Friday 26 May 2023
 Havering Council has once again committed an extra £3.2million to support residents with the cost of living crisis until the end of the financial year.
The extra money will be used to top up the Havering Helps emergency assistance fund, which grants emergency payments of £100 to those in desperate need.
In the last year, the Havering Helps scheme processed 12,000 successful applications for emergency funds, which cost over £1.3m. Over 1,100 of those applications were made by residents with disabilities, and over 90 per cent were from households on Universal Credit and other benefits.
The £3m funding comes from the government’s Household Support Fund for local authorities, and will also be used to support a number of schemes the Council currently runs to help vulnerable residents, including children, pensioners and care leavers.
Havering Councillor, Linda Hawthorn, has sadly passed away.
Councillor Hawthorn represented Upminster Ward on behalf of the Cranham and Upminster Residents' Association and the Havering Residents Association Groups from 1990 to date.
As a Councillor, Linda served on a host of committees including Environment, Leisure and Culture and Regeneration, as well as being Member Champion for Historic Environment.
Councillor Hawthorn also supported a number of local charities and organisations.
These included Havering Arts Council, Upminster Windmill Preservation Trust and The Poyntz Charity, which provides almshouses and other help for the elderly.
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Havering has elected a new Mayor for 2023/2024 following the Annual Council meeting on Wednesday 24 May.
Councillor Stephanie Nunn, ward councillor for Elm Park and previously Deputy Mayor for 2022/2023, replaces Councillor Trevor McKeever as Mayor of Havering.
Councillor Patricia Brown, who represents Gooshays ward, was named Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Nunn, said:
“It is a huge privilege to have been elected as Mayor of Havering. Thank you for trusting me with this role.
"I am really looking forward to beginning my work as Mayor, and being on-hand to help and support the borough throughout this next year.”
The Mayor’s charities will be announced in due course.
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Councillor Trevor McKeever, the former Mayor of Havering, has reflected on his year serving the borough:
“Havering has been my home for over 50 years, so it has been a privilege to serve the borough as Mayor.
“The past year has been so eventful, there have been so many national milestones such as coming together and celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last June, and then sadly, we joined the rest of the UK to mourn her passing in September.
“It was a unique privilege to lead the local proclamation of King Charles III and his Majesty’s recent Coronation provided wonderful events in the borough.
“The Coronation added to the already great events we have in Havering, such as Langtons Summer Concert, the annual Christmas Lights Switch On and Armed Forces Day.
“It was a great honour as Mayor to welcome London Fire Brigade crews to Havering Town Hall last month and present them with dedicated Civic Awards for their heroic efforts during the Wennington Fires last July..."
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 Rubbish and recycling collections will be a day later for households from next week, due to the Whitsun May bank holiday.
The revised dates also apply to garden, clinical and bulky waste services but communal collections for flats stay the same.
Collection times may be subject to change but it is advised to have your bags out for 7am on your revised collection day. Normal collections return from Monday 5 June.
Havering Police Superintendent Simon Hutchison has been talking about his first month in his new role for the borough.
Simon is the new Neighbourhood Superintendent for Havering, as part of the East Area BCU (Basic Command Unit).
He has spoken about the work there is to do with partners including the Council and others who make up the Havering Community Safety Partnership.
The focus, he says, is on working together with residents on having a safe borough, reducing threat of crime, including knife crime, and creating a confident presence in communities.
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 The first-ever Community Hub + event at Harold Hill Library on Saturday 20 May saw over 100 visitors join Council staff, councillors, and community and voluntary organisations for advice with the increased cost of living.
The event made it even easier for residents to get help with benefit support, money management and accessing physical and mental health services.
It builds on the already successful Havering Hubs that continue to provide local services to residents since opening in Harold Hill and Rainham.
COVID-19 is still around us and can make people very ill.
If you’ve only had one COVID-19 vaccination, or you’ve not had one at all, you can still get the vaccine until 30 June.
Find out more or book an appointment, visit the website or call 119 for free.
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Colleagues from Wates, the Council’s 12 Estates regeneration joint venture partner, recently joined 17 other golfing teams and more than 70 keen golfers in total to fundraise for the Havering Association for People with Disabilities (H.A.D).
The fun day, sponsored by GBP Estates, raised approximately £3,400.
Nicola, project lead at H.A.D said, “Cheryl, Denise, Vikki and myself who work at H.A.D, as well as our supportive trustees, helped to promote and arrange the day, source raffle prizes, and make sure everything ran as smoothly as possible. The feedback has been so positive. We’d like a little more sunshine for next year’s event, although it didn’t dampen spirits!”
This forms part of the wider commitment by the Havering and Wates 12 Estates Regeneration Joint Venture, which focuses on the broader benefits of the partnership for local residents and businesses.
You can see more examples of social value in action on our website.
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If you’re passionate about helping other parents, come and join us.
Havering Council is looking for volunteer mums, dads, grandparents and carers to help lead our parenting groups. They will help run Being a Parent and Living with Teenagers courses.
The courses are accredited by Empowering Parents Empowering Communities (EPEC), which aims to improve child development, and provide skills in parenting, family resilience and coping.
Each parent will be eligible for Level 3 Group Leader Skill and Facilitation certification.
Parents will be expected to:
- Attend 10 four-hour training sessions
- Facilitate an 8 week course – giving four hours of their time each week
For further information, send an email or visit the website.
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 To submit events for possible inclusion in this section of the newsletter, please use the form on our website or send an email
Havering Libraries are hosting their next Meet the Author online event on Monday 5 June, 6:30pm to 7:30pm.
Meet Libby Page, author of best seller The Lido who’ll be talking about her writing and her new book The Vintage Shop of Second Chances a story of friendships, new beginnings and second chances.
The event is hosted via Zoom and is completely free. Send an email to book your place.
Elm Park Assembly Hall is holding a Table Top Sale tomorrow (Saturday 27 May), to raise money for the community hall. The event will feature tables offering a wide range of items for sale, as well as refreshments and a raffle.
The event starts at 10am at the Elm Park Assembly Hall, Eyhurst Avenue, RM12 4RA. Send them an email to pre-book a table.
Havering Fabian Society are holding their May meeting on Tuesday 30 May, with guest speaker Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, on the subject 'Thames Gateway Freeport and the Implications for Regeneration'. The meeting, with will take place from 7:30pm in the Main Room at Fairkytes Arts Centre, Hornchurch, is free and open to members of the public.
Havering Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) holds monthly breakfast meetings for local businesses.
The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 31 May, 8am - 9:30am. The breakfast will be hosted at Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. The Networking Breakfast is free to members and £5 for non-members. Book your place online.
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 Artist Shema Ladva is hosting a Secret Postcard Sale exhibition in order to raise funds for the Trussell Trust Food Banks.
Shema is asking artists to submit a minimum of two postcard-sized images on the theme of 'Summertime Madness'. All work will be displayed at Fry's Gallery, Hornchurch for sale at £30 each, with the artists of each piece revealed after the sale. The show ends on Thursday 6th July.
Bring your kids along for fun and creativity this coming May Half Term at MyPlace, Romford.
- Wednesday 31 May - DIY lava lamp & exploding rocks
- Thursday 1 June - Cress & flower planting
Suitable for children aged 2 - 12 years. Sessions cost £3 per child, with two sessions each day, 12:30 to 1:30pm and 2 to 3pm. Booking is now open - please call 01708 376004 or pop in to reception.
Clarion are hosting a Resident Event at Orchard Village on Wednesday 31 May, 2pm to 6pm.
Housing, Repairs, Resident Involvement, Tenancy Specialists, Planned Investment and Clarion Futures team will be on the estate to listen to your views and concerns.
They will also be able to provide information about money guidance and jobs and training. Along with sharing how you can be more involved in your community and Resident Involvement opportunities
Elm Park Avenue will be closed overnight for resurfacing works between its junctions with St Nicholas Avenue and Upper Rainham Road on Tuesday 30 May until Saturday 3 June, from 7:30pm until 6am nightly. It will then be closed from 7:30pm until 6am on Monday 5 June into Tuesday 6 June.
Woburn Avenue will be closed at its junction with Elm Park Avenue to assist with resurfacing works, on Tuesday 30 May until Wednesday 31 May, from from 7:30pm until 6am the following morning. It will then be closed from 9:30am until 3pm on Wednesday 31 May, Thursday 1 June and Friday 2 June.
Carfax Road will be closed at its junction with Elm Park Avenue to assist with resurfacing works, on Friday 2 June and Saturday 3 June from 9:30am until 3pm.
Elm Park Avenue will also be closed overnight westbound from its junction with St Nicholas Avenue for high friction surfacing from 7:30pm on Monday 19 June, until 6am the following day.
Bridge Avenue and Brookdale Avenue between its junctions with Bridge Avenue and the eastern kerb line of Boundary Road will be unavailable for parking due to a school sports event from 7:30am to 4:30pm on Wednesday 7 June, Wednesday 21 June and Wednesday 28 June.
Public transport
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There are engineering works on c2c lines between Barking and Grays between Sunday 28 May to Thursday 1 June, meaning some services are partially closed.
A rail replacement service will be available.
There will also be a reduced service on Monday 29 May for the Bank Holiday. Check the website for full details.
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