Local News and Events

Bin collection amendment for bank holiday

Bin collection amendment for bank holiday to mark State Funeral

Hertsmere civic offices will be closed on Monday 19 September to observe the national bank holiday in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral.

Accordingly, waste collections will slip a day, meaning black bin collections will take place a day later as shown below.  

Normal collection day                                  Revised collection day

Monday 19 September                                  Tuesday 20 September
Tuesday 20 September                                  Wednesday 21 September
Wednesday 21 September                          Thursday 22 September
Thursday 22 September                                Friday 23 September
Friday 23 September                                     Saturday 24 September

Normal collections will resume on Monday 26 September. To find out more about bin collections, please visit: www.hertsmere.gov.uk/bincollections

Aldenham Art Festival

🎨ART FESTIVAL!!🎨 Come along to the Aldenham Art Festival this weekend held at Aldenham Church. Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12-4:30pm. Entry by donation, home made cakes, teas, toilets, step free access. www.aldenhamartfestival.org.uk.

World Alzheimer’s Awareness Month 2022

Every September, people come together from around the world to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and challenge the stigma around dementia.

This year, Dementia UK are raising awareness of the stigma that affects so many people with Alzheimer’s disease and their loved ones. This stigma can make it hard for people to speak up about dementia and put them off seeking a diagnosis or support and this can leave families feeling overwhelmed and unsupported.

Follow Dementia UK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see how they’re challenging the stigma around Alzheimer’s disease this month and how you can get involved. Please visit their website here.

Communities 1st have partnered with The Alzheimers Society and Dementia Adventure to run a Dementia Friends Information session. This session will give you the opportunity to learn more about what it is like to live with dementia and turn that understanding into action. The online session will be taking place on 21 September 11am-12pm via Zoom. To book the session or to find out more please call 01727 649900, email or visit Communities 1st website here.

Emergency services (999) now use sign language

British Sign Language (BSL) users can now communicate more easily with the emergency services following the June launch of the 999BSL video relay service. 
 
The free-to-use nationwide service can be found online at 999bsl.co.uk or downloaded as an app and enables a BSL user to connect to a BSL interpreter video call in an emergency. The interpreter then calls 999 using a landline to relay the conversation to the emergency services operator. 
 
The new service is a lifeline for people who only communicate using BSL. Now they can independently contact emergency services if they need to. The service is available 24/7, 365 days a year and there’s no need to register.
 
The launch of 999BSL comes after Ofcom announced last June that telephone and broadband companies must carry the service. NHS 111 already operates a BSL video call option.
 
Abigail Gorman, public affairs and policy manager at SignHealth, the deaf health charity, said: “This is a breakthrough for deaf people that will save lives and means one more step forward towards equality. We won’t be satisfied until deaf people have full and equal access, particularly to life saving health services.”
 
Here for you
Give us a call to find out more or to book your appointment.

Give us a call on: 
01923 372101 (Radlett) or 01462 506074 (Hitchin)

Clothes Swap for a Wardrobe Update

Clothes hanging on a rail

We’re back with another clothes swap event in Radlett.

A clothes swap event is a great way to update your wardrobe for free! You simply bring along clothes you no longer wear and swap them for somebody else’s.

The event takes place on Saturday 24 Septembery at The Radlett Centre. The event starts with shoppers dropping off a maximum of ten items of clothing between 10am and 11am. For each donated item you can choose a new item, for free! Swapping takes place between midday and 1.30pm. It’s simple and sustainable!

The aim is to divert the amount of perfectly usable clothing from unnecessarily ending up in landfills, but also make it more accessible for people that want new clothes but possibly can’t afford them.

Research shows that 30 per cent of what is in our wardrobes hasn’t been worn for over a year, so why not swap those clothes for something new to you.

There are some ‘rules’ to ensure the swapping event goes well:
Maximum of 10 items per shopper
All items must be good quality – only bring what you’d be happy to take home
Nothing too worn – no bobbles, no rips, no stains
Adult clothes only – no shoes, jewellery, underwear, swimwear or children’s clothes.
We cannot guarantee sizes/categories of clothing at each event, it is all dependant on what people bring on the day. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment, i.e. first come, first served – we do not hold stock back.
We cannot provide credits or return items if you do not find an equal number of items to take home as the number you brought to the swap.

Any leftover items at the end of the swap will be saved for future events or donated to a local charity. Remember to bring your own reusable bags to take items home in. 
To find out more about the clothes swapping event, please visit: www.hertsmere.gov.uk/clothesswap

Shape Up Is Back!

Do you know someone who needs a little help?

Shape Up is a 12 week FREE weight loss course aimed at men aged 18 to 65 who have a BMI of 30+.

The course starts Monday 12 September and runs at Allum Manor in Allum Lane, Borehamwood, 7-8:30pm. During the course, you can find out about simple lifestyle changes you can make to help lose weight in a safe, friendly way.

If you, or anyone you know could benefit from this course then contact Shaun Murphy at shaun.murphy@watfordfc.com or 07938 486378 now to secure your place.

Shape Up is run by the Watford FC Community Sports and Education Trust. If you would like further information on this programme, please visit their website.

Discover wellness at the annual community health fair — Potters Bar

Anyone wanting to learn more about how to improve their health and feel good can attend the Health and Wellbeing Event, organised by the Potters Bar Patient Participation Groups of three Potters Bar surgeries,on Friday (2 September) at the Wyllyotts Theatre in Potters Bar. The event will feature a market place with over 25 stalls offering wellbeing information services and advice from organisations supporting the Potters Bar community, such as Communities 1st, InspireAll and Neighbourhood Watch. There will also be health talks by GP’s from the three local surgeries Taster sessions will also be on offer, such as dance fit by Saracens, and chair-based exercises and falls prevention by InspireAll. Starts at 10am and will run until 3pm. Booking not needed, just drop in. Everyone is welcome.

Introducing McDonald’s Summer Club!

McDonald's summer club
A new social activity club aimed at 11-14 year olds is launching this month at McDonald’s. 

There will be a range of fun activities on offer such as table tennis, giant Jenga and table football.
A free drink will be provided.

The club has been provided by Hertsmere Borough Council in partnership with McDonald’s and Sporting Inspirations.
It will go ahead from 2-4pm on 17, 24 and 31 August outside McDonald’s at 213 Shenley Road, Borehamwood, WD6 1TE. 

No booking is required but parental consent is needed.  Grab a friend to bring along, or make some new ones!