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Updated 6 December 2009
The majority of this web site is aimed
at the residents of the town, but the following items may be particularly
useful to you. The comments are my personal views, (Stuart Bond):
Godmanchester Swimming Pool
The
school web site now lists the timetable (see Pool button). It is
suggested you call between 0900-2100 to confirm details or Hire of
the Facilities for Parties, please visit the pool, or phone 01480
375 145.
Other things to do and places to visit
Crime and Prevention in Godmanchester
Youth Initiatives in Godmanchester
New skate park equipment
Efforts are being made to alliviate the issues of vandalism caused
by boredom amongst the young people here. It needs participation by
young people themselves and adults to actively support the initiatives
underway.
Live the Dream Young People's project
- are you 8-16 & looking for fun and trips out? Are you an adult
able to volunteer to support the development of Godmanchester's Young
People? Check out this scheme here
Godmanchester Teenagers -
positive comments from 2003
In a community we all need to strike a balance between needs so as a whole, it is a place we can all enjoy irrespective of age. HDC has released guidance on the issue of football within our streets for both residents and the young people who need to play and burn-off their energy. See the PDF file here (300kb)
Parental Support
Parent Direct: Are you finding the demands of home and working
life difficult to balance? Do you need information on entitlements such
as maternity and paternity leave? If so Parent Direct can help.
Parent Direct is a new service that provides parents with FREE information
and advice on:
- Time off for family including maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Flexible working, the options and how to apply
- Family care information – details on childcare in the local area
- Financial support
We can explain your entitlements, help you spot the best option, and
assist you with any paperwork along the way.
Tel: 0800 29 89 121 or www.opp-links.org.uk
Financial and Money Issues
We can all benefit from improvements to our finances and to make the money work harder for us no matter what the economic state may be. See a few ideas and downloadable spreadsheets for household budgeting here
Godmanchester Charities
The Trustees of Godmanchester Charities have available
an annual sum of money which they use to make grants to young people
who normally live in the town and who have been working or studying
for at least six months, to help with the purchase of tools, equipment,
books or study materials. he applicants must attend the Trustees meeting at the
Town Hall. For details contact:
Mr Alan Welton, 10 Bergamont Close, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, PE29 2LY
Hedgerows
Much of the newer housing in Godmanchester
was built with the deliberate retention of the original hedgerows. This
provides a distinct visual aspect of the town, and a means of maintaining
the environment necessary for the wildlife which is even more important
when you consider Cambridgeshire has the least trees and hedges for
any English County. So consider retaining the hedge in your garden to
make sure the wrens, finches, tits and buntings etc have a resource
necessary to maintain the population. Here is
an article and advice on how you can help.
Composting
Why not consider joining the Master Composters? More
details on the scheme for Cambridgeshire
Energy Efficiency
You can get advice and assessment of your current energy consumption
and saving opportunities at the Government backed web site of the Energy
Saving Trust. You can also get details on grants to offset costs
of insulation etc.
Flood Plains
and Flooding
The River Great Ouse provides Godmanchester
with a wonderful amenity and setting. However, there is increasing concern
over the potential for flooding in the region and the Environment Agency
have produced maps
indicating the maximum extent of flood plains. In addition to the maps
you should read carefully the detailed
information the Agency provides on these maps and in particular
comment on the flood defences. The Town Council has a Working Party
addressing flooding in Godmanchester, contact the Town
Office.
2005: Note that the flood plains maps have been
updated for Godmanchester. Unfortunately changes at the Environment
Agency site means you will have to click through from UK map to zoom
in to Godmanchester.
2006: Specific information received from the Environment
Agency for residents.
This page
provides some basic information on the flood warning service, and
provides links explaining the flood warning codes that we use, and what
they mean.
This
page details the flood watches, warnings and severe flood warnings that
are currently in force nationally. The page is updated every 15
minutes, and gives a good idea of what is happening locally, or (for
example) if anything is developing immediately upstream of Godmanchester.
Provides links
to information on how to prepare for floods, and are electronic copies
(.pdf) of some of the brochures. Some of the graphics have not reproduced
well, so you may wish to obtain original copies.
Recycling
in Godmanchester - "Let's keep GMC Green & Clean"
Recycling centres in this area are run by the County Council. This page will give you details on the three centres they require us to use now that Brampton has been closed. Cambs County site
There are facilities also in Bridge Place car park just under the A14 in Godmanchester for some items. Recycle-more web site allows you to search for locations dependent upon the material you wish to recycle, more here
You can reach the HDC Recycling Officer via Tel 388 368 and get details on recycling in Huntingdonshire here
For details of RECAP, the Recycling in Cambridge and
Peterbough region check their informative
web site.
Details on Recycling and other guides can be found
here from Guides Network
Stop Junk Mail arriving through
your letter box
To avoid the torrent of junk mail,
and subsequent waste it generates simply visit the web site or call
the mailing preference service. For more information on how to make
junk mail a thing of the past contact the mailing preference service
on 0845 7034599 or visit www.mpsonline.org.uk.
Stop Telesales calls to your
number
To eliminate the calls from national companies selling
everything from double glazing to free holidays etc, simply visit the
Telephone Preference Service and provide your details at www.tpsonline.org.uk
We found this worked very well and after about three-four months received
virtually no telesales calls.
"It is now a legal obligation for anyone making
direct marketing calls to ensure they do not call individuals who have
registered their wish not to be called."
Royal Mail
The Royal Mail web site is www.royalmail.com
and their Customer Care Line T: 08457 740 740. The independent watchdog
is Postwatch T:08456 013265
Twenty 16 - The new Local Plan for
Huntingdonshire. Visit the HDC web site to complete their questionnaire
on the issues facing our area and how we may address them. The
information is located at this page (note loss of frames from within
HDC site visit www.huntsdc.gov.uk
to retain them).
My personal view
is that the changes are significantly less than elsewhere in the South
East and adjacent regions in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. We must
ensure suitable housing is available for both first time buyers and
for the increasing number of smaller householders (i.e. people from
the area who wish to remain here but perhaps live alone). We should,
therefore, seek the highest quality of development with pressure applied
to the developers to maximise the environmental quality of developments,
including photovoltaic cells, solar panels, insulation standards far
in excess of requirements, high quality street lighting with minimal
light polution etc. We can try to ensure that the present hedgerows
which are very much a part of Godmanchester acting as havens for local
wildlife are retained and provision made to assist in their upkeep for
future generations within the context of housing developments.
These developments can be accommodated on brown field
sites, but issues such as adequate parking (including garages large
enough to park modern saloon cars) should be highlighted to avoid the
worse excesses in dense urban style developments with cars parked on
every available patch of ground.
Whether you agree with me or not, you should take a few
minutes to complete the questionnaire on the Hunts DC web site.
Contact The Elderly - HELP DRIVE
AWAY LONELINESS Put a smile into Sundays
For many elderly people, Sunday is the loneliest
day of the week. Often restricted to their homes by illness or immobility,
they lose the opportunity to attend church or meet with friends. A simple
idea to ease loneliness amongst pensioners in Cambridgeshire is being
set up by national charity Contact the Elderly. Help is needed from
local volunteer drivers and hosts. What are you doing on Sunday?
Once a month Contact the Elderly groups meet regularly
for Sunday tea and companionship. Each member is assigned a volunteer
driver and together they become part of a small group invited to a volunteer
host's home for tea. A different host is visited each month, but the
group remains the same and relationships grow. This service is a lifeline
for some who spend days on their own with no one to turn to.
The search is on for :
DRIVERS with cars and an afternoon to spare ONCE A MONTH
HOSTS willing to put on a simple tea in their home for about eight older
people ONCE A YEAR. The only requirements are easy access, a downstairs
toilet and a large teapot!
“The time I feel most lonely is after six o’clock,
but when I’ve been out to a Contact tea I don’t feel lonely
at all – just fresh memories of a lovely afternoon with friends.
It’s good getting out and being with people… and it’s
made such a difference to my life.”
Harold Asquith, 89
Do you know anyone who might benefit from this FREE service?
FREEPHONE 0800 716543 or visit www.contact-the-elderly.org
Registered Charity No 244681
Participate in the Patient and Public Involvement
in Health
Your local ‘Patient and Public Involvement in
Health Forum’ is looking for new members in your area. If you have
some time on your hands and are a user of the NHS, which most of us
are, you are eligible. You don’t need to have a background in healthcare,
merely an interest in it. A
short article is here in PDF.
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