Friday 21 June 2024
 The School Meal Holiday Scheme will run again this summer holiday, with applications opening at 9am on Monday 24 June.
The scheme offers meal support over the summer break and will allow eligible families to apply for £90 per child to buy food to replace the meals their child would have received at school.
The scheme is run by Havering Council and is part of the government’s Household Support Fund.
Families that have previously received money for their child or children from the scheme and are still eligible, do not need to apply again, and will automatically receive the money into their chosen account.
However, parents and carers should check the claims criteria on the Council’s website as they may now be eligible to make a claim, or able to claim for an additional child.
Applications will close at 5pm on Monday 1 July.
Earlier this week, the Mayor of Havering, Cllr Gerry O’Sullivan, raised the Windrush flag to commemorate the anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury docks on 22 June 1948.
On-board were passengers from the Caribbean arriving in England to start new lives.
Windrush Day marks the important contribution the Windrush Generation and their children have made to the UK.
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 The next General Election will take place on Thursday 4 July. Voter registration closed at 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June.
Postal voter registration also closed on Wednesday 19 June. Postal votes can be sent back in the pre-paid envelope provided, delivered by hand to Havering Town Hall, or taken to your polling station on the day.
If you are posting your vote, please be sure to allow enough time for it to reach us.
Voter ID
Remember, you now need a valid form of ID to be able to vote in an election in the UK.
Valid ID includes a passport, driver's licence, blue badges and more. If you don't have these forms of ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.
Check if you have the correct ID or apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate on our website. You must apply for ID by 5pm on Wednesday 26 June.
Please note, you cannot use a picture or photocopy of your ID - you must bring the official document to the polling station.
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Havering Council is inviting residents to join the community conversation about the future of Harold Hill town centre.
Your insights and opinions are crucial as the Council embarks on plans to regenerate and revitalise the heart of the town.
Public feedback has already helped us to shape Phase One and Phase Two of the wider Harold Hill Regeneration Masterplan. Before we prepare our plans for Phase Three, we want to know your priorities for the town centre.
We need your input to shape the future of Harold Hill town centre. Please get involved by attending one of the drop-in days at Harold Hill Library, or by contacting us and sharing your thoughts. Together, we can transform Harold Hill town centre into a place we are all proud of.
Drop-in Days
- Wednesday 26 June (12pm to 5pm) - Harold Hill Library
- Thursday 27 June (3:30pm to 5:30pm) - Harold Hill Library
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 Around 2,500 pupils from across Havering are taking part in this year’s Junior Citizen scheme, to learn life skills to help keep them safer in their communities.
In what is the 10th year of the scheme, youngsters who will soon be making the leap from primary school to secondary school, will learn how to travel safely on public transport, have awareness of keeping safer from the dangers of drugs and knife crime, plus what they need to do in various emergency situations.
The scheme is run by Havering Council’s community safety and enforcement teams, together with partners that include the Metropolitan Police, London Fire Brigade, Safer Transport Police, Thames Water, Road Safety and CLG (Change Grow Live), a charity offering advice around the dangers of drugs and alcohol.
There will also be sessions on what actions they can take to help the environment around them, such as not dropping litter, and workshops where the pupils will experience real-life situations and will be asked to role-play in a series of challenges and scenarios.
Each school will be awarded points for their knowledge and for demonstrating what they have learned during the sessions. At the end of the fortnight, the school with the most points, will be awarded with a shield and certificates.
Mayor of Havering, Councillor Gerry O’Sullvan, attended earlier this week, to meet and join pupils in some of the sessions that took place (pictured above).
Havering Council is re-opening the special educational needs home to school transport consultation to extend it to pupils who received a personal transport budget to travel outside the borough.
It follows an error that came to light after the Council was informed by parents and carers that not all out of borough schools had been consulted.
After an initial investigation by Council staff it came to light that a number of out of borough schools were not consulted despite children with SEND attending using a personal transport budget.
The consultation will now be re-opened to give the missed schools an opportunity to have their say.
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Havering Council raised the Progress Pride flag this morning (Friday 21 June) to mark Pride Month.
The Mayor of Havering, Cllr Gerry O’Sullivan, joined staff and community representatives to raise the flag in honour of the LGBTQ+ community in the borough.
Next week we are proud to be attending Pride in London again, where Council staff, councillors and partners will be joining hundreds of other councils and organisations in celebrating Pride and promoting acceptance and inclusivity in Havering.
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A record-breaking Havering swimmer has been selected to represent Paralympic GB in the Paris 2024 Paralympic games.
Romford's Brock Whiston has been a swimmer from the age of three, and now, aged 27, will be representing her country in Paris this summer.
After having her classification for only a year, she had broken four world records at the World Para Swimming Championships in 2019. This included the SB8 100m Breaststroke, which she beat by nearly five seconds, and the SM8 200m Individual medley.
Brock suffers from hemiplegia, a partial paralysis on one half of her body. Speaking to Living in Havering, she said:
"This is what every athlete dreams of - competing against the best in the world. I just want to go there and show all the hard work I have put into my sport."
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 The winners of the Havering Libraries National Poetry Day competition collected their posters and book prizes at Hornchurch Library recently.
Each of the winners were rewarded for their creative and original poetry on the theme of 'Refuge’, with a wide range of styles on display.
Congratulations to Key Stage 1 winner Lola Caffull, Key Stage 2 winner Adah Auri Abellera, Key Stage 3 winner Gazi Nazafarin Zakir, and adult winner Alexandra Wilde. You can see their poems displayed in all our libraries.
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Havering Police has issued advice to keep you and your home safer against burglars.
Over the last three months, the police have seen a rise in residential burglaries reported across the borough.
Here is some top crime prevention advice:
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Securing your front door - if you have a uPvc door, you should Lift the handle, lock the door with the key and then remove the key from the lock - the key should be placed in a safe place, away from the door and out of sight from any nearby windows. Simply lifting the handle does not lock your door.
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Securing your vehicle - Make your vehicle less of a target to burglars by installing additional locks such as steering wheel locks, pedal or gearstick locks. Removable parking bollards are another option.
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Community support – your local Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) can provide a free Home and Vehicle security survey. An officer can visit your home and offer impartial advice on what you can do to make your home safer.
To contact your local SNT, please visit the Met Police website and put in your postcode or for further crime prevention advice.
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More than 100 carers attended the Carers Forum to celebrate Carers Week last week. They took part in chair yoga, shared their challenges and positive stories around accessing support.
The event was hosted by the Havering Carers Hub, working in partnership with the Havering Place Based Partnership to update carers on the work currently underway in the borough to support unpaid and informal carers.
The first meeting of the Havering Carers Board will be held on 27 June when members will be looking to increase the number of carers registered with the Hub and deliver training to frontline staff across the borough.
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The NHS are inviting anyone aged 75 or over, or who has a weakened immune system, for a free Covid-19 vaccine at the following local walk-in clinics, no booking required.
- Saturday 22 June, Hornchurch Library, 11am – 2pm
- Thursday 27 June, Hornchurch Library, 11am – 2pm
- Friday 28 June, Harold Wood Library, 11am – 2pm
- Saturday 29 June, Hornchurch Library, 11am – 2pm
Seasonal vaccinations will be available until 30 June, for more information visit the NHS 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 will once again show appreciation this Armed Forces Day with a parade on Saturday 29 June, starting at 10:30am on South Street's junction with Arcade Place, and finishing at Havering Town Hall, Romford.
Among those marching will be currently serving troops, veterans and cadets, as well as Service families.
The Armed Forces events are an opportunity for everyone to show their support for the men and women of our forces past and present.
The Cappella Singers of Upminster are hosting their Summer Concert on Saturday 29 June, from 7:30pm until 9pm.
The concert will feature a performance of Mathias' Missa Brevis, alongside a variety of choral music from the Renaissance to present day.
The concert takes place at Trinity United Reformed Church, Upminster. Tickets are free, and donations are welcomed. Find out more on their website.
Rainham Leisure Centre will host a free family fun day, with activities for all ages on Saturday 29 June (10am to 4pm), to celebrate the centre’s first birthday.
Visitors can look forward to a range of complimentary activities, including free lane and family swimming sessions, free gym access and gym challenges, along with a variety of free group exercise classes, such as yoga, zumba and spin classes with face painting available for children.
Do you care for someone with dementia? Alzheimer's Society holds a weekly Carers Information and Support Programme to help carers to better support relatives with dementia.
The sessions provide a listening ear, as well as equipping carers with the tools to look after loved ones and ensure they are getting the right emotional and financial support.
The sessions take place at MyPlace, 343 Dagnam Park Drive, Harold Hill, RM3 9EN. The next session is next Tuesday 25 June, 11am to 1pm, with further sessions the following three Tuesdays. Please book in advance by emailing or calling Nyree on 07759 119516 or Anisa on 07720 144231.
Havering Antique Collectors Club is hosting a talk with Dominic Strickland on Walking Sticks and Walking Canes.
The talk takes place this evening, Friday 21 June, 7:30pm until 9:30pm at the Harold Wood Neighbourhood Centre, Gubbins Lane, RM3 0QA. Tickets cost £6.
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The New Dimension Choir is hosting a series of Summer Concerts across the borough, featuring songs from The Beatles, Elton John, and ABBA, as well as musicals and folk music.
The first concert takes place on Saturday 29 June from 4pm at Havering Road Methodist Church, Romford, RM1 4YD. The second is Friday 5 July from 7:30pm at Harold Wood Methodist Church, Harold Wood, RM3 0DU, and the third is Sunday 7 July from 7:30pm, at All Saints Church, Hornchurch, RM11 2LU.
Tickets cost £7.50 each, and include refreshments. Under 16s go free.
The Big Smile Collective are hosting their next Clothes Swap on Tuesday 2 July from 5pm to 7pm at New City College, Ardleigh Green Road, Hornchurch, RM11 2LL.
Presented by Brennan and Burch, the event costs £5 to enter, and includes the first three clothes swap tokens, as well as sustainable workshops and refreshments. For more information, visit the website or send an email.
The Havering Repair Café is back tomorrow, Saturday 22 June from 11am to 2pm, at Rainham Library.
Residents have the opportunity to learn how to repair household items, bikes or clothes. Advice is also available on how to use these skills and save money at the same time. More information can be found on the website.
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Upcoming road closures
Station Lane in Hornchurch will be closed overnight from outside number 28 to number 32 for manhole cover replacements, 8pm to 2am from Monday 24 June to Tuesday 25 June.
Maylands Way in Romford will be closed daily at its junction with Colchester Road for sewer works, 10am to 4pm from Monday 24 June to Friday 27 September.
Eastbury Road in Romford will be closed from outside number 56 to its junction with Stockland Road for carriageway works, 8am to 5pm on Wednesday 26 June.
Brunswick Avenue in Upminster will be closed at its junction with Moultrie Way for carriageway works, 8am to 5pm on Thursday 27 June.
There will be no waiting or parking on Brookdale Avenue in Upminster between its junction with Bridge Avenue and Boundary Road for a school sports event, 7.30am to 4.30pm on Wednesday 26 June.
Diban Avenue in Hornchurch will be closed from outside number 127 to its junction with Elm Park Avenue for carriageway works, 8am to 5pm on Friday 28 June.
South Street in Romford will be closed between Brewery Walk and the taxi rank in High Street for the Armed Forces Day event from 7am until 12noon on Saturday 29 June. Brewery Walk and Arcade Place will also be closed at their junctions with Exchange Street. The Town Hall Car Park will be closed from 8pm on Friday 28 June until 1pm on Saturday 29 June to assist with the event.
Victoria Road in Romford will be closed daily from its junction with South Street for gas mains works, 7am to 7pm until Sunday 14 July.
King Edward Road in Romford will be closed daily from its junction with Victoria Road for gas mains works, 7am to 7pm until Sunday 14 July.
Blackwall Tunnel
Blackwall Tunnel will be closed to southbound traffic across a number of weekends in June and July to help support carriageway works on the northbound Blackwall Tunnel approach.
The closures are required to help implement the road configuration for the new Silvertown Tunnel which will open in 2025. The closures will take place from Saturday 29 June to Monday 1 July.
The closures will all start at 12am on the Saturday morning, with southbound traffic being restored by 5am on the Monday morning at the latest. Further information about the closures can be found on the TfL website.
Ongoing closures
Briscoe Road in Rainham remains closed daily at its junction with Upminster Road North for gas mains works, 7am to 7pm until Saturday 6 July.
Public transport
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Engineering works between Fenchurch Street and Barking are affecting services on all c2c lines on Saturday 22 June and Sunday 23 June. Trains will be diverted to Liverpool Street and will call at Stratford, but not West Ham or Limehouse.
Due to these engineering works, c2c Ockendon line services will run as a shuttle between Upminster to Grays via Ockendon and Chafford Hundred only on Saturday 22 June and Sunday 23 June.
Check the website for full details on all c2c service changes.
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