St George's Day

Flying the flag for St George at Romford Market

Saturday 23 April will see Romford Market celebrating St George's Day. Visitors will be able to enjoy FREE face painting, The Royal British Legion Band and Corps of Drums Romford, TheHornchurch Drum and Trumpet Corps, The Haverettes All Girls Marching Band, Rock Band Nice n Sleezy, and the Town Crier in fine voice.  Two artists from the Romford's Talent Event are also appearing - Aaron Floyd (Winner) andSammy-Jo Evans (from BBCs "The Voice ").

Party for the Queen

Party for Queen's Birthday

On Sunday 12 June 2016, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will celebrate her 90th birthday. 

Communities across Havering can be part of this national celebration by organising a neighbourhood street party.  Street parties are a great part of British life and an opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate national occasions. The deadline for street party applications is Friday 29 April.

Romford Leisure Development

Work starts on Romford Leisure Development

​The Council has completed its land-swap deal with Morrisons foodstore and is gearing-up to start building the long-awaited leisure development in the heart of Romford town centre.

​The £25 million scheme will make the development one of the Council’s most ambitious to date, with the investment aimed at regenerating the area and providing competition-level sporting facilities for the entire borough.

Willmott Dixon, will begin surveying and preparing the land on Western Road this week, with building work on the leisure development expected to start in the early part of May.

New Library hours

New opening hours for libraries

New opening hours The opening hours for Havering libraries have changed and now are: Collier Row, Elm Park, Gidea Park, Harold Wood and South Hornchurch: Monday and Tuesday closed; Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10am – 4pm;Thursday 2pm - 8pm. Harold Hill, Romford and Upminster: Monday andThursday 10am – 8pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 10am – 4pm. Hornchurch:  Monday to Friday inclusive 1pm - 10pm, Saturday 10am - 3pm. Rainham:  Monday and Wednesday 10am – 8pm, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 4pm.

PHE issues health warning to middle-aged Britons

A Government-backed health drive said to be the biggest since the Change4Life anti-obesity campaign is to warn the middle-aged of the risks of a poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking and drinking alcohol. Professor Dame Sally Davies, England's chief medical officer, said the drive would help people to achieve "simple and small changes" which could help reduce the growing burden of obesity. The £3.5m campaign across the internet, TV, social media and in public places will urge people to take an online test called the How Are You assessment, which determines how healthy they are. However, the move has been criticised by some, who say the expenditure by Public Health England (PHE) is wasteful and the campaign patronising. PHE said evidence shows that living healthily in midlife can double a person's chances of staying well aged 70 and older.

Stroke services

Have your say on proposed changes to stroke rehabilitation services

The local NHS want to make changes to stroke rehabilitation services, to make sure people recover better and more quickly. A consultation to see what local people think of the proposals is currently underway. 

At the moment if you have a stroke, the current rehabilitation service means:

• You’ll spend more time in hospital than you need to, even when it is better for you to be at home
• You won’t always have specialist stroke staff taking care of you
• Your recovery will take longer.

More people surviving strokes means more people need local rehabilitation and support services which is why the NHS thinks now is the right time to make changes.

The changes being proposed would mean patients would spend less time waiting in a hospital bed for the right sort of care, and instead receive rehabilitation more quickly to help them go home sooner and there would be a single specialist stroke rehabilitation unit at King George Hospital.

No decisions have been made and there is still time to have your say - the consultation closes on Friday 1 April 2016.

Opening times for libraries

New opening times

From Monday 21 March 2016 library opening hours are changing. The opening hours for each library are set out below.  Collier Row, Elm Park, Gidea Park, Harold Wood andSouth Hornchurch: Monday and Tuesday closed; Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10am – 4pm; Thursday 2pm - 8pm. Harold Hill and Romford:  Monday and Thursday 10am – 8pm, Tuesday, Wednesday andFriday 9am - 5pm Saturday 10am – 4pm. Hornchurch:  Monday to Friday inclusive 1pm - 10pm, Saturday 10am - 3pm. Rainham and Upminster:  Monday and Wednesday 10am – 8pm, Tuesday, Thursday andFriday 9am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 4pm.