three-rivers-times-autumn-winter-2014

Three Rivers Times autumn/winter 2014 SECTION NEWS Services during Christmas and New Year in Three Rivers ollections due on 25 December will be made on January Refuse and Recycling collections due on 25 December will be made on January 2015 Collections due on 26 December will be made on January 2015 For these two dates only two extra bags of refuse will be taken Extra recycling will be taken in carrier bags over Christmas and New Year Collection Calendars are available to download from www.threerivers.gov.uk No brown bins will be collected between 19 December 2014 and January 2015 Real Christmas trees will be collected on brown bin days CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR OPENING TIMES FOR THE COUNCIL, WATERSMEET AND LOCAL SPORTS CENTRES ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.THREERIVERS.GOV.UK OR TELEPHONE 01923 776611 A season of film at Watersmeet Watersmeet is to trial a new venture for an initial three month period from January 2015 Branded Filmsmeet, Watersmeet will be looking to screen a variety of films The aim is to provide a relaxed yet quality experience in the comfort of a theatre environment, with the benefit of digital projection and Dolby Digital sound The Filmsmeet season launches on January with the screening of ‘The Imitation Game’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode Tickets for this red carpet event and subsequent shows are available at www.watersmeet.co.uk or at the Box Office 01923 711063 Tickets cost £5 per adult / £4 concessions Canal trust recognised Rickmansworth Waterways Trust has gained national recognition from the Living Waterways Awards The voluntary group was runner up in the Recreation and Tourism category The canal charity will be working throughout the winter www.rwt.org.uk New CAB number The Citizens Advice Bureau has changed its telephone number to 0344 245 1296 Calls are charged at the same rate as standard 01 and 02 numbers More information at http://threeriverscab.org.uk/ £22,000 saved Three Rivers is saving £22,000 after a review of claims for single person’s discount on Council Tax The discount is worth 25% of an annual Council Tax bill it but can only be claimed if someone lives on their own Three Rivers’ cabinet member for policy and resources, Matthew Bedford, said: “We have been working hard to make efficiency savings and our Council Tax is lower than it was in 2006 “The total amount we are saving on single person’s discount would be the equivalent of running the entire barrow beat service in the district for nearly four months.” The review was undertaken by Three Rivers with Watford Council and was supported by Hertfordshire County Council Report concerns about Council Tax and Benefits claims in confidence on freephone 0800 458 9200 fraud@threerivers.gov.uk Beat the cold The Council is inviting donations to its Beat the Killer Cold scheme The project provides small grants to local pensioners on low incomes who are in need of help with their winter fuel bills Council Leader Ann Shaw said: “Help with heating costs can save a pensioner's life For every pound donated, the Council will add another pound - effectively doubling your contribution Thank you for supporting local pensioners.” The scheme is in addition to the national Winter Fuel Allowance scheme Donate by phone 01923 776611 or in person at Three Rivers House Corporate sponsorship enquiries are welcome More on energy saving pxx Flood help for Rickmansworth The media circus has moved on since the floods grabbed the headlines in February but prevention work continues Back in February, District Council staff built a bund of earth where the River Chess broke its banks The overflow from the Chess added to the flooding caused by groundwater The bund will stay in place to help prevent flooding in the future The Council has been repairing the river bank and staff have met with the Environment Agency to agree a plan to help prevent flooding from happening again The Agency has dredged the River Chess and they have worked with the Council to remove a large number of fallen trees As the ground within the wooded copsed area is still very wet, the grounds maintenance team have thinned out this copse, which should allow more sunlight in and allow it to dry Three Rivers has also been working with residents affected by the flooding to support them to make claims for the Government Repair and Renew Grants See www.hertsdirect.org for tips on flooding prevention Residents can buy sandbags from DIY shops E-news updates at www.threerivers.gov.uk or follow the Council on Twitter @threeriversdc or search for your town on Facebook Green APES Abbots Langley Transition Town Association’s schools group, APES, have formed a youth forum, made up of reps from eight schools This is an opportunity for young people to share ideas for improvements in local food, reuse/recycling, sustainable transport and renewable energy The group has been given £500 from the County Council's Locality Budget www.altta.org.uk 01923 291 273 Breaking out the bells By Dave Dunham Throughout winter, Woodside Morris Men’s Wednesday night practice at the Pump House in Watford is their main concern, so the chance to break out the bells for Boxing Day on Sarratt Village Green is a most welcome treat For some 40 years, following their move from Finchley, Woodside have been celebrating Yule Tide in Croxley Green and Sarratt, along with guest sides, and are regularly joined by hundreds of onlookers, out to shake off the Christmas cobwebs with a little dancing, singing and tune playing, and even the occasional Mummers Play More events at www.woodsidemorrismen.com/ Welcome to the Matrix Gym members at William Penn Leisure Centre will be getting an early Christmas present as brand new state of the art cardiovascular fitness equipment, purchased by Three Rivers District Council is to be installed this winter The new fitness machines will be ready and open to the public on Wednesday December and the gym itself will also get a makeover and a new layout William Penn is managed by Hertsmere Leisure Trust on behalf of the District Council www.hertsmereleisure.co.uk New play area opens Three Rivers and the Countryside Management Services have created a new play area in South Oxhey Previously, the Ashridge play area was a disused and overgrown piece of land which has now been sympathetically transformed into a wide open space, with innovative play equipment Slow down The District Council has backed Hertfordshire’s speed management plan which was agreed earlier this year The policy makes it easier to set up 20mph speed limits on local roads This reduces the risk of accidents and of serious injury or death if an accident happens Experts believe that lower speed limits encourage people to cycle and walk safely which is good for health and reduces traffic congestion Residents can contact their County Councillor to give their views on local speed limits www.hertsdirect.org Get the Abbots habit Abbots Langley residents now have easy access to the financial co-operative, Watford Credit Union The recently opened collection point is at the Hillside Residents Association office in School Mead between 9am and 10 am every Friday Watford Credit Union provides easy saving (including a savings account for Christmas) and low cost loans and is run by volunteers Members can pay in by standing order, bank transfer, at the community collection points There are also collections points in Rickmansworth, Leavesden Green, South Oxhey and Watford www.watfordcreditunion.co.uk Job club and café Everyone is welcome for lunch at The Mill café at the Methodist Church in Berry Lane Freshly cooked fare is available every Tuesday from10am to 4pm with low cost lunch from 12pm to 1:30pm Organised by the Mill End Community Trust and Rickmansworth Foodbank Other services available at the Mill Café include Watford Credit Union, and the Foodbank On Fridays the Mill Café is open 12pm – 1:30pm and the Get Up and Go job club meets at the Church from 10am – 11:30am The job club is run in partnership with the Mill End Community Centre More information: 0771 6856892 info@rickmansworth.foodbank.org.uk www.millendcommunitytrust.org Christmas and New Year - news and events Horns of a dilemma Christmas is a time for tradition, right? Well, that all depends British butchers have been spotting some interesting trends in Christmas dinners While most customers still plump for turkey, a flock of alternatives are increasingly in demand Simon East is a butcher in Abbots Langley: “People order a range of alternatives for their Christmas dinner Geese are popular but also ribs of beef are ordered by some as an alternative,” he explains “An interesting luxury is the four or five bird roast – this is usually partridge or quail inside duck, which is inside chicken, inside turkey inside goose.” For special orders please contact your local high street butcher A list of local food producers is available at www.threerivers.gov.uk Lives of Christmas By Marie Frost, Lives Furniture Why not come to Lives Furniture for unique or customised Christmas presents? We have many different types of glasses for 10p each, which you can fill with sweets or potpourri then get lovely Christmas ribbon to tie around it or maybe put two glasses with a bottle makes a Christmas toddy set Some of our frames and pictures are very inexpensive - buy yourself a pot of chalkboard paint –250 ml for around £4.50 from most DIY shops Removing the glass and painting the back board makes a great chalk board This paint goes a very long way Ever thought of buying a hardback book for 50p and converting it to card holders? We often have linen napkins for sale these could be personalised with embroidery, beads or buttons There’s always crockery for sale Craft shops sell porcelain pens which you could use to personalise mugs, plates or bowls Also don’t forget we sell unique up-cycled or refurbished furniture, cake stands, tea cup candles that have been made here and all sell at competitive prices www.9livesfurniture.org.uk/ Little Fox market The next Market will be very festive! It takes place on Saturday December from 10.30am – 3.30pm at St Mary’s Church Centre, Church Street, Rickmansworth www.littlefoxmarket.co.uk Also find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/pages/LittleFox-Market and Twitter @littlefoxmarket CHRISTMAS MARKETS AND FAIRS Rickmanswort h Christmas Evening Chorleywood Primary Christmas Market 07757253971 www.rickmansworthtown.co.uk 28 November 2014 29 November 2014 01923 282095 http://www.chorleywood.herts.sch.uk/PT A/events.html Kings Langley Christmas Event 01923 261828 http://www.kingslangley.co.uk/archive/events/christmaslights/ 29 4pm to November 7pm 2014 Rudolph Steiner Advent Fair 01923 262505 http://rsskl.org.gridhosted.co.uk/upcomi ng-events/advent-fair/ 29 10am November to 5pm 2014 Langley Hill, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire WD4 9HG South Oxhey All Saints Church Christmas Fayre Peace Hospice Festive Market 020 8421 0260 http://allsaintsoxhey.wordpress.com/ 29 10.30a November m to 2014 12.30p m Gosforth Lane, South Oxhey, WD19 7AX 01923 330 349 http://www.peacehospice.co.uk/vieweve nt.asp?eventID=580 29 12pm November to 4pm 2014 St Mary's Primary School 01923 776529 http://www.kingslangley.co.uk/archive/events/christmaslights/ 03 3.15pm December to 2014 4.15pm Abbots Langley Christmas Lights and Carol concert Sarratt Parents Association Christmas Fair 01923 265139 http://www.abbotslangley-pc.gov.uk 04 From December 7pm 2014 Peace Hospice Care, Peace Drive, Watford, WD17 3PH Stockers Farm Road, Rickmanswort h, WD3 1NY High Street, Abbots Langley 01923 262003 http://www.sarrattprimary.com/? q=node/542 06 11am December to 2pm 2014 Watford Rural Parish Council Christmas Fun Day St Peter's VA Primary School 0208 428 0449 http://www.peacehospice.co.uk/vieweve nt.asp?eventID=610 06 11am December to 3pm 2014 01923 773240 http://www.spmillend.herts.sch.uk 06 December 2014 5-9pm Rickmanswort h High Street 12-3pm Chorleywood Primary, Stag Lane, Chorleywood, Herts WD3 5HR Kings Langley High Street and Green Park 12-3pm Sarratt Church of England School, The Green, Sarratt, WD3 6AS St Andrews Precinct, South Oxhey, WD19 7AD St Peter's VA Primary School, Christmas Fayre Christ Church C of E School PTA Christmas Fair 01923 282647 http://www.christchurchschool.herts.sch uk/ 06 December 2014 11am2pm The Russell School Christmas Fair 01923 284272 http://www.russell.herts.sch.uk/ 06 December 2014 24.30pm 11am to 4pm Christmas In Cassiobury Park 01923 278972 http://w3rt.org/cvs/events 07 December 2014 Chorleywood Christmas Festival and Late Night Shopping 01923 537637 http://www.chorleywoodresidents.co.uk 07 4pm to December 9pm 2014 Church Lane, Mill End, Rickmanswort h, Hertfordshire WD3 8HD The Common, Rickmanswort h Road, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, WD3 5SG Brushwood Drive, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire, WD3 5RR located around the Cha Cha Cha Café High Street, Chorleywoodthe main shopping streets Add your event to the list of fairs and markets at www.threerivers.gov.uk SECTION SUSTAINABILITY Recycling In 2014, several changes have been made to the recycling services that Three Rivers District Council operates: Your recycling bin (black with a green lid) is emptied every week and you can now recycling cardboard and foil We cannot take soft plastics such as carrier bags A silver food pod was introduced for the weekly collection of your food waste The brown bin is now collected fortnightly and you should not place any food or cardboard in this bin The brown bin is for garden waste General reminders Please remember that ALL bins should be on the boundary by 6am on collection day All bin lids should be closed Your bins will not be emptied if they contain the wrong items, so please follow this guidance to ensure you know what each bin is for Caddy liners are on sale at various outlets throughout the district and can be used in food pods Please visit www.threerivers.gov.uk for a current list of stockists Don’t forget that many other items can be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centres www.wasteaware.org.uk 0300 1234 051 Refuse and recycling – what goes where RECYCLING WHEELIE BIN Cardboard (e.g toilet roll centres, plain greeting cards, egg cartons, cereal packets) Foil Glass bottles and jars Tins and cans Aerosols Drinks/food cartons Paper (e.g newspapers, magazines, telephone directories, junk mail, envelopes and shredded paper) Plastics (eg Bottles, yoghurt pots, tubs, food trays etc) (If you can ‘scrunch it’, it’s not recyclable) No plastic carrier bags (place items in this bin loose) FOOD POD Food All food waste (e.g tea bags, bones, raw/ cooked meats, vegetables/ fruit peelings egg shells) Kitchen tissue (not the cardboard tube) Corn starch liners accepted or food can be wrapped in newspaper No plastic carrier Bags GARDEN WASTE WHEELIE BIN Garden waste (e.g grass cuttings, wood prunings) Shredded paper Real Christmas trees (can be left next to the brown bin) No soil, plastic carrier bags, cardboard or food waste REFUSE BIN Only waste that cannot be recycled (eg Plastics you can ‘scrunch’) or waste that cannot be composted No garden waste, food or recycling If the collection service is disrupted due to extreme weather this winter please check the website for updates Finding faults? Have you seen a pot hole, faulty street light or fallen tree branch? You can report these to Hertfordshire County Council www.hertsdirect.org/highwayfaults Simply search for the area of the fault by your current location, street name or postcode The system will ask you to pinpoint the exact location on a map and identify the type of fault You can also provide your email address to receive updates about progress Every fault reported will be investigated and prioritised after considering various factors, including:  the risk to road users  how busy the road is  the severity of the fault  funding available If you see a fault on the roads, visit the fault reporting system to let the County Council know You can also report faulty street lights and fallen trees www.hertsdirect.org/highwayfaults 0300 123 4042 Salt of the earth Hertfordshire County Council is the lead agency with legal responsibility for road gritting and salting in the area Three Rivers provides support by gritting to help make sure the refuse and recycling lorries get through Three Rivers also grits shopping centres on behalf of the County Council 0300 123 4047 For service updates during icy weather sign up for our Service e-news at www.threerivers.gov.uk @threeriversdc @hertscc Don’t let energy bills leave you feeling cold About 60% of your energy bills come from heating You can help keep costs down by upgrading heating appliances and keeping in the warmth If your boiler is more than 15 years old, you can replace it with a more cost-effective one An A-rated unit will heat your home and water on demand, and reduce your bills You can also dodge the draughts by keeping in the warmth - draught proofing and insulation help keep your home cosy The savings gained can help pay for the installation With the Green Deal scheme you can reduce the upfront cost of by paying for it through your energy bill The Golden Rule means that payments should be no greater than the savings A Green Deal advisor can carry out an assessment and will provide you with the best options available to you Green Deal Together As part of a consortium of Councils and the National Energy Foundation, Three Rivers District Council have launched Green Deal Together, a Community Interest Company Green Deal Together is your local Green Deal Provider offering householder energy saving advice and support 0300 111 3330 www.greendealtogether.org.uk Independent and impartial advice about the Green Deal 0300 123 1234 www.gov.uk/greendeal Bill busting boiler Lindy Lee bought her ex-council property two years ago The boiler was more than 15 years old and she was shocked by the bills and took action She says: “I replaced the old boiler and water tank with a new combi-boiler and radiators, and saw a change in my energy bills straight away I’m now saving around 35% on my previous bills, which is amazing I also had valves fitted to the radiators so I can turn them down, or off, in rooms I’m not using.” 10 PART COMMUNITY ACTION South Oxhey Initiative – the next steps Aims The aim of the initiative is to deliver a comprehensive redevelopment within the heart of South Oxhey, which dramatically enhances the quality of life for its existing community in terms of housing and shopping facilities Choosing the right developer The Council is committed to investing substantially in an improved future for South Oxhey and has done the ground work in preparation for redevelopment However the Council needs to join forces with a suitably experienced developer to deliver the transformation The good news is that there seems to be a great deal of interest from suitable developers The Council has launched a competitive process to choose the best offer - one that balances high quality proposals and value for money for the Council The process of choosing a developer takes time as it has to comply with European rules on fairness and transparency, but the Council expects the community’s patience to be rewarded with some eye-catching but deliverable proposals Latest indicative timescales Developer competition Preferred developer selected Contract signed with developer Design and Planning process Construction starts on phase one of the main site All phases complete Autumn 2014 to Summer 2015 Summer 2015 Summer 2015 Autumn 2015 to Summer 2016 Autumn 2017 Spring 2022 Programmes on complex schemes such as these are always prone to change and will be dependant on the chosen developer The Council is committed to updating the indicative timescales on a regular basis Keep in touch – a South Oxhey Initiative e-newsletter is available from www.threerivers.gov.uk Setting the pace 14 After losing his leg during his service in the Royal Engineers Croxley resident Jamie Gillespie decided to join Pace Rehabilitation The organisation provides specialist prosthetics, physiotherapy, and other services Pace Rehabilitation has had a clinic based in Chesham since 2007, and is our closest facility for prosthetic/orthotic and therapeutic and specialist support Clients receive support outside of the NHS, many of whom are funded by insurance companies following traumatic injuries To help patients recover, Pace encourages the use of sport and other physical activities to restore confidence and give them focus during their recovery Jamie’s career so far as a prosthetist has taken him on quite a journey Jamie has provided support to rehabilitation teams and amputees in over 20 countries One of Jamie’s clients proposed the idea of a relay swim across the English Channel The all-amputee team made up of four ex-military amputees successfully achieved their crossing in September, raising over £4,000 for partner charity, BELSMA www.pacerehab.com/home Help with food Mill End Community Trust have expanded their food banks to include Croxley Green The group also works in Maple Cross, West Hyde and Rickmansworth all year round Volunteer Iris Bangs says: “There is a wide spectrum of people and backgrounds of individuals and families who can experience crisis “At Christmas we aim to provide hampers including seasonal luxury goods not normally included in food boxes.” Distribution points: Monday 1pm-3pm Croxley Green Monday 2pm-4pm West Hyde Tuesday Mill End Methodist Church 2pm-4pm Fridays 1pm-3pm at CAB offices, Rickmansworth How food banks work Individuals who have no food and no money to buy food are given a voucher for three days’ worth of provisions, which can be collected from one of the venues listed Vouchers are available from a range of agencies including Children’s Centres, CAB offices and other local venues Individual churches may also be operating a food bank service For up-to-date information, and for food banks in other parts of the district, ask at your local CAB office 0344 245 1296 or ring 07716 856892 Calls are charged at the same rate as standard 01 and 02 numbers 15 Training dragons By Billy Evans I teach at The Centre in South Oxhey and I started when someone who came to my circuit class in 1994 suggested I come along and try out dragon boat racing Three of my sons paddled at junior level and Thomas and Billy both paddled for GB juniors Billy drummed for our club team and for GB including in Canada in 2000 Having raced many times in China I can confirm it is very popular there On a far smaller scale it is also popular in England I raced this year in the first World Cup in China for the GB Open team We will still be training during the winter, with single canoe racing once a month, Henley five mile race once a month, GB squad training once a month and on the water four times a week Our regular season starts in April and runs to the end of September A broad church By Sarah and Rachel Hagger-Holt Think you can’t be gay and be a Christian? Think again The West Herts and Borders LGBT Christian Fellowship is a safe and welcoming place for everyone – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, straight or somewhere in between – whether you call yourself a Christian or go to church or not To find out more about the Fellowship and our forthcoming meetings, email Rachel and Sarah Hagger-Holt on or simply come along to Berry Lane Methodist Church, Mill End WD3 7HJ on the second Sunday of each month, 2.30pm-4pm All are very welcome Sarah and Rachel’s book, Living It Out, is available from Hertfordshire libraries lgbchristianbook@tiscali.co.uk Five Ways Friends This new style of club offers local residents, who are 55+ years old or are carers, an opportunity to socialise, enjoy a cooked two course meal and take part in a variety of activities, which can help increase physical and mental wellbeing, such as arts and crafts, gentle exercise, talks on a wide range of topics and organised day trips The new clubs are held each week, between 11am until 3pm, at the following venues: Monday Tuesday Tuesday Memorial Hall, Chorleywood Mill End Community Centre, Mill End Oxhey Jets Pavilion, South Oxhey 16 Wednesday Friday Manor House Community Centre, Abbots Langley Methodist Hall, Croxley Green 01923 216967 wellbeing@w3rt.org Thriving Families Thriving Families is a holistic, intensive, family intervention service It is an part of Hertfordshire County Council’s early intervention and prevention plan Thriving Families support families who are facing two or three of the following issues: adults receiving out-of-work benefits; children not attending school regularly or who have been repeatedly excluded; under-18s are involved in crime or the family is in trouble due to their behaviour When a family experiences only two of the above criteria, they must also face mental health difficulties; adult learning difficulties or disabilities; substance misuse; domestic abuse; the risk of losing their home; failure to take up an early years education place they are entitled to 0300 123 4043 www.hertsdirect.org/thriving New heights for ASCEND By Michelle Wheeler ASCEND helps around 800 people every year to improve their life chances and wellbeing, and it has an active volunteer programme Volunteer Mary works on the ASCEND reception desk on a Tuesday: “I really enjoy my afternoons at ASCEND,” she says, “the job is very rewarding and I have made new friends and met and helped people from all walks of life” ASCEND is based in All Saints’ Church and Step Up (a joint project with Herts Mind Network) in South Oxhey Its courses include Ethnic Jewellery Making, ESOL, Maths and English and craft classes as well as courses in IT Painting, drawing and oil painting classes are run from The Centre The Dig Deep volunteers tend the ASCEND allotment site, growing fruit and vegetables and carrying out a variety of projects including building a large dew pond and a clay pizza oven They have all completed the Level One City and Guilds qualification in Horticulture Supporting clients into work is also a big part of ASCEND’s work The weekly Friday job club is very popular, and individual careers advice and guidance is available by appointment from the ASCEND Guidance Workers, who also regular outreach www.ascend.org.uk or search ASCEND Charity on Facebook 17 ASCEND has been awarded a grant of £454,00 over five years from The Big Lottery to continue its outreach project to other projects and community initiatives in South West Hertfordshire PART BUSINESS NEWS The ‘closest campsite to London’ In recent years, the farming community has faced tough times along with many other parts of the economy But farmers have had added pressures which have included the impact of foot and mouth outbreaks which have led to lengthy bans on cattle movements and the loss of export markets in the EU Those bans even hit farms, such as North Hill in Chorleywood in 2002, which completely escaped the disease Nigel Clark, owner of North Hill Farm, has successfully diversified the 270 year old family business Says Nigel: “We were successful in gaining a diversification grant from the Government and changed the farm to a bed and breakfast and camping site.” Three Rivers’ beautiful countryside together with its location and transport links have made it an ideal place to stay for overseas visitors “We are the closest campsite to London, says Nigel “We have visitors from Holland, Germany and France – people come to visit the Harry Potter Experience in Leavesden.” The District Council publishes a directory of local B & B, hotel and camping accommodation, which has just been updated www.threerivers.gov.uk A good vintage Post-war rationing was still in force when Frank L Dickins opened his grocery store in Rickmansworth High Street in 1949 Town centre shopping today is a world away from those austere days and the family business has continued to evolve The changes facing our town centres today are not a recent phenomenon Director and family member, Alison Love, explains that the shop has always responded to changing customer tastes – evolving into a wine merchants which now stocks over 150 wines supplying wholesale and retail customers “We have conserved the traditional feel of our original premises,” explains Alison, “but we have developed a number of unique selling points which enable us to compete with the major supermarkets and online shopping “These include an ethical sourcing policy, monthly public wine tastings, private and corporate tastings, free delivery and free glass hire with party orders.” It is not just small retailers which must constantly evolve, says Alison: “Tesco, Sainsbury’s and other big boys have been struggling - they, too, will have to adapt.” 18 The wine merchants also champion small local food producers and the family makes wine and food hampers to order for Christmas and throughout the year Public wine tastings are held on the first Saturday of the month Frank Dickins also served as the Chairman of Rickmansworth Urban District Council Changing tastes “I came to FL Dickins in 1960 when I married into the family and my children joined after they left school More people drink wine these days as opposed to spirits Sherry and the dry Vermouths are also not as popular and these have also been replaced by the increased demand for wine.” - Mrs Betty Dickins www.fldickins.co.uk/ Still ready for winners Firms may remember the workshops that were held to share know-how on bidding for London 2012 Olympics contracts But in fact, Hertfordshire's commitment to promoting effective procurement goes back long before the Ready for Winners project to 2003 when Supply Hertfordshire was born The web-based initiative enables businesses to bid for public sector contracts in the county as efficiently as possible Supply Hertfordshire includes Three Rivers District Council, Hertfordshire County Council, the NHS, Hertfordshire Univerity, the Police, housing associations and many others https://supplyhertfordshire.g2b.info/ Use your imagination By Alexandru Voica Imagination Technologies is one of the Britain’s tech titans, a global technology leader and one of the world’s most innovative companies The company has achieved this position by having a passion for innovation, a vision to develop technologies that enrich people’s lives and stellar employees that are driven to achieve our goals Imagination targets massive-growth markets and creates unique and proven solutions for graphics, video and vision processing, general-purpose processing, multi-standard connectivity, and cross-platform voice/video communication 19 Our strategic partners range from highly successful corporations such as Broadcom, Cisco, Huawei, Google, Intel, LG, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung and Sony, to exciting start-ups Imagination considers that the Three Rivers area is one of the best locations in the UK to expand its operations and attract the UK’s best engineers, reflecting its strong commitment to maximising its UK research and development base long term The quality of experienced engineering talent in the Greater London area, combined with the strength of neighbouring British universities and the proximity of Heathrow airport, were key factors in our decision to locate our head office here www.imgtec.com/ Festive fairness Why switch to Fairtrade? Your customers are now much more aware and interested in where their food comes from, who grows it and how This trend is putting businesses in the spotlight as consumers want to know that workers are not being exploited It means ethical consumption is growing fast It’s currently growing nearly eight times faster than the economy as a whole Fairtrade sales have doubled year on year since 2003, and recognition of the Fairtrade Mark is higher than for any other consumer label What is Fairtrade? Fairtrade means farmers and workers in developing countries get a fair price for their products plus a Fairtrade premium to invest in local community development Fairtrade buyers enter into long-term contracts enabling investment and stable employment Fairtrade standards include environmental protection and employee rights What are the benefits for my business? Integrating Fairtrade into your business by switching to Fairtrade purchasing is a highly effective way of showing your customers that you care and potentially getting more customers Switching to Fairtrade also adds a feel-good factor for staff Three Rivers is a Fairtrade district www.watfordfairtrade.com/ Trader tips from the Little Fox Market Perfecting your display Think of it as your shop window – it needs to pull in people in Aim to have clear branding that tells people who you are and what you do, does your display grab people’s attention and stand out? Place some items at eye level by using props, shelves or stands Price your items clearly with good signage that looks professional You may want to promote a special offer 20 Be friendly and smile, don’t sit behind your stall on your mobile phone, stand up as such as possible, and be ready to talk about your products Have flyers or business cards available to give out to people that might not buy on the day, customers like information they can take home, especially if you have a website they can visit Job club and café Everyone is welcome for lunch at The Mill café at the Methodist Church in Berry Lane Freshly cooked fare is available every Tuesday from10am to 4pm with low cost lunch from 12pm to 1:30pm Organised by the Mill End Community Trust and Rickmansworth Foodbank Other services available at the Mill Café include Watford Credit Union, and the Foodbank On Fridays the Mill Café is open 12pm – 1:30pm and the Get Up and Go job club meets at the Church from 10am – 11:30am The job club is run in partnership with the Mill End Community Centre More information: 0771 6856892 info@rickmansworth.foodbank.org.uk www.millendcommunitytrust.org Uni for kids The South Hertfordshire Children’s University is the part of a national network encouraging children between the ages of seven and 14 to explore a wide range of opportunities and learn new skills Sponsored by West Herts College, the scheme rewards participation for attending activities outside of school hours, which raises aspirations and encourages lifelong learning The more hours each student clocks up in activities at the College, the higher award they receive and provided they achieve 30 hours of learning the children can graduate – complete with ceremony at the College with cap and gown www.southhertscu.co.uk/ PART LEISURE Parkour arrives in Three Rivers Brand new to Three Rivers are two parkour facilities Parkour was developed in France by Raymond Belle, a French soldier, as a way to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible Parkour (very similar to free running), is aimed at teenagers and is the art of jumping and moving between urban structures and includes obstacle courses, running, climbing, swinging, vaulting and rolling Try your skills of strength, balance and co-ordination at: King George V Playing Fields, Mill End WD3 6JN Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green WD3 3LE 21 For full details visit iparkour.co.uk Another Outstanding rating for Three Rivers playscheme Three Rivers District Council Playschemes provide an affordable, but more importantly fun choice of activities during the Easter and summer holidays and aim to ensure that the children attending have a good time, develop new skills, make new friends and play a huge variety of games in a safe environment Over 1,000 children attended Playscheme over the summer holiday and we are delighted to report that our Maple Cross site were inspected by Ofsted and received an ‘Outstanding’ rating Here’s an extract of what was said in their report: ‘Young children are cared for in a vibrant, nurturing environment Staff interact and support children's learning to an exceptionally high level, building on the strong partnerships with parents Children are involved in making decisions about what they would like to do, understanding how important their views are and that their needs and feelings really matter’ Call 01923 776611 or visit www.threerivers.gov.uk for full details Artistsmeet June Faulkner will be exhibiting at Watersmeet over the festive period and a number of her creations will be available to purchase The exhibition demonstrates June’s skills for using different techniques and materials, but particularly textiles and photography Apart from pictures of anything and everything taken on her travels she finds colour, reflections, light, shadow and texture inspirational Using stencils and photographic silk screen printing processes she creates etched devore scarves and hangings, and welcomes commissions Free entry See the exhibition at Watersmeet during box office hours from 9am to 5pm Monday-Friday and 10am-2pm Saturday Changing Doors The changing doors project at Watersmeet features a selection of paintings by Berry Lane Art Group and forms a series of artworks commissioned by TRDC to raise awareness and the location of Artistsmeet Executed in the manner of popular culture artist ‘Banksy’, the painted artworks will ‘pop-up’ without warning or publicity, to stimulate conversation and arouse interest in the gallery They will relate to the local area or events in imaginative ways Stop by at Watersmeet to view the latest work The Film Box 22 Young people aged 14-19 from the South Oxhey area have been given an exciting opportunity to take part in a new film making project, run by industry professionals Elstree Film Design and organised by Three Rivers District Council’s Leisure Team 'The Film Box' is a continuation of the successful project ‘Furze Films’ which took place in January 2014 and saw young residents from Aldwyck’s Furze Field House take part in a film taster course, where they were able to experience photography and basic film making Supported by the Royal Opera House Bridge and Youth Connexions, the sessions have been running since October for a wider group of young people who are learning how to produce storyboards, create scripts, use filming equipment, direct and edit film- with a shared viewing of their short film set to take place at the end of the project Following this, two further creative programmes of activity for young people will take place next year in Abbots Langley and Rickmansworth utilising the funding from the Royal Opera House Bridge If you would like to know more about our other activities for young people, call 01923 776611 or visit leisure@threerivers.gov.uk Tea Dance goes festive and you’re invited The regular Tea Dance held at Chorleywood Memorial Hall is holding its Christmas party on Tuesday 16 December Whether it’s the Charleston, the Waltz or the Shimmy, Mr Wonderful the resident DJ will be playing all your favourite tunes so if you’re looking for a reason to get your dancing shoes on, come along and join in the fun This special Tea Dance will take place between 1.30pm – 4pm at Chorleywood Memorial Hall Costs are £3 for dancers, £1.50 for non-dancers and carers go free Tea, coffee and cakes will be served throughout the afternoon by a group of fantastic volunteers For more details on the Tea Dance and assistance with getting there, call 01923 776611 or visit www.threeivers.gov.uk Get Set Performers Get Set Perform is now in it’s fourth term at Watersmeet This group of adults with a disability meet every Tuesday to learn lots of techniques and types of performance skills Some of the comments from members of the group have been: "I feel that I am learning more about me and being part of the group", "I enjoy everything and it has helped my confidence." "Confidence in singing in a group and not in the rain!" "Meeting friends new and old, enjoying new skills." The group are currently touring venues in Hertfordshire as part of the Disability 23 Festival If you would like them to perform at something you are organising, please contact us If you would like more information on Get Set Perform or any of the other sessions in our extensive Get Set programme, please contact 01923 776611 or visit www.igetset.co.uk Back2netball Did you enjoy netball during your formative years, but haven’t played since? If you did, how about giving it another go? These informal sessions provide female players over sixteen years of age with a gentle introduction to the game The group is led by a coach and covers basic skill development and court play The emphasis of these sessions is on learning new skills and having fun playing netball with friends Sessions are open to all women aged 16+ and take place during term-time on Wednesdays from 8pm - 9pm at St Clement Danes School Sportshall, Chenies Road, Chorleywood WD3 6EW Cost is just £3 and no booking is required, just turn up and play PART COMMUNITY SAFETY Kerbs and hedges Three Rivers District Council is aware of the concerns raised by residents over the problem of vehicle parking on pavements around the district This is a serious problem for people with impaired mobility or vision, for those using wheelchairs, mobility scooters or children in pushchairs The District Council is reminding all residents to take this into consideration when parking Hedges in the area must also be maintained, as they can be a hazard when overgrowing the pavement Phone scams and doorstep scams – stay safe Answer NO to any personal questions, never part with any of your personal information Remember, the Police, Bank or Council would NEVER ask for such details as your PIN account numbers or for you to withdraw money If in a phone conversation or a caller to your door you feel uncomfortable LEAVE THE CONVERSATION After, if you think it was suspicious dial 101 the Police nonemergency number and report Hertfordshire Constabulary ring 101 (24 hours) www.herts.police.uk/ Do something Special 24 Hertfordshire Constabulary is currently looking to recruit Special Constables from all areas across the county who can help to support a variety of policing work The force is also keen to recruit Rural Special Constables who help regular officers to police rural areas of the county Anyone who has an interest in rural issues, the countryside and wildlife could be perfect for the role All Special Constables have full Police powers, uniform, protective equipment and work alongside the regular force If you are 18 or over, can multi-task, have great interpersonal skills and want to give something back to the community for at least 16 hours a month in your free time, why not consider becoming a Special Constable or a Rural Special Constable? Visit www.herts.police.uk/specials and browse the pages to find out more LATEST CRIME FIGURES Three Rivers is one of 10 districts in Hertfordshire Hertfordshire overall has a low crime rate and Three continues to be the safest of all the districts in the county ALL CRIME BURGLARY DWELLING VEHICLE CRIME VIOLENCE AGAINST THE PERSON CRIMINAL DAMAGE THEFT FROM THE PERSON DOMESTIC ABUSE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR Position in Hertfordshire Lowest Third lowest Fifth lowest Second lowest Third lowest Lowest Fifth lowest Third lowest The figures are for April – August 2014 show Three Rivers’ position out of 10 districts Source: IQUANTA More than the sum of its parts 25 Cllr Roger Seabourne, Chair of the Three Rivers Community Safety Partnership talks about his work in keeping the district safe The main function of the Chair of the Community Safety Partnership is to try to see that the work of the ‘whole’ greater than the sum of the parts All the people and organisations involved, including the ‘blue light’ services, health, probation, courts are doing a fantastic job under difficult financial restrictions and work together very well The most satisfying part of my role has been seeing the remarkable drop in crime over the last years One of the main reasons for this is that this community cares With very few exceptions, people take the time and trouble to keep the district clean and well looked after - they look out for and look after each other Having graffiti and fly tips removed quickly when they appear; having our barrow beats and street cleaning teams active, dog owners clearing up after their pets - this all sends out a message that this is a place where you are less likely to get away with criminal activity or anti-social behaviour An excellent, pro-active Police force, the use of technology and intelligence and reacting quickly to changes in trends in criminal activity are all helping to keep our crime rate low and still falling The PCSOs’ personal knowledge of residents, particularly the younger people, and their problems and issues, together with the results they have achieved, have gained the respect of residents If you have not done so already, I would encourage you to join your local OWL (Online Watch Link) and please keep a check on elderly, vulnerable neighbours www.owl.co.uk/herts/ Telephone 101 (24 hours) Roger Seabourne is lead member for community safety for Three Rivers District Council as well as Chair of the Three Rivers Safety Partnership PART WHAT’S ON Filmsmeet red carpet opening night event on Friday January 2015 The Imitation Game Filmsmeet logo / Imitation Game image English mathematician and logician, Alan Turing, helps crack the Enigma code during World War II Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode Tickets: £5 adults/£4 concessions If you would like further details of the Watersmeet festival of film, please call 01923 711063 and we will send you our new season Filmsmeet guide What’s on at Watersmeet 26 Paul Holman Associates and Three Rivers District Council presents: Aladdin – 31 December Times and ticket prices vary Sharpe Academy presents: The Little Mermaid JR 20 - 22 February 2015 Tickets: £12.00 adults, £9 concessions £38.00 – Family Ticket (2 Adults / Concessions) £8.50 – Group Bookings (15+) Friends of Watersmeet presents: Quiz Night (with fish and chip supper) 13 March For details and tickets call 01923 446728 or 012923 772278 Croxley School of Dance presents: 20 - 21 March 2015 Georgina Jackson and Peter Long presents: From Berlin to Bacharach 17 April 2015 Tickets: £15 adults, £14 concessions Harrow Light O.C presents: Jekyll & Hyde 21 - 25 April 2015 Tickets: £16 adults, £15 concessions and £14 groups Phoenix MBS Events presents: Mind Body & Spirit event - 10 May 2015 Tickets: £4.50 (on the door) - £3.50 (with this advert) Vienna Festival presents: 35th Anniversary Gala 29 May 2015 Tickets: £21 adults, £19 concessions, £15 under 12 years Friends of Watersmeet film listing – FOW LOGO 15 Jan The Lunch Box (12A) – 94 mins with Indian buffet (call Derek Harrison on 01923 446728 for details) 29 Jan Begin Again (15) – 104 mins 12 Feb Mr Turner (cert TBA) – 149 mins 17 Feb Half term family film – details to be advised 27 19 Mar Magic in the Moonlight (cert TBA) – 97 mins Telephone 01923 711 063 ENDS Three Rivers Times is now published twice a year We welcome your feedback on this publication and your ideas for the next edition The next edition will be published in summer 2015 01923 727 334 kevin.snow@threerivers.gov.uk 28