The Residents Assoication has been contacted by WHAC (West Herts Against Crime) as they have been successful in securing some funding for the Warmer Homes Healthy People fund.
 
They have available to distribute  ‘warm packs’ consisting of a blanket, thermal mug, 8 soup sachets, thermal socks and covered hot water bottle; ‘draught proofing packs’ which will consist of draught proofing strips for front and back doors, draught proof strip for letterboxes, internal doors x 2 will have draught excluders fitted, there is draught excluding foam to block draughty windows and radiator  reflectors fitted to 3 radiators which are on outside walls. All of this will be supplied and fitted by our technicians. And finally, we have at our disposal 100 warmlite radiators which will be given 2 per home to heat the room clients sit in and the room they sleep in these will be delivered and set up by our technicians.  As standard across all three of these packs all clients will be offered a free home security survey and fire safety check.
 
They also have access to funding applications in case clients are frightened that they can afford the heating, or if they have any other needs for items which might help to keep them warm, for example if their cooker is broken we can source funding for a new one to help them have hot meals, if they need curtains to hang at windows which will help keep the heat in.
 
As part of the scheme clients will then be offered help with getting their homes insulated, energy tariffs assessed and help with any other needs they may have eg meals on wheels, debt advise. Etc
 
Criteria for this funding is fairly broad: those living on a low income and cannot afford to heat their home adequately during the winter, those living in an isolated rural location, those living on their own, those with a mental illness, physical disability or who are suffering from serious health issues and those over 60 years old.
 
If you feel that you could benefit from this assistance, please contact WHAC directly.
 
Kind regards
 
Jackie Chambers
General Manager
West Herts Against Crime Ltd
Lemarie Centre, 524 St Albans Road, Watford, WD24 7WF           
Telephone: 01923 801138

Registered Charity No 1069891
http://twitter.com/WHagainstcrime

The Three Rivers Voluneer Centre is looking for events or activities that can be linked to the London Olympics.

If you or your organisation already have ideas to develop projects, or indeed already have events set up, then why not look at way of making them more Olympic inspired and gain access to a number of key benefits by registering  your organisation and event. Contact the Volunteer Centre (details below) for more information.

 

Benefits for Organisations / Sports Clubs

·         use of the Inspired by London 2012 Logo

·         increased capacity by involving more volunteers

·         extra volunteers for Olympic inspired events to help on a one-off basis

·         access to branding and communications networks to increase awareness

·         be part of a countywide Cultural Olympiad programme

 

Benefits for volunteers

If you are inspired by the London 2012 Olympics, this is your opportunity to take part in local Games related activities. You’ll meet new people, learn new skills and feel part of your local community.

 

Create Olympic Inspired Opportunities that will: 

·         Benefit your local community now or/and in the future

·         Be an opportunity that celebrates the 2012 Games

·         Have a demonstrable link with the 2012 Games

 

Some examples could be, Olympic themed:

·         Community Events – cultural fairs/fetes/fun days

·         Sports Days and events

·         Exhibitions including Arts, Crafts, textiles etc

·         Community Projects – walks/fashion shows/dance shows

·         Community Lunches

 

If you are already working towards developing such an event or would like further support then please contact me to arrange a visit to look at how we can work together

Nayesh Radia
Olympic Volunteer Co-ordinator
Volunteer Centre Three Rivers
Basing House, 46 High Street
Rickmansworth. WD3 1HP
01923 711174
vcm.trcvs@speedinternet.co.uk
www.cvs-threerivers.org.uk

The England and Wales Cricket Trust Limited (EWCT) is pleased to announce that Chorleywood Cricket Club has been awarded a grant from the England and Wales Cricket Trust.

The EWCTs grant aid programme aims to finance capital projects, including renovations to improve facilities which contribute to sustaining and increasing participation. Chorleywood Cricket Club was identified by the Hertfordshire Cricket Board and by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as a club of strategic and developmental importance due to the grassroots game.

The Club has been awarded a grant of £36,342 towards the cost of a complete up-grade of the whole cricket square.  The total project cost was £50,000 approximately.

The Club’s Chairman, Owen Edis, said “We were really delighted when we were awarded the grant because we urgently needed to improve our pitches especially as we have ambitions to play in the Home Counties Premier League. Our cricket square is being laid over a three year programme and the first section of the square was completed last October.  The whole project will be completed by October 2013.  In the first excavation, 40 tons of soil was removed and this soil is being used to level the outfield.  This process will continue over the next two years.  We aim to improve our match playing conditions. In total, we field 16 teams at the Club with some matches being played on a second ground.  Importantly, we have approximately 200 juniors at the Club – including some girl cricketers – and the provision of good pitches is a priority need for the development of young cricketers.  In our development plan we hope to increase our girls section. In recent years the Club has made good progress and we have achieved ECB Clubmark and Focus Club status and this is what enabled us to apply for the grant.  We are pleased that the England and Wales Cricket Board has recognised the work we do in the development of the game as we have a very active and progressive youth policy and our three strategic aims for the Club are Youth, Family and Community.”

The Residents' Association congratulates the Cricket Club on obtaining the funding to support their aims to renovate their cricket ground.

A car careered down South Road this afternoon and crashed into another car parked in front of WH Higgins butchers shop in Lower Road (which ended up hitting the front of butchers shop). For more information see the story in the Watford Observer

This year the Chorleywood Business Association has taken over the organisation of the Christmas festivities in Chorleywood from the Parish Council. This year's event will take place on Friday 2 December from 4pm to 9pm on Lower Road and Main Parade.
 
Come and enjoy late night shopping and live entertainment at the "newly branded" Chorleywood Community Festival. There will be a Community Stage with choirs from our schools, churches and choral groups plus carol singing led by local musicians.
 
The Main Stage will have top acts headlined by acoustic singer songwriter Jack Garratt, Potted Panto and the ten piece show band "Blues Brothers Banned".   The shops that are open will have festive drinks and nibbles and some will be running games and competitions. Santa will be in evidence and there will be a stands run by local organisations as well as craft stalls, gallons of mulled wine and plenty of Christmas spirit!
 
Please come along and meet your Chorleywood Residents' Association committee members and join us for Hot Chocolate and nibbles. We have a "Pin the nose on the reindeer competition" for the children and two luxury hampers to be won in our raffle.
 
Stop by... We would be delighted to see you!

The Three Rivers Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) has just entered their final year of five year Lottery funding and things are looking extremely bleak for the future of the CVS in Three Rivers. The Lottery has been their main source of funding since this service opened in 1997.

As an infrastructure charity their main purpose is to support other charities and voluntary organisations such as the Chorleywood Residents' Association. We've previously used their services to borrow equipment, go on training, and find new volunteers for the committee. The volunteer centre in Watford closed two years ago and Three Rivers CVS has tried to fill the gap along with volunteer centres in Dacorum and Hertsmere.

The CVS is doing everything they can to continue our services after we receive their last Lottery payment in Autumn 2012 but without support there's a considerable risk it will close. If you value what the CVS does - either for you or for local voluntary organisations, we would urge you to email them showing your support. 

• Tell us and the CVS what you value of their services.
• Has the funding advice you received from us resulted in your project receiving money?
• Have you volunteered for something through the CVS?
• If you have attended our training how has that impacted on you or a local organisation?  How much would you miss it?

The CVS is exactly the kind of organisation that can help government initatives such as the "Big Society" and allow communities to help themselves, but without access to ongoing funding their services are at risk. Please get in touch with the CVS at director.trcvs@speedinternet.co.uk if you value their services, and let us know as well.

Jeanette Harley
Executive Director
CVS in Three Rivers
Basing House, 46 High St
Rickmansworth  WD3  1HP
Tel/fax  01923 711174
www.cvs-threerivers.org.uk

Have you heard about Village SOS? This initiative by Big Lottery Fund and the BBC launched during the summer to help communities take a step towards starting their own business.

And now there’s a nationwide road show coming to the region to bring the benefits of community enterprise directly to local people.
The East of England event is taking place in St Ives, Cambridgeshire on Tuesday 15 November.
We’re inviting local people from across the region to come along and be inspired by the people behind community enterprises like shops and pubs, broadband projects and transport schemes as they share their real-life experiences.
At this free event, delegates will have the unique opportunity to hear expert hands-on advice from rural and enterprise specialists including the Plunkett Foundation and its partners Cooperatives UK, Locality and Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE).

Sessions will include:

• How to start your own community-owned project
• Regional and inspirational community businesses, such as community-owned shops and pubs, broadband projects or transport schemes sharing their journey and path to success
• Workshops and exhibits
• Expert advice from sector specialists

Village SOS are inviting anyone who:

• Has an idea for a project to help their community but doesn’t know how to start
• Already has a community-owned project and are looking for advice and support
• Is from an organisation that supports rural communities or community-owned projects and wants to know more
  

You need to sign into the Village SOS Road Show website in order to book a place:
visit http://www.villagesos.org.uk/uk-events/category/126 for more details.