What is going on in the ROMFORD TOWN WARD of the London Borough of Havering Your Councillors are: Cllr. Wendy Brice-Thompson Cllr. Joshua Chapman Cllr. Frederick Thompson
NHS WALK IN CENTRE IN HAROLD WOOD
Havering NHS has a Walk In Centre in Harold Wood, which is an alternative A&E for minor injuries and illness. The centre has free parking in designated areas. The address for the centre is Harold Wood Polyclinic, The Drive, Gubbins Lane, Harold Wood, RM3 0AR.
MEMORIAL HELP
Brookside Theatre would like to hear from residents who have any memories of the Romford War Memorial Social Club, especially photos of the building on Eastern Road, Romford. If you can help please call 01708 742862 or emailinfo@romfordwarmemorial.org
LANGTONS HISTORIC AND LANDSCAPE WALK
Come along to Langtons and enjoy a guided evening walk around the gardens and its buildings on Thursday 27th June starting at 19:00.
You will get to know more about the historic landscape, garden buildings, and rare trees. This is s free event but small donations to the Friends of Langton’s Garden would be welcome.
LADIES NIGHT AT TRINITY METHODIST CHURCH
Are you a lady of any faith in Havering? Come and join the Trinity Methodist Ladies Club. We hold free ladies night event every 2nd Monday of the month at the Trinity Methodist Church, Romford, RM1 1JH at 19:00. The June event,which falls on Monday 10th will feature Hazel Grace recounting her adventureat Everest Base Camp?
Contact Marlene on 01708 455193 or Monica on 01708 721173 for more information.
HOMES & HOUSING RESIDENTS TRAINING EVENTS
Havering Homes & Housing continue to roll out its 2013 Residents Training programmes in partnership with Havering Adults College.
On Wednesday 12th June, there will be the First Aid Resuscitation Course at Hitchin Close, Harold Hill. Remember this is a two hour course.
For further details contact the Residents Involvement Team on 01708 434000or email getinvolved@havering.gov.uk
The ACTIVE Bulletin JUNE 2013
ACTIVITIES AT HAVERING MUSEUM
Havering Museum continues to roll out a number of activities across Havering.Events for the month of June include:
Event | Date | Time |
|
Code Breakers of Bletchley Park | 1/06/13 | 14:00 – 15:00 | £3.50 |
Fun with Photography | 6/06/13 | 13:30 – 15:30 | £7.50 |
Variety Club Meetings | 5th/6th/19th/27th | 14:00 - 16:00 | £3.00 |
Card Making Workshop | 26th /27th | 14:00 – 16:00 | £7.00 |
Come and learn new skills, listen to a talk, or get involved in an activity.
Admission fee includes entry to the museum and refreshments. Call 01708766571 or email infor@haveringmuseum.org.uk for further information.
GARDEN PARTY*
Havering Association for People with Disabilities (HAD) is holding a garden party on Saturday 13th July 2013 from 11.30am. Come join us and meet new friends. There are stalls for Barbeque (Hot Dogs & Burgers) as well as Hot & Cold Drinks.
Numbers are limited so please book early by calling 01708 476554
WESTMINSTER PHILHAMONIC ORCHESTRA AT LANGTONS
Langtons Hall in Hornchurch is hosting the Westminster PhilharmonicOrchestra as part of its open air soiree on Sunday 3rd June at 15:00.
This is a free event but remember to bring your own chair, picnic or picnic blanket (and suitable clothing for the weather on the day).
For further information contact the 01708 433740
LEARNING ABOUT OUR HISTORY AT HAVERING MUSEUM
Havering Museum has exhibitions and displays items examining the histories of all the towns and villages in Havering, the people who have lived in them, and aspects of social, economic and cultural history touching communities throughout the borough which will fascinate young and old alike. The museum is run by the independent local charity Havering Museum Ltd. and is at 19-21 High Street. Admission is £2.50 for adults, £2 for senior citizens, children under 16 go free when accompanied by an adult and all monies raised go to the charitable trust which runs the museum to enable it to run education programmes with local schools, mount new exhibitions and run activities for older people.
European Market
Romford Town Centre, South Street
Come and experience the vibrant atmosphere of the European market in Romford Town Centre located along South Street.
The friendly traders are proud to present speciality products from their homeland. There is something for everyone from food to fashion and crafts.
Some of the mouth-watering speciality food on offer on the day will be; a variety of cheeses, pate, garlic, bread, olives, paella, couscous, sausages, jams, fudges, dried fruits, nougat, turkish delight, crepes as well as pastries from Naples.
There will be on street entertainment throughout the day at the Sunday market to entertain the shoppers.
The market along with the entertainment will add an extra dimension to the towns vibrancy and offer while increasing the footfall within the town centre on a Sunday and a Monday for the benefit of local retailers.
Boris gets tough on land-banking
Boris Johnson has threatened large housing developers, sitting on land until its value goes up,with tough compulsory purchase orders unless they start building. There are thought to be up to 177,000 new housing units in the capital with planning permission in place, but where development has stalled, although not all as a result of land-banking. Mr Johnson told the London Assembly: "It's pernicious and I would be prepared to use CPO powers. To constrict supply to push up prices by land-banking is plainly against the economic interests of this city. I'm all in favour of using the powers where there are clear cases of land-banking, where people could go ahead with developments that would be massively to the benefit of this city”.
ROMFORD; THE STORY OF A VICTORIAN TOWN
Heritage Lottery Fund has granted money to Havering Library Service to digitise all the archive material in the Local Studies and Family History Centre relating to the history of Victorian Romford and its aftermath from the 1830s to the 1960s. This will help make the material much more accessible to residents and scholars via the internet, and will also help to conserve the many items involved as people will not need to handle them so much.
CENTRAL ROMFORD ENVIRONMENT
Improvements are to be made to more shop fronts in the attractive row of late Victorian shops in the High Street where Milner Elledge solicitors have already taken advantage of an English Heritage/ Havering Council scheme to improve the fabric of the historic environment in important conservation areas. The façades of the old Woolpack pub (“Secrets”) are to be fully restored as part of the new development there. An application for a new shop front has been approved at 2-4 South Street in Romford Conservation Area. Work has been done to improve pavements and plant more trees in South Street between the station and the Visitor Centre.
RAPHAEL PARK RESTORATION
Lake side repairs will be carried out between April and June. The Park Lodge and new public toilets will be worked on until September. The new kiosk and toilets by the play area will be under construction until July. External works to the sports pavilions will be carried out in April and May. Footpath repairs, gates, railing works and soft landscape preparation will be carried out between April and September. The restoration is funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Veolia Havering, Havering Council and Friends of Raphael Park and Lodge Farm Park. The Council works with Friends of Raphael and Lodge Farm Park to improve the park. For more information please see http://www.friendsofraphaelpark.org.uk.
Doctors told to improve dementia diagnosis
Jeremy Hunt has said that doctors will be set a target to diagnose another 160,000 dementia sufferers as part of a Government drive to tackle the incurable brain condition. Mr Hunt says the NHS currently has shockingly low dementia diagnosis rates, with 350,000 of the estimated 670,000 people with the illness unknowingly living with the condition. Meanwhile, Kate Murray in the Guardian asks whether we are wise about getting old. She says that as dementia rates rise and more people struggle with inadequate incomes more needs to be done to help the older population.
Migrant study
An analysis of Home Figures carried out by MigrationWatch has claimed tens of thousands of people from outside the EU are exploiting a Brussels loophole to enter Britain and get access to the nation’s benefit system. The analysis says that last year more than 20,000 non-EU residents were granted a European Economic Area family permit, which allows anybody to join a partner or close relative living in the UK, as long as the partner or relative holds an EU passport.
Daily Express, Page: 5 The Sun, Page: 2
Pickles offers savings advice
Eric Pickles, the head of the DCLG, is interviewed in the Daily Telegraph. Mr Pickles discusses how he reduced his department’s headcount by more than 44% thus achieving savings £566m over the course of this parliament. He moves onto to explain what Whitehall and the wider public sector could learn from the efficiencies he's found in his department and in local government. Mr Pickles says that local authorities could curb spending by cutting down on the hiring of translatorsand interpreters to assist residents who cannot speak English. "It's a complete waste of money and sends out all the wrong messages. It's a badge of honour to some authorities to say the number of documents they are translating into different languages. All we are doing by that is creating a culture of isolation," he comments.
Fostered children separated
Fostered children are being separated from their brothers or sisters because of a shortage of suitable homes, according to research by the Fostering Network. In the past two years, 34% of foster families have looked after children whose brothers and sisters had been placed elsewhere, despite care plans stating they should stay together, the charity says.
Change in law to tackle the most dangerous drink drivers
The most dangerous drink drivers will now have to pass a medical before they are allowed back on the roads under a change in the law announced today (Thursday 3 May 2013) by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond. The changes, which come into force from 1 June 2013, mean that high risk offenders will need to pass a medical confirming they are no longer alcohol dependent at the end of their disqualification and before they start driving.
Currently, all high risk offenders must pass a medical examination before they can be issued with a driving licence following their disqualification. However, drivers can start driving as soon as they have applied for their driving licence. Evidence suggests that some high risk offenders delay their medical in order to continue driving. The changes will prevent them from driving until they have passed their medical examination and been granted a licence.
The changes also mean that drink drivers who refuse to give permission for a blood sample to be analysed will now be classified as high risk offenders. This means that they will only get their licence back following disqualification if they pass the required medical.
Car owners face litter fines
The Government is looking to introduce a new Bill which will fine car owners £80 if a passenger throws litter out of cars. The plan, which is being put before the House of Lords today and is supported by local councils, would close a loophole in the law which makes it virtually impossible to bring to book those responsible for dropping litter from moving vehicles.
Care homes face crackdown on abuse
Care homes will face prosecution if they do not report concerns that their staff are mistreating patients under social care legislation to be published this month. The "duty of candour" on social care providers, a recommendation in the Francis report into the Mid Staffs NHS scandal, will be set out by health secretary Jeremy Hunt and would mean industry executives would have to tell health regulators if they thought their employees might be harming or neglecting elderly people.
