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HAF Christmas Parents Poster (cambslearntogether.co.uk)

Families in receipt of income-related free school meals (FSM), can access a holiday scheme for up to 16 hours per child and will receive enriching experiences, a meal and snacks daily. Ukrainian and other refugee families are also eligible as well as families struggling financially but not eligible for FSM.

Please click on the link above for the poster information.

Free catalytic converter marking this weekend

Following the success from previous events, we’re holding another catalytic converter marking event this Sunday. There are spaces available between 10am and 2.30pm at Kwik Fit in Maskew Avenue, Peterborough. Catalytic converters are found in the exhaust system of most cars and reduce the output of toxic gases and pollutants.  It takes just minutes for thieves to remove a catalytic converter and on many occasions victims are unaware their vehicle has been targeted even though it was sat on their driveway. Vehicle owners are urged to take advantage of this free marking to allow us to identify stolen property and provide evidence for prosecutions. It also ensures that scrap metal merchants have a way of detecting stolen items and can refuse to purchase them. As well as offering the marking, we’ve increased dedicated patrols and held multiple weeks of action to catch those responsible as well as visiting scrap metal dealers and offering people crime prevention advice and we will continue to do so. If you would like your vehicle to be marked, please register here. You will need to provide your name, registration number and email address/phone number to attend. If for any reason you can no longer make the appointment, please ensure you cancel it so it can be allocated to another driver. You can find more information about catalytic converter theft on our website. Kind Regards, PC Janine Hagger Partnership and Prevention Team

Message Sent By Tara Dundon (Police, Senior Communications Officer, All )

The more organised among us might have started doing, or planning, our Christmas shopping. With that in mind, one of the big gift requests this festive season is likely to be an electric scooter, or e-scooter.

Following a presentation from Cambridgeshire Police and the South Cambs Community Safety Partnership to parish councils in September, we wanted to provide you with some helpful information about e-scooter use.

It’s currently against the law to ride an e-scooter on a public road or pavement. The only exception to this is in zones where trials are taking place, such as some areas within the city of Cambridge. In these areas, hired scooters can be used on the road and on cycle paths.

E-scooters can never be used on the pavement, and e-scooters you may purchase can never be used:

• On a public road without complying with several legal requirements, which users will find very difficult
• In spaces that are set aside for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-riders; this includes on the pavement and in cycle lanes

You can buy e-scooters from many popular retailers, and your children may report to you that all their friends already have one. However, the law is clear – the only place an e-scooter can be used is on private land. So, right now, you can buy one, but you can’t ride it on a UK public road, cycle lane or pavement.

If you are stopped by police while using an e-scooter illegally, they will advise you of the current law about how to use one legally and ask you to take your e-scooter home. They may however still penalise you depending on the nature and gravity of the offence.

This is all because e-scooters are classed as a motor vehicle in the same way that motorbikes and cars are. This means they are subject to the same legal requirements, such as MOT, licensing, tax, and insurance. As e-scooters do not have numberplates, indicators, and do not always have visible rear lights, they cannot be used legally on the roads. Further details can be found on the following Government website at www.gov.uk/government/publications/powered-transporters/information-sheet-guidance-on-powered-transporters

Cambridgeshire Police say: “We understand the public’s support for environmentally friendly modes of transport. We want to work with the public to make sure the roads are safe for everyone. The UK Government is currently taking part in “Future Transport Zone” trials for e-scooter hire, with a view to making them legal to use on the roads. You can find details of the trails closest to you, at www.gov.uk/guidance/e-scooter-trials-guidance-for-users” If you have a question, contact Project Officer – Community Safety Partnership, Beth Watson, on Beth.Watson@scambs.gov.uk

Scam Alert from Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough One of CAPASP’s partners, Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, has been in touch to warn about an attempted scam relating to the Household Support Fund (HSF) which is in place to support older people this autumn. Age UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are working in partnership with the County Council to administer this fund. One of its service users was phoned by a man who didn’t give his name but said he was from Age UK. The call was from a withheld number. He told her that she could have £200 that same day if she gave her bank card details immediately. Fortunately, the service user didn’t give her card details and asked the caller to phone her son. Unsurprisingly the son never received a call. Please know that: The Household Support Fund will not be paid on the same day. Age UK Cambs & P’boro staff will not ask for the long bank card details or the security number on the card. Their staff will always give their full name and contact details, and the advice is to contact the organisation using a number that is trusted to verify who the caller is. They are happy to talk to family members or carers. While they do ask for bank account details to make the payment, it will ONLY be the account number, sort code and name which appears on the account. This information allows a deposit to be made into the account but cannot give access to make a withdrawal of money from the account. If you have experienced a phone scam, contact your bank as soon as possible and contact Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online Action Fraud . Follow us on Twitter| Facebook|Cambridgeshire.gov.uk/against-scams

– Great ways to explore the nature and wildlife on our doorstep –

As the russet and golds of Autumn tint the leaves across our wonderful Cambridgeshire countryside, it really is a wonderful time to be outdoors, immersing yourself in nature. 

Here are 7 outdoor adventures to enjoy this change of season – and many can be done at home or in your local green spaces.  Each one has been selected by the New Life on the Old West team and their project partners to entertain and inspire you.

• Autumn is an ideal time to build a den in the woods as there are lots of fallen leaves and branches to use. Dens make perfect bird watching hides, as well as shelters and basecamps for woodland walks. We’re fortunate that there are so many woodland areas around our county that we can explore such as Doghouse Grove near Wilburton.

• Now’s the time to make your garden hedgehog friendly by creating suitable hibernation sites such as piles of leaves, logs or a hedgehog house. You could even create a hedgehog highway and provide food/water. There is some great information about hedgehogs on our website.  

• Become a detective! Spotting the tracks of birds and animals is always exciting but who made the footprints? Making a plaster cast of what you find can help you to identify the creator and solve the mystery! You can paint and varnish the cast and start a collection too. Here’s how to make a plaster cast thanks to the RSPB and here’s a great guide for identifying who left their mark from The Wildlife Trust.

• If you’d like to do something for your community, why don’t you visit the New Life on the Old West website and join us at a work party? You can help us to dig a pond, plant hedges and trees or sow a wildflower meadow. Everyone is welcome!

• Why not build a bug hotel? Whilst enjoying your nature walk, collect lots of natural materials such as sticks and twigs, pinecones, and leaves. Place them where they are unlikely to be disturbed to create a unique place to stay for our favourite insects! There are many ways to build a bug hotel: here’s just one idea courtesy of the National Trust.

• Can you spot the signs of autumn? Visit the NLOW website to download our  ID sheets for hedgerow berries, nuts, and leaves. Keep a record of what you spot and share photos of what you’ve found  on social media using the hashtag #NewLifeOldWest so we can see too!

• Colourful Autumnal leaves are a great natural resource that can be turned into some stunning artworks. Here are just a few leaf art ideas by The Woodland Trust. We’d love to see your creations so remember to use the #NewLifeOldWest when you share them on social media!

There you have it – seven super ways to have fun together whilst learning more about the flora and fauna found on our doorstep and enjoying time in nature too.

Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, New Life on the Old West (NLOW) is a three-year programme delivering small-scale habitat improvements across the Cambridgeshire Fens, important strongholds for rare and threatened species. 

If you’d like to become a volunteer doing something as simple as counting wildlife spotted on a monthly walk or supporting community activities, do get in touch via info@newlifeoldwest.org.uk     

Following on from the Willingham Fun Fair at the weekend, we have been handed a small coin purse that was found on Saturday night. If you believe this to be yours, please contact the Willingham Parish Council Office on 01954 261027.

It is with the greatest sadness that yesterday we learnt of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. As we enter the period of mourning there will be opportunities for residents to share and express their condolences and respect for our longest reigning monarch.

Flowers may be laid at St Mary and All Saints Church in the area marked.  The Council would kindly ask that you remove any form of wrapping from the flowers before laying them. All flowers will be taken away the day after the funeral.

Details for the placing of floral tributes as well as books of condolences, church services etc will be put on the council website and notice boards.  These will be updated as quickly as possible once details are finalised.

The Parish Council office will be open as normal next week. If anyone has any questions or concerns then please do get in touch.

Parish Council Clerk

The above meeting has been postponed. Hopefully it will be rearranged soon and we will update the page when we hear anything further.

The above meeting has been postponed. Hopefully it will be rearranged soon and we will update the page when we hear anything further.

Dear hosts, volunteer coordinators and parish council colleagues

If this is the first time you are receiving this ‘Support for Ukraine community update’ from us as a host, please note that we send these out on a regular basis. They are issued whenever new and relevant information becomes available to hosts in South Cambridgeshire as well as to District Councillors, community coordinators and parish council colleagues. The idea is to share the latest updates that we have to support the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

All information previously shared can be found on our Support for Ukraine webpage – where you will also find our ‘Ukrainian Guest information hub’ which we encourage you to share with your guests. The online information hub is our equivalent of a ‘Welcome pack’ for guests (we are sharing information digitally so that we are able to keep our information regularly updated, and guests should be able to switch to view in their own language if they wish).

Please note that in addition to these emails, all hosts will receive information from us relating to DBS checks, accommodation checks, £350 monthly host and £350 one-off guest payments; hosts should already have received information from us about this through our welcome email.

For any questions not covered in this e-newsletter or on our Support for Ukraine webpages, please email duty.communities@scambs.gov.uk

**IMPORTANT** update for all hosts and guests

As we approach the initial six-month point since the first guests arrived, all hosts and guests will by now have received, or will soon receive, an email from the Government to update them on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The Government update confirms, as expected, that it is encouraging hosts to carry on hosting beyond the initial six-months period. It hopes that hosts will feel able to continue for a year and confirms that the £350 per month thank you payments will continue to be available throughout this time.

The continuing generosity shown by hosts will make a big difference to Ukrainian guests, enabling them to continue to feel settled in our communities, schools and local workplaces, as they work to establish a secure and safe life for themselves while in the UK and during such uncertain times in their homeland.

For a variety of reasons, we know that some hosts will not be in a position to offer continued accommodation to their guests beyond six months (or at any time thereafter). If you are one of these hosts, please be reminded that you should let your guest(s) know in plenty of time, giving two months’ notice prior to the end of the first six-month period or at any date afterwards.

We had expected the Government to ask local councils to rematch guests to new hosts where a host is unable to continue, thereby enabling guests to remain in the hosted scheme for at least 12 months. However, this latest guidance encourages guests to find their own new hosts with less support from the local authorities.

Experience has shown that rematching a guest with a new host is not an easy task and, as your local council, we want and intend to take a far more active role in trying to steer both guests and hosts through this process. We have access to a list of hosts who have expressed an interest in taking guests but are yet to be matched to anyone and we would urge hosts or guests to contact us in the first instance by emailing duty.communities@scambs.gov.uk.

In addition, we MUST conduct DBS checks and home checks on any potential hosts, whether they have been found through the Council or by other means, and for safeguarding purposes these checks are required before Ukrainian guests move on and into new accommodation. Allowing time for the checks to be made should be factored into any planned moving dates.

• Hosts and/or guests should contact us in the first instance if unable to continue beyond their initial six-month hosting period.

• Guests must be given two months’ notice if hosts are unable to extend their hospitality.

• If onward accommodation is found via other means, hosts/guests MUST contact us so that we can carry out DBS and home checks, before guests move in.

We know that some guests might feel they are now ready to move on from being hosted and part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme and begin to seek their own accommodation. If this is the case, our teams can support people to consider their options. We have more information on the type of support we can offer in the ‘looking ahead’ section of our host information webpage. As part of our ‘moving on’ work for Ukrainian guests, we are also looking at how we can broaden the support and options available and will continue to provide more information as it becomes available.

We are also asking any groups or organisations which have helped Ukrainian guests and hosts in any way to ask them to contact the Council in the first instance if they are seeking help to move on. We want to be sure that enough time is allowed to carry out checks in advance of any potential moves.

If guests already have plans to move on to alternative accommodation, or have already done so, please let us know so that we can update our records and adjust any payments being made. Email to duty.communities@scambs.gov.uk as soon as possible, and include your name, address and details of the guests who have moved elsewhere. The Government scheme allows the Council to make thank you payments to hosts, but these must stop once a guest moves on.

We would like to thank those hosts who have worked with their guests to complete our survey regarding their plans at the six-month point. This has helped us to understand when guests will need our support. We will be sending a reminder to hosts who have not yet completed the survey and, as we move ahead, a Council officer will begin to contact hosts and guests to see if any further help can be provided, especially those from whom we have yet to hear.

Key information is available on our website here: Information for Homes for Ukraine hosts – South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk)

Paid Job Opportunity Available with Wild Minds

We are searching for a Ukrainian-speaking Wellbeing Officer to provide support for special Wild Minds sessions which will run at Wandlebury Country Park from August 24.

Wild Minds is a scheme which was set up three years ago to help improve mental health in young people through outdoor activities, supported by a Clinical Psychologist.

The scheme will be running special ‘Ukrainian-only’ sessions for young people aged from 12 up to 17 who are struggling with issues of depression or worry, particularly related to their experiences since the outbreak of the war.

The Ukrainian-speaking Wellbeing Officer will support the sessions which offer free outdoor activities in small groups in a park setting to make the most of the natural environment, run by skilled activity instructors and youth workers. The right candidate must have prior experience in wellbeing, such as teaching, social work, youth work and therapy. The role entails attending Wild Mind Sessions once a week for eight weeks and providing emotional support to the young Ukrainians taking part. Please register your interest here.

Each session lasts for an hour and a half. Young Ukrainians who would like to take part can find more information and sign up for the sessions at Wild Minds – South Cambs District Council (scambs.gov.uk)

Call-out for volunteers for Conversational English Café

The Conversational English Café in Waterbeach is still on the hunt for multilingual volunteers to help out. The café is a collaboration between SCDC and local volunteers where guests are invited to come and chat to improve their spoken English. Sessions will start in September and run on Mondays from 6pm to 7:30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 12pm.

If you know or are aware of anyone who speaks English/Ukrainian/Russian and can help as a volunteer, then please let us know. We will conduct DBS checks prior to the commencement of these sessions to ensure the safety of our guests.

If the sessions in Waterbeach are a success, the scheme will be expanded to other areas of the district.

Online forums for hosts with traumatised Ukrainian guests

The Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice (AFT) is arranging a second date for its online forums to support hosts with Ukrainian guests who may be facing psychological trauma from the war in Ukraine.

The first forum is scheduled for August 24, with a second session being arranged for September 28. The virtual meetings will be hosted by Family and Systemic Psychotherapists as a monthly space for hosts to come and reflect on the challenges of having guests who are displaced from home, country and family, and may be traumatised.

The specific content of each session will be decided on the evening by those attending but will include elements related to self-care, preparing for your guests to arrive, challenges and opportunities of hosting, accessing resources in your community, thinking about the impact of trauma and help with anonymised specific challenges.

Sessions are free but hosts will need to register for tickets for

Wednesday 24 August 7-9pm and/or Wednesday 28 September 7-9pm

Marking Ukraine Independence Day

Next Wednesday 24 August is Ukrainian Independence Day, which marks the Ukraine’s declaration of independence from the USSR in 1991.

For Ukrainians across the UK, including our guests and hosts in South Cambridgeshire, it will be a particularly poignant reminder this year as they think of the situation in their homeland.

As part of our continued support for the Ukrainian people, we will be marking the day on our social media channels and by flying the Ukrainian flag at our Cambourne offices.

We would also like to hear from guests and hosts about what they will be doing on the day to mark the occasion, and if there are any messages guests and hosts would like to share, then let us know. We are also inviting children from guest and host families to share their thoughts by drawing a picture with a message, and then sending a photo of the drawing to duty.communities@scambs.gov.uk  The messages and drawings will be shared anonymously on our social media channels.

Many thanks for reading this latest bulletin, which I hope will be helpful for you and your guests. We are grateful for your continued support for the Homes for Ukraine programme.

Bill

Bill Handley
Lead Cabinet Member for Communities
South Cambridgeshire District Council

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WhatsApp scam costs victims £1.5 million

Dear Subscriber,   The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) is warning the public about the continued increase in reports about scams where victims are targeted on WhatsApp by criminals pretending to be someone they know – typically their children. Between 3rd February 2022 and 21st June 2022, there have been a total of 1235 reports made to Action Fraud linked to this scam, with total reported losses exceeding £1.5mn. Criminals will usually begin the conversation with “Hello Mum” or “Hello Dad” and will say that they are texting from a new mobile number as their phone was lost or damaged. They will then ask for money to purchase a new one, or claim that they need money urgently to pay a bill The criminal will provide bank details for the payment to be made to, with some coming back with further demands for money.     Detective Chief Inspector Craig Mullish, from the City of London Police, said: “If you receive a message like this from a friend or family member, don’t send any money until you’ve had a chance to call them and confirm their identity. Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with your money or information could keep you safe.” How to protect yourself: ·  STOP. THINK. CALL. If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person to confirm their identity.   ·  You can report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions.   ·  Never share your account’s activation code (that’s the 6 digit code you receive via SMS)

Message Sent By Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)

The hole is 1.2 metres deep. Deeper excavation will commence at 6am tomorrow and it is hoped that if not further issues are discovered that the road will be able to be repaired on Thursday.

Councillor Neil Gough

The site has been secured and emergency works will commence tomorrow. The work will start at 4am due to the unprecedented heat expected. Lights will be operating while the repair takes place and we should have a better idea of how long the work will take tomorrow.

Please accept our apologies for any disturbance and inconvenience while these repairs take place.

Neil Gough.