Our Summer Burglar Campaign, starts on 1st July and a lot of Crime Prevention advice, will be coming out then. It will deal with ventilation and windows left open, as the weather improves and heats up. The weather forecast for the rest of this week, says it is going to be very hot - please bear in mind, the opportunist thieves are walking around our streets 24 /7 !
As I keep saying, real ‘Burglaries’ are very rare. That is when a property is targeted for specific items, the burglar knows is inside. Collections of antiques, clocks, paintings, silver, porcelain, jewellery etc.
If you don’t have any of those items - that people know about - you will be targeted by an ‘Opportunist Thief’ ! That is a young offender, wandering around looking for an easy target - someone who has made a mistake and left a window open, or a side access to the rear easily available. All we have to do, to prevent them choosing us, is to target harden our property, so that there are easier options elsewhere. We need to do that, for the whole of Ascot. Burglar alarms are everyone’s number one deterrent. If you cannot afford an alarm, put up a dummy box. Our young offenders know nothing about alarms and avoid them. If everyone else in your road, has an alarm box visible on their properties - and you don’t - you become that easiest target and their attention will be drawn to you.
CAR CRIME:
Cars left unlocked, have the same effect and act as a ‘crime attractor’, for the opportunist thief. Why try other areas, if you know there are loads of cars left unlocked in Ascot, with easy pickings inside ! Once they are there to try car door handles, they will also be looking at houses.
CRIME
MAIDENHEAD CENTRAL:
maidenheadcentralnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk25/6 Tuesday 2 a.m. Hotel Car Park, Bridge Road X 2. 1. Car passenger window smashed - 2 laptops stolen. Captured on CCTV. 2. Car rear windscreen smashed - laptop and paperwork stolen. The paperwork was later reported discarded, in a park beside the river in Cookham.
RIVERSIDE & BELMONT:
25/6 Tuesday 0.15 a.m. / 2.15 p.m. Evenlode. Index plates removed from a motorbike.
25/6 Tuesday 3 a.m. Raymill Road West. Index plates stolen from a motorbike. This was witnessed, but not reported to the police.
MAIDENHEAD WEST
maidenheadwestnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBISHAM,
COOKHAM, HURLEY, THE WALTHAMS, LITTLEWICK GREEN & KNOWL HILL:
PINKNEYS GREEN & FURZE PLATT:
NO CRIME TO REPORT
MAIDENHEAD SOUTH
maidenheadsouthnhpt@thamesvalley.pnn.police.ukBOYN HILL, COX GREEN & WOODLANDS PARK:
24/6 Monday 6.10 p.m. Clifton Close. Burglary. Property being renovated. A witness reported hearing someone inside the property out of hours. They then saw a blue Mercedes van drive onto the property 3 times, removing items from the property. The man is described as white, about 40 years old, with sunglasses on his head, stocky build, white receding hair, short light coloured top and long shorts. The witness later found the lock to the site on the ground beside the gates.
OLDFIELD & BRAY:
NO CRIME TO REPORT
COMMENTS:
I have been mentioning our collaboration with ‘Giveandtakecare’ and our request for volunteers for the ‘Fashion Upcycle’ and ‘Gardening Buddies’ projects.
We held a meeting in Windsor Police Station on the 21st June and here are the minutes. If you feel you could contribute to any of these projects - please make contact with Anita on:
anita.ambasna@giveandtakecare.co.uk Co-design Windsor Meeting Minutes – June 21st 2019
Held at Windsor Police Station.
1) All participants briefly introduced themselves and their organisations.
2) Project Updates:
Fashion Upcycle: -
This inter-generational project, pairs people who want to learn how to sew and learn how to up-cycle clothes, to stop them going into land fill, with older people, who have sewing and needle craft skills.
Project Starts September 12th at Windsor College. From 5 – 7pm
The first two weeks, will be spent learning basic sewing skills and then the participants, will choose their outfits to upcycle.
These have been provided by students from Eton College and other volunteer sources.
During the remaining 16 weeks, students will prepare two outfits. In the last two weeks, they will practice how to organise the catwalk fashion show, including all the necessary stage management, hair and makeup for the models.
The first fashion show, will be just before Easter at Langley College as they have a dedicated runway. A further Fashion Show will be held as part of the October Food Academy.
We are looking for participants both to act as sewing mentors and also those wishing to acquire the skills.
We are also looking for donations of sewing items - needles, threads, scissors, trims, zips etc.
Louella and Lau, from Busy Buttons said that they had done a similar successful project, aimed at children aged 9-13. She said older teens find it difficult to say to their friends that they are or want to participate (sewing is not cool) and it’s hard to keep them engaged. The length of their project, was 5 weeks. She expressed concern that we may not be able to get full commitment from Teens for 20 weeks. Other members, with experience of working with teens echoed this. It was suggested, the programme runs for the full 20 weeks, but we do 4 half term modules and allow participants, to do just one half term, or multiples, if they wish.
Details have been sent to Windsor Boys and Girls School, asking for participants.
The Rotary Club of St. Georges, Datchet, will discuss possible funding of future courses with their members.
Project Gardening Buddies:
This project, was suggested for those older teens, who want to learn how to grow their own food and the benefits of nutrition.
Participants will be teamed with an allotment owner, who will mentor them, to grow their own fruit and vegetables, from preparing the ground over winter, to sowing seeds, growing the crop and harvesting. We anticipate that some of the participants, will then progress to the Food Academy, to learn how to cook the food they have grown, so that this will become a “Seed to Plate” project.
Project starts February 2020 and runs until August 2020. With allotment holders and participants, meeting on a weekly basis.
We were having difficulty finding allotments and gardening volunteers in Windsor.
We hope to team up with ‘the Green School’ to support them with their allotment.
Lynn Constantine from Radian Housing, advised that she has set up a gardening project at Sawyers Close and that they have funding to develop this project. She is now leaving Radian and needs someone else to administer the project. It was suggested that GATC could take this on as an extension of their Gardening Buddies project. GATC will meet with Radian, to progress.
Lyn also needs support from other local enterprises, to do physical tasks, such as putting in fences and painting them to protect the garden at Sawyers Close. Haroon Sherwani from Eton College, said that their pupils would assist with anything they could, as the area is a bike ride from the college and would just need a confirmation of the day and time and exactly what would be required.
Food Academy:
This is a project now funded by the Windsor Lions . 12 youngsters, who have personal confidence issues / isolation / lack of friends, would be selected to participate over 6 weeks, to learn how to cook. This culminates in a VIP gala dinner in late November, cooked by the students.
The group agreed, that if Eton College, would fund a Food Academy and the use of their college facilities to host a course and the gala dinner, then we could have one at the end of the Gardening project in July after the term finishes, with another in November. Haroon & Misha from the College said they would progress this internally, but the feel sure Eton would be happy to be associated with such an endeavour. GATC to write proposal to Eton.
Young Mothers & Toddlers
The group wants to work with young mothers, who are isolated and encourage them & their young children, to form intergenerational partnerships with older people. The project will see the building of Lego Duplo structures, which will then exhibited. We are hoping that Legoland will supply the Lego Duplo, but have had difficulty in confirming this. Cllr Samantha Rayner, said she had contacts at Legoland and would forward details.
Art School Project
We discussed how we hope to use KS to work with children from the Green Room School to help children to encourage themselves through art.
Poetry Club.
GATC would like to progress a poetry club, where participants choose themes. It was suggested that to make it more relevant to young people, the poems then become lyrics and the young participants develop and produce supporting music videos. Lynn said she is working on a similar project with a group at Sawyers Close and that the Windsor Youth Club, have the necessary facilities - as does Eton College.
3) Other Items
Cllrs Carole Da Costa and Wisdom Da Costa, said that they are working on a project in Dedworth, to show people can reduce the amount of plastic they use.
Nicola Davidson who is our RBWM bid writer, spoke about the ‘Solar Coop’ project that she runs. She will be happy to discuss how any organisation can join and participate.
Haroon & Misha from Eton College, said they have various rooms and boys, who have time and are encouraged to do voluntary work in the community. Any organisation could contact them, with specific requirements and they would be happy to progress them, internally.
Lynn asked if Eton College boys, would assist and support a Homework Club in Sawyers Close, which is fairly close to the College. Haroon asked for an email with specific details and said he would progress it. She also told the group about a very bright girl from Sawyers Close, who wants to go to Oxbridge. Her family, don’t have the resources to support her. She asked if Eton College, could assist this girl and act as a sponsor, giving her access to the resources and guidance at Eton. Haroon and Mehta agreed they would do what they could.
It was agreed that we would try and have the meeting on a set date every month to facilitate diaries. It is suggested the Last Tuesday of the month, to be held at Windsor Police Station.
NEXT: Scam email from Graham
Hi
I have just received an email from Google to say that I have been selected as a winner !!! I have not entered any Google competitions !!
It asked me to: Please click on the LINK to find out more details !!
I didn’t.
Graham
DON’T DO IT !!!
