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News for everyone living or working in Havering, 14 Nov 2018
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Countdown to Christmas
 The Christmas lights across the borough are about to be switched on. The festivities across Havering will start with the Council's Christmas lights switch on event in Romford's Market Place.
Pantomime characters from the Queen's Theatre will be joined by children's entertainers, a magical snowdome with performing acrobats, and musicians including TV's X-Factor finalists Reggie and Bollie and a spectacular firework finale. The fireworks are sponsored by Time 107.5FM and Everyone Active.
The fun starts at 4.30pm tomorrow (Thursday).
 Huge numbers of residents and visitors attended a series of events across Havering marking Remembrance Sunday and the 100th anniversary of the ending of the First World War.
Services and parades took place on Sunday morning (11 November) in Romford, Upminster, Hornchurch, Elm Park, Harold Hill, Harold Wood, and Rainham. In the evening there was a special beacon lighting ceremony held in Havering-atte-Bower (pictured).
 Eleven young adults in Havering have had a career kick-start as the first training opportunities were launched by the biggest regeneration project in the borough.
Havering Council and national developer Wates Residential are working in partnership to build around 3,000 homes for local people across a number of sites in the borough over the next 12 years.
The new appointments mark a significant milestone for the project, which is helping to shape the next chapter in Havering’s history through the delivery of new high quality homes and increased investment in education, training, and skills.
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 Following an initial round of consultation in September, local residents and businesses have a further opportunity to share their views on plans to transform Bridge Close, an area of Romford Town Centre within the ring road.
The two-day public exhibition is taking place on:
Saturday 17 November, from 10am – 4pm at The Mercury Shopping Centre Mercury Gardens, Romford RM1 3EE (Level 1, next to Bonmarche).
Tuesday 20 November, from 4 – 7pm at Elim Christian Centre, Wheatsheaf Road, Romford, RM1 2HD.
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 Havering's Cocoon celebrated its first anniversary earlier this month.
The Cocoon is Havering’s drop-in service for young people in care. It provides a space where young people leaving care or who have experienced care, can get help and support.
 The VCS Funding Fayre on Wednesday 21 November is an event for staff and volunteers of Havering charities, voluntary, community and faith organisations, or groups who deliver services within the borough.
It starts at 10am. No booking is required. For more information email: mayuri.raja@havering.gov.uk
Veggie Run, Havering Council’s innovative healthy eating app, has been nominated for a prestigious national award.
The awards, run by the Local Government Chronicle, is the most distinguished awards ceremony for the local government sector. The winner will be announced in London in March.
Havering will be working to remove the barriers faced by people with disabilities as it marks International Day of the Disabled Person on Monday 3 December.
An event on the day, to be held at Romford’s Salvation Army, will see a range of national and community organisations coming together to help identify and remove the various barriers experienced by local disabled people.
 The first Havering Literary Festival has been a great success so far with packed venues and over 1,400 tickets sold.
Last week author James Anthony (pictured) spoke at South Hornchurch Library about Shakespeare's poetry. The event runs until 24 November and tickets are still available for some of the events.
 Two elderly residents have recently been in contact with Havering Council to tell us that they had been contacted by a company claiming to help them rectify a mistake in their Council Tax banding.
The caller said they were from GSM Tax Company Limited and that they will arrange for the banding to be changed and a refund made. They then asked the residents to pay £150 to them at the time of the call.
This is a scam. Please do not make any such payments and advise anyone receiving this type of call to put the phone down on the caller.
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 Havering Council’s Licensing and Trading Standards team have been out across the borough to check on whether local retailers are selling age-restricted goods to young people aged under 18.
Teenage volunteers assisted officers by going into businesses and attempting to buy fireworks or alcohol.
 Highways England is consulting on the designs for a new Thames Crossing.
It would include a 2.4 mile-long tunnel under the Thames between Gravesend and Tilbury (pictured) that would be the longest road tunnel in the UK.
Take a look at the plans, attend one of the public meetings that will be held at venues including Upminster, Hornchurch and Romford, and have your say before 20 December 2018.
 Steven Kelly, a former Leader of the Council, has died.
Mr Kelly was a Conservative Group Councillor and represented Harold Wood and then Emerson Park Wards between 2002 and 2018.
He was Leader of the Council from January to May 2014 and was also Chairman of the Hornchurch and Upminster Conservative Association over a number of years.
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 The death of two time former Mayor of Havering and Leader of the Council from 1996 to 1997, Louise Sinclair, was also announced recently.
From Hall Lane in Upminster, she was first elected to the Council in May 1968. She remains as the only female Leader of Havering Council in its 53 year history.
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 Havering College recently welcomed former Education Secretary Lord Baker and the Deputy Mayor of Havering, Cllr Deon-Burton, (pictured above with College Vice Principal Asfa Sohail) to discuss a recently implemented amendment to an Education Act that was instigated by Lord Baker.
This requires schools to allow training and further education providers to promote their offers to pupils in years 8 to 13 in order to find out about non-academic career options. The College believes this change will lead to a rise in the number of learners coming through its doors in years to come.
 You can meet Havering Council's Leader, Cllr Damian White, at Leader's Surgeries held on a regular basis around the borough. No need to book, just turn up. The next dates are:
- Elm Park Library, Friday 16 November, 3 - 4pm
- Rainham Library, Thursday 22 November, 10 - 11.30am
 Some of the information about light switch-on events around Havering that appears as number 5 in our "12 things to do this Christmas" feature on page 9 of Living in Havering magazine is incorrect.
For the correct times and dates please see the full page advert on page 39 or click here.
 Join more than 12,000 people who follow us on twitter @LBofHavering for the latest news and updates.
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