Remember to recycle your Christmas tree

​This year Havering Council is helping residents by making it easier than ever before to recycle their Christmas trees when the festive season is over.

​Customers of the wheeled bin Garden Waste Collection Service, should cut their trees and place them in the green bin with the lid closed on collection day. 

This service is for residents who, for an annual charge, are loaned a 240 litre green wheeled bin or sold a roll of 50 compostable garden waste sacks, which breaks down at the composing site. 

The bins are collected from properties, emptied and sent to a composing facility where the contents are turned into a soil improver, avoiding the need for landfill.

Other residents can visit the Gerpins Lane Reuse & Recycling Centre in Upminster or recycle their tree at Gidea Park Sports Ground, Main Road, Romford on Saturday 2 January 2016 between 10am to 2pm.

Don’t forget to remove all decorations from the tree before recycling!

 

Councillor Damian White, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Housing said:

 

“Getting a real tree is an indispensable part of Christmas for many of us, but we need to remember what happens to them once the festive period is over. 

Having recycling centres all over the Borough means it’s easier to recycle trees than ever before. Recycling is cheap and quick and makes a real contribution to our Cleaner Havering Campaign.”

Charity appeal

Christmas Charity Appeal

Carol singing, Christmas Jumper or Christmas Tie Day, and the Christmas Raffle are taking place this week to raise funds for theAlzheimer's Society – our Christmas Charity Appeal.

Just the ticket…

Charity buckets will be shaken and staff stirred into taking part in the Christmas Charity Raffle, when it launches on Tuesday, with a host of prizes on offer.

On song for Christmas

Come along and enjoy or join the festive singing around the Christmas tree at the front of the Town Hall, on Wednesday (16 December) at 12.30pm.

Magical postbox

Special Delivery! Magical postbox will appear in Romford Market this week

​A bright green magical postbox will appear near the Clock Tower end of Romford Market on Wednesday 2 December, for all the good boys and girls to send their letters to Father Christmas.

​Father Christmas is looking forward to receiving lots of letters from children visiting Romford Market to help him decide what to bring them on Christmas Eve. He will do his best to reply to every child who writes to him via the magical postbox.  Father Christmas has asked that all children write their name and address clearly on their letter, because his friends at Havering Council will be posting the replies for him and they don’t have his magical powers.

 

As Father Christmas is very busy, all letters must be received by Thursday  17 December to ensure he has time to reply before loading up his sleigh in preparation for his busiest night of the year.

 

The postbox will be in the Market Place on market days only, and from Wednesday 9 December, the market will be open every day, including Sundays, up to and including Christmas Eve. The Market will turn into a Christmas Village with festive stalls and on-stage entertainment, at the Tollgate House end of the market, throughout the three week trading period.  

Once they have posted their letter to Father Christmas, children can enjoy the funfair rides including a helter skelter, large bouncy slide and carousel. There will also be a variety of performances in the run up to Christmas with real reindeer making an appearance too. The Christmas Coca Cola Truck and Choir will also be in the Market on Sunday 20 December.

Councillor Benham, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

“The Christmas Market will be something really special this year and it will really get visitors into the festive spirit. As always, the magical postbox will arrive in the Market so that children can send their letters to Father Christmas.

“We have a lot of events and entertainment planned in December so it really will be a jolly good Christmas in the Market this year.”

Keeping warm and well

​As the cold weather arrives, Havering is urging residents to stay well this winter by taking simple measures to protect themselves.

​Local residents are being encouraged to get the flu jab to reduce the risk of getting the flu or spreading it to others and to keep warm this winter.

The Council is advising older people, who are most affected by the cold weather, to wrap up warm – by heating their home to at least 18 degrees C (or 65F) if possible. They are also being informed to seek medical help from a pharmacist or GP if they start to feel unwell, even if it’s just a cough or a cold.
 
Although many people associate winter with feeling poorly or ‘under the weather’, there are still some common misconceptions about the flu.
 
Common flu myths include:

​I had the vaccine last year, so I don’t need it again	​False. The vaccine is updated every year as the flu virus changes, so it’s important you have it every year to stay protected.
​The vaccine can give you the flu	​False. You cannot get the flu from the vaccine.
​It’s too late to have the jab	​False, it’s never too late.
​I think I have the flu, I need antibiotics to treat it	​False. Antibiotics don’t work against flu, the best way to protect against the flu is to have the vaccine.
​Flu is no worse than a bad cold	​False. Complications from flu can make you seriously ill.

 

Those who are eligible for the free flu jab are people aged 65 years or over, pregnant women, children aged two, three and four, and people with health conditions such as severe asthma, chest or heart complaints and diabetes.

 

People who are not eligible for a free flu jab, are advised to contact their local pharmacy – they charge around £10 for the flu vaccination.
 
Councillor Wendy Brice-Thompson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health, said: 
 
“It’s really important that people, and particularly our older residents, eat well, keep warm and get the flu jab. One in three people are eligible for a free flu jab and there is still time to get yours from your local GP or a pharmacy.  Getting the flu jab will reduce your chances of being unwell this Christmas.”
 
“Winter is a particularly difficult time for those who are elderly and alone. Please look out for vulnerable neighbours this winter. Check to see if they need any help, whether it’s picking up a repeat prescription of visiting them to make sure they’re okay. Every little can help.”
 
There are some useful tips in the ‘Winter Wrapped Up’ guide, just launched by Age UK, which include:

 

• Get your heating system serviced every year by a qualified engineer to ensure it's running safely and efficiently.

• Make sure you claim all the financial support you can to help with heating bills.

• Make sure your smoke alarm is working. You can ask your local fire service to check your home for fire safety

• Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm in each room that has a gas appliance.

• Make sure you claim all the financial support you can to help with heating bills.

• Dress in plenty of layers and make sure you have warm shoes or boots with non-slip soles.

• Keep a mixture of salt and sand handy to put on steps or paths in icy weather.

• Consider fitting a grab rail if you have steps at your front or back door.

• Follow up your GP’s invitation to have a flu jab.

• Order repeat prescriptions in plenty of time, particularly if bad weather is forecast.

• Eat healthily and keep as active as possible.

• Ask your family, neighbours or friends if they could call or visit you more often.

• Keep a battery-operated radio, torch and spare batteries handy in case there’s a power cut. Keep your mobile phone, laptop or tablet fully charged so you can use the battery power if there’s no electricity.

• Keep a list of emergency numbers, such as your utility companies, by your phone.
 
Further information on staying warm this winter is provided by Age UK:

Shop safely this Christmas

When Christmas shopping we often lower our guard and make it easier for thieves to target us, so please remember:

• When using an ATM protect your PIN so no-one can see it.
• Don’t count your cash at the machine but put it away securely, as quickly as you can
• Fit ‘sleigh bells’ to your handbag fastener so they alert you if someone is trying to open it
• Lock your car whenever you leave it, even when just for a minute to get your parking ticket
• Lock valuables, including Christmas presents, out of sight in the boot
• If shopping on line, make sure the site has the padlock icon showing its secure before entering payment details
• If expecting deliveries when you are out, make arrangements for them to be delivered to a trustworthy neighbour or to an alternative location where you can collect them so they are not left on the doorstep.

Secure your screws

Three in 10 thefts from motor vehicles in Havering are stolen number plates, which are then used in other crimes, with the police tracking them back to the original owner.

You can beat the thieves by using tamper-proof screws to fix your number plates to your vehicle – they cost a couple of pounds but save a lot of hassle and are cheaper than buying replacement number plates.

If your number plates do get stolen remember to report it to the police so they can watch out for them on the wrong vehicle.

Market days over half-term

Market days during the school half-term holidays (Wednesday 28, Friday 30 andSaturday 31 October) will see plenty of family fun in Romford Market.

To keep the young ones busy there will be - weather permitting - an inflatable slide, merry-go-round and face painting on all three days.

Then on Saturday stallholders will be dressing up in scary costumes and decorating their stalls in spooky style. Children can take part in the pumpkin hunt with sweets and give-aways as prizes.

Give A & E a break and visit your GP at weekends for a better service says Council

 

Visits to Accident and Emergency in Havering's hospitals are among the highest in the country and patients are being urged to take advantage of new extended evening and weekend services from the borough's GPs instead.

As many as 50 per cent of visits to A & E could be managed by family doctors or even pharmacies, according to NHS England. Havering Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health, Councillor Wendy Brice-Thompson, wants people in need of medical treatment to visit GPs instead.

GPs in Havering have opened two late night and weekend practices to make it even easier for local people to get urgent, same day appointments with a family doctor.

The urgent appointments are open to anyone registered with a Havering GP and are available between 6.30pm and 10pm on weekdays, and between 12pm and 5pm on Saturday and 12pm and 4pm on Sunday.

Patients can call the service directly on 020 3770 1888 between 2pm and 9pm on weekdays and 9am and 5pm on weekends to book an appointment. Alternatively they can be booked in through your own GP or via NHS 111.

Pharmacists are another alternative. They give expert, confidential advice and treatment for common ailments such as coughs, colds and rashes. Pharmacies can also provide emergency contraception and may be able to provide a small supply of repeat medicines if you run out of medication when the surgery is closed.

Last year 8 per cent of A & E visits could've been dealt with by a pharmacist. That means hundreds of thousands of people sat in A & E for hours when a nearby pharmacist could have seen them within minutes.

Councillor Brice-Thompson said:

"Clearly the most serious cases will still need to go to A & E, but every year thousands of people with less serious conditions wait for hours at hospital to be seen by a doctor, when they would get much faster treatment by going to their GP. They also clog up the A & E service, ensuring that those who really need to be in hospital are also kept waiting unnecessarily".

Make sure ducks are healthy this autumn

​Havering Council is urging families to feed the ducks a different diet this half term week, which includes salad, grains and vegetables.

​Duck stickers will be given out to those feeding the ducks in Havering’s parks over the half term break, to help spread the word about the campaign to encourage families to educate others on why bread is bad for ducks. Residents can also get a duck icon for their Twitter photo, from the campaign page.

Issues at some of the borough’s parks, such as Harrow Lodge and Raphael Parks​, have seen wildfowl suffer fatal consequences due to botulism - a severe form of food poisoning. Uneaten scraps of mouldy bread can harm oxygen levels in the water in the lake and causes an increase in these harmful bacteria.

The bread also fills duck’s stomachs, making them feel full so that they don’t eat the grains or get the nutrients that they are supposed to. This can cause a syndrome called ‘Angel Wing’ – which can be caused by a high-calorie diet and means the joints in the wing become twisted and stops the birds from being able to fly.

In addition, overfeeding ducks with bread can lead to a build-up of droppings - this causes the growth of more algae, which can deprive the water of oxygen and be a source of botulism.

Items on the menu for a healthy duck include greens such as lettuce and spinach, uncooked grains such brown rice, linseed and plain porridge oats, bird seeds and corn. Some of these items are available at some local cafes in the borough’s parks, but most will be in the cupboard at home.

Councillor Melvin Wallace, Cabinet Member for Culture and Community Engagement, said;

“Residents will be used to going to the park to feed bread to the ducks because it’s one of those things that we have all got used to doing. But unknown to many, this is seriously damaging the health of the birds and the wildlife in the borough’s lakes. 

“This half-term, our parks are likely to be busy with families feeding the ducks and I ask residents to make sure our birds get a varied diet by feeding them the food they need.”m

Roadworks this week

Roadworks

Until Friday 25 September road works will take place outside219 Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch. Temporary traffic lights will be in use.

From Monday 28 September until Friday 02 October road works will take place outside 82 Woodfield Drive, Romford.Temporary traffic lights will be in use.

Until Tuesday 29 September road works will take place outside136 Abbs Cross Lane, Hornchurch. Temporary traffic lights will be in use.

From Wednesday 30 September until Thursday 01 Octoberroad works will take place in Wingletye Lane, Hornchurchnear the junction with Sylvan Avenue. Temporary traffic lights will be in use.

Until October 2015, junction improvement work will take place to install a roundabout to replace the traffic lights at the junction of Straight Road, Harold Hill with Broxhill Road, Lower Bedfords Road and Noak Hill Road. Drivers are advised to find alternative routes if possible.

Dementia Friendly Awards

Dementia Friendly Awards

Havering Dementia Action Alliancewon the Best Dementia Friendly Community Initiative category in theDementia Friendly Awards, The alliance was developed with our partners to help organisations and the community support those affected by Dementia. It is also shortlisted for the Community Organisation Award for Disability in The National Diversity Awards, which take place tonight (18 September).

Fly tippers prosecuted

Two more fly-tippers prosecuted by Havering Council

Another two fly-tippers have appeared in court and received heavy fines in the latest success for the Cleaner Havering Campaign.

Mr Andi Pemaj, of Andi Contractor Ltd, a builder and decorator in Saville Road, Romford, appeared at Barkingside Magistrates Court on Friday 21 August. One of Mr Permaj's sub-contractors, who was working on an Andi Construction project dumped building waste in Bedfords Park (pictured), which was subsequently traced back to Mr Permaj's client by Council investigators.

Mr Permaj refused to name the contractor who dumped the waste, but pleaded guilty to knowingly allowing a fly-tip to happen, for which he had to pay £2,621 including a £750 fine, with a further fine of £750 for failing in a duty of care plus costs.

Domestic waste dumped

The second fly-tipper to be successfully prosecuted was Mr Trevor Dawson, of Barnstaple Road, Harold Hill, who dumped several black bags of domestic waste by trees near his home. Mr Dawson admitted the offence and accepted a Fixed Penalty Notice of £50, which he subsequently failed to pay. He was fined £150, with £442 costs and a £20 victim surcharge, which totalled £612.

Romford Market to celebrate The Queen becoming longest reigning monarch

​It’s party time at Romford Market on Saturday 12 September as traders join forces to commemorate Her Majesty The Queen becoming Great Britain’s longest reigning monarch.

​On parade at the event to provide music, will be the Hornchurch Drum and Trumpet Corps along with the Town Crier, on-street entertainers and performers.

And to help families celebrate this special occasion there will be free face painting, fairground rides and a bouncy castle.

Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Robert Benham, said: “Saturday is always a great day in Romford Market with lots of stalls, food outlets and fun but this Saturday promises to be spectacular as we celebrate Her Majesty becoming Britain’s longest reigning monarch.

“As we know from the St George’s Day events each year Romford Market Traders are a very patriotic group and I am sure they will be celebrating this unique occasion in true Romford Market style.”

Havering’s Dementia alliance shortlisted for two awards

​Just a year after the Havering Dementia Action Alliance was formed, it has been shortlisted for two awards, recognising its work to make the borough more dementia friendly.

​It is a finalist in the Dementia Friendly Awards 2015 in the Best Dementia Friendly Community Initiative category. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London on Wednesday 16 September.

 

The alliance has also been shortlisted in the National Diversity Awards 2015, for which there were around 20,000 nominations. Members of the alliance will find out if they have won in the Community Organisation Award for Disability category, just days after the first awards evening, on Friday 18 September in Liverpool.

 

The alliance is made up of a number of local companies and organisations, including Havering Council, the Alzheimer’s Society, Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS University Trust (BHRUT) and Havering Mind. Other members include local shops, banks and charities.

 

Havering has the largest population of people aged 65 and over in London, and there are over 3,000 people living with dementia in the borough.

 

The Dementia Action Alliance aims to make the lives of people living with the condition, and their carers, better by encouraging everyone in the community to make simple changes and be more understanding.

 

Councillor Wendy Brice-Thompson, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health, said:

 

“It is fantastic that the dementia alliance has been shortlisted for both of these awards. It is made up of many partners all wanting to achieve the same aim, making the borough a friendlier place for people living with dementia.

 

“I am so proud that it is being recognised in this way, especially as it was only launched last year. I’m sure everyone involved will be keeping their fingers crossed that we triumph on the night, at both award ceremonies!”

Roadworks

On Sunday 8 August, four parking bays will be suspended for road works  outside 172 to 176 South Street, Romford.

From Monday 10 August, until Wednesday 12 August road works will take place between 9.30am and 3.30pm outsidenumbers 10, 123 and 155 Brentwood Road, Gidea Park as part of preparations for replacing water mains Temporary traffic lights will be in operation.

Until Tuesday 11 August, road works will take place outside164 Brentwood Road, Gidea Park. Temporary traffic lights will be in operation.

Until Wednesday 12 August, road works will take place outside 335 Osborne Road, Hornchurch

Green flags in parks

High standards keep

flags flying

We’ve kept our high standards and retained our prestigious Green Flagstatus for having nine of the best parks in the country. The Green Flag Award recognises the best parks and green spaces in England and Wales. Our Parks and Open Spaces team were congratulated on the achievement by Councillor Melvin Wallace, Cabinet Member for Culture and Community Engagement. He said: “It makes me proud that we have such beautiful open spaces and parks in our Borough. I’d like to thank all the staff and parks friends groups involved for their hard work in making our parks clean and safe so that we can all enjoy them.”

Food Waste

Compost food waste

In the average black sack left out for Havering Council to collect 48 per cent is food waste – that is £56 per month being thrown away by each family in the Borough.

Havering supports the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which provides tips, recipes and advice all helping you to reduce food waste and save nearly £700 a year.

If you do have waste food a large amount of it can be composted at home.

Litter pick in Raphael Park

Picking in the park

The Friends of Raphael Park is organising a programme of litter picking at the park in Main Road, Gidea Park – do come along and lend a hand.

• Tuesday 4 August, 10am - 12pm, meet atRaphael Park Cafe
• Sunday 16 August, 10am - 11am, meet at the playground
• Tuesday 1 September, 10am - 12pm, meet atRaphael Park Cafe
• Sunday 20 September, meet at the playground.

Eastern Bazaar in the Market

Eastern Bazaar comes to Romford

From Wednesday 29 July you can experience a Eastern Bazaar in Romford Market every market day for the next two weeks.

The Bazaar will be at the Tollgate House end of the Market Place, with stalls selling handmade leather and wicker bags, handmade leather and berber cloth bags, handmade paintings on leather skins, hand-knitted dresses and kaftans, hand-knitted beddings, sofas and cushion linens, belly dance costumes and a range of olives, Turkish delight and Turkish pastries.

Come along and find out more.

80s hits and local talent to entertain at this year’s Havering Show

​The annual Havering Show, the borough’s biggest, free event, is taking place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (Sunday 30 and Monday 31 August), and will have plenty of 80s nostalgia with performances from Boney M and Bad Manners.

​Boney M, famous for hits including Daddy Cool, Ma Baker, Brown Girl in the Ring and Rivers of Babylon, will be headlining on the main Time FM stage on Sunday.

While on the Monday, English Ska band Bad Manners, known for their hits My Girl Lollipop, Can Can and Lip up Fatty, will be topping the bill.

 

Local youngsters James Smith and Hope Murphy, both of Britain’s Got Talent fame, will be delighting their younger fan bases with their performances on the main stage.

 

And for the first time at the show, karaoke fans will be able to get their fix with live band karaoke, known as Bandeoke, taking place on stage.

 

There will be lots more entertainment taking place in the arena, with attractions including daring stunts, an army display team and a performance from Knights of the Damned.

 

Also in the showground will be a fun fair, classic cars and lots of trade stalls and exhibitors.

 

Councillor Roger Ramsey, the Leader of Havering Council, said:

 

“The Havering Show is one of our most popular events, and I’m proud that it always attracts such a crowd.

 

“It provides great entertainment for the whole family and I hope that residents from across the borough will come along and have a great time, and of course that we have great weather for the Bank Holiday weekend.”

The show, which is sponsored by Time FM and West and Coe, takes place at Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch, from 11am until 6pm both days. Parking costs £2.

Summer sports activities for children

The Council's Health and Sports Development team provide a vibrant offer of sport and physical activities for children, young people and adults.​

We organise activities for young people aged 11-25 years of age including:

• Football tournaments
• Basketball
• Netball
• Handball
• Rounders.

​We also arrange many more exciting sports.

• ​Email: daniel.alleyne@havering.gov.uk​
• Phone: 01708 4333768.​

​​

Summer holid​ay sports programme 2015

The youth summer programme is now here. Please see the activities below, ordownload the programme​​ for full details. All sessions need to be booked via 07946 738480.

​Day	​Activities
​Mondays	​27 July Dodgeball tournament Enter alone, or with a team of five myplace, 12:30-2:30pm, all welcome, £1.50 per person   Mini table tennis tournament Mini bats, mini tables, massive fun myplace, 2:30-4:30pm, £1.50   3 August 9 Hole crazy golf Hall Lane, Upminster Park, from 12pm, £2 per player   Off-ice skating Learn jumps and spins normally only performed on ice myplace, 1-2pm, £4   10 August Bubble football Maximum 16 people per session Central Park Leisure Centre​, 1-2pm and 2-3pm, £4 per session   Off-ice skating Learn jumps and spins normally only performed on ice myplace​, 1-2pm, £4   17 August CLUB1 Centre induction Come and meet the team, see our facilities and find out more. Central Park Leisure Centre​, 12:30pm, Free
​Tuesdays	​Time to Try Tuesday Join us as we tour four different parks with street golf/disc golf/street tennis/rounders and more...   All sessions from 12-4pm, £3 per session   28 July Central Park   4 August Upminster Park   11 August Raphael Park   18 August Hylands Park
​Wednesdays	​​Women and Girls Wednesday   Every Wednesday, join our girls-only sports sessions.    Zumba 1-2pm / Rounders 2-3pm / Netball 3-4pm £2 per session. Plus FREE Nail workshop from 4-6pm   29 July Central Park   5 August Upminster Park   12 August Raphael Park   19 August Hylands Park
​Thursdays​	​Thursday Basketball   Every Thursday, bring some friends, get into basketball and improve your skills at our professionally coached sessions, from 1-4pm, Free 30 July / 6 August / 13 August / 20 August Central Park Leisure Centre​
​Fridays	​Not into team sports? Try CLUB1 Get involved in solo activities such as running, gym, swimming and exercise classes. Try it on your own or bring a friend.   Teen gym Every Friday, 12-2pm Central Park Leisure Centre Swimming Every Friday, 2-4pm Central Park Leisure Centre​ Pure Abs​ Every Wednesday, 5:30pm (age 16+ only) Central Park Leisure Centre​ FREE CLUB1 t-shirts, sweatbands, gym bags and water bottles are up for grabs when you sign up with a friend. All activities are FREE, only if you register with the Havering CLUB1 team.