Below is an extract from the April Newsletter produced by the Town Council. All houses in Buntingford should receive a copy through their letterbox. If you haven't, please let the Clerk's Office know. Spare copies are available in the Reception area of the Manor House.
HAVE YOU ENTERED A TEAM YET ?
Buntylympics - Sunday 10th June
It will soon be here and the closing date for team entries is 30th April.
Every entrant will receive a commemorative medal. A team can be made up from friends, family, clubs, societies, etc. A maximum of 15 in a team and you do not need to enter all events. You can even enter more than one in most events which is particularly good for the younger ones.
There are 14 fun-filled events, four for the under 7, four for the under 15 and four for the older ones. And just to keep it FUN there are two events that cross the age groups.
Why not Wellie Wangling? Try the Boules Challenge. What about Hoola Hoop? Any good at three legged? Can your toddlers run backwards? How far can you throw the paper plate discus or the pea stick javelin? What’s your putting like? A fun event for everyone.
It is FREE to enter. In addition there will be cups for the Medal Table toppers, Best Flag and Fair Play award. Forms are available on the website or from the Council offices.
A free programme will be delivered to every house in the town. It promises to be a great day and it only needs one thing to make it perfect - YOU.
There will be a mini-funfair, food stall, bar, picnic area and much more.
There is still time to book a stall for your organisation. If you have already booked one with the Carnival then you can BOGOF, yes - you can have one at the Buntylympics for free. Contact the Clerk’s Office for details.
Look for the posters around the town and keep the day free.
The day starts around 9.30am with the Opening Ceremony at 10.00am and will close around 4pm.
Message from the Town Mayor
As you may have read in recent press reports, Councillors met with Prologis, a company commissioned by Sainsbury’s to look at the future of the site. We were pleased to hear that the site will remain an employment site, with one possibly two distribution depots. This will bring varied employment opportunities to Buntingford which is welcomed. At this point no planning application has been submitted.
This is my final newsletter as Town Mayor for 2011/2012. It has been a pleasure to hold office and represent the town. I’d like to thank those of you who have invited me to attend your events during the year, the diversity of the organisations in the town never ceases to surprise me. Stan Bull
Buntingford Youth Council
EASTER EGG HUNT at NORFOLK ROAD PLAYING FIELD, 1ST APRIL 11.15AM.
Please come and join the Easter Bunny at Norfolk Road Playing Field for the Under 9’s Easter Egg Hunt. The first 100 competitors will receive a prize, with special prizes for the winner and runners up.
The Youth Council meet once a month, usually on a Tuesday at The Manor House. If you are aged between 11 and 18 and would like to join us please call Jill on 01763 272222.
Air Ambulance comes to Buntingford
The fund raising team for the Hertfordshire Air Ambulance is now located at Unit 24, Park Farm. They are pleased to welcome residents and you can gain a useful insight into how they operate.
It is amazing how much money they have to raise each month just to keep this life-saving service flying. Why not try and win money in their Lottery?
Message from the Town Clerk
The Annual Town Meeting will be held at the Seth Ward Community Centre on Thursday 19th April. This is a meeting of the Town, not the Council, and is your opportunity to bring things to the Councillors attention and catch up on what the various local organisations are doing. Refreshments will be served from 7.45pm onwards.
In June the Council will be holding its Annual Civic Reception. This is the Council’s way of thanking all those volunteers that run clubs and organisations and help to make Buntingford the community that it is. If your organisation is new, or you have changed address, please let us know so that we can ensure you receive an invitation.
Clubs and organisations are reminded that the Council has a small grants budget specifically to help local groups. Application forms can be downloaded from the Town Council’s web site or from the Manor House.
The year-end accounts will soon be prepared and in accordance with Accounts and Audit Regulations, will be available for inspection in early June. The relevant notice will be posted in the Council noticeboard nearer the time.
We continue to monitor progress with the Localism Bill and when the Government guidance has been produced we will take the necessary action. Jill Jones
Changes to the QEII’s adult and children’s A&E services
From Monday, 16 January 2012, the A&E services at the QEII hospital in Welwyn Garden City are changing:
For adults, the current A&E service will continue to be available 8.00am and 8.000pm every day, but overnight the service will treat minor injuries only;
For children aged between 12 months and 16 years of age, the QEII A&E service will now treat minor injuries that need urgent attention 24 hours a day, every day of the week;
For babies 12 months who need to be taken to hospital, please go to the nearest specialist emergency department – which for most will be the 24/7 service at the Lister.
Whether an adult or child, if you are suffering from a mild illness you should still see your GP as normal, or contact the GP out-of-hours service at night or weekends by calling 03000 333 333. Alternatively you can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 who can provide advice on what you should do.
If your injury or condition is felt to be serious, even life-threatening, please call 999 or go to the nearest hospital with a 24/7 emergency department – which for most people will be the Lister in Stevenage, where there is also a dedicated specialist children’s emergency department service.
Of course, if an adult or child is taken to the QEII and their condition deteriorates, staff will stabilise them before their transfer to the best place to receive their on-going care – normally the Lister.
These changes are part of a programme to bring together all of the Trust’s inpatient and emergency services at the Lister by 2014, when the investment of some £150 million will have transformed it into the main hospital for across east and north Hertfordshire. By the same time, NHS Hertfordshire will have created the new QEII hospital – which will provide local people with a range of outpatient, diagnostic, ante/post natal and community care services, as well as a new ‘Local A&E’ that will be able to treat the vast majority of people who need the current A&E service.
You can find out which NHS services are available in your area by visiting a new online resource for Hertfordshire – www.wheredoigo.org.uk – or by contacting NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for more information.
Next Newsletter
The next newsletter will be the Annual Report which will show details of Income and Expenditure.
From Amenities
As a doggie walker myself, I never cease to be amazed at the amount of dog pooh that is not disposed of by some dog owners. Dog faeces can contain a parasitic worm called Toxocara and if transferred to human this can cause an illness called Toxocarias, which can lead to visual impairment and even blindness.
It is thought that young children are at a higher risk of developing Toxocariascis as they are more likely to come into contact with soil or sand that contains faeces.
If you would like to take a stand against dog fouling in our community, report offenders to East Herts Council, providing as much of the following information as possible:
· The times that offences are being committed
· The locations where the offences are committed
· A description of the dog
· A description of the owner
· If the dog owner is using a car, the number on the registration plate
These details will be used by officers to target their patrols more effectively, so the more information you provide the more likely the offenders will be caught.
Ring: 01279 6555261 or email: operations.admin@eastherts.gov.uk Jean Cook
Millennium Area - Former Allotments
All systems are go and a number of residents have already volunteered to help in the revitalising of the Wildlife Area. It has already been cleared but it will take a couple of years to complete the plan as we have to work with the seasons. If you would like to be involved, please contact the Clerk’s Office.
Grants in 2011/12
The following grants were made during the past year:
Scouts 1,500 Carnival 300
Xmas lights 3,000 Swim event 100
Street party 1,500 Com.garden 300
Charity football 250