St Mary’s Easter Good News Update

Happy Easter
Easter Day Service
Sunday 16th April @ 11:15am

St Mary’s Easter Good News Update

This Easter edition of Good News, St Mary’s Parish Magazine, is reproduced below (together with additional material from various notices), use the links to the stories & news items.

Happy Easter

Easter is a wonderful time of year as we celebrate the time when Jesus rose from the dead, proving that God’s power of life over death, light over darkness and hope over hopelessness, is real. It is a time to celebrate and give thanks for all that God has done for us; which is undoubtedly easier to do as the days lengthen and the temperature rises. Continue reading “St Mary’s Easter Good News Update”

St Mary’s Good News Valentine’s Update

Valentine’s Day – Tuesday 14 February
We love because He first loved us – 1 John 4:19

St Mary’s Good News Valentine’s Update

This Valentine’s Day edition of Good News, St Mary’s Parish Magazine, is reproduced below (together with additional material from various notices), use the links to the stories & news items.

Continue reading “St Mary’s Good News Valentine’s Update”

Traffic Safety Progress

Traffic Safety Progress

Traffic Safety ProgressTraffic Safety Progress

As a result of concerns about the safety of traffic in the village expressed at a recent Parish Council meeting a group consisting of Parish Councillors, Borough Councillors and village residents has been formed and met to consider what actions we can take to improve safety on our roads in the village.  The aim is to produce a plan with a strategy for actions that will be adopted by the Parish Council and lead to residents feeling more safe as they move around the village.

The Parish Council approved a Traffic Safety Plan in September 2012 with the objective of dealing with such issues mainly in the area of the school.  After reviewing progress on this plan the new group hopes to have revised proposals to put to the village for consultation.

You can read the 2012 plan here but in brief the vision was:

The Parish Council has a vision for the future travel environment in the village where walking and cycling become the preferred modes of travel, that traffic levels and parking do not dominate our village and that the safety of adult and child pedestrians remains paramount.

The strategy for achieving the Aims and Objectives of this plan included:

  • Restricting parking.
  • Providing alternatives for parents.
  • Slowing traffic.
  • Improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Reinforcing the school travel plan.

Update on Measures Proposed

Measure

Progress

1. A “Build Out” in New Church Road from the footpath to Mumford Close. Not achieved due to objections from local residents but timed yellow line restriction from pathway instead.
2. “Built up Tables” at each end of New Church Road and School Lane. Not achieved due to objections but red patches painted in road.
3. Yellow zig-zag lines outside school to be extended as far as bend. Timed yellow line restriction added instead.
4. Improved signage on approaches to school. Achieved.
5. New footpath along the edge of Poors Land. Achieved.
6. Car Parks at Orpen Hall, Treble Tile and Church to be made more available for use by parents. Orpen Hall park improved and journey to school made safer at crossing with New Church Road.  Use of Treble Tile agreed and operated for a time but then withdrawn due to misuse by parents.
7. 20 MPH limit in New Church Road. Achieved with enhanced signage to follow.
8. Designated space for disabled parking on Lexden Road. Not achieved.
9. A “Park and Walk” scheme organised by parents. No known progress.
10. Parents who drive to school to be encouraged to operate a voluntary one way system in School Lane. No known progress.
11. The school to review its Travel Plan. Discussions between the school and Parish Council are ongoing.

September Crime Report

September Crime IncidentsEssex Police - Protecting & Serving Essex - February Crime report

September (up to 28th) saw absolutely no crime reports for West Bergholt after what was also a quiet August.

Information Releases

Slightly more of these this month with the Chief Constable announcing new community engagement promises, advice on keeping bicycles secure from theft and general advice to avoid opportunist crimes.

Community Meetings

Despite budgetary constraints, the Chief Constable for Essex, Stephen Kavanagh, is keen to ensure community engagement in policing priorities and has recently made the following announcement:

Chief Constable Stephen KavanaghConsistent and effective contact between communities and their local policing team is crucial.

Although there are a number of good local police and community meetings there are many that are poorly attended and not as effective as they could be. Therefore, I have decided to refresh our approach.

From October 1, 2014 my District Commanders are making the following commitments to local communities:

  • We promise local PCSOs will hold a weekly ‘street meet’ on their patch
  • We promise every district will hold five or six Local Community Meetings (every eight weeks)
  • We promise Local Community Meetings (LCM) will be chaired by a supervisory officer (sergeant or above)
  • We promise every LCM and street meet will be advertised on the Essex Police website in advance
  • We promise our website will show agreed local priorities as well as the activity taken to address them.

With shrinking resources I need to make sure my officers can realistically deliver on the important promises we make to local communities. Involving a local Sergeant or Inspector in community meetings will ensure issues are dealt with promptly and that results are fed back to communities.

Local community meetings mean residents and businesses can work with their local policing team to address matters of concern. I encourage people to come and talk to us. Let us know about the issues that are important to you.

The new meeting structure will replace routine police attendance at Neighbourhood Action Panels (NAPs).  Communities are encouraged to continue to hold NAPs but to bring any issues of concern to the attention of the relevant local community meeting.

Supporting the local community meetings, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) will hold weekly ‘street meets’ on their designated patch.  Supermarkets, libraries, shopping centres and other public venues are all locations where these hour-long, informal meetings will be held.

Street meets and LCMs will be advertised in advance in the My Neighbourhood  section of our website and via Essex Police Facebook  and Twitter  channels.  Members of the public are invited to attend the meeting they feel is most appropriate to their concern.  There is no need to book a space.

Implementation of the new structure will start on October 1, 2014 with an expectation that community meetings and street meets are fully operational across the county by November 1, 2014.

5 Tips to Keep your Bicycle Safe and Secure

In the UK, a bicycle is stolen on average every minute; with less than 5% of those returned as they’re difficult for the Police to identify the owner.  Current research suggests that cyclists are more likely to have their bicycles stolen than motorcyclists their motorcycle or car owners their cars these days!  Bicycle theft has doubled in the UK since the mid 1990s, probably due to the increasing popularity of expensive models and innovative ways of selling stolen goods online.

Take action against these unscrupulous thieves and protect your belongings, including your bicycle!

REDUCE THE CHANCES OF YOUR BICYCLE BEING STOLEN,  INCREASE THE CHANCES OF IT BEING RECOVERED.

Where to park your bicycleWhere to park?

Always lock your bicycle wherever you leave it – it only takes seconds to steal an unsecured bike. Make sure it’s locked in a well-lit public area with lots of people passing. Stations and public buildings often have designated areas with bicycle racks – Be sure to plan ahead and check out amenities in the places you need to leave your bicycle – remember to read signs in the area you intend to park being sure not to park illegally.

Locking a bicycle securelyUsing a bicycle lock

Only use a good quality D-lock. A poor quality lock at the lower end of the market can be easily sawn through or bolt cropped in seconds. It certainly pays to invest in the best quality lock you can afford (At least £30 -£40). Always lock your bicycle to something immovable, an object a bicycle cannot be lifted over and cannot be broke, cut or removed i.e. chain link fencing, grilles, gates or trees – check the object is fastened to the ground. For maximum protection use two locks of different types (a D-lock and robust chain and padlock is ideal) Use each lock to catch the wheels, frame and stand – Fill up as much of the space within the D-lock as possible with the bicycle.

secure bikes whilst at home as wellAt Home

As many as half of all bicycles are stolen from the owner’s home – Always lock your bike at home even when it is in your garage, flat or halls of residence. Please be vigilant when returning from a ride!! Consider investing in a ground anchor and attach it securely to a wall or concrete floor. Make sure you keep your bicycle out of view of prying eyes as this alone will provide an irresistible incentive to break in to your property.

Bicycle Insurance

If you own a decent bicycle then it is probably a good idea to insure it. There are several ways you can do this; Insure your bicycle on your home contents insurance – don’t forget to cover it for thefts away from home. More expensive bicycles may require specific insurance cover against theft and accidental damage.

Add RFID tagRegistration & Police Identification

Before registering your bicycle on Immobilise take a photograph and along with this record the frame number and any key details such as make and model. Mark your frame with your postcode in two separate locations if possible, one of which should be hidden. Collectively this information stored on your Immobilise account will be crucial in recovering your bicycle should it be lost or stolen. It is important to consider that the frame or other identifiable codes could be removed by a thief and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tagging of your bicycle is highly recommended (See diagram left) as its virtually impossible to remove from the bicycle’s frame!

Opportunist Crimes – Avoid that ‘Initial Attraction’

Without that initial attraction most crimes could be avoided, statistics show that most crimes are opportunist crimes; yes the perpetrator may go out intending to commit crime but the victim is not yet chosen.  So if there is no attraction then you may not become a victim.

What is the attraction?

Valuables left on car seat

  • The shed or garage with minimal security and tools visible through the window.
  • A lone person down a dark street talking loudly on their illuminated new iPhone.
  • The house in darkness with the side gate flapping open, welcoming.
  • That accessible open window or door.
  • The purse sitting in the open handbag on top of the shopping trolley.
  • Group sitting chatting at a bar table with a mobile phone just sitting there on the table.
  • The bag, or other valuables, on the back seat of an unattended car, even though the bag may only contain your sports clothes, the thief does not know this until he/she has smashed the window and stolen it.
  • The tradesman’s sign-written van parked on the dark drive by the gate with accessible doors and unprotected pipe tube on the roof.
  • The party-goer who’s had too much to drink and is unaware of his/her surroundings.
  • Shiny new ride-on lawn mower sitting on the grass in full view of the road with no postcode/security markings visible.

The above is just short list I am sure you can think of more.

What can you do?

  • STOP
  • think like a thief,
  • spot the attraction and
  • where possible, remove it.

For Crime Reduction Advice contact – Stephen Armson-Smith, Colchester District Crime Prevention Officer using the police non emergency telephone number 101 then extension 436126.

NHS seek local views at health forum

NHS North East Essex - Clinical Commissioning Group - Invitation to Health ForumHelp shape NHS decisions – all welcome to local health forums!

The NHS in North East Essex is inviting anyone interested to come to our local Health Forum meetings in Dovercourt (Harwich) 6th August,  Clacton 8th August,  and Colchester on 4th August.

The main themes for the August meetings include:

At all meetings:

  • 7 day working project, including the GP Services Survey, presented by Jo Hall project lead at the CCG.

The survey is online at:  http://tinyurl.com/lh5tuaq

At the Colchester meeting:

  • A review of progress in improving cancer services at Colchester Hospital by the Hospital’s Medical Director, Sean MacDonell.
  • Presentation about the Care At Home research project: how do older people feel about services delivering care in their own home, by Sue Hughes, doctoral researcher at Anglia Ruskin University.

At the Clacton and Harwich meetings:

  • A workshop about the new community phlebotomy (blood tests) service.

Attendance & Venues

People attending are welcome to raise their own issues and will have a chance to directly question senior managers from the CCG on their actions and plans. Meetings will be at:

Colchester area , Monday 4th August, 2pm to 4pm.  Please come to the 2nd floor at the Primary Care Centre (upstairs from the Walk-in Centre) in Turner Road, Colchester CO4 5JR.

Harwich area of Tendring, Wednesday 6th August, 2pm to 4pm. Dovercourt Central Church, 203 Main Road, Dovercourt, Harwich CO12 4ES .

Rest of Tendring (Clacton) area, Friday 8th August, 2pm to 4pm. Please come to the Tendring CVS hall in Rosemary Road, Clacton CO15 1NZ.

Any member of the local public can join the Health Forum. Join here to have your say as a member of NE Essex CCG public “Health Forum”:  http://tinyurl.com/qxss6oq

NHS invite all to a local Health Forum

NHS North East Essex - Clinical Commissioning Group - Invitation to Health ForumHelp shape NHS decisions – all welcome!

The NHS in North East Essex is inviting anyone interested to attend their local Health Forum meeting in Colchester.  The main themes for the June 9th meeting include:

  • A manager from NHS England to discuss their plans, which are open for public consultation, on transforming primary care (services by GPs, dentists, pharmacists, opticians) in Essex.  This issue will include measures planned to mitigate shortage of GPs.
  • The new community assessment service, based at Clacton and Harwich hospitals.

People attending are welcome to raise their own issues and will have a chance to directly question senior managers from the CCG on their actions and plans. Meetings will be at:

The meeting on Monday 9th June takes place between 7pm – 9pm.  Please come to the 2nd floor at the Primary Care Centre (upstairs from the Walk-in Centre) in Turner Road, Colchester CO4 5JR.

Any member of the local public can join the Health Forum. Join here to have your say as a member of NE Essex CCG public “Health Forum”: http://www.neessexccg.nhs.uk/Health%20Forum%20Joining%20Form.html.

Questions about local NHS Services?

Local NHS ServicesIf you have questions about local NHS Services you may be interested in attending the North East Essex NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) open Board Meeting on Tuesday, May 27th at 2.30pm at  the Primary Care Centre (2nd floor, above the walk-in centre) Turner Road, Colchester CO4 5JR.

Everyone is welcome to attend the CCG Board Meeting, which is held in public.  There will be a question time session during the meeting when members of the public are welcome to question the Board on any relevant issue.

The Board Agendas and supporting papers are published on the CCG website at www.neessexccg.nhs.uk (click on “Library” then “Board Meeting” or click directly here:  http://tinyurl.com/9weepq7 ).

The Agenda for May includes :

  • A report on the new community rapid assessment service for people in Tendring, with Advanced Nurse Practitioners working from Clacton and Harwich hospitals to care for people either in their own homes, or in the community hospitals
  • A progress report on the imminent external quality review of maternity services in North East Essex.
  • A report from the local public, patient and carer’s organisation, the Health Forum Committee
  • The proposed new CCG Five Year Strategy for decision by the Board.

Celebration of Local Volunteers

Celebrate Local VolunteersCelebrate Local Volunteers

Celebrating local volunteers is at the cornerstone of the upcoming Annual Parish Meeting on 21st May starting at 7pm in the John Lampon Hall (adjacent to Orpen Hall).  Refreshments will also be available as will the opportunity to discuss other important issues for the Village such as:

  • Neighbourhood Plan – shape the future of the village; and
  • Emergency Plan.

 

Parish Council Meeting

The Agenda for the next Parish Council meeting has just been published, will they be discussing anything of importance to you?  Don’t forget members of the public are welcome to attend and, if registered electors, are able to make use of the first 15 minutes which is allotted for questions to be raised with the council.

The meeting starts at 7:30pm on Wednesday 27th February in the John Lampon Hall.

What have the WI been up to?

Well, the past few months have seen them enjoying some great meetings, as their correspondent reports:

The Orpen Memorial Hall was filled to capacity for our ‘Open Meeting’ held last November. Mr Furnival Jones from London talk was called ‘The Palace of Knightsbridge’ about his 41 years as an employee at Harrods. He delighted his audience with his anecdotes about eccentric clients and their unusual requests as manager of the food hall.

With inclement weather our Christmas party was postponed and we enjoyed a New Year Party instead. With the aid of a memory stick and the hall screen our last two years’ events brought back happy memories of our various achievements and outings.

On April 3rd we are welcoming Edinburgh Woollen Mill with their ‘Fashion Show’.  This will be an Open Meeting so more details available from our secretary or president.

Visitors are welcome to attend a meeting free and enjoy a speaker and meet the members.

Find out more about the West Bergholt branch of the Women’s Institute on their webpage.

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