Archive for category: News

Dear all,

We had a Community Speedwatch Wednesday 6th April 2022 on Wimpole Road. Present was the area coordinator and the area police road safety improvement officer. We counted 330 vehicles in the session with 26 travelling at more than 35 mph (recorded speeding threshold). When speedwatch volunteers are out and about, drivers do slow down. Speeding offenses tend to fall in an area where speedwatch is active. We try to conduct speedwatch twice a month, but do need more people to help. If you would like to volunteer, then please contact ">Andy Martin. Training is now remote, so it is fairly easy. Practical sessions simply involve joining a speedwatch with experienced volunteers. If you are concerned about speeding in our village and are happy to give up a hour or so of your time on a couple of occasions each month, then please join our group.

 

You may have noticed a new oak  tree that has been planted on the leys near the car park and playground. This is now protected by a tree guard. The tree and guard is part of our Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. It was hand crafted by our village blacksmith Henrich Zelinka and erected by John Boocock and his crew. Many thanks to John for organizing this with design input from the Jubilee committee. Official unveiling with the addition of commemorative plaque will take place on Saturday afternoon 4th June.

Warning As Vans Targeted By Thieves Across The County

Dear subscriber,

We have issued a warning and appeal for information following 26 instances where tools have been stolen from vans across Cambridgeshire.

The incidents have all taken place within the last two weeks since 21 February, mostly in Peterborough but spanning the whole county – March, Whittlesey, Somersham, Needingworth, St Ives, Buckden, Warboys, Grafham, Ely, Trumpington, Cambridge, Cottenham, Histon and Grantchester.

We understand the impact these thefts have on people’s livelihoods when tools they need to do their job are stolen, which is why we are working hard to identify those responsible.

Where possible, it is advised tools are not left in vehicles which are unoccupied or consider using a lockable cabinet within your van to store tools.

We’re asking our communities to report any suspicious activity to us, including any CCTV footage which captures potential offenders.

, including specific advice around tool theft from vans.

Information can be passed to us online either through our reporting form or via our .

Those without internet access should call 101. Always dial 999 if a crime is in action.

Kind regards,

Assistance for those affected by the war in Ukraine – 3 March 2022

Dear volunteer coordinators, parish councillors and Members

 

As we watch the terrible events in Ukraine unfold, our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine. The horrors of war, as shown in the photographs and videos on the news media, is impossible to overstate. The Council has pledged to support people fleeing the Ukraine and is calling for a national resettlement programme to be set up by the Government so that this can happen. Councillors have said that the Council will play their part and work to identify local homes for refugees leaving the warzone if needed. You can read the Council’s position in full here: pledge to support people fleeing Ukraine.

 

We hear and empathise with the anxiety and concern of residents who want to do something to help those affected and we want to help by signposting people who wish to offer support in response to the humanitarian crisis.

Donations

Local organisation Cambridge Convoy Refugee Action – which ordinarily works to take regular convoys of donated items to refugees in Calais – has advised that it is NOT currently collecting items for Ukraine. They suggest instead that donations of money is a much more effective way of helping the aid organisations that are working in the region.

 

In line with this recommendation, the Local Government Association (LGA) has provided Councils with this link to BBC News online where it suggests people should direct their support to organisations including:

• The British Red Cross, which has launched an appeal to help the Ukrainian Red Cross to provide food, medicine, clothing and shelter, as well as first aid training in bomb shelters, and drinking water to villages in eastern Ukraine
• The UNHCR refugee agency, which is funding emergency shelters, repairs for homes damaged by shelling, emergency cash assistance, psychological support and warm clothing
• UNICEF, the UN’s children’s charity, which is helping to ensure families have clean water and food and that child health and protection services continue
• Save the Children, which is providing cash assistance, food and other support to refugees crossing into Romanian and Lithuania, as well as in Ukraine itself.

 

Additionally, the Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace, has suggested donating money through the Ukrainian Embassy’s With Ukraine fund. The money will be spent on providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian population and to purchase medical and military supplies for Ukraine’s army.

 

You may also have seen overnight that the UK Government has committed to matching the donations made by people in the UK to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which similarly provides food, water, shelter, healthcare and protection to people fleeing Ukraine.

Misinformation

In addition to donating, another practical thing that we can all do is to be careful not to unwittingly distribute misinformation or propaganda about the situation by sharing articles, images or videos that we see online which are fake or misleading. The Full Fact organisation has some useful tips on how to spot false information online and sharing these tips within our communities can help. Here are links to their posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Please note that this information was collated on Thursday 3 March 2022. Due to the fast-changing nature of the situation, it is clearly not possible to create an exhaustive list of the organisations supporting the local and national effort. If there are significant changes, we will share the information via social media or with another Community Update.

Bill Handley

Lead Cabinet Member for Community Resilience, Health and Wellbeing

South Cambridgeshire District Council