new practice was thriving in Evington, then it would help to make a Pharmacy viable as well. Cllr. Haq said that Dr Wood had not given notice to the St. Elizabeth’s Medical Centre to vacate 10 The Common and that his preferred option would be to sell to another GP Surgery. The information Retchna said she had was that the practice said they were selling the building on 31st December and needed ICB Board to give back their keys. She said there were 14 practices within a 2-mile radius of Evington and reiterated the wider range of professionals available at St Elizabeth’s Medical Centre in Netherall. According to Drs Wood, no dates were set. Also a 2-mile radius is only any help for those with their own transport. A member of the audience said that to get the best financial outcome the NHS needed also to take into account the costs of closure and moving elsewhere involving an extra cost for the patients, which would add up. Dr. Cheesman then spoke and said that with Dr. Wood retiring, he can’t afford to buy the practice out and didn’t wish to rent. Therefore he will move to the Netherall practice. Again it was pointed out that no formal notice had been given to Dr. Wood and Dr. Cheesman. This has been down to Dr Cheesman and the ICB. Cllr. Haq then asked about extending the time of this surgery to March 2025, giving patients more time to find another surgery. Cllr. Haq then ...
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      1 h et 16 min
    • Meeting to Discuss Closure of Evington GP Surgery on The Common

      Meeting to Discuss Closure of Evington GP Surgery on The Common
      Dec 4 2024
      A meeting was held this morning at Evington Home, Pilgrim Gardens to discuss the impact of the closure of Evington’s GP surgery on The Common. The decision has sparked concern about the impact on vulnerable people in Evington. Councillor Zuffar Haq called a meeting with residents, representatives of the NHS, Leicester City Council and other local politicians. The concerns raised included: Community Impact: Residents are concerned about the loss of essential services which will significantly affect elderly, disabled, or disadvantaged community members. The relocation of the GP surgery, pharmacy, and Post Office is seen by some as “sucking the heart out of the community”, potentially leading to reduced footfall affecting local businesses. This has led to sentiments of the village “closing down” as expressed by locals. Reasons for Closure: The St Elizabeth’s Medical Centre, which runs the surgery, cited that the owner of the building is looking to sell the site as the reason for the proposed move to their main site two miles away. They believe this relocation will allow them to improve the quality of care provided to all patients. Public and Local Government Response: There has been some engagement with local governance, where a resident attempted to seek help from Sir Peter Soulsby, the city mayor, but was referred to the local integrated care board (ICB) for further action, indicating limited local political influence over these commercial decisions. Rob Watson PUBLIC MEETING ABOUT THE PROPOSED CLOSURE OF DOCTORS SURGERY ON THE COMMON EVINGTON, LEICESTER. Wednesday 4th December 10.30am at Pilgrim Gardens, Grocot Road, Evington, Leicester LE5 6AL Following many residents contacting Cllr. Zuffar Haq about this closure and the loss of the Pharmacy in Evington Village, Cllr. Haq decided to call a Public Meeting to listen to their concerns. Present: Concerned users of the surgery. This was done as well as possible without a full list of patients using the surgery. People were contacted through word of mouth, email, what’s app. groups and some leafletting. A representative group of about 20 users came to the meeting. 2 local councillors for Evington. Cllr. Zuffar Haq (Chair) and Cllr. Deepak Bajaj 2 representatives from MPs Shivani Raja (Leicester East) and from MP Shockat Adam (Leicester South). 2 other councillors from Leicester City Council including Cllr. Sarah Russell, Deputy City Mayor for Social Care, Health and Community Safety. 2 representatives from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Integrated Care Board (ICB). Rachna Vyas, Deputy Chief Executive ICB and Dr. Sulaxni Nainani GP Deputy Chief Medical Officer ICB 2 community reporters from the Evington Echo, Rob Watson and Helen Pettman ITV and BBC both sent two reporters After about 10 minutes of the start of the meeting there were between 30 and 40 people present. Cllr. Haq asked residents to explain their concerns. More than one resident explained that with this Surgery Branch closed, they would need to travel to Netherhall (St. Elizabeth’s Medical Centre) which would involve catching two buses and up to a two hour journey each way, even though the direct route in a car would be two and a half miles. The Downing Drive surgery is about 1 mile away, and one bus ride from Evington, but residents explained that they had previously applied for this surgery and were told they weren’t in the catchment area, or that the surgery was full. About five residents explained the medical conditions they had which made the change difficult. A show of hands confirmed that residents were very happy with the services they had received at The Common branch surgery. Cllr. Zuffar Haq confirmed that he was there to represent the many elderly people who live in Evington, who were concerned about the loss of their surgery, many of whom live alone. Other residents explained their concerns about getting repeat prescriptions and as a carer of a surgery user, getting on the bus with a wheelchair. Residents also said that there was only a few days notice of closure and that this didn’t give them enough time to find alternative doctors. Without a doctor and a pharmacy in Evington Village they felt abandoned. Rachna Vyas from the Integrated Care Board said that in March ’24, they received news that the building was to be sold. In June ’24 they launched a consultation which notified all users that the surgery would be closed by the end of December. This consultation was circulated extensively through email, text, notices in the surgery and to between 800 and 900 people. The consultation finished in Oct. ’24, they said. She said only 38 users had given a negative opinion about the closure. She explained that the surgery was not fit for purpose with no fire escape. She said many patients were going elsewhere. Both ICB representatives went on to explain that the system was, in ...
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      1 h et 2 min
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