Wood Lane

Yesterday I visited the Wood Lane Children's Home in Headingley. For obvious reasons not to many details of what went on but it is a pleasure to see a Institution in such transparently good nick. Its not uncommon for Childrens Homes to be scape goated for Anti Social Behaviour problems in there neighbourhoods. From time to time this issue flares up at Wood Lane. I'll nail my colours to the mast and say in Wood Lanes case its unpleasent nonsence. Central Headingley suffers very high volume crime rates and often people look for someone to blame.

Meeting the staff was useful and we had a discussion about funding for "extras" for the kids. A specific problem is lack of funding for the more expensive but very basic trips like a sea side holiday or a weekend abroad. Its the stuff childhood memories can be made off.

I've had a small proposal put on next weeks Inner North West Area Committee to set up some one off bursaries for this purpose and we'll see how the debate goes. Wood lane is such a beautiful street particularly towards the top with the junction with Woodhouse Ridge. Its home to such Headingley Institutions as Wheatfields Hospice and the Shire Oak Primary. You could go so far as to say it embodies "Old" Headingley and the Childrens home is definately part of that no matter what a few nutters say.