Funding – grants available

The National Churches Trust has announced that its Community Grant scheme will re-open for applications on Monday 12 January 2015.

The National Churches Trust was formed to fund, protect and support the built heritage of 47,000 churches, chapels and meeting houses throughout the UK. Through the Community Grants scheme, grants of £5,000 and above are available to community groups for projects which introduce facilities to enable increased community use of places of worship.

Grants are available towards works such as extensions, the introduction of accessible toilets and catering facilities. Projects must have an estimated cost of at least £25,000 (including VAT and fees) to qualify.

Debt help available

When financial trouble hits, it’s easy to feel alone.

Christians Against Poverty (CAP), which has two centres in Havering, is already helping hundreds of people who call up every week, through their free of charge Debt Help service.

Please let members of your group know about this service.

CAP visits people in their own homes, negotiates with creditors and supports residents right up until they are debt free. It is  available to anyone regardless of age, faith, gender or background.

More information available here or call 0800 328 000.

£3,000 to boost your broadband

Third sector groups in Havering could be eligible for a £3,000 voucher to help improve their broadband connections.

If you are a registered charity, a social enterprise, a voluntary or community organisation you may be eligible for a Connection Voucher that will help towards the cost of upgrading your broadband.

Help and advice on how to apply is available from Emma Waites.

Apply for your voucher here.

Free help to cope with winter

Does anyone you know:

• Live in a cold home and have difficulty paying energy bills? 
• Have a boiler that is not working or is very old and needs replacing?
• Feel isolated and alone during winter, and could use some help during bad winter weather spells? 

Havering Council and community partners are providing services to help residents during winter including:

• A Cold Weather Befriender programme to support vulnerable residents during winter
• A ‘Winter Readiness Check’ home service visit to help residents in fuel poverty to get assistance with energy efficiency
• Grants for new boilers and insulation for eligible residents
• Helping residents to find cheaper energy tariffs
• Warm Packs to vulnerable older residents who are cold in their homes
• Cold Alarms for residents at risk of low temperatures in their homes
• Winter directories and thermometer cards for information

For more information email Catherine Culley.

Walking for Health...

... is a national scheme which encourages people to exercise for the benefit of their health.  Walking is suitable for all ages and abilities.

Choose from different walk routes which range from 30 minutes to two hours and also vary from easy to hard. 

View the Havering winter brochure here and let members of your group know about this scheme.

For more information email Margaret Campbell  or call 01708 433856.

Free Sew and Swish workshop

The next Sew and Swish workshop is on Saturday 17 January 2015, 10am to 12.30pm at Upminster Library, 26 Corbets Tey Road, Upminster, RM14 2BB.

Residents will be shown some sewing techniques for them to practice and make an item to take home or they can bring along a garment that they would like to mend, alter or recreate and will be given advice and assistance to do this in the session.

There will also be a swishing stall where attendees can bring along any unwanted clothes and shoes to swap with other clothing items on the table for free.

Romford Market - the historic heart of the town

Havering Museum’s new exhibition on the history of Romford Market runs from Saturday 10 January to Saturday 28 March 2015. A series of talks will support this exhibition.

Email Havering Museum for more information.

Photo by Paul Harold.

RSPB Havering Group talk

RSPB Havering Group presents an illustrated talk "Big Skies and all that Crawls, Flutters and Flies" by Paul Forecast, Regional Director, Eastern England RSPB at Hornchurch Library, North Street, Hornchurch, RM11 1TB on Friday 9 January at 7.45pm.  Meeting fee £3. 

For more information call Janet Silver 01708 452171.

A Burns Night

On Saturday 24 January from 7pm in the North Street Halls, 22 North Street, Hornchurch RM11 1QX the Hornchurch Passion Play presents a traditional Burns Night  including a three course dinner with ‘ haggis, neeps and tatties’ piped in address, Scottish county dancing and a complimentary ‘dram’.  Please bring your own drinks and glasses.

Tickets £20 available from Kevin Walsh on 01708 226117. All profits in support of the Hornchurch Passion Play 2015.

Music For A Winters Night with Gary Ryan

Gary Ryan, an Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, will be performing on Thursday 22 January 2015, from 8pm to10pm at Langtons House, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1AX.

Gary Ryan has a string of international honours and awards to his name, recognition for his highly innovative guitar compositions which draw on the rich traditions of the instrument and combine them with contemporary influences and extended techniques.

Admission : £13.50 (£9.50 concessions)

For more information email Fairkytes or call 01708 456308.

Tea Dance with Dawn Chorus

The next tea dance is on Friday 30 January at 3pm in The Queens Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch RM11 1QT. Providing the entertainment will be local choir Dawn Chorus, led by professional singer Paul Rhodes, with a string of melodies from Big Band hits to songs by the great crooners

Admission is £5, which includes a donation to Saint Francis Hospice, Havering-atte-Bower.

Pub Lunch Clubs

Tapestry, formerly Age Concern Havering, organises four Pub Lunch Clubs, all between 12noon and 2pm, for people aged over 55 on:

First Tuesday of the month at The Bull, 74-76 Market Place, Romford, RM1 3ER. To book your place call 01708 760952.

Second Wednesday of the month at The Albion, Rainham Road, Rainham, RM13 8SS. To book your place call 01708 552445

Third Tuesday of the month  at The Village Bar and Grill, 72 Station Lane, Hornchurch, RM12 6NA.To book your place please call 01708 796609

Last Thursday of the month at The Windmill, Upminster Road, Upminster, RM14 2RB. To book your place please call 01708 442657.

Social Afternoon

Come along and meet new friends and old, have a game of Bingo, listen to occasional guest speakers and most importantly have fun, every Wednesday from 1.30pm to 3pm at Ardleigh House Community Association, 42 Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11 2LG  (during term time only).

Admission on the door £3.00 (Includes cup of tea, sandwich and bingo card).  For more information call Charlotte on 01708 440660.

Romford Embroiderers Guild

Romford Embroiderers Guild meets on the second Saturday of each month from 2pm to 4pm at Romford United Reformed Church (Upper Hall), Western Road, Romford, RM1 3LP.

Speakers, workshops and outings are organised on a regular basis.  Visitors are welcome to attend up to three meetings without an obligation to join and the first visit is free.

Email Joy Rasbash or call 01708 767145  

Looking for something to do?

To find out what’s happening across Havering check out the events page on Havering Council’s website.

If you are a locally-based club, society, school or community group, you can use the online form to submit details of your event for possible inclusion on this page.

Pictured: Havering Museum’s new exhibition on the history of Romford Market runs from Saturday 10 January to Saturday 28 March 2015.