On this page you can view:
·
useful contacts
·
local
groups
·
Local Council information
·
safety issues
·
health issues
This
is your page. If you have additional information that would be useful for
Lindford residents or there is anything else you would like to see on the page,
please contact
us
USEFUL
CONTACTS
Your Local MP
You can
contact your MP, Damian Hinds, by email at damian.hinds.mp@parliament.uk. Damian also runs regular
advice surgeries in East Hampshire and to make an appointment, please call his
parliamentary office on 0207 219 7057 or
send an email to the address above. You will need to provide your full name,
full address with postcode and contact telephone number, as parliamentary
protocol prohibits Damian from acting for constituents who are represented
by another MP. If you would like more information about Damian and the East
Hampshire constituency, please visit www.damianhinds.com or you can follow his latest news
on Facebook www.facebook.com/damian.hinds/ or Twitter https://twitter.com/damianhindsmp
In Touch
In Touch is a
not-for-profit organisation providing a welcome Handyperson Service for residents
living in the following Local Authority areas: Havant; Gosport; Fareham;
Eastleigh; East Hants; Winchester; Basingstoke; Hart; and Rushmoor
(see flyer and leaflet for
further information). The service is subsidised by Supporting
People from Hampshire County Council to provide a service for three days a
week in these areas. Some Local Authorities provide additional funding to
provide more days. Because In Touch is subsidised it can keep labour costs to
disabled customers and those over 60 to a minimum. It can carry out free
assessments and free home safety checks. It is also a distributor of HCC's 'Hitting The Cold Spot'
packs which contain very useful energy advice and information about staying
warm. There are some of these packs available in the Parish Office at Lindford
Village Hall. All its handypersons are employed by In Touch and have undergone
enhanced CRB checks. Calls are charged at the
local call rate. Talks/presentations are offered for any
groups who are interested in hearing more about the service.
Energy
efficiency help
Neil Richardson is
employed by the energy company SSE as a Community Liaison Officer. He works with
residents in the community delivering energy efficiency, dealing with billing
issues, debt advice, tariff information, payment plans, heating controls,
vulnerability, Warm House Discount etc. He visits residents in their homes,
gives Energy Efficiency talks in the community and works with local councils
and groups in his area, which is PO and SO post codes but he does cover a
triangle from Worthing to Poole and north to Guildford. At the moment he is
tasked with giving as many talks as possible, offering Energy Efficiency Advice
and introducing Smart Meters. His role is a trial, the more he can help people
the longer his role will continue. This is a free service, he does not sell, he talks to all residents not just SSE customers. What SSE
gets out of his role is to be seen working in the community in a positive and
helpful manner; the feedback he receives is very rewarding. To contact Neil,
phone 07825 014164 or email him.
LOCAL GROUPS
Food and Friendship service
Food and Friendship is a free-of-charge service available to
Meals on Wheels customers who would like a regular visit from a friendly
volunteer around mealtimes. It is run by Age Concern Hampshire and has been
funded by Hampshire County Council and the District Councils. It is available
currently in East Hampshire, Basingstoke and Deane, Eastleigh, Fareham,
Gosport, Havant, Hart, Rushmoor, Test Valley and
Winchester. The volunteers help make mealtimes a little more enjoyable, chat
about things that interest the client and let them know what is going on in
their local community. They can also offer ideas on healthy snacks and meals,
for which full training and support is provided by Age Concern Hampshire. If
you would like any more information about Food and Friendship in your
community, or know anyone who would be interested in volunteering, please
contact the Coordinator, Paul Simmonds, on 01962
892455 or by email at food&friendship@ageconcernhampshire.org.uk.
Food and Friendship has produced its latest newsletter.
Lindford
Ladies
Lindford Ladies is a friendship group of women from Lindford and the
surrounding area, from all walks of life and ages. It meets monthly on the
second Monday of each month mostly at the Methodist Church Hall. Women of all ages are very welcome. Activities are
wide-ranging from talks about trips to New Zealand to making Christmas crackers,
from quizzes to knitting. For further details contact Michaela Canning.
Polyanna pre-school
Pollyanna
Preschool has been offering high quality childcare since 1989 and we are
situated at Lindford Church Hall, Chase Road, Lindford.
We offer and provide an exciting, happy, safe, secure, challenging, inquisitive
and stimulating environment both inside and outside. We encourage all children
to develop friendships as well as the confidence and new skills required for
their early years in school. We are an approved provider to offer funding for 2
year old and 3 year old children. For a prospectus, to arrange a visit or
further information please contact Mrs Lesley Cooper on either 01420 476114 or by email.
Phoenix
Theatre
You
can find the latest programme for the Phoenix Theatre by following this link.
Steady
and Strong
Steady and Strong
exercise classes offer a better balance for life and it is never to late to
start!
Alton
Ramblers
The
Alton and District Group of the Ramblers Association is a very friendly group
of walkers. There is a programme of weekday and Sunday walks on the website. During the
week, on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, there is always a short walk of about
5 miles and usually every other week a longer one of about 10 miles. On one
evening each week in the summer, there is a walk of about 5 miles. The Sunday
walks are between 10 and 12 miles. This is a wonderful way to keep fit and to
make new friends.
Walking
for Health
There
is a local Walking for Health group in Bordon
Whitehill that meets every Monday at 10.30am for a 2
to 3 mile walk. There are also groups at Headley, Kingsley, Liphook and Alice Holt
Forest: see the Walking
for Health website for more information. Leader training courses are
offered and East Hants District Council occasionally offers training days.
Walk Alton
Alton and its surrounding
countryside provide lots of wonderful opportunities for walking. Walk Alton is
a group of local volunteers working to develop walking activities in the Alton
area. The group wants to encourage walking both for recreation and to support local
initiatives to improve people’s health and well-being. The development of
walking facilities will benefit both local people and visitors. Walk Alton is
developing a website to highlight the many benefits of walking. It will be
signposting the many beautiful short and medium distance
walks the area offers, along with the longer distance trails like the Hangers
Way, the Writers’ Way and St Swithun’s Way, as well
as introducing the various walking clubs and initiatives that exist, including
the highly popular month long Alton walking festival.
Walk
Alton is seeking to regain Alton’s accreditation as a Walkers
are Welcome destination https://walkersarewelcome.org.uk/walkers-are-welcome-and-who-we-are/. Affiliation to this nationwide network of towns and
villages will give wider publicity to Alton as a walking destination and help
to demonstrate that Alton is a walk-friendly town. It will also help promote
tourism and bring new footfall to Alton and the surrounding area.
Helen
Dudley is secretary and treasurer of Walk Alton. Her contact details are: helendudley78@sky.com, tel
07887-744959].
Deadwater Valley Trust
The
Deadwater Valley Trust (DVT) has
a monthly dog walking group and a monthly working party
in Hogmoor Inclosure on the
third Saturday of each month.
Bordon Business Exchange
Members of the Bordon
Business Exchange (http://www.bordonbusinessexchange.com/)
meet on the
first Tuesday of the month from 8.00-10.00am at The Royal Exchange, Lindford. The format is informal networking over breakfast, then a short update on the Bordon and Whitehill regeneration
project at 9 am. This is followed by a 20 minute presentation celebrating the
successes and failures of a local business, followed by a led discussion. Other
more specialised events could potentially ‘spin off’ from this general
networking forum. For example, a startup ‘SOUP’ meeting is planned
for the middle of the year to attract less established businesses in the area.
Partners are: Red Mist (Julian Clarke); The B & W Regeneration Company (James Child);
Enterprise Nation (Emma Selby).
LOCAL
COUNCILS
Fly-Tipping
A flyer from Hampshire
County Council gives some guidance about managing waste and what to do
regarding a waste carrier when arranging waste disposal.
Handyperson
service
Hampshire
County Council has commissioned Aster Living to provide a subsidised
handyperson service across Hampshire for anyone over the age of 55, or anyone
who is disabled (including families with disabled children). The aim is to
provide a value for money and trusted handyman service to get those jobs done
around the house that the householder can’t do. See the sample
advertisement and the leaflet for further information.
Community
Solutions
Community
Solutions is an Information and Support Service for
people and for organisations in and around Whitehill
and Bordon. There's lots going on and many community
organisations offering useful services in the town but it is sometimes
difficult to find out about them. That's what Community Solutions is all
about. Click here to go to their website where you will find more
information and a link to the latest e-newsletter.
Mobile
library and Home Library Service
Mobile
library timetables are available under mobile libraries at www.hants.gov.uk/library. Stops can be checked by entering a postcode or
village name into the 'Search for a Timetable' function, enabling you to bring
up the nearest mobile stop to that location. You can also access a
printable timetable with dates until March 2013 by clicking on the route button
next to the stop. Alternatively there is an alphabetical list under the
'Timetables from 22 October' tab.
Hampshire Library Service runs a free Home Library Service for
Hampshire residents who are unable, or for whom it is very difficulty, to get
to their local library or mobile library stop due to frailty, mobility problems
or caring responsibilities. We currently have capacity to visit more people in
their own homes thanks to our team of willing volunteers at Bordon
Library, who are all CRB checked, fully trained and supported by library staff.
To apply contact staff at your local library, go to the library website www.hants.gov.uk/library,
telephone 0845 6035631, or contact Nicolette Morgan.
Mediation
service
Mediationfirst is a registered charity covering the Boroughs of Waverley and East
Hants. The purpose of the service is to seek the resolution of actual or
potential conflict
between individuals, groups or organisations through a neutral third party intervention, so that different perspectives
on a problem and opposing positions may be heard and where possible reconciled. See the leaflet and the
guidance
for referrers for further information.
Transport
Manager
East
Hants District Council has appointed Kim Hardwick as Transport Manager for Whitehill and Bordon Eco-town.
She has produced a leaflet about lift-sharing and another about the local cycle shops.
She can be contacted on 07833 970210 or by email. She has set up a blog
and is aiming to post on it once a week.
Taxi
service to Haslemere station
In addition to the Bordon Link and the
Grayshott to Bordon Call & Go, there is now a new
commuter taxi-share service. This pre-book service will link Lindford to Haslemere station providing a key commuter option for those
without access to a car. Information on the route, pick up times and the cost
can be found at www.hants.gov.uk/taxishares or by
calling 01962 846786 for more
information.
Parish
Council open space policy
The
Parish Council has an open
space policy which is displayed and applies on all the Council-owned open
spaces.
Litter
picking
The
Parish Council has a supply of litter-picking sticks. Many have been given to
residents so that they can clear litter in the area where they live. If you
would like to help clean up the village and would use a litter-picking stick,
please contact the Parish Office at the Village Hall on 01420 474881.
Volunteer
drivers needed
Transport
provided by community organisations is vital for many people in Hampshire to
help them access services. Hampshire County Council, in partnership with the
Hampshire Volunteer Centre Network, the CVS Network and the Good Neighbours
Support Service has organised a campaign to recruit volunteer minibus and car
drivers to drive minibuses owned by not-for-profit organisations subject to the
appropriate training, or to carry passengers in their own cars for which they
will receive a mileage allowance. Volunteers can give as little or as much time
as they would like. The campaign aims to raise awareness of driving as a
volunteering opportunity and how people can get involved. Anyone interested in
finding out about becoming a volunteer driver can read more details online at www.hants.gov.uk/volunteerdrivers
or contact the Hampshire Volunteer Centre Network on 0844 499 4088.
Wheels to
Work
The
Wheels to Work moped loan scheme is designed for people aged between 16 and 25
who do not have access to public or private transport to get them to a job,
vocational training or to attend interviews. A moped can be loaned for 3 to 12
months depending on your circumstances. For more information see the webpage.
Hampshire
County Council public notice portal
Hampshire
County Council has now begun placing statutory public notice adverts in a free
publication called the Hampshire Independent. This project has been the
subject of extensive dialogue with district and borough councils at
the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Procurement Partnership
(HIOWSPP). By publishing the notices in a free newspaper, the County
Council aims to make public notices widely available in a cost-effective way
(on a like-for-like basis the County Council is expecting a reduction in cost
of around 50%). The Hampshire Independent will be available free of
charge at a large number of outlets across Hampshire, including retail
organisations such as Tesco Express and ASDA and at County Council
establishments such as libraries. There will be five copies in Lindford Parish
Council office. Hampshire residents have been informed of these changes by
means of a short article in the latest edition of Hampshire Now and
further information appears on the County Council website.
Public notices are now available online at www.hants.gov.uk/publicnotices,
making them more accessible to a wide cross-section of residents. This improves
the transparency of public messages by placing them in the most convenient
channel for residents. Other councils wishing to publish their notices on the
County Council’s portal are also now able to subscribe to the service for a
small fee. Residents who do not have access to the internet may wish to visit
their Parish Council office to see a public notice. The portal is very simple
to use but if you need more details about it, please contact Debbie Parin,
Procurement Manager for Partnerships on 02392 467253.
A number of authorities are already using the
online Hampshire public notices portal and there has been strong
interest in the new advertising/publication contract from a number of
councils. The County Council's public notices can be viewed online
together with those of several other Hampshire authorities, for example,
Fareham Borough Council. Members of the public who do not have access to
the internet at home can view these web pages at their local library. Special
arrangements have also been made for people who may find it difficult to obtain
a copy of the Hampshire Independent. In these circumstances, the
company will post a copy to individual members of the
public free of charge. Contact Assistant Director, Neil Jones (01962 846180), or Project
Manager, Debbie Parin,
with any queries or questions.
SAFETY ISSUES
Crime
Prevention
A Crime Prevention Bulletin was been issued in November 2019 by
the Force Crime Prevention Advisor containing some very useful advice.
NFU
and Crimestoppers initiative
The National Farmers' Union has launched a service for farmers and the
public to give information anonymously about rural crime, in partnership with
the charity Crimestoppers. For more details: https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/nfu-and-crimestoppers-launch-new-rural-crime-reporting-line/.
Feeling
safe
Vulnerable
people in Whitehill & Bordon
now have a safe place to go if they are feeling overwhelmed or being bullied,
abused or harassed. The Safe Place scheme has been rolled out across Whitehill & Bordon under East
Hampshire District Council’s Healthy New Town programme to make sure vulnerable
people have somewhere they can feel safe. There are currently six ‘Safe Places’
in the town offering refuge to anyone who feels intimidated or at risk while
they are out and about. The scheme provides a place, with trained staff,
for people to seek help or simply to just calm down and have some alone-time.
Easily recognisable by their bright yellow and red ‘Safe Place’ sticker, the Whitehill & Bordon Safe
Places are:
1.
Tesco
2.
Quebec Café
3.
Forest Surgery
4.
Badgerswood Surgery
5.
Forest Community Centre
6.
The Phoenix Theatre &
Arts Centre
Cllr
Ferris Cowper, Portfolio Holder for Whitehill & Bordon, said: “We are delighted to bring such a fantastic
initiative to Whitehill & Bordon.
It is important that as the town develops, all residents and visitors to the
town feel safe and can enjoy all the new facilities on offer. Absolutely anyone
is welcome to use the Safe Place if they feel like they need to get off the
streets for any reason. We would like to thank all the businesses that have
already signed up to be a Safe Place, it is great to have six stretching all
the way across the town.”
If you would like to see a map showing the Safe Places,
click here. If
you would like to offer a Safe Place, please contact Rebecca Treharne, EHDC’s Healthy New Towns Project Officer on Rebecca.treharne@easthants.gov.uk.
Floodwater management
Message from the Flood and
Water Management Team:
All riparian
owners (those who have watercourses on or bordering their properties) across
Hampshire, and beyond, should be looking at the state of their drainage
ditches, culverts and other watercourses to ensure the clear transference of
rain water and a reduced risk of localised flooding. Please find a poster
detailing what responsibilities riparian owners have and guidance on how to undertake
this maintenance to reduce flooding from surface water after rain event. Please
feel free to
share this poster with residents, publish in parish magazines etc. or put on
your website if you believe it will be useful. If you have any further enquiries
regarding this or any other areas of flood risk management, please visit our
website at https://www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment/environment/flooding
Safety
information
Hampshire Association of Local Councils
(HALC) has issued a newsletter on community safety issues and leaflets about bike safety and internet safety.
Rightdriver
Rightdriver has a contract with the Driver and Vehicle
Standards Agency (DVSA) enabling it to provide free Highway Code education for
car, motorbike and lorry
for men and women on Rightdriver.co.uk.
This site is preferred and used by a large number of driving instructors, youth
organisations (such as scouts and army cadets), schools, community
organisations and more to help people get their driver’s licence because of its
free official Highway Code questions.
Security during refurbishment
Hampshire
Constabulary has put out a Crime Prevention Sheet about refurbishing or building
properties.
Community
SpeedWatch
Community SpeedWatch
allows members of the community to become police support volunteers and take
action, helping us to educate drivers on the roads of concern in your area. SpeedWatch is a community scheme that can only take place
in 20mph, 30mph and some 40 mph limits or zones. The scheme is managed by the
police local Safer Neighbourhood teams but run by volunteers. Volunteers use
equipment that can monitor the speed of passing traffic and record the details,
later adding them to a database. Vehicle checks are undertaken by the police
and letters then sent to the registered keepers advising them of the speed and
reminding them of why it is a community concern. SpeedWatch
is not enforcement, it is education. It is important to know that SpeedWatch now forms part of our response to speeding
issues. It is the first tier in our response to dealing with this problem. If a
problem persists, we will escalate to tier two, meaning that enforcement can be
undertaken by the police Safer Neighbourhood teams.
What usually happens, is that the police get various volunteers from the
local community. They spend an hour of their time with the speed gun taking
readings from passing traffic on designated roads. This data is then fed back
through the police system, and letters are sent to the offending persons. It is
a good scheme, and has been very successful in the places it has been set up
(for example, since January, Selborne has sent out
11,006 letters!).
See the guidelines and the
poster
for more information about volunteering.
Fire and
Rescue Service
The
Risk Reduction Officer for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service for East
Hampshire, Simon Mills, has the role of helping to
reduce the risk of fires and promote fire safety within rural communities. Some
of the issues in which he is involved are:
·
Home
fire safety visits, by appointment only, for vulnerable members of the
community, such as the elderly or disabled, including fitting smoke detectors
free.
·
Advice
on thatched properties
·
Commercial
premises in rural locations (eg farm conversions)
·
Locating
and visiting premises with acetylene cylinders
·
Locating migrant
farm workers to ensure their domestic fire safety is maximised, through the
Home Fire Safety Visits.
If
you wish to discuss anything with the Risk Reduction Officer contact Fire
Fighter Simon Mills, Rural Risk Reduction Officer, East Hampshire; mobile: 07584 704537; work: 01256
300377; speed dial: 705 5012; email: simon.mills@hantsfire.gov.uk;
Web: www.hantsfire.gov.uk;
Alton Fire Station 19 Butts Rd, Alton. GU34 1LL.
Safer
homes advice
Hampshire
Constabulary offers the following safer homes advice:
·
Deadlock your doors with the key – don’t just lift up
the handle.
·
Keep valuable items out of view – if you have
electrical equipment worth hundreds of pounds, don’t keep it by the window
where passers-by can see it.
·
Never leave a key under a
doormat or on a string through the letterbox – it’s the first place any burglar
will look.
·
Make sure tools and ladders are kept in a secure place
– burglars will happily use your own garden equipment to break into your home.
·
If you’ve taken extra
security precautions, let would-be burglars know. If you have an alarm, make
sure the box can be clearly seen. If you take part in a Neighbourhood Watch
scheme, display a sticker in your window and, if you have a dog, put up a
warning sign.
·
Hide financial documents and keys – if someone does
break in you don’t want them to also steal from your bank account or take your
car.
·
Make sure you secure all your doors and windows every
time you leave the house, even if you are ‘just popping out’.
·
If you are in the garden or
upstairs, make sure your downstairs doors are locked – in the summer burglars
can often just open the front door and help themselves.
·
Make use of all door and window locks fitted in your
home.
·
Consider getting a letter box deflector.
·
Keep house keys upstairs or store them near the door
out of sight for easy access in an emergency.
·
Keep your car keys away from the front door and store
them somewhere safe.
·
Keep handbags out of sight.
Online
fraud
The National
Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) and Action Fraud have noticed a rise in the
reporting of victims being recruited via Facebook to
sell items for suspects on eBay – often stating that it is a quick way of
making money. The items are said to be bankrupt stock, purchased via auctions,
and need to be sold on quickly. The majority reported have been Apple Mac Book
Pro/Electrical Items. The victim places the items on eBay and once the items
are sold, the victim will get paid and transfer the funds to the
suspect/recruiter. Once the suspect/recruiter gets the funds, the purchasers
are claiming that they have received empty cereal boxes or often no goods at
all, leaving the victim being reported as the actual suspect, and leaving them
out of pocket as their account will be debited.
Protect yourself:
·
Consider conducting
research on other information provided by the seller, for example: a mobile
phone number or email address could alert you to negative information
associated with the number/email address online.
·
Be very
cautious of unsolicited emails or approaches over social media promising
opportunities to make easy money.
·
When accepting
offers, verify the company/entity details provided to you and check whether
they have been registered in the UK.
If you think the deal or offer is too good to
be true then it probably is!
If you, or
anyone you know, has been affected by this fraud or any other scam, report it
to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.
Non-dwelling
crimes
The Longmoor
Neighbourhood Policing Team would like to remind people to keep their property
safe and secure.
Theft from vehicle crime prevention advice:
·
Always lock your vehicle and wind your
windows up, even if you are only going to be a short while
·
Double check your vehicle is locked.
Try the door handles.
·
Don't leave anything in your car even
low value items. If it's not there, it can't be stolen.
·
Your car isn't safe to be left unlocked
on your driveway. Nearly half of all incidents where items are stolen from cars
happen overnight, close to the owner’s home.
·
Register all valuables for FREE on www.immobilise.com
Non-dwelling burglary crime prevention advice:
·
Make sure your garage or shed is fitted with a good strong lock,
padlock, door hinges or other security device such as a garage defender.
·
Place all tools and garden equipment in
locked sheds and garages.
·
Consider
fitting an alarm to your garage or shed. Most DIY store stock battery operated
alarms which are suitable for this purpose.
·
Secure/padlock more valuable items such
as lawn mowers and bikes to an anchor point within the shed or garage.
·
Always lock you r garage or shed after
use
·
If
your own a quad / motorcycle fitted with an alarm or immobilise,
ensure it is activated.
·
Consider
padlocking your quad / motorcycle to a secure point within the garage / shed.
·
Consider
the use of a quad / motorcycle wheel clamp.
·
Consider external security lighting,
CCTV and shed alarms.
·
Keep the structure in good repair.
Ensure surrounding fences and gates are in good repair to prevent unlawful
access.
·
Register all valuables for FREE on www.immobilise.com. Take photos and
keep a note of serial numbers on your items.
If you have any information regarding any incidents, please contact 101
or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Police
security questionnaire
The
police have issued a document for householders to check the security of their
homes. It is well worth a look.
NFU
and Crimestoppers initiative
The National Farmers' Union has launched a new service for farmers and
the public to give information anonymously about rural crime, in partnership
with the charity Crimestoppers. For more
details: https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/nfu-and-crimestoppers-launch-new-rural-crime-reporting-line/.
Rogue traders
Trading
Standards would advise consumers not to agree to work that is
instigated as a result of a cold call or via a leaflet drop. Consumers
should obtain at least 3 written quotes from reputable businesses or traders
who belong to a recognised trade association, such as the Hampshire County
Council Buy With Confidence Scheme, details of which can be obtained by telephoning
01962 833620, via email
or via the website.
Members of the Buy With Confidence scheme are fully audited
to ensure their trading practices are legal, honest and fair and have been
checked for trustworthiness and compliance with consumer protection laws.
Traders
who agree work at the home of an individual or at a place other than their
usual business premises are required by law to provide consumers with a Notice
of Right to Cancel, which gives consumers a 7-day cooling off period. Work
should not commence until this period has ended, unless written agreement is
first obtained from that consumer beforehand.
If
anyone has any information about traders who are cold calling or requires any
advice on doorstep crime they can contact Hampshire County Council's Quick
Response Team on 01962 833666 (Monday – Friday 0900hrs to 1700hrs) where specially
trained officers are on hand to provide assistance. If urgent assistance
is required outside these hours please contact Hampshire Police on the
non-urgent number 101, or 0845 045 4545, or dial 999 if you feel threatened or
intimidated.
Rogue
traders are people pretending to be builders or ‘qualified’ trades men or women
needing to do 'urgent' repairs or sales people offering bargain products.
Things to be aware of:
·
They often pressurise householders to
make quick decisions to have work done, pay in advance for materials or do poor
work at highly inflated prices.
·
They will often cold call on vulnerable households and
deliberately overcharge for unsatisfactory goods and services. This can include
charging for unnecessary work, damaging property deliberately in order to
obtain money, leaving work unfinished and intimidating householders.
·
Victims of this practice are often vulnerable or elderly and
in the most serious cases, offenders will return to the same victim again and
again until their savings are exhausted.
Police work jointly with local
authority trading standards officers and other agencies to target offenders who
prey on vulnerable members of the community in this way.
The following
advice will help tackling doorstep rogue traders:
·
Close and lock your back door before
answering the front door.
·
Use a spy hole, chain or window to have a look at the caller
before answering the door. If you do not recognise them speak through the
closed and locked door.
·
Never buy goods and services from people calling
unexpectedly or unannounced at your door.
·
If the caller is selling something or offering work on your
house or garden tell them that you are not interested and ask them to leave.
·
If they do not leave tell them you will call the police.
·
Always ask for proof of identity. Take it from the person
(through the letterbox) and read it carefully.
·
Phone the company or organisation the caller claims to be
from (use the number in the phone book) to confirm their identity.
·
If you have any doubt – keep them out.
Remember it's
your home. Don't be afraid to say ‘No’ and report anything suspicious to the
police.
If you
do need to employ a tradesman, please remember these useful tips:
·
Take advice from family, friends or
reputable traders to check if the work really needs doing.
·
Avoid any cold callers that may turn up or ring unexpectedly
or unannounced offering to carry out repairs.
·
Only use reputable workmen recommended by family and
friends, or those who have worked satisfactorily for you before. Consider
contacting your local Trading Standards who may run a registered traders scheme
for advice on choosing a tradesperson. Advice and information is also available
on the Citizens Advice website.
·
If you do decide the work needs doing, always obtain at
least 3 quotes and make sure the quote you accept is in writing.
·
Ask traders to provide you with written contact details and ask
about insurance backed guarantees.
·
Ask for details of previous satisfied customers and contact
them. Go and see the work for yourself if you can.
·
Consumer law allows you a seven day cooling-off period so
you can change your mind about any service offered by someone who arrives
uninvited or by appointment.
·
Keep back part of the cost until the repair job has been
satisfactorily completed. This will provide an incentive for the trader to
complete the job or put right any problems.
·
Report any unscrupulous traders either to police or Citizens
Advice.
Look out for
your neighbours. Friends,
neighbours and people who have regular contact with older and vulnerable people
can help them to make their lives more secure. Research shows that fewer
distraction burglaries are committed in areas where there is a supportive
community.
You can help by:
·
Keeping an eye on people calling in the
area or acting suspiciously.
·
Noting the registration numbers of vehicles parked in your
area for a period of time.
·
Calling on vulnerable people regularly. If it is not too
much trouble, help them keep their front garden tidy and find reliable tradespeople for any maintenance work that really does need
to be undertaken.
·
Inform the police to provide information about suspicious
people, activity or vehicles, however insignificant it may seem.
Victim
Care Pack
Sam Dunlop
and Russ Cox are looking at what Hampshire Constabulary currently gives to
victims of crimes in respect of Victim Care Packs and how and when they are offered.
They are looking at everything from the care-pack name, the content,
information accessibility, overall branding and design of what could be
provided in the future. Victim Care Packs currently contain:
·
“What happens next” leaflet which explains the
Criminal Justice Unit (CJU) process;
·
“Your Voice Counts” leaflet;
·
local newsletter for the
neighbourhood where the crime took place;
·
additional information
relevant to the crime type and district focus E.G. Domestic Violence/Theft From
Motor Vehicle.
What we are
after from you or anyone interested in giving us views or feedback on the
following:
·
what information the
aggrieved to any crime would like to receive or have access to (generic and/or
tailored?);
·
what information is most
useful to an aggrieved person;
·
title of information packs –
what do you think about them being called Victim Care Packs? Any other
suggestions?;
·
accessibility of information
and suggested format;
·
anything else you would like
to give feedback on regarding the current packs or suggestions for the
development of the idea of a care pack or similar idea.
The remit is
to look at this idea starting completely afresh so Sam and Russ have licence to
create whatever is best for anyone who wishes to access or receive this
information, addressing current-day customer satisfaction on a cost-effective
viable basis. You can contact them at: Hampshire Force Control Room, tel no: 0845 045 4545 and ask for 71- 5125; mobile: 07720
305613; or email.
Crime
reporting
Confused
about who to call?
Scams
Be on your
guard and do not supply or confirm any personal, banking or card details to anyone
who makes contact with you. Trading Standards would also advise consumers not to agree to work that is instigated as a
result of a cold call or via a leaflet drop. Consumers should obtain at least
three written quotes from reputable businesses or traders who belong to a
recognised trade association, such as the Hampshire County Council Buy With Confidence Scheme. Details of this scheme can be
obtained by telephoning 01962 833620, via email or via the website. If
you have any concerns regarding cold calling matters, please do not hesitate to
contact Hampshire County Council's Quick Response Team on 01962 833666.
Cold caller stickers to put on your front door are available at the Parish
Office.
Scam
bulletin
There
is now a link to the new scam bulletin on Hantsweb.
This bulletin can be distributed to the public and the contact details for
reporting scams through the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline are included.
However, partners are invited to refer concerns directly to Hampshire County
Council Trading Standards by telephoning 01962 833 620 or emailing ts.intel@hants.gcsx.gov.uk.
Small
business scams
Hampshire
County Council Trading Standards say there are an increasing number of
fraudsters running scams that target businesses specifically. They have
supplied the content for an article that details a list that small businesses and
self-employed people can sign up to if they would like to receive alerts when
new scams are identified.
Approved
trader scheme
Hampshire
Trading Standards Service operates an approved trader scheme called Buy With Confidence which includes security
companies. Information is available at www.buywithconfidence.gov.uk
or by telephoning Consumer Direct on 01622 626503.
HEALTH ISSUES
Surgery signposting
Surgery Signposting volunteers link local people
with support services offered by local community groups. The
aim is to connect you to the information and support you need to live an
active, happy and healthy lifestyle. See poster for further details.
Defibrillator
The village now has a
defibrillator which is located at Londis store.
Jackie Taylor-Green has been trained in its use. The
device is designed to be used by the public without training as it guides a
user step-by-step. This has been made possible through a grant from
our County Councillor, Adam Carew. An application has been made to our District
Councillor, Yvonne Parker Smith, for funding for an exterior case so that the
machine is available at any time.
Get Active
Now
Get
Active East Hampshire is here to help you achieve a more active and healthier
lifestyle. See the website www.getactivenow.org.uk.
Sport Makers
programme
More than a
thousand people across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have vowed to make sport
happen in their communities. Being a Sport Maker is a chance to have
fun, meet people and make new friends, gain further qualifications and enjoy unique
experiences. For more details about the Sport Makers programme visit www.sportmakers.co.uk
or www.sporthampshireiow.co.uk/volunteering.
For more information, or if you have any questions regarding Sport Makers,
please contact Tom Dickson or
call 01962 845189.
Common
Assessment Framework for Adults
Hampshire
County Council has launched a project called Common Assessment Framework for
Adults (CAFA). Its aim is to find new and innovative ways to share health and
social care information. The project is funded by the Department of
Health. See the release
for Parish magazines for further information.
Headley
Voluntary Care
Headley
Voluntary Care offers help to people needing to get to the doctor, dentist, optician and so on. See their poster for
details of how to contact them.
Say it
once
There is a website that has been
designed to encourage residents to record their own personal information and
share this easily with health, social care and emergency services when needed.
See the original press
release for more information.
Disclaimer
