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Latest News - Community Services

Communities Update

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Jump to the update from each team:

Community Safety

Environmental Action Days

Wilstead Art Mural Project

Goldington September week of action

Play Rangers

National Play Day 2010

Activities at the museum

Street Rangers

Kempston

Kingsbrook

Cauldwell

Goldington

Park Rangers

Pride in Bedford

 

Community Safety

 

Environmental Action Days

An Environmental Audit Day took place in Shortstown on the 8^th June and involved representatives from Bedford Borough Council Community Safety Team, Local Police Neighbourhood Officers, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and the local Councillor. Every street was audited and litter picked.  149 actions were noted down and passed on to the relevant Partners/Agencies to action and litter and graffiti were removed on the day.

A second Environmental Audit Day took place in the Midland Road Area on the 6^th July, this time with the additional help of Pilgrims Housing Association and the local residents Association.

Working together they:

• Identified 22 large cases of graffiti
• Small cases were removed on the day
• Collected 20 large bags of rubbish
• 14 fly-tips were identified
• Fire Officers then inspected 26 commercial premises (12 of which were jointly visited by our Environmental Health Officer) to inspect the disposal of waste and offer advice.
• A Fire officer along with a housing officer visited 24 houses of multiple occupancy to offer advice
• Fire crews completed 25 HFSC and fitted 41 smoke detectors

 

 

Wilstead mural art project

Bedford Borough Council’s Community Safety Team, Integrated Youth Support and The Youth Offending Team worked together to turn this:

Into this:

Amey, along with some members of Community Payback Scheme, prepared the tunnel by cleaning its walls, and between 16^th – 23rd August, Bedford Borough Council ran the project which involved young people, students from Bedford College, members from the Bedford Day Care Centre,  Police Safer Neighbourhood Team and members of the local community, all painting the mural.

 

Goldington September Week of Action

Feedback from BPHA Walkabout:

We picked up a number of issues of street lighting not working as reports that will be followed up. A number of housing issues identified including conditions of front gardens and a number of residents were spoken to and advised of their tenancy requirements. Additionally we recruited a number of people who wished to form a resident group and at our 'The Golden Gardens' stall, we had a number of people who have shown an interest in helping and supporting the Community gardens, however we still actively seek further volunteers for this project or anyone else who is interested in being part of any community work in the area

 

Stop Smoking Service – 7 people signed up and lots of prevention advice given to young people.

Chlamydia Tests – 10 tests carried out.

Operation CAPS (number plate fixing) – 20 number plates secured and a further 20 cars were checked but already secured.

Home Fire Safety Checks – At least 30 homes received Home Fire Safety Checks.

Young people’s event – on Monday there were displays of singing, dancing and drama at the Community Centre carried out by students from Mark Rutherford School, there were also some displays of art work from local students.

Neighbourhood Watch Event – Tuesday night over 50 people attended an event where they received advice from an ex-burglar about how to prevent your home being burgled.

Information Stalls – on Wednesday we had the following stalls outside Aldi, Church Lane offering advice and raising awareness of local services:

 

• Mobile Police Station
• Neighbourhood Watch – property marking
• Integrated Youth Services
• Bedford Borough Community Safety Team
• Start your own business advice – with advice from Business Link, , Exemplas, Wenta & Princes Trust
• Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
• St Marys Church
• BPHA – Money Advice and the Credit Union
• BPHA – Employment Support and Learning Network
• Golden Gardens
• NHS Bedfordshire for Change4Life
• NHS Bedfordshire Stop Smoking Service
• NHS Bedfordshire Sexual Health
• Alcohol Services for the Community
• CAN Community Drug Programme
• Domestic Violence Unit (Central Bedfordshire/Bedford Borough)
• NHS Bedfordshire for Health Trainers
• NHS – Health Bus

 

 

Play Rangers

National Play Day 2010

The rain made for a quieter Play Day this year in Addison Howard Park.

Around a hundred children and young people braved the weather and joined in with activities including a blind trail, tree spirits, flower making, football surprise and much much more.

 

Activities at the Museum

Play Rangers joined Bedford Museum with a World War 2 day drop in day.

Families joined in making gas mask boxes, identity cards and even trying to recreate the Anderson Shelters as used in air raids in the war.  We had a really fun but very educational day!

 

Street Rangers

Kempston

Throughout August Stacey John has been involved with many projects one of them being ‘FYP’ Holiday activities. The project was organised by Fun for Young People and involved over 40 young people. Throughout the week session the young people were given music lessons, arts, drama and sport.

 

Stacey has also helped project 229 with an overnight field trip. The young people were taken to Frontier centre in Northampton where they took part in team building activities such as ‘walk the plank’. These activities encouraged trust and working as a team.

During August, Stacey has also been tackling vandalism and litter. Graffiti has again been a big problem; Stacey has delivered graffiti cards and removed graffiti where possible. Cleaned /reported 3 lampposts, 1 road sign, play area equipment, Sainsbury’s’, fences, shop walls and garages have all been noted.

Before:

After:

Play area, Jowitt Avenue, Kempston

Stacey also recently received a 'services to the community' award from Kempston Town Council

 

Kingsbrook

We now offer the street ranger service in three local lower schools. We are in the following schools at present:

 

• Monday afternoon    -    Elstow Lower football club.
• Tuesday afternoon   -    Stephenson Lower football club.
• Wednesday afternoon - Cauldwell Lower football club.
• Thursday afternoon    -  Stephenson Lower multi sports club.

 

Environmental reports for the area

Throughout the month of August the breakdown of reports are as follows:

• 3 Shopping trolleys have been returned to local supermarkets via the Ranger van.
• 1 load of fly tipping in Christie Road reported to DSD helpdesk.
• 1 load of fly tipping in Gifford Road taken to DSD in Brunel Road in ranger van.
• 1 day burner reported to DSD helpdesk.
• 1 load of fly tipping in Moulten Avenue taken to DSD in Brunel Road in ranger van

 

Cauldwell

Launch event of the graffiti project in Offa Rd, this was an event organised by the local young people with the support of bpha and youth service to mark the end of the art project and unveil their graffiti boards. Also on the night a football tournament was organised with teams from the Borough Council, Police, bpha, sports support and two teams from the local young people, on the night sports support won the tournament by controversially beating a team of young people from the area. The Ranger service provided the infrastructure including mini marquees, tables and chairs as well as taking part in the football tournament. On the whole it was a very successful local event with many local residents and various agencies supporting it

 

Goldington

Gary has been busy undertaking daily litter picks, including the collection of a large amount in Kershop Close.

Gary has also picked up fly tipping in Remdlesham walk, Church Lane, Sudley Walk, rear of shops Church lane and land outside Goldington Hall and also reported fly tipping in the car park at the rear of Kershop Close. Letters from bpha and Bedford Borough Council have been sent to all residents.

 

Park Rangers

Eastside Community Group Fun day –  Along with street rangers for Cauldwell & Kingbrook Jamie Hall & Chris Bourne we attended the fun day at Gostwick Road Green, we put up four marquees, bouncy castle and quite a few tables and chairs, unfortunately the weather really affected the day which had to be cut short due to persistent heavy rain showers.

 

Junior Ranger Sessions – There were  three events this month  organised by my colleague Laura Dawkins to coincide with the school holidays, firstly a nature walk at Kempston Mill this event was unfortunately cut short due to wet weather. in the middle of the month we had junior sports days in Jubilee & Mowsbury Parks, Jubilee Park a couple of children attended but at the Mowsbury Park session in the afternoon 16 children and several mums attended with all seeming to have a good time, all these children took junior ranger membership forms with away them and all seemed keen to join so hopefully we’ll have some junior rangers for Mowsbury Park.

 

This month the Britain in Bloom judging took place, the last and third Judging date of the In Bloom competition, this one by invitation only. It was fingers crossed for all the Community initiatives, parks, gardens and open spaces that had entered. Bedford was awarded Gold and Kempston and Queens Park Silver.

Green Flag awards Bedford Park, Addison Howard Park, Priory Park Pride in Bedford.

 

Pride in Bedford

• The big tidy up has taken place
• Rivercare is one of the best schemes in the country
• School Roadshow carried out.