BLUE 1200 JOE P

The Leeds City Council is calling for increased funding for special educational needs children in West Yorkshire due to growing demand and financial pressure. Wakefield Council is also facing tough decisions due to a budget gap. Fallen leaves are causing disruptions to train services, but Northern Rail is implementing new technologies to prevent delays. Breast cancer awareness month has started with events like Wear It Pink aimed at raising funds for research. A campaign in Bradford aims to restrict fireworks use to religious celebrations. Age UK held a successful charity run with over 6,500 participants. A new paddle tennis club has opened in Seacraft. Good afternoon and 12 o'clock, I'm Joseph Paul and this is Leeds Pax Radio News. A recent report by the Leeds City Council has called for an increase in funding for special educational needs children in West Yorkshire. Calderdale Labour leader Jane Scullion said that demand for SEND support has grown and is putting huge financial pressure on their budget. The authority mentioned a funding gap of over £15 million this year, which is their number one ask of the new government. Wakefield Council also issued a warning regarding tough decisions they face, due to an £88 million budget gap over the next five years. As the autumn season sets in, fallen leaves are causing major disruptions to train services. The trains compress the wet leaves onto the rail, creating a slippery surface that can then cause the train to slide. Nathan Hyde is a spokesperson for Northern Rail. He says Northern are hoping that new technologies will prevent delayed delays this year. We've got water track equipment which blasts the leaves off the line. We've got these things called double variable sanders and they deploy high quantities of sand and that's improved friction and then we've also got wheelslide prevention technology so it prevents the wheels from blocking out. We're hoping we're going to see quite a noticeable difference in this year. As breast cancer awareness month commences, where it think is approaching? Where It Think is one of the biggest fundraising events in the UK, taking place in schools and workplaces to make life-changing research happen. With over 150 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed every day, this week is a stark reminder that anyone can suffer from the illness. There is an ongoing campaign in Bradford to prevent the use of fireworks, except for specific religious celebrations. A petition advocated by Aniah Share, Bradford resident, has reached nearly 25,000 signatures. We wake up in the night, two to three times in the night and sometimes as late as 2am. So we hope and wish that our government, our politicians, our MPs push for legislative change. On Sunday 13th October, Age UK held Yorkshire's best-loved 10k for its 38th year. Age UK is a charity that helps people make the most of their lives by providing support to older people who need it. The run, which starts in Millennium Square and makes its way to Curtis Abbey, looks to raise money for the charity so they can continue their vital work for the older generation. Kathleen Smith is the Senior Events Fundraising Manager for Age UK. Yesterday, when the event took place, we had over 6,500 people sign up. We probably had about 5,500 runners actually gather on the day and take part. So, yeah, it's changed a lot but over the years it's raised lots of money for Age UK. So, a really great event. A new paddle tennis club opened its doors in Seacraft last week. Slavenger Paddle Club welcomed its first customers on Friday last week, boasting 12 impressive indoor courts, a state-of-the-art warmth area and even a paddle pro shop. Jason Cullen is the manager at the club. Still very excited. It's been a busy weekend. So, probably had 300 or 400 people through the door already. Every evening the courts have been completely full. So, yeah, we're feeling very good, very excited for the future. It's three minutes past twelve, more news in half an hour.