Rubbish reminder, new station for Lodge Farm Park, and animal attractions in Romford Market.

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Living masthead Spring 2019

News for Havering residents, Thursday 2 May 2019.

Cleaner, Safer, Prouder, Together

Spring clean 2019

Clearing litter in the Honiton Road area, Romford.

Come rain or shine, residents young and old have been out in force sprucing up communities across the borough.

Havering Council supplied kits for residents to borrow and hold their own community clean-ups in the areas where they live, work or go to school.

The Wennington Residents Association held a clean-up event with more than 40 local residents donning gloves and litter picks around Wennington Green, Rainham, and the Havering-atte-Bower Conservation Society cleared around 40 sacks of rubbish, including discarded dog mess.

This work was in support of Keep Britain Tidy’s Great British Spring Clean, which ran from 22 March to 23 April, and is part of the Council's Cleaner Havering campaign.

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Don't be scammed

Council Tax booklet April 2019

We have had reports of possible scammers calling people in Havering offering consultancy help with Council Tax payments or claiming refunds.

Some of these callers claim to act for marketing companies on behalf of the Council.

Havering Council provides free advice on Council Tax, does not charge a release fee to reduce your Council Tax charge or to refund overpaid Council Tax, and does not use marketing companies to call residents in relation to Council Tax.

You can find more information on pages 9 and 10 of this year's Council Tax booklet.

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Virtual school kids really enjoy their bikes

Group of young people on bikes

Havering's Virtual School, responsible for the education and settled school environment for children who are looked after by Havering Council, has used the Easter holidays to help the children gain new experiences and expand their interests.

Last week the school took eight 15-17 year olds to Redbridge Cycle Centre for a mountain biking lesson.

“I really enjoyed the mountain biking, it was good exercise" said 15-year-old student Allae.

Staging post

Time FM logo white on blue

Local radio station Time 107.5 will be returning to host the main stage at the Havering Show this August Bank Holiday.

This year's main stage boasts a bigger and better line-up than ever before, including iconic British alternative rock band Toploader, reggae legends Aswad, as well as well-known singers Alison Limerick and Eban Brown.

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Rubbish post

Rubbish sacks

We have another Bank Holiday to look forward to on Monday (6 May) so that means that recycling and rubbish collection dates will change next week.

Collections due from Monday 6 May to Friday 10 May will take place one day later than usual.

Please remember to put your sacks out by 7am on your revised collection day.

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Flying start

Butterflies support group

After the success of Havering’s Butterflies group which provides support for mums, dads and families experiencing anxiety and depression during pregnancy and up to two years after birth at Collier Row Children's Centre, a second group is launching today (2 May).

These weekly drop in sessions will run at the St. Kilda Children’s Centre in Eastern Road, Romford, every Thursday morning from 10 to 11.30am.

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All aboard

Havering Halt mini railwway

Last Sunday (28 April) the Havering Miniature Railway Club had a formal opening ceremony of their new station in Lodge Farm Park, Gidea Park.

The project was completed with help of a Tesco's bags of help grant which allowed the club to purchase the materials.

The new station, called "Havering Halt", is a converted shipping container which is used to store the locomotives. It has been clad in reclaimed sheet roofing material to recreate the look of an old country station.

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EU Exit advice

Home Office EU settlement scheme imagery March 2019

If you are an EU citizen living in Havering, a business that exports to the EU, or planning a holiday to an EU/EEA country this year, you may have questions about how the UK's planned exit from the EU will affect you.

Havering Council's website has a page of useful information and links.

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A list of places that offer an ID document checking service is updated regularly on the UK Government's website.

ID Check

Final point(s)

Hedgehog

“All About Anna’s Animals" is coming along with her animal menagerie to Romford Market on Saturday 11 May from 11am to 3pm.

You’ll be able to meet snakes, a bearded dragon, giant millipede, hissing cockroaches, a scorpion, a tarantula, a hedgehog, polecat, tortoise, rabbit, guinea pigs, and a gecko.

Don’t miss this animal encounter with a difference, but please be quiet around the animals, and don't eat, drink or smoke near the animals.

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Sign post

Signs4Life sign language teaching April 2019

National Deaf Awareness Week begins on 6 May and a new initiative to encourage more people to take up sign language as an extra skill is now available in Havering and surrounding areas.

If you would like further information about the community events in Havering and surrounding areas contact Signs4Life by calling 07964 019 764 or email info@signs4life.org.

Try your hand

Havering College Get Creative 2019

Havering Adult College is taking part in the national Get Creative festival from 11-19 May organised by the BBC and various national arts organisations.

The College is encouraging everyone to try their hand at something new and creative – from photography and plant-pot making to film production and flower arranging – by signing up to free workshops at their Bower Park site.

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Talk all about it

Ayisha Malik

Read the book Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik this May and get involved with the Cityread London event.

The book is available in Havering libraries. Please share your reviews of it on Twitter by tagging @HaveringLibrary and @LBofHavering.

Tomorrow (3 May) the author, Ayisha Malik, visits Hornchurch Library to talk about the book. Reserve your place now on 01708 434903 for the event starting at 7pm. Booking is required.

Create a character

Veggie Run download today image

To celebrate Veggie Run’s first birthday, HES Catering Services are calling on budding young creative minds to design and draw a Veggie Run arch-enemy.

The most captivating design will win one term's of worth of free catered school lunches from September 2019. 

Any Havering primary, infant or junior pupil can enter, they just need to submit: 

  • an arch-enemy character design
  • name for their character
  • brief reason as to why the character is unhealthy

Send entries on an A4 piece of paper to their school kitchen or email: schoolcatering@havering.gov.uk . Please include the pupil's name, school and class.

The competition is open until 24 May and the winner will be announced on 10 June. If the winning pupil is in KS1, credit will be saved until they enter KS2.