SPRING IS BAA-RILLIANT IN NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE Picture credit: Standalone Farm - North Herts Council
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COMMUNITY NEWS FROM NORTH HERTS COUNCIL GET ACTIVE OUTLOOK OUT ELECTIONS COMMUNITY LOTTERY WHAT’S ON SPRING IS BAA-RILLIANT IN NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE Picture credit: Standalone Farm SPRING 2022 www.north-herts.gov.uk
CONTACTING North Herts Council is committed to equal opportunities and our NORTH HERTS COUNCIL aim is to make our services easy for all residents to use. If English is not your first language or you have difficulty reading this document Most North Herts Council services can be please contact us to discuss how we may be able to assist you. accessed online. Find out the date of your next waste collection, apply for a licence, report an Please call: 01462 474000, or email service@north-herts.gov.uk issue, register to vote or pay a bill, all through Textphone (for textphone users) on: 01462 474800 our website: www.north-herts.gov.uk OUTLOOK is published by the Communications Team, North Herts Council, Council Offices, Gernon Road, Letchworth, SG6 3JF email outlook@north-herts.gov.uk © Unless otherwise stated, articles and photography are copyright of North Herts Council. Every care is taken to ensure accuracy, but the publisher or OTHER WAYS TO CONTACT US: manager cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in editorial content. Phone: 01462 474000 www.facebook.com/northhertsDC “ MAKING NORTH HERTFORDSHIRE A VIBRANT PLACE TO LIVE, “ @NorthHertsDC WORK AND PROSPER North Herts Council’s Leadership Team In this edition of Outlook we’re featuring North Herts Council’s Leadership team. Steve Crowley – Service Director - Commercial North Herts Council is led by Anthony Roche, My directorate works alongside other Managing Director and supported by six Service service areas and external agents Directors. Find out a bit more about them below. in a bid to generate income, create savings, identify efficiencies and invest on behalf of the council. Anthony Roche – Managing Director After finishing university, I worked in I work with councillors on the strategic the leisure sector. I started working vision for the council and lead on the for North Herts Council in 2001 as council’s response to the pandemic. an Operations Manager at Hitchin My aim is that we are an outward-looking Swimming Centre, then progressed and modern council that is easy to to Contractors and Projects Manager. deal with. In 2018 I was promoted to Service Director – Commercial. My background is as a solicitor. I joined North Herts Council in 2008 as a solicitor I love visiting the in the legal team, before progressing to be Monitoring Officer, North Herts Museum to Deputy Chief Executive and to Managing Director in 2020. with my family. I was heavily involved in I have spent the majority of my life living in Hertfordshire and this project, so seeing have family who live in the district, so have a personal interest people enjoying it fills that we deliver a brighter future together. me with pride. 2 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC SPRING 2022
Ian Couper - Service Jo Dufficy - Director - Resources Service Director - I am responsible for services that Customers include HR, accounts and property. My priorities are focused These services are mostly there to on making sure our wide support other staff to deliver their range of services are roles, so may not be very visible externally, although available and accessible to all and that the property team recently installed solar panels as a council we are easy to deal with - on the roof of our office building. I started work at something we have committed to do in our Hertfordshire County Council in 2003, where I did newly launched Customer Service Strategy, an accountancy qualification, and joined North Herts by putting our customers at the heart of Council in 2016. I have two young children and spend everything we do. a lot of time in the district’s parks and play areas. I have just had my ten-year anniversary of working for North Herts Council and prior to that I worked at the City of London. Ian Fullstone – Service Director - Regulatory Although not originally from North Herts, I have lived in the district for many years. My key responsibilities include planning, I love living here and enjoy the open spaces parking, environmental health, housing we have. and building control. I joined North Herts Council in 1990 as an apprentice within building control. The council supported me through my degree and professional qualifications to become Jeanette a qualified building control surveyor, a career which I Thompson - loved. My entire thirty-year local authority experience has been at North Herts rising to Building Control Manager, Service Director then Head of Service to Director of Regulatory today. – Legal and I’ve gained valuable experience as a school governor, Community supporting a school in Letchworth for almost 20 years, and have also had the pleasure of living in Letchworth. The areas I oversee cover front facing services like community protection, licensing and community engagement, as well as the support areas such as Sarah Kingsley – democratic services (arranging Council Service Director - Place meetings and elections), the legal section I am responsible for overseeing our waste and policy. I am also the Monitoring and recycling services, leisure facilities, Officer, trying to ensure that officers and green spaces, our communications and councillors maintain the highest standards emergency planning. I am passionate about of conduct. delivering customer focused services and ensuring we I have been with the council since 2015 – engage effectively with residents. and having worked in other authorities I My background is in communications and public affairs with can say that North Herts is a great place previous roles in renewable energy and transport. I joined to work, with colleagues and elected the council in 2010 as Communications Manager and was councillors striving to do their best for the promoted to Service Director last year. district. In the changing landscape of local government, we hope that the One of my favourite places in North Herts is Weston Hills council is now more adept at engaging nature reserve near Baldock – a great place to get away from with the community and trying to get it all with my dogs, as well as spotting the odd Longhorn cow! it right. SPRING 2022 like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC OUTLOOK 3
ADVERTISEMENT GYM OR SWIM PAS Free S Find out what’s on offer at your local leisure centre. Enjoy a free gym or swim session and see how exercise can help improve your lifestyle. For more information, visit www.sll.co.uk/free-pass or scan below. NORTH HERTS LEISURE CENTRE Woodcock Rd, Royston, Fishponds Road, Hitchin, Baldock Rd, Letchworth, Hertfordshire, SG8 7XT Hertfordshire, SG5 1HA Hertfordshire, SG6 2ER sll.co.uk/royston sll.co.uk/hitchin sll.co.uk/north-herts 4 OUTLOOK SPRING 2022 T&Cs apply. Limited time only.
Are you ready to commit to The key to success is an active you? setting ourselves up to form With spring around the corner, it might be time to review, healthy habits. restart or refresh how active you are in your day-to-day life. You may have started the year with a resolution, but now is the time to turn this pledge into a habit. We all have daily habits that we To create a new habit the best range of equipment and facilities might not even think about – such way to succeed is to start small, to help you get active. The teams as brushing our teeth, that morning make it easy, do something every can help you to develop your cup of coffee, commute to work or day and reward yourself with mini activity plan which might include an a set nighttime routine. But how do milestones. You might start with a early morning gym session, a pilates you make keeping active a habit? morning stretch session after you class to help you unwind and relax, have brushed your teeth, walking to or even a dip in the pool. Many people try and create healthy work, or walking the kids to school habits the wrong way, such as instead of jumping in the car. making a bold New Year resolution SLL is offering a free gym or to start exercising and lose weight Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL) swim pass at your local leisure centre or complete a marathon by the is on hand to help you form your so you can see how healthy habits summer, without running a mile. new habits and succeed. The group and keeping active can help Some people succeed at continuing operate the North Herts Leisure improve your lifestyle. For their resolution throughout the year, Centre in Letchworth, Archers Health more information on others may find that after a few & Fitness in Hitchin and the Royston how to get your pass, months the commitment dwindles. Leisure Centre under a contract take a look at the ad The key to success is setting with North Herts Council. All their on the opposite page. ourselves up to form healthy habits. leisure centres have a fantastic SPRING 2022 OUTLOOK 5
WASTE & Amp up your RECYCLING recycling – don’t forget those batteries They may be small but they are Save your clothes highly toxic and when old batteries are thrown away in your household rubbish, they end up in landfill where from landfill and they could corrode and leak harmful chemicals into our soil and waterways. help the planet It’s easy to recycle alkaline batteries through your kerbside recycling collections. Pop them in a plastic bag The fashion industry accounts for you cannot reuse such as a bread about 10% of global greenhouse gas bag, tie it up and place on top of the emissions – that’s more energy than both flying lid of your grey recycling bin. They and shipping – and it is estimated that £140 million have to be kept separate as they go worth of clothing is sent to landfill each year. to a different recycling centre. You can also So instead of throwing out old clothes and buying drop them off in into fast fashion, think about repairing, donating, selling, dedicated bins swishing or swapping. Unwanted clothing can also be recycled at supermarkets via your kerbside recycling collections. You can include clothes, and other paired shoes, towels and bed linen – just put them in non- shops as well reusable plastic bags (please don’t use black sacks or charity as your local donation bags), tie them up to keep the contents dry and put recycling centre. them next to your grey bin on your usual collection day. Recycling electrical and electronic equipment Small household appliances • if it isn’t working, could it be If none of such as vacuum cleaners, irons, repaired via a local repair these options kettles and toasters as well as person or repair café? work for you, TVs and computer equipment please recycle • does it need a replacement should not go in your purple bin. your WEEE part? Parts can be much at your local Waste electrical and electronic cheaper than buying new. recycling equipment (known as WEEE) • can it be returned to the centre. cannot be sent to landfill so supplier? Some items such before disposing of it please as TV set top boxes and consider: larger white goods • if the item is still working, can can be picked up it be passed on to someone by your new or old else you know or online? supplier. 6 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC SPRING 2022
Love food, hate waste Want to save £100s this year and help save the planet at the same time? Food waste is one of the largest contributors to climate change and it is estimated that families waste around £720 worth of food a year. By adopting small changes in our • introduce an ‘eat me For more ideas, tips and behaviour – planning our meals soon shelf’ in your fridge, information follow us on social better, only buying what we so you know exactly what media and join our Facebook need, storing food properly and needs eating first group Waste Warriors or visit knowing the difference between www.lovefoodhatewaste.com • swap some best before and use by – we can fresh fruit and all make a big difference, and fill veg to frozen our wallets and stomachs instead of our bins! • unless you know you can get Food Waste Action Week takes through it all, place from 7 to 13 March, so why store bread in not use this week to start some the freezer. good food habits: Eat more veggies The Great British Spring Clean - the nation’s biggest With spring in the air it’s a great time to think about mass participation environmental campaign takes how you can eat more fruit and vegetables and less place between 25 March and 10 April – grab a litter meat, not only for health reasons but it will also help picker and get involved! tackle climate change. Here are some top tips: As well as local parish and town councils, we have over Grow your own fruit and veg – it is likely to be more 70 volunteers in our Adopt an area scheme who look nutritious as you can eat it when it’s completely fresh after areas of land in North Herts. so it won’t have lost as many nutrients or have a If you want to get involved in the carbon footprint through being transported. annual Keep Britain Tidy Spring Buy local and eat what’s in season – this reduces Clean check locally if something is the carbon footprint of transporting food over long happening already. Please register distances. Challenge yourself to create a meal entirely any events taking place on our Therfield Residents’ Group out of locally-sourced food! website. We have litter picking kits available for groups to borrow and can also arrange to collect Eat more plant-based meals – try using plant your bags of rubbish. proteins like beans, nuts, pulses or meaty mushrooms. Thank you to the wonderful groups, volunteers and organisations who have litter picked throughout the year! Give your street a spring clean For more information and to book your litter pick visit: www.north-herts.gov.uk/ community-litter-picking SPRING 2022 like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC OUTLOOK 7
World Water Day: 5 ways you can conserve water at home and make a big difference Every year World Water Day is celebrated on 22 March in Catching rays a bid to increase awareness about saving water. Here are some suggestions of how you can reduce your water usage. on the roof Solar panels have been installed Taps Showers Turning off the tap when you A five-minute shower uses half on the roof of our office building brush your teeth can save up to the water of a full bath. Consider in Letchworth to help reduce our 6 litres of water a minute and timing yourself in the shower to carbon emissions and save money. a dripping tap can waste up to keep it as short as possible and They are expected to generate more 15 litres of water a day, which is turning the water off when you’re than 10,000 kWh of electricity and 5,500 litres of water in a year! not rinsing. Putting a plug in when save around 5.3 tonnes of carbon Try to turn off the tap when you you shower can also show you each year. The estimated financial brush your teeth and get that how much water you are using – saving during the 25-year lifetime of dripping tap fixed. you can even use this saved water the panels is over £60,000. to water your plants! The reduction of carbon is roughly the equivalent of more than 6,500 trees Toilets Drinking growing for one year so this is great The older your toilet, the more Water news for the environment. water it is likely to use for Waiting for the tap to run cold flushing. Old toilets can use over is estimated to waste up to 10 Installing solar panels is just one of 10 litres for one flush. Whether litres of tap water a day per a number of measures the council your toilet is old or new, you household. Consider filling a jug is taking as part of our Climate can still save up to 5 litres of with tap water and keeping it in Change Strategy, having declared water a day by using a cistern your fridge – this will also help a climate emergency in May 2019. displacement device in your toilet to keep your fridge cool and We have already switched to – this can be as simple as placing use less energy! renewable electricity and green gas a small bottle filled with stones in our buildings and we are looking and water (with the bottle lid at providing additional electric car on) in your toilet cistern. charging points in our car parks. It is worth considering investing in water-efficient Look out for details of a new goods when you need to innovate scheme the council is Dishwasher replace household goods. exploring for residents who would and Washing Installing a water butt to like solar panels installed. Machine your drainpipe can also Did you know that washing a collect around 5,000 litres full machine load of clothes uses of water a year which can less water and energy than two be used to water your plants half-loads? The good news is that or clean your car and wash dishwashers and washing machines your windows. are better for the environment than cleaning by hand, but it is For more information important to ensure, as much as and ideas, check out possible, that they are fully loaded www.waterwise.org.uk/ before we turn them on. save-water 8 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC SPRING 2022
Into the wild 10,000 extra As the weather gets warmer, will be going out six to nine times you may notice that some a year instead of 12 to 14, resulting trees highway verges are being left to in a positive impact on the local growing grow a bit longer and may look environment. You may notice the wilder than usual. difference more in the summer Thanks to everyone with cutting taking place once a who took part in our tree As part of our efforts to increase giveaway and planted a month rather than every two to local biodiversity and wildlife sapling at home. three weeks. habitats, we have instructed our grounds maintenance contractor Traditionally North Herts has had By nurturing a tree, you John O’Conner to reduce the a relatively high frequency of grass have helped improve local frequency of grass cutting in cuttings compared to other areas biodiversity and air quality, some areas of our four main so this will bring us more in line and reduced your own towns, Letchworth, Hitchin, with other carbon footprint to help Baldock and Royston. With fewer councils. tackle climate change. vehicle journeys taking place, the Grassed One resident sent us this move will also dramatically reduce areas in lovely comment: "One of the council’s contribution to parks and your fantastic hazel trees has carbon emissions. cemeteries been happily planted in its On average we’ll be halving the will not be new home (pictured), thank frequency of grass cutting of affected. you for this great initiative." certain highway verges, so vehicles Check out the sensory trail at Howard Park this spring Have you taken your kids to the “I have been here before new and improved Howard Park but I love the new stuff. in Letchworth yet? My favourites are the mirrors, they’re really fun.” A wobbly bridge, concave and convex mirror panels We worked with Groundwork and sound cones – so you East on this project. can hear the faintest whisper We regularly review how we across the playground – help can improve our greenspace form a brand new sensory trail and Howard Park – which designed to stimulate the senses includes play areas for all ages which include sight, hearing, and abilities – was identified movement and balance. for improvements through Additions to the play area consultation with residents. also include a roundabout We have just carried out a designed for older children greenspace survey which was and a sand pit climbing frame, open to all residents to find or giant sandcastle! out what you value most and what our priorities for Six-year-old local resident greenspace should be – the Matylda (pictured) said: results will be published soon. SPRING 2022 like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC OUTLOOK 9
Repair café @Hitchin s p a c e s e t t o re t u r n Hack h on Saturday 19 Marc New-look website You may have noticed that our website has recently had a makeover and been rebranded Do you have something that Every year with our new logo and shorter needs fixing? Prefer to mend thousands name (North Herts Council). it than throw it away? of repairable We hope you agree the visual Following a successful event household items design of the new site is a vast at Hitchin Hackspace back in November, the Repair café @ go to landfill improvement on the old one. It has been designed to be more Hitchin Hackspace, in collaboration accessible than the previous site, with Plastic Free Hitchin, will meaning it can be used by people host its first event of the year on with a more diverse range of crockery, housewares, bicycles and Saturday 19 March 2022 from 11am. needs and abilities. toys etc. Anything that’s broken The repair cafe operates out of (which you can manage to carry We’re also in the process Hackspace, located at 67 Bancroft. on your own to the Repair Café) is of reviewing and rewriting The building was renovated using welcome and has a good chance of information across the site, but funds from North Herts Council’s getting properly repaired. If it can’t we’re keen to get your feedback Hitchin committee and locality be repaired on the day, you can now. If you have any comments budget from a Hitchin County get advice as to what needs to be or come across any issues then Councillor. North Herts Council done and how to attempt to repair please get in touch (www.north- are keen supporters of the cafe and it safely yourself. herts.gov.uk/contact-us). You has assisted the group with signage can send us your comments about Book your repair online and enjoy a for their events and promotion. a specific page by clicking on the cuppa and a cake whilst you wait. Every year thousands of repairable feedback link which appears at the The event is also an opportunity for bottom of every page. household items go to landfill the community to get together, get because their owners don’t have the Our new logo – four hearts to know each other, help and learn time, skill or tools to repair them. representing a flower and our drive from each other! The Repair Cafe is run entirely by for sustainability – was launched If you have a talent for fixing alongside the new website and volunteers and enables members electrical, electronic or mechanical was designed in house. You’ll see of the public to bring their items, garden tools, bicycles, it being rolled out gradually across damaged items for volunteers textiles, jewellery or clothing and things like signs and vehicles as to give them a new lease of life, you’d like to help at the repair and when they need to updated preventing thousands of repairable sessions, please get in touch. or replaced, so as to avoid household items from going to landfill every year. For more information visit: unnecessary additional costs. www.facebook.com/ Suggested items to bring to the plasticfreehitchin1 or contact: Repair Café include electrical hitchinrepaircafe@gmail.com appliances, clothing, furniture, 10 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC SPRING 2022
Support local good causes and be in with a chance of winning a weekly £25,000 jackpot! We’re launching a Community Lottery as a fun and creative way for local voluntary and community groups to raise much-needed funds. The Community Lottery allows players to choose the charity, voluntary group or community organisation they want to support when they purchase their lottery ticket(s). Tickets cost just £1 per week with 50p from every ticket sold going to a chosen charity, voluntary group or community organisation across North Herts. As well as supporting a good cause, players have the chance to win a weekly jackpot of £25,000 if they match six numbers. Other weekly prizes are also on offer such as £2,000, £250, £25, or three free tickets. How to purchase North Herts Community Lottery tickets Visit www.NorthHertsCommunityLottery. Council Meetings co.uk where you will be able to choose a good cause, set up a preferred payment method and purchase a ticket! All meetings are held at 7.30pm If players do not wish to support a specific organisation, they can still take unless specified below. Please part and donate 50p of their ticket price check our website for venue details to the ‘good causes fund’, which will be www.north-herts.gov.uk distributed by North Herts Council via a community grants scheme. DATE COMMITTEE Are you part of a local good cause, 1/03/2022 Hitchin Committee and interested in signing up? 2/03/2022 Standards Committee Each organisation that signs up will 3/03/2022 Southern Rural Committee receive a personalised webpage on our 8/03/2022 Royston Committee North Herts Community Lottery website, 9/03/2022 Joint Staff Consultative Committee (11am) as well as a range of marketing material 9/03/2022 Letchworth Committee to promote and encourage your supporters to play. 14/03/2022 Baldock Committee 15/03/2022 Overview & Scrutiny Committee Visit www.NorthHertsCommunity 16/03/2022 Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Lottery.co.uk to sign up online or alternatively please contact support@ 17/03/2022 Planning Control Committee NorthHertsCommunityLottery.co.uk 22/03/2022 Cabinet or 01462 520015. 23/03/2022 Council The first draw will take place on 31/03/2022 Planning Control Committee Saturday 19 March. 20/04/2022 Planning Control Committee Terms and Conditions apply. Visit: 26/05/2022 Annual Council www.NorthHertsCommunityLottery.co.uk SPRING 2022 like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC OUTLOOK 11
Lights, camera, action! From previous productions policy to encourage more film including Dr Foster and The World’s and television companies to come End, to the recent Landscapers to the area and to promote our series on Sky featuring Olivia lovely District. Filming production Colman, North Herts is the place can generate a great revenue to be for filming! stream for the council and we know residents love spotting local The latest programme to hit TV hotspots once productions air. screens will be teen drama, Tell Me Everything, featuring rising British North Herts offers a diverse talent as well as the main council range of locations – rural building in Letchworth! It’s due to settings, woodlands, picturesque air on ITV2 soon. villages, historic market towns and the world’s first garden city, There’s always an exciting buzz Letchworth. when filming is taking place in one of our towns or sites. We welcome If you are looking to do any filming in the district and do all we filming in North Herts, we can to ensure that any filming is would welcome your carried out with as little disruption request via our website: to residents as possible. We are www.north-herts.gov.uk/filming currently working on a filming Love your North Herts High Street The pandemic has had a big effect economic and environmental on our town centres, which is why benefits to be gained. The latest we’ve been doing all we can to research2 reveals that for every support local traders and those £1 spent with a local independent working in the hospitality industry. business, between 50p-70p circulates back into the local In the lead-up to Christmas we economy, that includes more across North Herts to encourage launched a campaign to encourage employment in the area. Heading shoppers to reuse shopping bags residents to support their high into town and supporting local when popping into town. street, as part of our Welcome businesses helps to cut unnecessary Back project.1 1. Supported by the North Herts mileage from delivery vans and Reopening the High Streets Safely To help boost sales for our towns’ goods being sourced from and Welcome Back projects which are traders we urged residents to overseas, which in turn reduces receiving up to £264,340 of funding support their high street and buy our carbon footprint. from the England European Regional Christmas presents locally. The The campaign included a series of Development Fund as part of the consumer shift to online shopping free ‘Love Your Herts High Street’ European Structural and Investment has been widely reported, however bag giveaways, where we handed Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. if residents make the switch back to town centres there’s many out free tote bags at events in towns 2. Independent Retail Month 12 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC SPRING 2022
Royston & Hitchin community wellbeing days from the North Herts Healthy Hub FREE WELLBEING TALKS AND FAMILY ACTIVITY SESSIONS Royston Hitchin Westmill Community Centre, John Barker Place, Hitchin, Herts, SG5 2PG Market Hill Rooms, Fish Hill, Royston, SG8 9JL 7 Mar - Fun with food for under 5’s 2 Mar - Messy Play for under 5’s 4 Apr - Fun with food for Easter for 1-10 year olds 16 Mar - Dance workshop for 1-4 year olds 9 May - (am) Movement to music for 1-4 year olds 30 Mar - Low impact exercise class for adults 9 May - (pm) Low impact exercise class for adults 6 Apr - Fun with food for Easter for 1-10 year olds Free NHS health checks for age 40 to 74 years 20 Apr - Pottery painting for adults Session times vary - please contact the hub for more info 4 May - Movement to music for 1-4 year olds and booking. 18 May - Low impact adult movement class Numbers are limited so must be pre-booked by emailing healthyhub@north-herts.gov.uk or calling 01462 474111 Session times vary - please contact the hub for more info and booking. Keep warm and save money With the rise in energy costs, did • biomass boilers you know you might be eligible • thermostats and heating for help with the costs of energy controls. efficiency measures in your home? Energy Efficient Home Scheme You could save money, be warmer 01422 880100 and help fight climate change! This scheme offers grants to Warmworks households on low incomes and 0808 196 8255 means tested benefits. In some This government funded scheme cases, qualifying homeowners and is open to homeowners, private private renting tenants can get the tenants and people in social rented full cost covered for: accommodation, where the home • first time central heating has a low energy rating and a low annual income. Measures include: • cavity wall and loft insulation. • wall, loft and hot water tank Scam warning: Please be cautious Trading Standards advise not to do insulation if you receive any phone calls, business at the door and don’t be texts, emails or doorstep calls from rushed into • double/triple glazing to replace any traders presenting themselves making a single glazing to you. Our contractors may decision before approach you if they think you are ensuring you • energy-efficient doors eligible, but they won’t make you are satisfied • air source, ground source, and sign anything on the spot. You can they are hybrid heat pumps then contact the provider or the legitimate. council to check the details. SPRING 2022 like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC OUTLOOK 13
One day without genocide Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) Charlie, age 15, won the creative takes place internationally writing with some dramatically North Herts every year on 27 January, the imaginative diary entries from heroes honoured anniversary of the liberation of April 1945, written in the first Community-minded residents who Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest person of a concentration camp have gone above and beyond to Nazi death camp. It’s for everyone survivor. He dedicated it to one make a real difference will be to remember the six million of his relatives whose tank was celebrated in March at the Chair’s Jewish people murdered during the first to enter Bergen-Belsen Community Recognition Awards. the Holocaust and other mass concentration camp during the genocide. liberation. Judges included Cllr Val Bryant, Chair of the Council, representatives from To help younger generations For more information visit Willmott Dixon as sponsors, and deepen their understanding of www.north-herts.gov.uk/HMD Georgia Barrow, Editor of The Comet. genocide and ensure that it forms no part of their future, we invited Winners will receive children and young people from a beautiful, engraved across the district to enter a glass trophy and gift competition, based on the 2022 voucher. theme ‘One day’. Find out who won at The winning art pieces (pictured) www.north-herts. were featured during the council’s gov.uk/awards HMD event, in partnership with North Herts Interfaith Forum. 14 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC SPRING 2022
WHAT’S EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS ON t his Spri n g 8 May Ashwell at Home – A day of wellbeing Holwell 2-9 July Open gardens, free workshops, Holwell Scarecrow Festival Hitchin Town Hall Join Holwell’s 6th annual live music, funfair. £8 adults 25 March, 8pm (under 18s free with paying Scarecrow Festival and vote for 80s vs 90s Pop Night adult) or £7 in advance your favourite scarecrow! All 8pm-midnight, £8pp (over 18s only). from the website, proceeds money raised goes straight to Tickets on sale: wegottickets.com go to Ashwell Museum, The Garden House Hospice to Church and School. support their incredible work. Hitchin www.ashwellathome.org.uk http://holwellscarecrows.org 14 May Hitchin Eco Day Baldock Kimpton A fun day for the whole family 5 June 29 April-2 May to explore sustainability. Shop Kimpton Art Show eco-friendly products, learn about The Baldock Big Lunch Baldock high street St Peter & St Paul Parish Church environmental campaigns and An exhibition/sale of artwork from www.baldockeventsforum.org.uk have fun at the interactive activities. a wide genre of talented artists, The event is a collaboration of Barkway part of Kimpton May Festival. Plastic Free Hitchin and Hitchin BID. www.kimptonartshow.co.uk 7 May Ashwell Barkway Village Market 5 March Church Lane Ashwell’s Famous Flea Market Over 120 stalls including craft fair, All sorts of weird and wonderful refreshments and entertainment. things for sale. Free entry, £3 per adult. @barkwaymarket tea/coffee available. on Facebook and Instagram. Paddington comes to town! TM The brilliant touring exhibition from by Michael Bond – including Bond’s the British Library, Paddington: typewriter used in the 1960s – The Story of a Bear, is coming to and original illustrations of North Herts Museum from 19 Paddington stories by artists March to 26 June. Follow his trail including Peggy Fortnum, of marmalade splats to explore David McKee and R.W. Alley. his tales of adventures in this Join us for a marmalade educational and fun exhibition. sandwich-fuelled trip down Celebrate one of the world’s most memory lane – an average beloved fictional characters over 60 visit lasts 30 minutes. years on from when he was first North Herts Museum is located in introduced in 1958. Featuring over Brand Street, Hitchin, open Tue-Sat 50 books, documents and original 10.30am-4.30pm and Sun 11am-3pm, artworks, highlights include the first admission is free. edition of A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond given to his parents, Visit: https://northhertsmuseum.org a selection of memorabilia owned for more information. SPRING 2022 like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/northhertsDC OUTLOOK 15
Elections May 2022 Elections to North Herts Council will be taking place on Thursday 5 May 2022 as well as some Town/Parish elections. You must be registered to vote elections@north-herts.gov.uk. instead of the current system of in order to have your say at these Alternatively, you can post them electing ‘by thirds’. elections. If you are not already to Electoral Services, North District councillors at North Herts registered, the quickest and Herts Council, Gernon Road, Council are currently elected ‘by easiest way to do so is online, at Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3JF. thirds’, meaning that elections take www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Would you like to work at the place in three out of every four The process takes only a few minutes elections? years, with one third of councillors - you just need your national insurance being elected each time. The new number to hand. Applications must be If you are interested in working for arrangement from May 2024 will submitted before midnight on Thursday us at the elections either on a polling mean that all district councillors are 14 April 2022 to be able to vote on station or at the count please express elected at the same time for a 5 May 2022. an interest by emailing elections@ four-year term of office. Voters have the choice of voting in north-herts.gov.uk with your person at their local polling station, contact information, the role that The decision to move to whole by post or by proxy. There will be you are interested in and any council elections as of May 2024 was covid safety measures in place at the experience you have previously. made at an Extraordinary meeting polling stations. We will add you to our staff of Council on 7 December 2021 database and contact you should and applies only to district council If you would prefer to vote by post, a position arise. elections. Prior to the decision, a the deadline to apply is 5pm on public consultation was carried out The way you vote in district Tuesday 19 April 2022. Postal Vote with 54% in favour of the change elections will change in May 2024. application forms can be downloaded and 46% wanting the system to from www.north-herts.gov.uk/ From May 2024, district councillor stay as it is. To find out more visit: voting-post-or-proxy and elections in North Herts will be held www.north-herts.gov.uk/ may be scanned/photographed once every four years (known as electoral-cycle-changes and returned via email to ‘all-out’ or ‘whole council’ elections), Voters have the choice of voting in person at their local polling station, by post or by proxy. There will be covid safety measures in place at the polling stations. 16 OUTLOOK follow us on twitter @NorthHertsDC SPRING 2022
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