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.

Havering Council announces trial period before new traffic powers are enforced

​A two month trial period for Havering Council's powers on Moving Traffic Contraventions (MTCs) begins on Monday 20 July.

​Motorists considered to have contravened the regulations will be sent Warning Notices in the post with no financial penalty. Full Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for real will be issued from Friday 18 September by the Council's Civil Parking Enforcement team.

The powers, adopted from the Police, allow action against MTCs and encroachments into bus lanes. MTCs include entry into one way streets, no entry roads and locations where turns are prohibited.

From 20 July these traffic contraventions will no longer be criminal offences and will become civil motoring contraventions, where the Council may issue a PCN. The cost of a PCN is £130, although this is reduced to £65 if paid within the discounted period of 14 days.

The powers are primarily aimed at making Havering's roads safer and will lead directly to a reduction in accidents. Other benefits include an improved traffic flow, with smoother and more reliable travel times for residents on shopping trips and other local travel. There will also be a boost to the local economy as businesses experience fewer hold-ups with deliveries. The environment will benefit from a reduction in noxious traffic fumes, as a smoother traffic flow allows car engines to burn fuel more efficiently.

Misuse of bus lanes can cause serious delays for bus travellers and the Council is determined to make bus arrivals more punctual and journey times more reliable and encourage other road users to switch to buses.

While the Council is legally barred from using photographs from members of the public as evidence for the issuing of a PCN, it remains keen to receive complaints about particular places. These will allow the enforcement teams to target their resources most effectively.

Councillor Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Environment said:

"These new powers will make our roads safer, which is a key part of our Safer Havering Campaign. They will also allow us to crack down on banned turns which are effectively a form of dangerous queue jumping. Traffic will flow more smoothly, local businesses will be boosted by quicker deliveries, and protecting our bus lanes will help buses to arrive on time."

 

Safeguarding Adults

Help safeguard adults from abuse

Havering Council is encouraging anyone who thinks that avulnerable adult is at risk from abuse or neglect to raise their concerns.

Many vulnerable adults - including those who are elderly or frail, have a learning disability, mental health needs, physical disability, sensory impairment or because of ill health - are at risk from harm or abuse.

If you are concerned, report it. It’s easy to raise your concerns - you can complete a formonline, email Safeguarding Adults, or call Havering Council on 01708 433550 or 01708 432000

Out of normal office hours you can contact01708 433999 or the emergency services.

The Care Act highlights that safeguarding is everyone’s business and introduces new safeguarding duties for local authorities.

Havering Dementia Alliance

Dementia Action Alliance

Havering has formed a localDementia Action Alliance(DAA) to encourage all local organisations, who are committed to transforming the quality of life of people living with dementia, their family, friends and carers, to sign up to become members.

The Alliance is currently recruiting members from all areas of our community – so if you run a local business, charity, community or voluntary group and are interested in joining, get in touch below and let us know you want to be a part of the Alliance.

More information available here.  

Fostering team to pay a visit to Queen's Hospital

 

​On Friday 3 July Havering Council will be recruiting foster carers at Queen's Hospital for the first time.

Members of the fostering team will be in the hospital foyer from 9:30am to 5pm, telling people all about the rewards and challenges of fostering.

With ​around 250 children and young people in care at any time, the Council is always on the look-out for more dedicated local people to become foster carers.

All anyone needs to be a foster carer is the space and time in their life for a child. All foster carers in Havering receive full training and ongoing support from the Council.