Category Archives: Norfolk

Recycled computers to boost Norwich schools

A city council initiative will see Raspberry Pi computers distributed to Norwich schools. A city council initiative will see Raspberry Pi computers distributed to Norwich schools.

Dan Grimmer dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk Monday, February 24, 2014
7:00 AM

A pioneering project will see hundreds of old council computers refurbished and sold so that tiny machines can be bought to teach computer studies in Norwich’s schools.

Norwich City Council is in the process of replacing some 800 computers at City Hall – a whopping 9.7 tonnes of electronic kit – with a new system.

But the technology will not be wasted, because the council has sent more than 500 of them to a company in Battersea, London, to wipe all the data and refurbish them.

They will then be sold and the money used to buy credit-card sized single-board computers, known as Rapsberry Pi, which the city’s schools will use to get youngsters interested in technology and programming.

A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said: “The idea is that we will start distributing them to city schools in the new academic year.”

Other equipment, such as keyboards and mice will also be distributed to Norwich’s schools.

And, even before a single Raspberry Pi has been received by a school, the project has been picked as a finalist in a national awards scheme.

The iESE Improvement and Efficiency Awards have been set up to honour public service teams who work behind the scenes to keep much relied on services going in the face of severe financial pressures.

‘They just went so far above and beyond’ – railway workers make dream come true for autistic Norwich schoolboy

Charlie Baker, 8, of Norwich, enjoyed a dream day out thanks to East Coast Trains

 

Monday, February 24, 2014
6:30 AM

 

Charlie Baker, 8, of Norwich, enjoyed a dream day out thanks to East Coast Trains Train-obsessed Charlie Baker was chuffed to bits when railway workers made his dreams come true.

 

Charlie Baker, 8, of Norwich, enjoyed a dream day out thanks to East Coast Trains

The autistic Norwich eight-year-old is fanatical about East Coast Trains – and is not interested in any other types of locomotive.

His mum Caroline Briscoe, 39, said his laser-focused enthusiasm can make it a nightmare to buy gifts for him.

She decided to write to East Coast Trains for help and was stunned when three parcels of train goodies, including hats, mugs and mousemats, arrived by recorded delivery in time for Christmas.

And after she wrote to thank staff, they went one better and invited Charlie for a dream day out at King’s Cross Station in London to try out their train simulator.

Miss Briscoe, who lives off Old Palace Road, said the gesture was “incredible” and they went to the capital on Saturday.

Mental health patients ‘failed’ says report on Hellesdon Hospital

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report said improvements were needed

Hellesdon Hospital

A Norfolk hospital which looks after people with mental health problems is failing to meet expected levels of care, according to a report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on Hellesdon Hospital said improvements were needed.

It said patients’ needs were “not always assessed in a timely way” and many care plans were out of date.

The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said it was addressing concerns.

The CQC also found that risk assessments were often incomplete, and that one patient inspectors talked to did not know he had been detained under the Mental Health Act.