Local News and Events

Just a month to go, so here’s a reminder to get your entry in for this year’s fun runs, to be held on Bank Holiday Monday, 1 May.

Spring is here and it can’t rain forever (or can it?).  I managed to get a run in yesterday, between showers!  And by the time May comes, the sun will be shining.

So come on, do both yourself and our charities a favour by entering now for this event.  Please.  There will be inflatables there for the children and a BBQ available after the event.

Once again, I attach an entry form, and they can also be downloaded from our sponsor’s website, www.naglersimmons.co.uk.

Hoping to receive your entry in the near future & to see you there on 1 May – if you have any queries or comments in the mean time, or if you wish to unsubscribe to these emails, then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Thanking you for your support,

Regards,

Following on from the tree planting alongside the main driveway as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy initiative to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 we have been in discussions with HCC officers to plant trees in 100 Aker Wood for some time.  I’m delighted to report this is now coming to fruition and I’m sharing excerpt of our social media post with the hope you can share this.

We are looking for Volunteers to assist in this exciting project in our 100 Aker Wood on Saturday 4th March. Hertfordshire County Council has been awarded a grant through the Governments’ Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund, and have appointed two dedicated Woodland Creation Officers – Hannah Ward and Ralph Giles who will be working to assist local people and organisations realise their planting ambitions and create new treescapes. We are fortunate to be at the heart of this initiative and will plant 200 trees in our 100 Aker Wood with the help of volunteers. If you have an aspiration to help your community or have a love for gardening, join us on Saturday 4th March at Aldenham Country Park to plant 200 trees. Please email info@aldenhamcountrypark.co.uk if you are interested in assisting us with this exciting project.

We will be holding our annual fun run event on the Bank Holiday Monday, 1 May, based at Tabard Rugby Football Club, and we really hope that you and your family and friends will come along and support us, please.  Running is a brilliant way to keep fit and healthy, and by joining us on the 1st May you can also support charities, both local and national.

This year we will also have inflatables for the children, provided and managed for us by Keen Bean Sport.  Food and drink will also be available from the rugby club from 9:00 am, and there will hopefully be a BBQ after the event.

As usual, there will be 2 runs, both completely off-road and centred around the Rugby Club;  one of 1.5 km for children under the age of 11, and another of 5 km for everyone 7 years of age and over.  There will be medals for all finishers, as well as trophies for the winners.  For the 5 km event, as well as trophies for the first 3 male/female runners past the post, there will also be trophies for the first boy/girl under 12 and under 16, the first male/female veteran 45 and over, the first vet 60 and over, and for the winning team of 4 (to be registered in advance).

I do hope you will be running this year.  An entry form is attached here, but they can also be downloaded from our sponsor’s website, www.naglersimmons.co.uk.

Please try to persuade all your friends, relatives & colleagues to take part.  If there are 4 of you for the 5 km run, then why not enter as a team, but please note that team entries can only be accepted in advance & not on the day.

We would really like to thank local chartered accountants Nagler Simmons for their continued support of the event, thereby ensuring that all entry fees received will go straight to Rotary charities.  And as with last year, we hope you will also be personally sponsored by friends and relations to raise money for our nominated charity, “Hertsmere Mencap”.  More information on this worthy cause can be found at https://www.hertsmeremencap.org.uk.  Sponsorship forms are also attached here, and again, you will also find copies on our sponsor’s website.

The rugby club bar will be open for food and drinks from 9:00 am.

Entry Form

Sponsorship Form

Nominations are now open for the BBC Make a Difference Awards. Honour someone who always goes above and beyond. Entries close at 11pm on 05/03/2023. See a full list of categories here bbc.in/makeadifference

Delighted to report that official confirmation has been received that the path around Aldenham Reservoir is now a definitive right of way. This is the footpath to south and west of the reservoir (the one that was locked / gated previously).

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau reports that businesses in the hospitality sector are being targeted by criminals impersonating IT providers. 

Typically, fraudsters will contact restaurants/hotels and claim to be from the company that provides their reservation or booking system. They try to convince the employee to reveal their login details, often under the guise that it’s required in order to complete an important software installation. 

Once an attacker gains access to the business’ computer systems, they steal any personal data they come across, including databases of customer names and contact details. This data is then used to commit further scams, for example, victims have reported receiving calls from people impersonating a restaurant or hotel they have a reservation with. The caller requested a payment, claiming it was required to confirm their reservation.

Protect your business: 

• Ensure that business accounts are protected using 2-step verification (2SV). This will help prevent unauthorised access even if an attacker knows an employee’s login details.

• Inform employees about types of information a supplier will and won’t ask for. Eg. a supplier would never need an employee’s password. Staff should inform a supervisor if they receive a request they’re unsure about.

• If you are a business or other organisation currently suffering a live cyber attack (in progress), please call 0300 123 2040 immediately. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• For advice on how to improve your business’ cyber security in an affordable and practical way, please see the National Cyber Security Centre’s Small Business Guide at www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/small-business-guide