FIRST: As I write this, we have just received a call from a local bank. They have an elderly customer there at the moment attempting to withdraw £6,000 in cash. They immediately instituted the protocol as the customer was saying they need the cash, to give to their granddaughter to purchase a car. This is a usual excuse given in a Courier Fraud. Police are being dispatched.
AND: A Scam at a supermarket Car Park in Dedworth. A man came out of the store and was approached by a man holding a £20 note. He asked if it had dropped out of the aggrieved’s wallet. The aggrieved go out his wallet to check and the man somehow touched and managed to remove his debit card. The aggrieved only found out when he got home. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU !
NEXT: The Police are beginning their Winter Burglary Campaign, as the darker evenings draw in.
Top tips to avoid becoming a victim of crime
With the clocks going back and with darker evenings upon us, take a few minutes to have a look at these top tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
Ensure all doors and windows are closed and locked when you leave your home - even though it may only be for a few minutes. An open window or door is an open invitation for opportunist thieves.
Fit a burglar alarm if you can. If you already have a burglar alarm, make sure you set the downstairs zone at night. If not – at least fit a dummy box
If there is any likelihood that you may return home after dark, fit timer switches / light sensitive light bulbs / leave on a talk radio station, to prevent your house being identified as ‘unoccupied’. Buy and plug in a ‘Fake TV’ – easily available from major online retailers.
Keep the perimeter of your home well lit. Installing low voltage outdoor lighting, is a cost-effective way to protect to your home and ensure that any unwanted visitor may be seen.
Purchase and install a Video Doorbell
No-one comes into your home unless you know them, or they have made an appointment. Only open the door to people you know / are expecting. Look through the window or spyhole first, to see who’s calling. Then put a door chain on before opening the door. The rattling sound, will deter most opportunist thieves and they will be gone by the time you open the door.
Keep shrubbery / hedges, trimmed to waist height around entrances and walkways. Large hedges provide a hiding place for burglars. Make sure side gates are tall, flush with the front of the house and secured with bolts and a shiny very visible lock.
Set up or join a Neighbourhood Watch scheme to protect your neighbourhood. An alert and aware community, is a safe community. Register at
www.thamesvalleyalert.co.uk for free crime alerts and information.
Residents can also check out home security tips on the Thames Valley Police website:
https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/cp/crime-prevention/protect-home-crime/Check out the What Works college of Policing website:
https://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/Safer_Streets_toolkit.pdf#search=burglaryRemove all valuables from your cars / vans including loose change, sun glasses, laptops, and mobile phones.
Take care where you park your vehicle and avoid poorly-lit and deserted areas – try to find an area that is covered by CCTV cameras. When using a public car park, try and use one that has the “Secured Car Park Award”
Mark your property with a UV pen writing on your postcode and the your house number / first three letters of your house name. UV pens are available from your local police station
In terms of personal safety, walk confidently and be aware of your surroundings (no personal music devices or phone calls)
If you have no choice but to walk alone at night, it is best not to take any shortcuts through dimly lit areas. It is also wiser to walk facing the oncoming traffic where you can be seen.
Report suspicious activity to the police on: 101 or online at
www.thamesvalley.police.ukNEXT: Housing Solutions manages the Borough’s Housing Association properties and they have some changes to Housing Solutions structure:
In November, following consultations with residents, Housing Solutions made some significant improvements to the way that we deliver housing services. Housing Solutions believe these changes will make a positive difference to residents, their neighbourhoods and to their communities.
This includes the introduction of a Tenancy Audit and Fraud Officer, Michelle Purdy, two specialist Anti-Social Behaviour Officers, Kerry Foster and Christie Sibley, a Community Engagement Officer, Lorna Collinson, three Resident Liaision Officers and a new Income Team supported by a dedicated Welfare & Benefits Assistance Team.
You will not be surprised that in these most challenging of times, our welfare support team are in much higher demand than usual. If any ‘resident is struggling to pay their rent, or suffering financial hardship please feel free to contact the team, who will be happy to assist in any way possible.
The new team structure below sets out the names, titles and contact details, for each member of the team.
Housing Solutions are currently developing our website to include a postcode search facility to assist you in identifying the correct team member for any situation and location, but in the meantime the following link, will take you to the current web page which clearly sets out the geographic areas managed by each of the team
https://www.housingsolutions.co.uk/customer-information/neighbourhoods/find-my-resident-liaison-officer/Housing Solutions want to continue to provide a high-quality service that helps create thriving neighbourhoods for all our residents. We are confident that these changes will continue to help us deliver these aims.
If you require any additional information, or have any suggestions as to how we can assist our residents further, please do not hesitate to get in touch
www.housingsolutions.co.uk or
contact@housingsolutions.co.ukThank you
Kerry Foster
NEXT: The Cancer Support Network: Have you been affected by Cancer ?
Meeting other people with similar experiences can be invaluable
The aim of the Cancer Support Network and Cancer Champions project is to support people with cancer at any point along their journey. It also aims to support the wider family network.
The scheme is for anyone with cancer, or those supporting them, located in or around the Berkshire boroughs of Wokingham, Bracknell, Slough, Windsor and Maidenhead. The project will bring together information and resources as well as offer emotional support through a volunteer network, offering a listening ear.
Monthly meet-ups are also available, bringing together people in the community affected by cancer, giving them the opportunity to meet each other and share experiences. People can access the service through a referral. This may be through a GP, health professional, family member or self-referral. Click the link below to access our referral form
https://involve.community/cancer/which you can complete and send to us either through the post or via email
vickie.randall@involve.communityEvents in October / November / December:
Qigong – 6-week Programme | Tuesdays at 9.30am | 12, 19, 26 Oct - 2, 9, 16 Nov Online
Forest Bathing connecting with Nature – Tuesday 12th October – Half day face to face programme | Basingstoke In-Person
Coffee & Chat [Slough] – Thursday 14th October at 10.30am – Autumn Crafts In Person
Cancer Treatment – Understanding and managing side effects – Thursday 21st October at 2.00pm Online
Nordic Walking with Ruth – 6-week Programme | Cantley Park, Wokingham | 3, 10, 17, 24 Nov – 1, 8 Dec | Wednesdays 10am In-Person
Chair Zumba with Beth – 6-week Programme | Fridays 11.45am | 5, 12, 19, 26 Nov – 3, 10 Dec Online
Coffee & Chat [Slough] – Thursday 11th November at 10.30am – The history of Herschel Park In-Person
Cancer, Nutrition and Healthy Eating – Thursday 18th November at 2.00pm - Maria, Macmillan Oncology Dietitian at Wexham Park Hospital Online
Comments:
"Without this support I would have struggled a lot more."
The Cancer Support Network is filling an essential gap in supporting people with cancer and their carers. There is huge value from having access to those speakers who can give cancer patients ways to help themselves and improve their self-care which has beneficial outcomes for improving quality of life, improving confidence and empowering people. I really appreciate all the support that this organisation has given to me."
What we do:
Group Support through Events - Online and In-person
Health and Wellbeing Programmes
Peer-to-Peer Support
Online Support
Signposting & Information
We want you to feel supported and able to talk to others if you feel isolated or alone. Simply get in touch - T: 01344 304404
We work alongside other resources bringing together a range of services to enable people in the local community to find the support they need in one place.
For more information about Cancer Champions:-
https://involve.community/cancer/ Vickie & Sharon
NEXT: I have been receiving complaints about fireworks being let off – particularly as we near November 5th. In the past you could only buy fireworks at certain times, but now you can purchase them online throughout the year. There are regulation with regard to setting off fireworks:
You cannot buy ‘adult’ fireworks if you’re under 18, and it’s against the law for anyone to set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except on certain occasions.
Adult fireworks are category 2 and 3 fireworks - they do not include things like party poppers. Category 4 fireworks, can only be used by professionals.
The law says you must not set off or throw fireworks (including sparklers) in the street or other public places.
You must not set off fireworks between 11pm and 7am, except for:
Bonfire Night, when the cut off is midnight
New Year’s Eve, Diwali and Chinese New Year, when the cut off is 1am
Buying fireworks
You can only buy fireworks (including sparklers) from registered sellers for private use on these dates:
15 October to 10 November
26 to 31 December
3 days before Diwali and Chinese New Year
At other times you can only buy fireworks from licensed shops.
Vendors can be fined up to £5,000 and imprisoned for up to 6 months, for selling or using fireworks illegally. You could also get an on-the-spot fine of £90.
Now though as stated above – you can purchase fireworks throughout the year online !
For more information – this is a very complicated subject about the regulations, please go to:
https://www.rbwm.gov.uk/home/business-and-economy/licensing-and-regulation/fireworks-and-explosivesNEXT:
Hi Jeff,
I am part of a small group of volunteers, organizing adult education classes in Maidenhead with the WEA.
WEA is a charity putting on courses all over the UK. We are finding it difficult to publicise our 8 online and 10 face to face courses in 2021/22, as we are not allowed to put brochures in libraries anymore.
Subjects range from art history to architecture, archaeology, film, folk tales, history, economics, gardens etc.
We hold courses at St Joseph’s, Cookham Road and St Marks Methodist Church, Allenby Road.
Our next course starts on Wed 3rd November at St Mark’s, for 5 weeks and is called ‘Artistic Treasures of Europe’s Smaller Art Galleries’. We need 8 students to run a course and are in danger of it being cancelled.
Details of our courses can be found on
www.wea.org.uk (click on ‘Find a Course’ and put ‘Maidenhead’ in the search box).
People can email me at
weamaidenhead@hotmail.co.uk or ring Steph Diggon on 01628 563676.
I would be very grateful if you would include this in a Neighbourhood watch email. The face to face (and online) courses are a way of meeting new people in a friendly and safe environment.
Many thanks
L
CRIME
I have attached reference numbers to each crime report. If you live in the vicinity of any of the crimes mentioned and have CCTV or a video doorbell, can you please check the footage. If you have any that might be of interest to the police, can you please make contact with us, quoting reference number given.
Alternatively you can call 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or email -
www.crimestoppers-uk.orgMAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralgeographical@thamesvalley.police.uk8/10 – 9/10 Ellington Park. Car rear index plate stolen. Ref. No: 43210455564
9/10 Saturday 11 a.m. / 5.30 p.m. Station Approach. Bike locked in bike rack stolen. A white Carrera, hybrid bike. Ref. No: 43210455695
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestgeographical@thamesvalley.police.ukBISHAM, COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
10/10 Sunday 3.20 p.m. Whyteladies Lane, Cookham. Baked beans and Spaghetti Hoops thrown over the front of the aggrieved’s house, damaging the front door. This may be connected with a series of Tik Tok videos currently taking place. Ref. No: 43210456845
8/10 Friday 4 p.m. Popes lane, Cookham. A grey 5.4m Ridget inflatable boat with 70 hp Suzuki outboard and trailer stolen from a gated orchard. The farmer had mowed it and left the gate unlocked. Ref. No:43210454023
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
9/10 – 11/10 Saturday 8 p.m. / Monday 7.30 a.m. Alwyn Road. Criminal damage to a parked car. Wing mirror ripped off and the mirror cover has been smashed. Ref. No: 43210457806
11/10 Monday 9 a.m. Heywood Avenue. Leaflet drop re purchase of jewellery / antiques for cash. It had a message to leave the flier on the doorstep – if you won’t be home !!! Ref. No: 43210458081 PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT. BIN IT. Please remember our NHW Motto – I AM SORRY, I DO NOT BUY OR SELL, GOODS AT THE DOOR. - YOU KNOW IT MAKES SENSE. Many thanks to JE who let us know
10/10 Sunday 1 a.m. / 5 a.m. Bix Lane. Two aluminium window frames stolen from a garden. Ref. No: 432104 58330
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthgeographical@thamesvalley.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK
NO CRIME TO REPORT.
OLDFIELD, BRAY & HOLYPORT:
10/10 Sunday 10.15 a.m. Trenchard Road, Holyport. Two parked up cars vandalised. Tyres punctured. Ref. No: 43210456534
9/10 Saturday 2 p.m. / 3.30 p.m. Leisure Centre, Braywick Park. Locked up bike stolen from a bike shed. A bright blue, Canon Bathlite ALSL70 mountian bike.
9/10 Sunday 4.30 p.m. Stafferton Way Retail Park. Bike locked to metal post stolen. A silver Cannondale Quick hybrid bike. Ref. No: 43210455660
