Author: Peter Tripp

To help protect you in your home, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service is committed to providing you with a free Safe and well visit, this incorporates fire safety information and, if necessary, a free smoke detector.

The visit is carried out at your convenience and is absolutely free of charge. During the visit, fire service personnel will be able to give you advice on how to stay safe in your home and will fit, free of charge, a smoke detector if it is required.

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The appointment lasts no more than an hour and we’ll give you the advice you need to keep your home safe.

They will cover topics such as:

Electrical Safety, Cooking Safety, Making an escape plan, What to do if there is a fire, Keeping Children safe, Bedtime routines, Keeping warm in the winter, Eating and drinking properly, Preventing falls and loneliness

All fire service personnel will be in uniform and show ID cards. If you would like a visit please contact your nearest Fire Station either by telephone or email:

Garston Fire Station call on 01923 672825 or email Garston.fire@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Watford Fire Station call on 01923 481900 or email Watford.fire@hertfordshire.gov.uk

If you would like more information regarding safe and well visits go to: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/fire

Mencap is running a national survey of people with a learning disability in the UK!  This national survey will be a chance for people with a learning disability to tell them about their everyday lives and experiences.

People with learning disabilities are invited to complete this survey which will bring thoughts from across the UK together.

Click here https://email.mencap.org.uk/4P14-HAGR-30KM4E-CCPU4-1/c.aspx to go to the survey.

The results will help Mencap to provide better support and further improve the lives of people with a learning disability.

If you see someone sleeping rough in Watford, please let them know about SWEP+ (Severe Weather Emergency Protocol)

The winter night shelter, known as SWEP+, is running tonight and then EVERY night in February and March.

Severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) aims to get rough sleepers off the streets during periods of below zero night-time temperatures, by providing emergency accommodation.

There are three ways to access this life-saving service;

Call New Hope’s 24/7 number 0300 012 0168.

Visit the Haven on Whippendell Road between 8.30am and 3.30pm.

Visit the police station (Shady Lane) between 8pm and 10pm.

SWEP+ is run in partnership with Watford Borough Council and local churches.

Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has announced that funding will continue from April for the Meriden bus services currently being supported on a short-term basis.

The services to benefit from this longer-term funding are the W1, W2, W3 & W4 which have been run by Red Eagle since HCC stepped in to provide temporary emergency funding last October.

From April, Red Eagle will be providing part of this operation on a commercial basis, with support from HCC for the rest.

The Uno 635, which also runs through the Meriden, is run commercially without assistance from HCC. As far as we know, this service will also continue as Uno have not indicated otherwise.

Councillor Derrick Ashley, Executive Member for Growth, Infrastructure, Planning and the Economy, said: “We know that people depend on these services for access to work, education, shops, personal services and social events so we are pleased to be in a position to be able to reassure them that they will continue to operate. However, some commercial services across the county generate little or no real profit so we could be called on to support them at any time, putting more stress on budgets. The best advice we can give to secure the future of your local bus service is by using it whenever possible.”

The MRA is proud to announce that one of our Committee Members, Brenda Batchelor, was one of five winners of Watford Community Housing’s Hamper for Heroes scheme.

All the nominees were invited to attend an afternoon tea at Leavesden Green Community Centre where the winners were announced.

Brenda was recognised for all the great work she does in the local community.  Brenda is an active member of the Meriden Residents Association and runs regular coffee mornings on our behalf.  She recently volunteered to run the refreshments stand (single-handedly) for WCH’s Ladies’ Day event.

Well done to all the winners. You can read more about this at https://www.wcht.org.uk/…/honouring-unsung-heroes-in-the-l…/.

Everyone had a great time at our Children’s Christmas Party at the Meriden Community Centre on Saturday 8th December.

We would like to say a massive thank you to Mulalley for sponsoring the MRA party, which enabled us to put the event on completely free of charge. 

Committee members Brenda, Steve and Marion with Danny as he handed over the cheque from Mulalley.

The MRA are very grateful to all the companies that supported us by providing gifts for the adult raffle.  We had some fantastic prizes from our local shops/companies and a bit further afield.

 Don from our local Meriden Fish Bar gave us a voucher to be used in the raffle.

Thank you to our local Co-op for donating mince pies for our Children’s Christmas Party. Thanks Ash!  

Suren from Sweets for All was very generous in donating a jar of sweets for our competition and also a voucher and sweets.

Everyone Active donated the tickets we asked for to their pantomime Cinderella, and also gave us two extra raffle prizes of free membership to the gym, classes and swimming. 

The many prizes we had in our adult raffle looked amazing all laid out.

We would also like to thank all the volunteers (just over 30) that came along to help at our Children’s Christmas Party.  Everyone worked so hard beforehand, during and after the party, and we couldn’t have managed without you. 

Below is a selection of photos taken during the party.  In no particular order! Enjoy!

Big thanks also to Tasha at the Meriden Community Centre for letting us have both halls free of charge.  This enabled us to invite people along that did not have children, for a free cuppa and mince pie, it was great to see so many people from the community there.

 

The ITV morning magazine programme ‘This Morning’ has over many years discussed a whole range of helpful topics on their show.

 

Their website has a comprehensive list of helplines for anyone needing help, support, information or advice.

 

To use their helplines please click on this link:  https://www.itv.com/thismorning/helplines

 

 

Hertfordshire is generally a safe and tolerant county.  However like other areas, hate crimes can occur and many of them go unreported to the police.  A website providing information about how and where to report hate crime has been launched in Hertfordshire.  www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/hertsagainsthate 

The website has been written in easy-to-read language to ensure it’s widely accessible, including for people with lower literacy levels.

The pages have been designed to be easily translatable to reach people whose second language may be English, and who may be at higher risk from hate crime.

What is a hate crime?

A hate crime is any crime that is targeted against a person because of their:

• disability or learning difficulties
• race or the colour of their skin
• religion
• gender identity, such as being transsexual
• sexual orientation, such as being gay, bisexual or other

Not every crime committed against a person in one of these groups is a hate crime.  It is only a hate crime if the offender targeted that person because of this reason.  If a crime happened, but not because of a person’s race/gender/religion etc. then it’s not a hate crime.

Hate crimes can take almost any form.  Assaults, harassment or damage to property can all be hate crimes, if the victim was targeted for one of the reasons above.  They can take place anywhere – in the street, on a bus, at work, at school or online.

How to report a hate crime?

You can report to the police directly, or you can speak to a third party.  You can even report anonymously.

If you want to report to the police or contact your local Hate Crime Officer, call 101 or go online at www.herts.police.uk/report.  In an emergency always call 999.

Support for victims of hate crime:

The police in Hertfordshire have dedicated Hate Crime Officers, who deal with hate incidents and offer support to victims of hate crime.

You can request the support of a Hate Crime Officer or LGBT+ Liaison Officer when you report to the police.

They can meet victims in a place where they feel comfortable and safe, explain options and assist them throughout an investigation, or if the case goes to court.

The police also have specially trained LGBT+ Liaison Officers who provide support to people from the LGBT+ community.  They work to encourage the reporting of hate crimes and give advice and support to victims and witnesses.

Getting support even if you haven’t reported it:

Hertfordshire Beacon offers victim care services to all victims of crime in the county, whether or not the victim has reported the matter to police.

Their services are free, and vulnerable or repeat victims receive an enhanced care package.  If you have been a victim of crime, you can speak with a member of their victim service team on 03000 11 55 55​

​To contact the team via email please contact info@hertfordshirebeacon.org 

Why report hate crime?

Some people might think that reporting a hate crime is not important.  They might be embarrassed to talk about it, scared of the consequences from the offender, or believe they won’t be taken seriously.

Hate crimes can leave people feeling unsafe or scared to go out, and cause fear and mistrust amongst different parts of the community.

However, authorities in Hertfordshire (and the UK) take hate crime very seriously.  You will always be listened to and treated sensitively if you choose to report to the police.

Watford is facing some difficult decisions about the future, which is why it’s important you tell Watford Borough Council what you think at  watfordlocalplan.co.uk  

Since Friday 7th September, Watford residents have been able to get involved by completing a survey.  The deadline to complete the survey is Friday 19th October 2018.

The government has said Watford  must provide 770 new homes every year up until 2036, with the population expected to increase by 110,811 in 2036 (15% rise from 2018).  Whilst saying no to growth is not an option, the council wants to work with residents and businesses to decide how best to manage it and shape the town for the future.

The new Local Plan will set out a vision for Watford up to 2036.  It will replace documents called the Watford Local Plan Part 1 – Core Strategy (2013) and the Watford District Plan 2000.

What will the new Local Plan include?
The new Local Plan will contain policies to guide planning decisions and new development.  It will set out how many jobs are needed in the borough and where housing can go.

Why is a Local Plan important?
The government requires all councils to have a Local Plan in place and these should be updated every five years.  It is important for Watford to have an up to date Local Plan to help ensure that new development will come forward in a way the meets the needs of the growing community in the future.

What happens if the Local Plan is not up to date?
If Watford Borough Council does not have an up to date Local Plan in place there is a risk that planning decisions will not be made by the council but by the government.  If this takes place there will be less understanding of the local community and what is most appropriate to meet their needs and aspirations.

How long will the new Local Plan take to prepare?
The Local Plan will take about two years to complete.  This consultation is the first stage and sets out what Watford Borough Council believe are the key issues and choices.

There are 30 questions in this consultation.  Some of these are split into sections to ask about different aspects of an issue. The question responses you provide will help inform the new Local Plan.

Once this first stage of the consultation has been completed, the results will be analysed and a Draft Local Plan, which will include draft policies intended to deal with future applications for development will be put together.  Towards the end of 2019, a consultation on the Draft Local Plan itself will be held, asking for your views on the proposals suggested.

Some difficult decisions need to be made about the future of our town.  That is why it is important you get involved at this crucial stage at watfordlocalplan.co.uk