Buckhurst Hill based Holly House Hospital has played host to a community open day today, giving local residents a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes of the private medical centre, including theatres, outpatient consulting rooms, diagnostic centre, day unit, decontamination department and physiotherapy unit. The event has taken place as the Hospital embarks upon a £21 million redevelopment and expansion project.
Visitors were able to take part in a variety of interactive games and activities for the whole family to enjoy, such as trying your hand at keyhole surgery, learning how to resuscitate somebody, taking on a fitness c
hallenge, having your blood pressure and BMI checked, carrying out a laboratory test and so much more! Healthcare staff were available throughout the day to meet visitors, offer advice and answer any questions, including a former Paralympic gold medallist and physotherapist, providing tips on getting fit and preventing injuries.
One of the invited guests was Eleanor Laing MP who explained: “I was most impressed by the wide range of activities going on. It was a brilliant idea to involve local people in the work of the hospital and to use the occasion to educate us about many aspects of healthcare. I was pleased to have the opportunity to have my BMI checked, and relieved that it is okay! It was also good that people were learning how to give immediate first aid in the event of a heart attack – and children were learning to wash their hands 
properly – all very useful information.” Further information about a career in healthcare or to ask about any job vacancies or work experience opportunities are available from Holly House on 020 8936 1214 or e-mail at info@hollyhouse-hospital.co.uk
PICTURE CAPTION: Epping Forest MP Eleanor Laing pictured with hospital director Jackie Row, deputy director Matthew Hayday & Holly the Hippo.
Immediately following the district council elections last night, the controlling Conservative Group met to elect / re-elect their leadership team for a period of 1 municipal year. This meeting takes place in private and only elected Conservative Councillors on Epping Forest District Council are entitled to vote.
Sitting Leader of Council, Cllr. Di Collins, was proposed and seconded to remain as Leader and the post was contended by Chigwell Village Cllr. Lesley Wagland, the sitting Legal and Estates portfolio holder. Following a vote, Cllr. Mrs. Wagland won the contest with 20 votes to Cllr. Mrs Collins’s 16. Sitting Deputy Leader and Epping Councillor Chris Whitbread, who was proposed to remain in th
e post withdrew his candidacy following Cllr. Mrs. Collins’s defeat. Theydon Bois Councillor, John Philip, was proposed and elected to the post of Deputy Leader.
Di Collins has worked tirelessly to bring about improvements in Epping Forest and the legacy she will leave behind from her years as Leader will be the fact she has managed to win the battle to protect the district from mass development: housing
, Gypsy and traveller pitches, North Weald airfield to name but a few. She has also fought the Government tooth and nail on the huge number of directives which have been issued by Whitehall and the Government Office for the East of England (GoEAST). Di has ensured that the Council is well capitalised and that it is providing the best possible value for money for local residents. It was always Di’s intention to step down as Leader and, indeed as a Councillor I believe, next year, so this opportunity will allow her a well-earned break.
As the new Leader, Lesley brings with her an 
incredible wealth of knowledge of working with central government departments to get results. She has significant experience in planning law which will prove invaluable to the district council and the many challenges they face from having such wonderful green belt land and the ancient forest which is forever under threat of development. She has a very analytical mind and an attention to detail that will put her in good stead for the mounds of paperwork which will shortly flow her way. I think she will make an excellent Leader and I wish her the very best of luck.
Residents in Epping Forest have joined the rest of the UK in voting overwhelmingly to reject changing the way MPs are elected to the House of Commons.
Nationally, 19.1m people voted in the referendum (41%), where in Epping Forest 36,773 (39%) of a possible 95,778 turned out to vote and the result locally was 77% (28,240) voted “No” and 23% (8,533) voted “Yes”. Voters in Epping Forest voted more strongly than the national results, which showed 32% voting “Yes” and 68% voting “No”.
The result was seen as a massive blow to the Liberal Democrat Party nationally. Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Lib Dems explained: “I wish I could say this was a photo finish but it isn’t; the result is very clear. I'm a passionate supporter of political reform but when the answer is as clear as this, you have got to accept it."
Epping Forest MP, Eleanor Laing, has welcomed the overwhelming “No” vote in the Alternative Vote referendum in Epping Forest. Mrs Laing said: "I'm particular pleased that the result in Epping Forest has been so 
overwhelming. We had a very respectable turnout in Epping Forest. I am not surprised at this because I know that large numbers of people do care about preserving our effective democratic system. I have campaigned and worked in Parliament against AV not just for the last few months but for many years so I am delighted that the people have spoken and that and the issue of changing our voting system is now dead for 20 years."
18 seats were up for election across the Epping Forest district on Thursday 5th May this year. In the two Epping seats, the following results were returned:
EPPING HEMNALL WARD
Ken Avey – Conservative – 951 votes (42% of the vote) *ELECTED*
Simon Hughes – Lib Dem – 821 votes (36% of the vote)
Simon Bullough – Labour – 231 votes (10% of the vote)
Andrew Smith – UKIP – 185 votes (8% of the vote)
Victoria Meier – Green – 83 votes (4% of the vote)
EPPING LINDSEY & THORNWOOD COMMON WARD
Sarah Packford – Conservative – 1047 votes (49% of the vote) *ELECTED*
Steven Harding – Labour – 430 votes (20% of the vote)
Lynn Highes – Liberal Democrat – 366 votes (17% of the vote)
Michael McGough – UKIP – 190 votes (9% of the vote)
John Hart – Green – 99 votes (5% of the vote)
To read the full results of the district’s elections, please click here.
Although I have been unable to have been as visible on the campaign trail as I would like this year, many people have approached me to ask about the forthcoming "Alternative Vote" or "AV" Referendum which is due to take place on the same day as the local elections this year, on Thursday 5th May. It's very easy for me to respond with: "I shall be voting no to the introduction of an AV voting system", but explaining the reasons why are somewhat more complicated.
In essence, I wholeheartedly believe in a system which gives each and every person in the country one vote. In my opinion, that is clear, fair and provides the electorate with a simple result which they can trust. Under AV, the electorate have to rank candidates in order of preference and anyone getting more than 50% in the first round of counting is elected. If that doesn't happen, then candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the second choices listed on those ballot papers are allocated to the remaining candidates. If no candidate at the second stage has a majority of votes, the next lowest candidate is eliminated and their votes are redistributed. The process continues until a winner is declared.So what does this process mean in practice? It means that you end up with a Parliament full of candidate
s who are second or third or forth on the list people actually want to elect. That is so fundamentally wrong in my opinion. Worst still, it means the end to any form of a decisive government with a clear publicly endorsed mandate. At the last election, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats views were almost totally opposed, yet deals were done in a closed room by a handful of politicians to form a coalition agreement and a mandate for the government. That is not good for either parties, it's not good for democracy and it's certainly not good for the country!
It's all very well and good criticising the proposals, but what do I think could improve the current system. Well, I believe in a much more open way of selecting candidates, much like they do in the US, via open primaries. This process allows every member of the public, not just paying members of a political party, to engage in selecting parliamentary candidates. Public meetings, Q&A sessions, proper campaigns with each candidate on a level playing field. This is really democratic, open and transparent. One person and one vote. The Conservative Party used open primaries in many constituencies to select candidates before the last general election with great engagement and success.
It's very easy to think any change must be good, but the decision which you are empowered to influence on Thursday may have a profound and lasting effect on our country.
Please think carefully before casting your vote!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12467538
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAWmKgIOqv8&feature=player_embedded
Buckhurst Hill based Holly House Hospital has played host to a community open day today, giving local residents a rare opportunity to see behind the scenes of the private medical centre, including theatres, outpatient consulting rooms, diagnostic centre, day unit, decontamination department and physiotherapy unit. The event has taken place as the Hospital embarks upon a £21 million redevelopment and expansion project. 
hallenge, having your blood pressure and BMI checked, carrying out a laboratory test and so much more! Healthcare staff were available throughout the day to meet visitors, offer advice and answer any questions, including a former Paralympic gold medallist and physotherapist, providing tips on getting fit and preventing injuries.
properly – all very useful information.” Further information about a career in healthcare or to ask about any job vacancies or work experience opportunities are available from Holly House on 020 8936 1214 or e-mail at info@hollyhouse-hospital.co.uk
