What’s On In Colchester

This newsletter was issued by CBC recently, we will be trying to find a way to include this information into our news feed on a regular basis.

Welcome to What’s On, our new monthly newsletter where you can find out what’s going on in and around Colchester. For ‘at a glance’ information look at the ‘What’s On Guide’ below. For further details, click on the event which interests you.

Bandstand Concerts in Castle Park

The concerts take place on Sunday afternoons (and the occasional Saturday) through the summer from May to September. Highlights areThe Band of the Parachute Regiment, The Colchester Band and Sweeting Swing Band.
Find out more here

Half term activities at Colchester Museums & Leisure World

Colchester Museums: live animal encounters, Roman food, puppets, kites and more!
Fine out more here

Leisure World Colchester: badminton, short tennis, swimming, arts, crafts, dance and more!
Find out more here

Celebrate the Moot Hall Organ restoration

Celebrate the restoration of the Moot Hall Organ with a mix of great events at firstsite and Colchester Town Hall. Meet the Organist, make your own organ pipe, join the Big Pipe Busk, Organs in the Archives and Organs in the Movies. Don’t miss the inaugural recital on 24 May! Find out more here

There are lots of great events taking place in Colchester – why not take a look at the Visit Colchester website

March 30, 2015March 24, 2015

Notice of Local Elections 2015

The Electoral services Officer of Colchester Borough Council has issued two notices of elections inviting nominations for:

West Bergholt Parish Councillors (up to 11)
Borough Councillor for West Bergholt & Eight Ash Green (1)

Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer by no later than 4pm on Thursday 9th April 2015, for any contested seats, the poll will take place on Thursday 7th May 2015.

For full details, including those relating to applications for postal or proxy votes, please read the official notices:

Any enquiries about these can be made to:

Electoral Services Officer, Colchester Borough Council
Rowan House, 33 Sheepen Road, Colchester, CO3 3WG
Tel. 01206 282235

February 20, 2015February 20, 2015

Premises & Recreation – 12th February 2015

The Premises & Recreation Sub-Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 12th February when they discussed a range of issues affecting Orpen Hall & playing fields such as spoons going missing from Orpen Hall (please return if you have any), events, cleaning and safety of play equipment.

Premises & Recreation Report

Sub-committee meeting held on Thursday 12th February 2015 at the John Lampon Hall

Councillors present	Phil Walby, Jenny Church, Murray Harlow, Rosemary James
Apologies	Rachel Howard

Victoria Beckwith Cole in attendance.

1.	Orpen Hall
	a) Locking chairs in main hall – still a bit of a problem – Phil to write to the suppliers to explain problem. And ask for someone to advise.	PW
	b) Hall cleaning. Deep cleaning of JL Hall to be carried out in half term Vicky to discuss with Mike to agree cleaning specifications and schedule.	VBC
	c) Security lights at 4 corners of hall to be changed to LED. Vicky to communicate with company concerned.	VBC
	d) A table top sale has been booked in the Hall for March. Plan to investigate having a PC table top sale in the future.	VBC
	e) Fire Safety Audit carried out – everything in good order – next due September 2015
	f) Meeting has been arranged with Orpen Players for 17^th Feb. to discuss issues.	PW
	g) Meeting to be arranged with Bluebells to discuss issues.	PW
2	Practice Goal Area
	Ivor has completed the work to restore the grass area. This will be ready for use at the end of the week.
3	Film night
	Phil will arrange to discuss with Bernard about this project.	PW
4	Play equipment
	Phil will talk to Ivor about what is required to make all play equipment safe. The areas of concern are all low risk.	PW
5	Football Club
	The West Bergholt Football Club wish to buy grass cutting equipment and have asked the PC if they could assist financially in any way.	PW Agenda item
6	Car Park
	The work on the ramp, paving and plant areas has been completed and appears a good job done.	Agenda item
7	Mobile phone
	Vicky now has a contract mobile phone.
8	AOB
	a) Teaspoons are missing from the kitchen!! Vicky to put up notice in the kitchen to try to initiate their return.	VBC
	b) CBC to be charged usual fee for use of JL Hall for elections in May	VBC
	c) Maintenance of flower beds around Hall – how is this being organised?	Agenda item
	Date of next meeting – Thursday 12th March 2015 in JL Hall

February 16, 2015August 17, 2023

Who will care? Swap Shop

This ‘Who will care?’ summit is for community and voluntary organisations, health organisations and the public sector to debate the power of social action, exchange information and generate great ideas for health and wellbeing. It takes place on 23rd March, 9:30am – 2:00pm, at the firstsite Gallery, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester CO1 1JH.

Who will Care? is an independent commission led by Sir Tom Hughes-Hallett that sets out a number of high impact solutions to prevent future crisis in health and social care in Essex. It called for a new approach to supporting communities and people where the Community and Voluntary Sector plays a greater role and works collaboratively with the public sector.

This Swap Shop is intended to bring different sectors together to spark new ideas that can bring better quality solutions for citizens.

Hear about successful projects using social action and volunteering,
Consider a new culture of collaboration,
Question what needs to change for better outcomes,
Think about how community based initiatives can best be supported,
Discuss the key issues for Essex communities.

There is more information at www.essexpartnershipportal.org, book a place through [email protected].

Agenda

09.30 Registration, Coffee and Networking

10.00 Welcome and Who Will Care Update and Future Direction

10.10 Who Will Care Schemes Update

Two test and learn programmes will share their progress

‘Maldon Sheds’ – Sarah Laskar, CEO Maldon CVS
‘My Social Prescription’ Louise Willsher, Engagement Officer, Colchester CVS

10.25 Keynote Speaker: The Future of the Voluntary Sector

Kevin Curley CBE, Voluntary Sector Adviser

The growing hardship in our society which the local voluntary sector must respond to
The tension between delivering services and campaigning on behalf of those in need
Our responsibility to exploit new opportunities for raising the funds we need to be sustainable
The unchanging values which underlie all our work

10.50 Swap Shop – Session 1

Round table discussions hosted by leaders that bring new and different solutions to health and
social care by using social action and volunteering. Hear about how they do it, the challenges
encountered and the benefits it can bring the people involved.

11.35 Key issues for Essex – A discussion

11:45 Swap Shop – Session 2

12:30 Networking Lunch

13:00 North East Clinical Commissioning Group: Supporting Voluntary Action, Shane Gordon, Chief Officer, North East CCG

13:10 Keynote Speaker: People Powered Public Services

Daniel Farag, Senior Programme Manager, Nesta Daniel will explore how Social Action and people helping people can make a difference. He will consider the role citizens can play in powering public services, and how Social Action can change the nature of public services to achieve better outcomes. Referencing models of innovative practice from across the UK he will provide insight in to the benefits of working closer with our communities across a number of care settings.

13:30 An Interactive Summary – Ask the audience with Paul Hill, ACFO, Essex Fire & Rescue Service

13:50 Closing Remarks – Cllr Anne Brown

February 10, 2015February 23, 2019

Update for Silver Surfers

Silver Surfers Update

Unusually two news updates have come through quite close together, both targeting our older generation(s), one from our regular correspondent at the Methodist Church and another from Colchester Borough Council.

Silver Sunday – 1st March

There has been considerable publicity about the fact that the proportion of our population that are elderly is increasing. Also that there is a significant proportion of elderly people who live alone and can be lonely and become isolated. A charitable trust has set up “Silver Sunday” in an attempt to raise this issue and try to take steps to address it (www.silversunday.org.uk). We became aware of this and felt we as a Church would like to respond. The designated Silver Sunday is in October but we were not in a position to arrange something at that time.

As a first step we are holding a simple afternoon tea on Sunday March 1 at 3.00 and are inviting folk to attend. If you are elderly, living alone and not fortunate enough to have family and/or friends living nearby this could be for you. You are warmly invited to an Afternoon Tea with folk in a similar situation to yourself. We will provide transport to pick you up from your home, bring you to the tea and return you to your home when the tea has finished.

If you, a neighbour or someone else you know, would like to come to the tea please contact Judith Fletcher (01206 241969) or Andrew Wilks (01206 242511). If you can let us know you are coming it will help with our arrangements.

Crucial Crew – 27th March

The FREE Crucial Crew event is taking place on Friday 27th March between 10am – 2pm at St Botolphs Church, St Botolpsh St. and is targeting those over 55s who are members of established clubs or groups.

Several local organisations have joined together to organise, Older Persons Crucial Crew. This event will bring together 130 ambassadors from clubs and groups serving older persons in the Colchester Area and involves 16 tables in an informal setting.

There will be a total of 16 speakers from 8 different organisations;

The Police Home and personal security,
The Fire service Home fire safety advice,
Trading Standards, Rogue traders and consumer advice,
Environmental Health for residents,
Colchester street wardens, street safety,
Gas safe,
Young people from Stanway School computer mobile phone advice, and
Red Cross.

Each speaker will sit at your table for 15 minutes giving advice and information in an informal setting, almost like a safety speed dating!!

A free buffet Lunch prepared, provided by Colchester Institute catering course students, will be served at your table by Students from Stanway School. After lunch the speaker’s organization plus several other service and help organisations will provide tables where you can go and talk in more detail on issues raised during the morning’s event.

This event is for the over 55s and it is the aim that the members attending will take back the information gained, the contacts made to their respective clubs, ensuring that the information is cascaded through the whole area.

There will be limited free transport available on the day, but to save costs if you are able you can use your own or Public transport leaving this for the people who need it we would be very grateful.

As I am sure you will understand that with just 130 places available for the whole of Colchester we have to offer up to 5 places to each Organisation on a first come first served basis so if you are interested please return the linked ticket request to:

Crucial Crew Ticket Request form.

Les Nicoll
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service.
Fire station,Fronks Road,
Dovercourt, CO12 4JE

Or by e-mail to [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].

Alternatively call 07779 129888

January 19, 2015January 18, 2015

Colchester Local Plan Consultation

CBC is in the process of creating a ‘Local plan’ and have started the consultation process, The Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group will be responding to this consultation as will the Parish Council. A separate consultation on the Neighbourhood Plan is planned for the end of February to mid April. For those interested in contributing directly the Borough Council recently issued the following notice:

Colchester Borough Council has started work on its new Local Plan for the Borough covering the period 2017-2032.

The Planning Policy team will be running the Issues and Options Consultation from the 16 January 2015 until 27 February 2015 at the following locations:

Tiptree Community Centre – Saturday 7 February 2015 (10am-2pm)

Mersea Centre (MICA) – Wednesday 11 February 2015 (4pm-8pm)

Wivenhoe Scout & Guide Hut – Saturday 14 February 2015 (10am-2pm)

Hythe Community Centre – Monday 16 February 2015 (12 noon – 8pm)

Great Horkesley Village Hall – Saturday 31 January 2015 (10am – 2pm)

Marks Tey Village Hall – Saturday 21 February 2015 (10am-2pm)

In addition to the above drop in sessions there will also be additional consultation drop is sessions at Colchester Library (Saturday 17 January 2015 10am-2pm & Tuesday 27 January 2015 2pm-6pm) and at Asda (on 24 January 2015 10am-2pm).

For those interested in attending you might want to access some of the project teams documentation inn advance, if so please visit the Colchester Borough Council website.

January 10, 2015January 9, 2015

Trees for Years 2015

Blossom of the Bird Cherry – one of the varieties on offer

Trees for Years 2015

Colchester Borough Council have 2015 free trees and fruit bushes to give away as the popular annual Trees for Years initiative returns for the ninth year in a row.

The free plants are available to Colchester Borough residents, community groups and parish councils. Residents can collect up to three plants per household and up to 15 per community group, school or parish council.

This year’s initiative includes a variety of fruit bushes, decorative shrubs and trees to help create a greener Colchester for all. Species available this year are:

Raspberry Canes
Gooseberry Bush
Acer campestre – Field Maple
Betulapendula – Silver Birch
Cornusalba ‘Siberica’ – Red Stem Dogwood
Cornusstolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ – Yellow Stem Dogwood
Blackcurrant Canes
Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’
Prunuspadus – Bird Cherry
Corylusavellana – Hazel Cob Nut

The 2015 bare root trees and fruit bushes will be available on a first come first served basis.

Cultivation guidance will be available so that trees can be selected, taking into account the ultimate size and form of mature trees.

People collecting trees need to bring their own bags to put them in.

Trees must be planted on private property. Postcodes will be recorded to monitor the distribution.

The event, which is funded through sponsorship by officeis takes place on Saturday 7 February, from 10am to 1pm, in the car park of Colchester Borough Council’s offices at Rowan House, in Sheepen Road, Colchester.

November 20, 2014

Oil-fired heating? Advice from CBC…

The MUST knows about caring for your oil tank

If you have a domestic oil storage tank it’s your responsibility to keep it safe. Oil leaks can cause damage to property and the environment. Prolonged exposure to vapours could cause harm to health. It could cost you thousands of pounds and take months or years to clean up an oil spillage and there is a risk of prosecutions and fines. So, why take the risk? To prevent problems from occurring make sure your whole system is regularly checked and serviced by professionally qualified engineers.

Top tips:

Check your tank – regularly

Are there any visible leaks or stains? Are there any cracks or damage to the tank, pipes, sight gauges or the support system? Is your tank old or in poor condition? If any of these apply, get advice from a qualified and experienced engineer as soon as possible. If a repair or replacement is required, do not attempt to do this yourself.

Give it room

Make sure your oil storage tank has space and cut back any plants which are growing near or over the tank, as they could damage it.

Be safe

Make sure that any deliveries of oil can be made safely and supervise them whenever possible. Do what you can to prevent vandalism or theft, but do not make any changes that would affect how your system works.

Be prepared

Check your insurance cover! Some policies will only cover you for the cost of replacing lost oil, not for any clean up. Most companies will not cover you at all if a leak is caused by lack of maintenance.

Know what to do in an emergency. Don’t wait for a problem to occur! Read advice on our web page as mentioned below.

Keep a copy of emergency telephone numbers handy – or obtain a sticker for your tank from the Environment Agency by calling 03708 506 506.

In the event of a leak

Contact your insurance company immediately if a spill does occur. If your insurance policy does not cover you, you will need to employ your own accredited spill company.

How Colchester Borough Council can help

Get advice and read the Essex Contaminated Land Consortium’s Domestic Heating Oil Care Guide at www.colchester.gov.uk/youroiltank.

We cannot clean up any oil that is spilt, or undertake any repairs for you but we may be able to help you find someone to clean up the oil to the correct standards.

May 23, 2014October 12, 2014

We’re prepared for an emergency

An Emergency Plan for West Bergholt

This is a plan which has been developed by the Parish Council with the help of Colchester Borough Council and the Emergency Services to help us in the village cope with an unforeseen situation which needs rapid and decisive action. Emergencies can occur with little or no warning and could be caused by many different factors including:

Natural disaster,
Severe weather,
Technological / industrial accidents,
Power failures,
Failure of communications (e.g. telephones or broadband),
Transport disruption and village cut off,
Terrorism.

The risk to the village from any of these events is small and difficult to assess. In the event of a situation deemed to be an emergency The Borough Council is the responsible body that will work with the Emergency Services. Our role is strictly to support these actions. The village plan focuses on how The Parish Council would assist in providing an emergency Reception Centre and how it could support vulnerable village residents. The document is deliberately short and hopefully of practical use, to view it click the link – West Bergholt Emergency Plan.

To carry out our role the Parish Council needs access to a team of volunteers who could carry out activities such as staffing a Reception Centre at the Orpen Hall. Various village groups do already have such volunteers and these will be contacted but should you be willing to assist in such activity please contact Harry Stone through the Parish Clerk [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].

The Parish Council believes that in some emergency situations (e.g. prolonged power failure in severe weather) some vulnerable residents could be at risk. A list of such residents is to be compiled although it is appreciated that holding such information has to be handled sensitively and with the accepted protection. Again existing organisations such as the Care Network and Churches will be contacted but also if a possible resident who it is known has no regular contact from relatives or friends please inform the Parish Clerk. No name will be added without personal contact being made and their agreement.

April 30, 2014

Green Open Homes

Save £££ and win – visit Green Open Homes during May

On Saturdays and Sundays / weekends from 3 – 15 May, 20 local householders will be opening their homes to the public as part of Colchester’s Green Open Homes. Find out how easy it is to cut hundreds of pounds from your energy bills by installing energy saving measures, from low cost to bigger investments. Plus win shopping vouchers just by visiting one of the Green Open Homes.

The event will be a great opportunity for visitors to see first-hand how various environmental and renewable technologies work, such as solar panels and air source heat pumps. See the technologies in use in real homes discuss with the householders the practicalities and benefits for them.

How much did the installation cost and how simple was it?
What effect has it had on their fuel bills?
Are the sales claims realistic?

Visit www.colchester.greenopenhomes.net or contact the organizers, en-form, on 01206 367776 or [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”] for locations and opening details.