Craig Lewis: Stories from Northants and beyond

When lockdown kicked in, councils in England were given £3.2m to provide emergency 12-week shelter for rough sleepers, with many making use of empty hotels. Across Northamptonshire, about 200 people were offered emergency accommodation as part of the "Everyone In" project, but this scheme ended in the middle of June. Northampton Borough Council then extended the plan until the end of the month. More than 140 people have spent at least one night in one of two hotels - and almost 80 of these were then helped into settled housing. And from Wednesday (July 1), 26 rough sleepers have moved again - this time into one of the University of Northampton's halls of residence. It means three square meals, clean clothing and toiletries, and support to find work and medical treatment. I spoke to three former rough sleepers who lived in the hotel, Hugo Calado, Vojtech "Victor" Boranos and Daniel Stratford.

When lockdown kicked in, councils in England were given £3.2m to provide emergency 12-week shelter for rough sleepers, with many making use of empty hotels. Across Northamptonshire, about 200 people were offered emergency accommodation as part of the "Everyone In" project, but this scheme ended in the middle of June. Northampton Borough Council then extended the plan until the end of the month. More than 140 people have spent at least one night in one of two hotels - and almost 80 of these were then helped into settled housing. And from Wednesday (July 1), 26 rough sleepers have moved again - this time into one of the University of Northampton's halls of residence. It means three square meals, clean clothing and toiletries, and support to find work and medical treatment. Amanda Wilson, the council's street service co-ordinator, said people were "seizing the chance to improve their lives".

From All Saints' Church to the Market Square, Thomas a Becket to Robert Browne, Northampton is a town full of history. But has it been neglected? I took a tour of the town centre with historian Mike Ingram and asked him just that...

Every year Northampton Borough Council offers grants of between £3-15,000 to charities in the town. The Partnership Grant Funding has previously benefited groups ranging from The Good Loaf and The Hope Centre to Northampton Men's Sheds and the street pastors. Charities have until noon on Friday (February 21) to apply for the grants. Two other charities who've received money are Re:Store, which supports vulnerable people in the town, and The Lowdown, which offers counselling to 11 to 25-year-olds. I went to visit both, firstly catching up with The Lowdown's Sophie Turner...

It's been a tough time to be a Labour supporter. The party suffered heavy defeat in the general election, with leader Jeremy Corbyn announcing he wouldn't be fighting another. Members are now deciding what direction the party takes next, with Lisa Nandy, Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry competing to be the next leader. The contest has seen Socialist Corbyn supporters at loggerheads with colleagues towards the centre of the party. Earlier this month the party's Parliamentary candidate for Corby, Beth Miller, walked out of a constituency party meeting over suggestions Mr Corbyn's time in charge had been a success. Yesterday (Sunday, February 9), the local party in Corby voted for who it would like to see be the next Labour leader - nominating Sir Keir. Elsewhere the Wellingborough CLP (Constituency Labour Party) nominated Mrs Long-Bailey as leader. Both local parties nominated Angela Reyner for deputy leader. Once nominations for all Labour's constituency groups have been completed, the ballot for party members to vote for their next leader will open on February 21. Results will be announced in early April. I caught up with two members of the party in Corby, who have somewhat differing views This is my full interview with Greg Clinker and Ross Armour...

It's been a tough time to be a Labour supporter. The party suffered heavy defeat in the general election, with leader Jeremy Corbyn announcing he wouldn't be fighting another. Members are now deciding what direction the party takes next, with Lisa Nandy, Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Emily Thornberry competing to be the next leader. The contest has seen Socialist Corbyn supporters at loggerheads with colleagues towards the centre of the party. Earlier this month the party's Parliamentary candidate for Corby, Beth Miller, walked out of a constituency party meeting over suggestions Mr Corbyn's time in charge had been a success. Yesterday (Sunday, February 9), the local party in Corby voted for who it would like to see be the next Labour leader - nominating Sir Keir. Elsewhere the Wellingborough CLP (constituency Labour party) nominated Mrs Long-Bailey as leader. Both local parties nominated Angela Reyner for deputy leader. Once nominations for all Labour's constituency groups have been completed, the ballot for party members to vote for their next leader will open on February 21. Results will be announced in early April. I caught up with two members of the party in Corby, who have somewhat differing views...

Tomorrow (January 31) is Brexit Day. It may seem like we've been talking about Britain leaving the European Union for a lifetime, but now there is a major step to mark. There is still plenty to do and a transition period to traverse, but there is no mistaking the historic significance. Earlier this week I travelled to Westminster to speak to Northampton South MP, Andrew Lewer...

Our hospitals are under huge pressure every day, both financially and dealing with increasing numbers of patients. One new plan being put forward to improve services in the county is the formation of a new group management model for Northampton and Kettering hospitals. I spoke to the joint chairman for the two hospitals, Alan Burns...

There's plenty of talk about politics at the moment - with a good deal of it being how "we've heard it all before," "it's boring" or "I've had enough of it". The truth is those talking heads you see and hear every day can get a bit draining, but there is something you may want to remember. Politics is about who looks after our hospitals, our armed forces, our roads and infrastructure, the treatment of your children and ageing parents, and, dare I say it, whether or not we leave the European Union. Interested now? Perhaps you should be? If you are, this preview of BBC Radio Northampton's hustings debate for Northampton North may be of interest. Conservative Michael Ellis, Labour's Sally Keeble, Liberal Democrat Martin Sawyer and the Green Party's Katherine Pate clashed over Brexit, the NHS, austerity, Northamptonshire County Council and more... ** The full debate will be played out between 7-8pm tonight (Thursday, November 28) on BBC Radio Northampton **

People may have watched the ITV clash between Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson earlier this week. But on the same night BBC Northampton held its very own -far more important - debate between the parliamentary candidates for Corby & East Northamptonshire. Conservative Tom Pursglove, Labour's Beth Miller and Liberal Democrat Chris Stanbra took part in the event at Corby Cube's The Lab. The subject soon turned to Brexit, but there was still time for the candidates to clash over the NHS, living in Corby, childcare and austerity... ** The full debate will be played out between 7-8pm tonight (Thursday, November 21) on BBC Radio Northampton **

The future of local government in Northamptonshire has, for some time, been on a seemingly unstoppable route towards two new unitary authorities. Since government inspector Max Caller recommended the county's eight councils, including the financially stricken county council, should be scrapped, moves have been made in this direction. The government adopted Mr Caller's plan and it went through a consultation period. Legislation due to provide the basis for the formation of those two new authorities looked set to pass through Parliament before it dissolved earlier this week. However, at the last minute, it wasn't tabled. The move came at the same time as Labour announced it would be opposing the legislation and instead would be pushing for a three unitary future, complete with a separate authority in Northampton. I looked into how we got here and how Northamptonshire's unitary future is set to become a major election issue...

A general election is coming - but will this one be fought along traditional party lines? I took a look at a most unpredictable election...

Day centres for elderly people provide a vital service, but seven Age UK run centres face an uncertain future. More than 300 elderly people use the centres across Northamptonshire, but funding is set to be scrapped. That’s because a three year social wellbeing contract, due to end next March, won’t be renewed by the county council. As well as Age UK, the funding gap will affect a range of organisations dealing with issues as widespread as caring for the elderly and homelessness, including The Autumn Centre, Glamis Hall, Midland Heart and Naash. I went to Age UK’s Venton Centre in Northampton… ====================================== This is the county council's response to the news... “Commsortia was awarded a three-year contract in 2017 to manage and improve social wellbeing services in Northamptonshire. This contract comes to an end, as planned, at the end of March 2020. “Public health has been working with Commsortia, adult social care and housing partners to ensure that, as elements of this contract cease, appropriate alternative support is provided to those service users with on-going social care and housing needs. This will be supported by public health through a short bridging arrangement, subject to agreement by Commsortia. “At the same time, public health has also been working with wider partners and stakeholders, and will be consulting service users, to better understand the public health needs of wider vulnerable groups in Northamptonshire, with a view to developing a broader preventative offer for those most at risk of inequalities. We are working hard with all our partners to find shared solutions. “It’s important that public health funding is prioritised against the areas of greatest need locally, addressing health inequalities and demonstrating value for money, as well as being fully compliant with public health grant requirements. The development of a new inequalities contract is part of an on-going improvement programme for public health.”

The new Health Minister Edward Argar was visited Kettering Hospital yesterday morning (October 7). His visit followed a call from managers at the hospital for extra funding for an Urgent Care Hub. Kettering was recently named as one of 21 hospital Trusts to receive part of £100m in seed funding. This money will allow the hospital to come up with a re-development plan; a process likely to take around two years. I went to meet the Minister...

You might have seen the poster around Northamptonshire - the one listing all our police forces's priorities on it. Serious and organised crime, child abuse, rape and sexual violence, preventing road fatalities, residential burglary and domestic abuse; it's a comprehensive list of the most serious crimes in the county. From September 2 to 6, BBC Radio Northampton is spending a week looking at the various ways Northamptonshire Police intends to tackle these issues. It is a comprehensive piece of work put together by my colleague Elinor Cross. As part of the project, I spoke to Northamptonshire Police's Paul Rymarz. Detective Superintendent Rymarz's officers dealt with 780 rapes and 1,300 other sexual offences last year. I asked him about those numbers... ========================== Read more about Northamptonshire Police's priorities here: https://www.northants.police.uk/police-forces/northamptonshire-police/areas/northamptonshire-force-content/about-us/about-us/policing-priorities/

You might have seen the poster around Northamptonshire - the one listing all our police forces's priorities on it. Serious and organised crime, child abuse, rape and sexual violence, preventing road fatalities, residential burglary and domestic abuse; it's a comprehensive list of the most serious crimes in the county. From September 2 to 6, BBC Radio Northampton is spending a week looking at the various ways Northamptonshire Police intends to tackle these issues. It is a comprehensive piece of work put together by my colleague Elinor Cross (@Elinor_M_Cross (https://twitter.com/Elinor_M_Cross) ). People can catch up with the coverage via the BBC's Listen Again service (https://www.bbc.co.uk/radionorthampton) (available for a limited time). As part of the project, I spoke to Northamptonshire Police's Julie Mead. She's a chief inspector in public protection and looks after the force's domestic abuse strategy... Read more about Northamptonshire Police's priorities here: https://www.northants.police.uk/police-forces/northamptonshire-police/areas/northamptonshire-force-content/about-us/about-us/policing-priorities/

You might have seen the poster around Northamptonshire - the one listing all our police forces's priorities on it. Serious and organised crime, child abuse, rape and sexual violence, preventing road fatalities, residential burglary and domestic abuse; it's a comprehensive list of the most serious crimes in the county. From September 2 to 6, BBC Radio Northampton is spending a week looking at the various ways Northamptonshire Police intends to tackle these issues. It is a comprehensive piece of work put together by my colleague Elinor Cross. As part of the project, I spoke to Northamptonshire Police's head of operations, Sarah Johnson, who looks after roads policing, the firearms unit and police dogs... =========================================== Read more about Northamptonshire Police's priorities here: https://www.northants.police.uk/police-forces/northamptonshire-police/areas/northamptonshire-force-content/about-us/about-us/policing-priorities/

The turbulent world of Brexit continues to tumble along. Between possible votes of no confidence, the prospect of a general election and the impending October 31st no deal date, it's been a busy time. Spare a thought then for those who have to try and teach our children about this. Patch Fordham is a school teacher from Daventry, dealing with the taxing complexities of and general malaise around Brexit. He came up with a unique way of teaching the subject - creating a Top Trumps style card game featuring some of the main protagonists in the Brexit story. I joined Liberal Democrat county councillor - and Remainer - Chris Stanbra, and the chairman of Northampton South Conservative Association - and Brexiteer - Dan Soan to play a few hands...

When Boris Johnson spoke on his first day in Downing Street he joined a long line of Prime Minister's promising to fix the social care crisis. It's an issue which has been taxing Northamptonshire County Council for some time, with the authority required to save more than £23m from the service this financial year. I spoke to Northampton South MP Andrew Lewer...

When Boris Johnson spoke on his first day in Downing Street he joined a long line of Prime Minister's promising to fix the social care crisis. It's an issue which has been taxing Northamptonshire County Council for some time, with the authority required to save more than £23m from the service this financial year. Anna Earnshaw is the county council's director of adult social care...

When Boris Johnson spoke on his first day in Downing Street he joined a long line of Prime Minister's promising to fix the social care crisis. It's an issue which has been taxing Northamptonshire County Council for some time, with the authority required to save more than £23m from the service this financial year. David Jones is the chairman of Healthwatch Northamptonshire - I asked him what he made of the issue of adult social care...

Hidden away behind Abington Street is a tiny cemetery. It contains the graves of nuns who used to work at the once spectacular Notre Dame Convent School. Until it was demolished in the late 1970s the school dominated the centre of Northampton, with its orchards, tennis courts, chapel and gardens. The cemetery is all that remains now - and it's just undergone something of a revamp. I spoke to former pupil and borough council, Penny Flavell, and - firstly - the President of the Notre Dame Association, Margaret Bradbury...

In many ways the Learn 2 Live youth club is like any other. Teenagers laughing and joking as they play table tennis and fussball, before enjoying a home cooked meal. But the young men who attend the Northampton-based club have a different story to most people their age. That's because it caters for both refugees and asylum seekers, who have come to the UK from countries like Eritrea, Ethiopia and Iraq. Those who run the club are now worried about a fresh challenge they face. Northamptonshire County Council has cut £330,000 by withdrawing support from asylum seekers. It means those whose applications to remain in this country have been rejected will no longer receive money or a place to stay. Critics say the move effectively throws young asylum seekers to the wolves. However, a county council spokesman said asylum seekers would instead be supported over a 12-week period to secure alternative arrangements and return to their home country. The council said this would only happen after a Human Rights Assessment, and that the move reflects practices followed by other councils throughout the country. I spent an evening at Learn 2 Live and spoke to one asylum seeker from Iraq who has a remarkable story...

Food banks, homeless people on our streets and 18,000 children living in poverty across the county. You don't have to look far to see how some in our society are struggling. Tonight (July 22), the opposition Labour group is introducing an anti-poverty motion at Northampton Borough Council. Labour deputy leader, Councillor Jane Birch, is introducing the motion. I asked her why...

Food banks, homeless people on our streets and 18,000 children living in poverty across the county. You don't have to look far to see how some in our society are struggling. Tonight (July 22), the opposition Labour group is introducing an anti-poverty motion at Northampton Borough Council. One of the groups backing it is Re:Store Northampton. Re:Store receives no support from Northamptonshire County Council, but this year has managed to get £6,000 from the borough. What keeps it going is it's volunteers. One of those is Maria. She originally attended Re:Store as a guest, and I spoke to her at the charity's Sheep Street home...

Food banks, homeless people on our streets and 18,000 children living in poverty across the county. You don't have to look far to see how some in our society are struggling. Tonight (July 22), the opposition Labour group is introducing an anti-poverty motion at Northampton Borough Council. One of the groups backing the idea is Re:Store Northampton. I took a tour of its Sheep Street base with charity director Anya Willis...

There are big plans to rejuvenate Northampton town centre. The proposals, put forward by a group called Northampton Forward, include major re-development schemes at Greyfriars, Gold Street and the Market Square. Among the members of Northampton Forward are the borough and county council, the Royal & Derngate Theatre and shoe manufacturer Tricker's. The hope is a chunk of the plans will be funded through £25m of government money from its High Street Fund. A bid has gone in, but in the meantime Northampton Forward has been holding a consultation on the plans. People can take part in a consultation survey on the Northampton Borough Council website: www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptonforward It is due to close on June 30, but responses so far have been low. I took a walk down St Giles Street with Northampton Forward board member Laura Graham and businessman Josh Astrop, and asked them why people should take part. Josh runs a rehearsal studio in the town centre and has taken part in the consultation...

A masterplan showing how Northamptonshire's eight local councils will be dissolved and replaced with two new unitary authorities has been published. The existing councils are being scrapped following the county council's well-publicised financial problems. Last month the government gave the green light to a plan which will see one new unitary authority created for the north of the county - and one for the west. The estimated cost of the re-organisation is £44m - but there's a funding gap of £15m meaning all eight councils will need to contribute £1.9m from their budgets next year to pay for the transformation. The 26-page masterplan document declares the transformation to unitaries as a ‘once in a generation opportunity’ - saying the county will seek to become ‘a showpiece for modern green living and well managed sustainable development’.

It's not easy being the chief constable, but how would you do the job if you got a chance? Would you spend more money dealing with gangs? Or looking after vulnerable people? Perhaps you'd want to bring back the much vaunted bobby on the beat If you fancy a go, Northamptonshire Police is running a consultation asking people how they'd allocate resources if they had the top job. To take part, people should visit: https://northantspolice.pointsimulator.com/ The consultation runs until July 30. I spoke to chief constable Nick Adderley about the new project...

We hear a lot about homelessness in Northampton and the work The Hope Centre does at its day centre. But the charity is involved in so much more; from running allotments to growing food for those in poverty to pop-up shops, refurbishing garden tools and encouraging businesses to provide volunteers. I went on a whistle-stop tour of just some of these services alongside corporate fundraiser Noo Jarvill. We started at Hope's Abington Street based pop-up shop...

How would you change Northampton town centre? With footfall falling and shops closing, it has its fair share of problems. A new group called Northampton Forward, made up of a host of organisations including the borough and county councils, the theatre, university and business improvement district, is trying to change things. The group's ideas include re-developing Greyfriars, the Market Square and Gold Street. This week, a series of consultation events took place in the Grosvenor Centre. I went along to see what people thought of the town centre and the plans to improve it...

What do you need to be a good police officer? Critical thinking? Self control? What about a degree? All new police officers in England and Wales will have to be educated to degree level from 2020. And now, with the help of the University of Northampton, that training will also be rolled out to senior police officers. I went to an event at The Platform Club to find out more...

Last May, several areas in the south of Northampton were hit by floods as almost twice the normal monthly rainfall fell in just over an hour. Hardingstone, Wootton and in particular Far Cotton were among those places worst hit. In January, an independent report, commissioned by Northampton Borough Council, concluded the flash flooding in Far Cotton had been the result of a freak storm. It said the rainfall on May 27 last year was beyond the capacity of drains in the area and that surface water was up to 90cm deep. Rainfall data shows up to 93mm of rain may have fallen in an hour in Wootton - compared to the monthly May average of 54mm. Investigations into the flooding in other areas are ongoing. I visited St Leonard's Road in Far Cotton, where father-of-three Richard Short spoke to his constituency borough and county councillor, the Independent Julie Davenport, about what happened...

There are plenty of theories about how to help homeless people - one that is a little bit different could see the formation of a homeless football team in Northampton. The plan is the brainchild of Stan Robertson, the town's street pastor and the man behind Project 16:15 which aims to bring dignity to rough sleepers. I spoke to one of those hoping to play in the team, Carlton, who has been sleeping rough for six months...

Northampton's All Saints' Church has become home to increasing numbers of homeless people. Yesterday, some of the rough sleepers living there decided to spend some time cleaning up the churchyard that has become their home. I joined them...

It's Valentine's Day and at BBC Radio Northampton we "Love Northampton" so we've enlisted the help of the first ever Bard of Northampton, Donna Scott to celebrate the big day.

Martha Culley is only six-years-old, but whenever she sees a homeless person she has to go over and speak to them. I joined Martha and her mum Louise in Northampton town centre...

A new project providing free health screening drop-in sessions for homeless people has launched across the county this month. Those attending the sessions will be tested for TB, Hepatitis A, B and C, and HIV. A general health check will also be carried out. I spoke to Northamptonshire County Council's director of public health, Lucy Wightman... ++++++++ Dates for screening project across Northamptonshire: Northampton - December 3 & 4, The Hope Centre, Northampton Wellingborough - December 5, Nations Wellingborough Centre Rushden - December 6, Rushden Full Gospel Church Daventry - December 7, Daventry Methodist Church Corby - December 10, The Old Police Station Towcester - 14, The Methodist Church Kettering - December 17, Salvation Army

A Northampton group travelled to Westminster yesterday to lobby the town's MPs on the rights of refugees and asylum seekers. Northampton City of Sanctuary is part of a national network which held an event to push for changes to the immigration system. I went to Portcullis House to join them...

Earlier this year Northamptonshire Police launched Operation Viper to tackle violence, gangs and organised crimes across the county. And while the force remains committed to disrupting gangs, a new scheme hopes to give youngsters involved in such activity new opportunities. I went to the launch of the My Backyard initiative...

An Eritrean asylum seeker who had to walk across the Sahara desert during a perilous trip to England has spoken out about his journey. Abedom Beyene was 14 when he left Africa. What followed was a perilous journey which saw him spend time in a refugee camp in Libya and have to be rescued from a sinking boat in the Mediterranean. The 17-year-old eventually arrived in Cambridgeshire as a stowaway on a truck and was placed in a home in Northampton. I spoke to Abedom about the trip and why he left Eritrea…

Work is set to begin on the new Northampton Museum. Funded by the sale of Egyptian statue, Sekhemka, and running behind schedule, the scheme hasn't been without controversy. But Northampton Borough Council say the development will see the museum and art gallery double in size. I took a tour of the building with the council's cultural services manager, Nick Gordon...

Northampton town centre can be a source of much derision. But on BBC Radio Northampton we're looking at some of the positive projects breathing new life into the area. I've been looking into how we can learn to Love Northampton again...

Northamptonshire Police recently tweeted about the "seemingly daily seizure" of blades on the county's streets. I explored just how prevalent the carrying of knives is on the streets of the county. My story was on BBC Radio Northampton and presenter Annabel Amos spoke to Northamptonshire Police's Chief Inspector James Willis and knife crime expert Jason Farmer...

Northamptonshire County Council is looking at ways of reducing the number of agency staff working in its children's services department. The move is part of plans to cut almost £10m from the authority's budget. Proposals to use social workers from South Africa and to move some existing agency staff to permanent contracts would save almost £1.5m. I took a look at the recent history of the department and the current plans.

Every Saturday morning hundreds of people head to the Racecourse in Northampton to run, jog or walk the 5km that make up the town's parkrun. But none have shown more commitment to the cause then 83-year-old Bob Emmerson, who completed his 250th parkrun at the weekend. Fellow joggers marked the occasion by baking him cakes, asking him to pose for selfies and cheering him every inch of the way. I spoke to him after his run...

Taxi licensing in Milton Keynes has really got people going... At a council meeting last night residents, private hire drivers and politicians packed the public gallery calling on councillors at the heart of a scandal that saw rapist Nadeem Kiani granted a taxi license to resign. I spoke to members of the Young Green Party in MK, who handed in a petition calling for Subhan Shafiq, Gladstone McKenzie and Stuart Burke to resign, and to private hire drivers...

In August, Milton Keynes Council's taxi licensing department was mired in controversy when it was revealed that taxi driver Nadeem Ahmed Kiani had been working in the city for three years - despite having convictions for rape and serious sexual assault. An internal investigation is still taking place into how such an error was allowed to happen, while two councillors who sat on the committee that granted Mr Kiani his licence, Gladstone McKenzie and Stuart Burke, have resigned from that committee. Subhan Shafiq, who vouched for Mr Kiani's character, also resigned from his role as Mayor of Milton Keynes. This week, I uncovered an audit report from January 2013 which rated the taxi licensing department as 'weak' and revealed 81 CRB checks were overdue. BBC Three Counties's Iain Lee spoke to former leader of the council, Andrew Geary, and former chairman of the audit committee, Rik Brackenbury, about the report...

Last night, Milton Keynes Council's health select committee voted through a motion saying it is 'improper' for former Mayor Subhan Shafiq to serve on the committee. Councillor Shafiq, who was forced to resign as Mayor of Milton Keynes after he was found to have vouched for a taxi driver (Nadeem Kiani) with four convictions for serious sexual assaults, was co-opted onto the committee last month. But committee chairman, Alice Bramall, tabled an urgent motion calling for that decision to be re-considered. It was passed by three votes to one. Councillor Isobel McCall voted against the motion and walked out of the meeting. I asked her why...

Milton Keynes Council has revoked the licence of a taxi driver who has been found to have four convictions for serious sexual assaults, including rape. Conservative Edith Bald spoke to Roberto Perrone...