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Free Cycle training, Police & Other Updates

Free Cycle Training

Family cycling - get free cycle training

Through Safer Essex Roads Partnership, ECC is offering free cycle training until the end of March 2022.  They have courses available for Children, Adults (beginners to advanced) and even families. Sessions are led by qualified instructors and range from 45 minutes to 3 hours! 

If you are interested then you should register your interest here.

Other updates

Essex Police

Essex Police has recently published issue 15 of their local news update.  It is a decent read with much to interest, e.g. spiking, property closed due to anti-social behaviour and joint patrols with RMP.  There’s also a nice snippet on ‘Disruptor Teams’ who look into and tackle crimes such as anti-social behaviour within communities. It rounds off with an article on cycle security and contact information to help victims of domestic abuse.  You can read the whole update below.

Community Updates

This is a much slimmer document with more white space than words, however, items of interest are:

The Police Update in Full

St Mary’s Advent Trail Edition

Learn About the 2021 Advent Trail & More Updates

Some example nativity windows from last year

St Mary’s December newsletter provides details of this years, advent trail and a Christmas message. It also, of course, has the usual listings of services (and they look forward to welcoming you for their Christmas Services in both the Old Church & St Mary’s), and contacts.

Christmas Message from Revd Heather Wilcox

It’s that time of year, when we are bombarded with Christmas advertising, but one advert in particular has caught my attention, probably because it has generated the most complaints in 2021 so far, the Tesco’s advert.

It begins with a lady standing outside a Tesco’s store being asked, ‘Do you need a little help’ and she responds, ‘Don’t worry my love, this year, nothings stopping me.’ Queens ‘Don’t stop me now’ providing the soundtrack to the advert.

Continue reading “St Mary’s Advent Trail Edition”

Green Homes Grant – Are You Eligible?

CBC Offers Green Homes Grants

Green Homes Grants flyer

Parish Councillors have had early notice of Green Homes Grants. This comes as they are taking part in an Essex-wide series of workshops to understand how communities can come together to assist with climate change and carbon reduction initiatives.

Warmworks are managing the project; their role is to check resident eligibility & guide applicants through the process. They will also arrange for installers to deliver the works and inspect them afterwards.  The scheme is open until the end of March 2022.

Who Can Benefit?

Up to £10,000 is available for those who own their property. Up to £5,000 is available for renters when the landlord pays a minimum of one-third of the cost. The grants are available to those who:

Continue reading “Green Homes Grant – Are You Eligible?”

Two Parish Council Vacancies

Interested in your village, want to see things change?

Attributes of a good Parish Councillor

Following the resignation of two councillors, West Bergholt Parish Council currently has vacancies. Would you make a good parish councillor?  Why not visit the next full council meeting on 26th January at 7:30 pm in the Orpen Hall; you will be able to see our councillors working for you.    Contact the Parish Clerk – Laura Walkingshaw – at [email protected] for more details if interested,.

About the Parish Council

Continue reading “Two Parish Council Vacancies”

Environment & Highways 11th November 2021

Highlights of Environment & Highways Meeting on 11th November 2021

Environment

The Environment & Highways Committee of West Bergholt Parish Council met on 11th November 2021 with topics including:

  • Handymen dealing with activities such as fallen branch, to reviewing drainage issues,
  • Potential work on ponds,
  • Hopkins Home offer of land,
  • Orpen Hall trees, &
  • Parking in Colchester Road.
Continue reading “Environment & Highways 11th November 2021”

Advent Calendar for 2021

Some pictures from last years advent calendar

Will you help with an Advent Calendar for 2021?

Last year’s Giant Advent Calendar windows trail was so successful St Mary’s thought they would do it again for 2021! The idea is for 24 windows around the village to be decorated with a scene from the Christmas story, with 1 new window being revealed each day in December, up until Christmas Eve.

The video below shows the amazing designs people created last year (speakers on):

How to help

If you would like your house or business to be part of this year’s calendar, please contact [email protected] by Thursday 25 November. You can use an upstairs or downstairs window, as long as it is visible from the road.

What do you know about County Lines?

County Lines might be operating closer than you think

The National Crime Agency (NCA) operates a specialist centre to coordinate on all matters related to County Lines. They have identified Essex as a county where there is limited awareness of the signs of exploitation of children by County Lines groups. 

To address this a webinar has been prepared for parents with little or no understanding of what exploitation looks like. All parents will have access to it.

Continue reading “What do you know about County Lines?”

Planning for Festival Field 2022

Festival Field 2022 – Our Next Village Fete

Festival Field is 2022's Village Fete

Festival Field 2022 is the working title for next year’s Village Fete. Planned to take place on 4th June 2022 it will be closely linked to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations with the beacon lighting on 2nd June. Planning started in September with a group of parish councillors and members of the public sharing ideas. Their outline plans for Festival Field include:

Sports

Sporting plans so far include:

Continue reading “Planning for Festival Field 2022”

From Digs to Jumbo – Local History Talks

The past & future of the Jumbo

The Balkerne Water Tower aka Jumbo

The next Local History Group meeting focuses on Colchester’s Victorian water tower, Jumbo. Andrew Crayston, a Trustee of the Colchester & North East Essex Building Preservation Trust, will lead the talk. You will hear about the past & future of the Balkerne water tower, affectionately referred to as Jumbo. There are some useful links below to find out more about Jumbo.
UPDATE: read the meeting report here.

Where & When

The meeting will take place on November 10th in Orpen Hall starting at 7:30 pm. Members & non-members are welcome for £2 and £5 respectively (membership £10 per year). Please email the group at [email protected] if you want to attend; the group will then be able to keep you informed if there are any last minute changes to the meeting.

Roman discoveries at 2 recent digs

Continue reading “From Digs to Jumbo – Local History Talks”