Broxtowe Women’s Project helps women and children experiencing domestic abuse or those who have experienced domestic abuse in the past.

If this is you, they would really love to give you the help you not only need, but deserve. Their friendly outreach team are just a phone call or text message away from providing you with the support you need to live a life free from abuse.

They are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and closed Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays. If you leave a message on their confidential answer phone or email them, they will contact you the next working day. Their numbers are 01773 719111 and 07914 634190.

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Small actions can have a big impact. Over the festive period it's still important to:

Wash your hands regularly

Wear your face covering

Keep your distance from others outside of your household

We all need to continue to work together to help keep eachother safe. We never know who people are protecting behind closed doors.

Our Wardens have rescued 89 dogs so far this year. Thankfully only 11 were abandoned by their owners and did not get reclaimed that we found new homes for. Still, 55 of them had incorrect microchip details and 20 were not microchipped. Which is a legal requirement as a dog owner.

And this Christmas, please remember there are a number of dogs still sat in local dog rescue centres that are waiting for their forever homes.

Ralfus was left abandoned in a back garden when he was just 1 year old, he was found by the dog warden and went on to find a new loving forever home, he wants to remind you that he was one of the lucky ones and to rescue a dog will save a life.

In the mad rush to cross everyone off your Christmas list, safety may not be at the front of your mind. And we tend to think that ‘if I can buy it, it must be safe’. 

Remember that online marketplaces are just that – lots of different traders under one roof. You may be buying from a seller in the Far East, where safety standards for toys are very different to ours.

Real-life market traders and discount stores may also be importing from countries with very different safety standards too. Trading standards have seized toys that quickly fall apart, revealing sharp metal spikes and nails, or with cords and balls that could easily choke a young child.

And if you’re counting the pennies this Christmas, look out for things like CE marks and Lion Marks on toys.

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1. Set a realistic budget for Christmas and stick to it
2. Don't forget about the everyday bills
3. Don't bank on expensive credit, like overdrafts
4. Shop around for the best deal
5. Be safe, don't buy from unauthorised traders
6. Check the small print
7. Don't be pressured into taking credit you can't afford
8. Plan for next Christmas in January
9. If you need help contact Citizens Advice Broxtowe

Winter is here and with Christmas on the way it's important to keep you and your home safe during the winter months.

Our friends at Nottinghamshire Police have got a page of dedicated advice which can be really helpful at this time of year.

Police Winter Safety Advice

Winter may have already started, but there are lots of tips to make sure you give yourself the best chance to stay warm and healthy. Here are some top tips from Public Health England.

1. Get your flu jab - You are more at risk if you have a long-term health condition, are older or are pregnant
2. Keep warm and keep well - Heating your home to at least 18° C (65° F) in winter is particularly important. Insulating your home not only helps to keep you warm and healthy, but it can also help to keep your heating costs down. There are grants, benefits and sources of advice available to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help with bills
3. Check on others - Older neighbours and relatives and those with heart and lung conditions, as well as very young children, are at particular risk from the cold. That’s why it’s so important for us all to make sure those at risk are safe and well, have stocks of food and medicine in so they don’t have to go out during really cold weather
4. Get financial support - It's worthwhile claiming what you are entitled to whether that be; Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payment or Warm Home Discount Scheme
5. Get on the Priority Services Register-This is a free service provided by water and power suppliers for older and disabled people, or if you depend on electricity to keep medical or mobility equipment running
6. Heat your home safely - Remember to get your heating system checked regularly by qualified professionals, and if you have open fires make sure they are properly ventilated. You should have cooking and heating appliances that burn fossil fuels or wood serviced at least once a year, to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.  You may need to remind your landlord that they are legally obliged to have an annual gas safety check completed in the property. Fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm that meets European Standard EN50291 in any room that contains a gas or solid fuel burning appliance

There are an estimated one million cases of food poisoning in the UK every year, and without attention to food hygiene, this doesn't stop during the festive season. 

Food poisoning can have serious consequences, especially for children, people already in ill-health and older people. Make sure to follow the '4Cs': Cleaning, Chilling, Cooking, and Avoiding Cross-Contamination.

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If you're out and about this Christmas and need to get home, here's how to travel safely if you need to take a taxi:

• All passengers and taxis must wear a face covering
• Sit in the back the opposite side of the driver
• Use contactless payment if possible
• Reduce the amount of touch points when getting in and out of the car
• Keep some hand sanitiser in your bag
• Never get into a private hire vehicle if you haven't booked it
• Don't tell the driver your name; ask what name is on the booking
• All drivers licensed by Broxtowe are issued with a badge displaying their photo, licence number and expiry date which must be displayed and visible at all times. If you can't see it, don't get in

Nottinghamshire Victim CARE are a free, independent and confidential service who provide support to victims of crimes such as burglary, assault, scams, anti-social behaviour and hate incidents.

It doesn’t matter if the crime didn’t happen recently or you didn’t report it to the police, they can still help in a range of ways including emotional support, restorative justice solutions or advocacy, so don’t hesitate to contact their freephone number on 0800 304 7575 and one of their trained and experienced caseworkers will get in touch.

Visit https://www.nottsvictimcare.org.uk/ or find them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @NottsVictimCare