Readers' letters - March 21

Don't sell them off '“ keep our sports fields for our children
Nine football pitches owned by the council or boroughs leisure organisation could be sold off, says a reportNine football pitches owned by the council or boroughs leisure organisation could be sold off, says a report
Nine football pitches owned by the council or boroughs leisure organisation could be sold off, says a report

Re: Nine Wigan football fields may be sold off in sports shake-up (WP March 20).More housing? I wonder how selling off football pitches dovetails in with the council’s Lose Weight Feel Great campaign? The borough has enough problems with childhood obesity and yet they are selling off the only area where kids can run and kick a ball for free. Not all parents can afford to pay for gym membership for their children and most parents don’t want their children playing on the streets. We have enough empty properties in Wigan as it is without building more ‘executive’ homes. Wigan is turning into a concrete jungle!Joanne Smithvia WP FacebookEaster egg firms must play a partEaster egg manufacturers must do far more to tackle plastic waste.Too many Easter eggs still contain unnecessary plastic packaging – despite huge public concern about the impact of plastic pollution on wildlife and our environment.We found examples of Easter eggs made by leading brands, including Cadbury, Mars, Lindt and Thorntons, that use plastic packaging.Easter egg packaging can be plastic-free, and some firms are making efforts to cut plastic waste.Nestlé says around half of its Easter eggs contain no plastic at all, and some of its eggs carry logos saying “No plastic – Easier to recycle”.Mondelez, parent company of Green & Black’s and Cadbury, didn’t reveal how many of their eggs were plastic-free, but said their foil wrapper and carton board used were plastic free. But to be fully transparent, their Easter eggs typically contained other products in their original packaging, and that may include plastic flow-wrap.Friends of the Earth is calling on Easter egg manufacturers to commit to all their Easter eggs being free from plastic packaging by 2019. The public can also take part by signing an online petition.So watch your waste if you’re shelling out on an Easter egg this year and choose one that’s plastic-free. We need to rapidly phase out all but the safest and most essential plastics. Plastic-free campaigner Julian KirbyFriends of the EarthLooking after your feetWith the expectation of spring on the way, many of us will be going for walks and working in the garden. People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are no exception to this but they do need to take a little more care, especially of their feet. Unfortunately, we have found that some people with diabetes are not aware that they need to take extra care of their feet. Around 130 diabetes-related amputations take place every week in this country alone, mainly as a result of foot ulcers, but 80 per cent of these are avoidable with proper foot care. So, people with diabetes should have their feet checked at least annually by a trained healthcare professional and should also be taught how to look after their feet themselves.To try to reduce the risks of foot damage, the InDependent Diabetes Trust (IDDT) has published a FREE booklet called Diabetes – Looking After Your Feet. This is designed to help people to look after their feet by knowing what to look for and when to seek treatment to keep their feet healthy and avoid foot ulcers. A more active life in the spring can also mean a change in eating habits, so our booklet, Diabetes – Everyday Eating, which contains 28 days of menus of everyday, affordable meals, and much more, is also useful to help people manage their diabetes. All our booklets are free. Phone 01604 622837 or email [email protected] HirstCo-Chairman, IDDT, PO Box 294, Northampton, NN1 4XS