Archive for category: News

Most people would be forgiven for taking just one quick glance at an elderly man waiting for a bus.

But thanks to one passerby in Soham, who saw the same man again a few hours later, extra steps have now been taken to safeguard him.

The kind woman initially noticed the man walking towards Ely earlier that same day, and then near the station a few hours later – looking very confused and disorientated.

The woman spoke to him, and the man in his 80s showed her his bus pass and said he was going to see someone but couldn’t remember who.

He had no bag and declined a lift home from the woman, who then called us just after 3pm last Thursday.

We spoke to the man’s family and checks revealed he had dementia. We put further safeguarding measures in place, including the Herbert Protocol.

Do you know about the Herbert Protocol? It’s a scheme we support that can help find people with dementia should they go missing from home.

It encourages family and friends to keep a document that will help officers in the event a loved one goes missing by collating key pieces of information such as a physical description, familiar places, health details and an up-to-date photo.

Carers, family or friends of a vulnerable person, or the person themselves, can fill in a Herbert Protocol form in advance, containing information to help the police if the person goes missing.

Keeping a completed form means you don’t have to try to remember the information when you are under stress if someone goes missing. And it saves time, so we can start the search sooner.

For more information or to download a Herbert Protocol form, visit our dedicated web page.

We had some feedback from the Combined Authority:

“Thank you for writing to me and bringing these matters to my attention. Bus reliability is very important, and we take all complaints about it very seriously. 

Officers from the Combined Authority recently met with the Whippet Coaches management team to discuss why services keep getting cancelled.  Unfortunately, Whippet Coaches are suffering from the same issue as all operators nationwide, which is driver shortages.  This is mostly through a mixture of staff sickness and difficulties in recruiting new drivers. Several new drivers have been recruited and pay rates have been increased. Additionally, casual drivers are being hired.  Whippet Coaches also admit that there are some older vehicles in their fleet that are more prone to breakdowns.  They are putting measures in place to increase the number of staff available, and will be replacing the older, unreliable vehicles.

Whippet Coaches are a long-established and respected local firm, and we are trying to work with them to steady this situation because driver shortages are the same right across the UK and there are no easy fixes. The Whippet Coaches management team accept that reliability at present isn’t to the high standards they want to provide to their customers, but they are confident that the measures they are putting in place will soon lead to noticeable improvements.  The Combined Authority will continue to monitor the situation and work with them to improve reliability.

Customers can contact Whippet Coaches direct to request a refund of taxi fares if a service is cancelled.  Alternatively, they can contact us at ku.vo1781170517g.ac-1781170517hguor1781170517obret1781170517eperi1781170517hsegd1781170517irbma1781170517c@tro1781170517psnar1781170517t.reg1781170517nessa1781170517p1781170517 and we can liaise with them.  A copy of the taxi receipt should be provided in both cases.”

You will have seen 20 mph roundels on the roads through the centre of Barton. When the signs and repeaters are up, the roads become officially 20 mph. This includes Comberton Road/New Road and High Street plus the side roads off both reduced speed zones.

This week the Greater Cambridge Partnership held an Extraordinary Joint Assembly/Executive Board meeting and a separate Executive Board meeting to discuss a revised package of measures to upgrade public transport, improve air quality and cut congestion on the roads.
Yesterday (Thursday 29 June), following a lengthy debate, the Executive Board outlined the need for the region’s transport network to be upgraded to support its growing needs and decided that – while no options should be taken off the table at this stage – the original Making Connections scheme should be modified.
The five members of the Board requested officers to develop a revised package of measures to transform the way people travel around Greater Cambridge, reflecting the public’s feedback to the Making Connections consultation and following discussions with the Joint Assembly.
In the autumn a detailed proposal will be brought back to the GCP’s Joint Assembly for scrutiny before the Executive Board decides whether and how to proceed with any scheme.
The updated proposal could include changes to the operating hours of a Sustainable Travel Zone and a more extensive package of exemptions – including possible free days for account holders or no charge for hospital patients and visitors.
Any potential scheme would be phased in over time with the GCP committing £50m of upfront investment in the region’s transport infrastructure to improve public transport and active travel.
You can watch the meetings again at: www.youtube.com/greatercambridgepartnership
For more information about the GCP’s projects visit: www.greatercambridge.org.uk.

Hello Barton Neigbourhood Watch Coordinator,

We are so excited to announce our first-ever crowdfunder initiative! We need to raise £30,000 by 26th July in order to continue our innovative community work with 16-24 year olds.  Can you help us make this a reality?

Whatever you can spare, large or small, will be gratefully received and will help us to reach our goal. We have some amazing donation rewards available to claim too, from discounts in our shop, free security products and vouchers, to a pair of festival tickets!

To find out more and donate, click here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/youngpeople-nwn

If you can’t contribute at this time, we completely understand. But you can still help. It would be great if you could share the fundraiser to help spread the word. The more people see this the better! You can share the link on email, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Whatsapp, or directly via the project page.

If you have any questions or connections to others who may also want to share our fundraiser please let me know.

We appreciate all of your support! We wouldn’t be able to accomplish this work without your help.

Thank you,

Amy

Amy Mawby | Head of Fundraising

Neighbourhood Watch Network