The newly established Egham Spanish-English Group meets on the 1st Friday of every month (7-9pm) at the Village Centre, Victoria St, Englefield Green, TW20 0QX. Join us and have fun while practising your Spanish and helping native Spanish-speakers improve their English. See us on: www.facebook.com/groups/EghamSpanishEnglish, email: egham.spanish.english@gmail.com, phone: 07788896460 or simply turn up on the 1st Friday of next month (the 5th of April). Hasta luego!

According to Experian, the data experts, the total value of unclaimed financial assets in the UK has not been accurately defined, but it is thought to be approximately £15-20 billion.

Thames Valley Police has published the ‘Little book of Big Scams’ which is reproduced by permission of the Metropolitan Police Service. It summarises many of the scams that you will find in every area of life that you turn.

HUCAN - The Heathrow Assocation for Control of Aircraft Noise have released their Newsletter for Jan 2013.

The importance of the Motor Industry Code of Practice has been highlighted by a recent case in which a 38-year old man was arrested on suspicion of supplying fake MoT documents.

Are you on a burglar's to-do list? Surrey Police has launched a campaign to educate residents on what they can do to protect their home from opportunist burglars.

Launched today (Monday, 22 October), the two-month campaign aims to help householders get in to the mind of a burglar and understand what they look out for prior to committing a burglary.

Police traditionally see a rise in burglary offences over the autumn and winter months with the longer, darker nights and increased spending over the Christmas period. By encouraging residents to see their property from a burglar's point of view, officers are hoping to influence a long-term behavioural change and reduce burglary offences.

Surrey Trading Standards are warning consumers NOT to rely on the printed version of the new-style MoT certificates when buying cars.

Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come.

THE final hurdle preventing a multi-million pound development in Egham seems to have been cleared, with traders saying it will be a real "shot in the arm" for the town. The long-delayed project, for a 20,000sq-ft Waitrose supermarket and an 80-room Travelodge hotel between Church Road and High Street, was originally due for completion in 2010 and then, following revisions, this year.

We are grateful to receive the following Memories of Professor John Healy who died on 25 April 2012.

FOLLOW THESE 14 SIMPLE TESTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN...

Test 1
Women: to prepare for maternity, put on a dressing gown and stick a
beanbag down the front. Leave it there for 9 months. After 9 months,
remove 5% of the beans.

Men: to prepare for paternity, go to a local chemist, tip the
contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself.
Then go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to
their head office. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last
time.

 

HACAN, the Heathrow Association for Control of Aircraft Noise, published its July Newsletter.

HACAN reports on the Aviation Scoping document published in March 2011 in which the government confirms the decision to rule out expansion at Heathrow and new runways at Gatwick and Stansted.

Surrey County Council Trading Standards scheme "Buy with Confidence" has reported the story of a local Bagshot resident - Rogue trader warning after Surrey man is conned out of thousands of pounds - a warning to all that in these tough times there are many people who would rather steel for money than do an honest days work.

Contact the Elderly, the charity solely dedicated to tackling loneliness and isolation among older people, is appealing for volunteers in Chertsey & Addlestone to come forward to help it launch a much-needed friendship group in the area.   

There are more than 44,000 children currently in foster care in England but many are in short term placements and are in desperate need of a forever family either through permanent fostering or adoption.

Family Recruitment Officer for PACT, Philip Cook, says “Fostering a child requires a great deal of skill and the ability to deal with some challenging situations.

“The children we are seeking families for will have had a difficult start in life. They may have experienced trauma, loss or abuse and will need support to help them overcome this.

“The children we need families for may be older, from an ethnic minority background, have a disability, a health issue or uncertainty regarding their future development. They may be part of a sibling group who need to be kept together.

“Being a foster carer can be extremely rewarding as you watch children develop healthy relationships with yourself, members of your family and others in your community, as well as seeing them make progress in all areas of their development.”

If you think you might have what it takes or you just want to find out more then contact PACT now on 0800 731 1845, email fostering@pactcharity.org or click on the following link: www.pactcharity.org and select the Adoption and Fostering tab. You can also find us on Facebook.

If you have a wall in your house that’s crying out for some colour, perhaps a child’s room or baby nursery where a mural would fire an imagination, or a dead space that would benefit from a piece of bespoke art, then Farnham-based artist Helen Brady could be the answer.

Inspired Spaces offers hand painted murals and decorative painting for your home or business. Each piece is a bespoke design created by Helen to complement the character and atmosphere of the existing space. Offering an exclusive alternative to wallpaper, posters or stickers, Helen’s work provides a unique solution to re-decorating a room.

Designs can be painted on walls, ceilings, canvas or even furniture, and if clients have a special request, a pattern they would like to make a feature or the beginnings of an idea, Helen will discuss the project with them during a free consultation, making sure their particular vision becomes a reality.

Contact Helen Brady:

07885 761 532

helen@inspired-spaces.co.uk

www.inspired.spaces.co.uk

Royal Borough residents are invited to drop in and find out more about the wide range of local services and activities available to them at a series of showcase events to be held across the borough.

Your Independence Days are innovative showcase events that are aimed at all members of the public who are considering their options for staying independent - and are designed to help them to choose the care and support services which will best suit them and their lifestyle.

WHAT’S HAPPENING?

Prevention– advice on preventing fall, keeping safe at home and staying healthy

Marketplace– local services, things to do and products to help you stay independent and make life easier

Equipment and demonstrations– join in with ballroom dancing, moving & handling techniques for Carers, and Telecare

Census Surgeries– between 11am – 1pm, a Census Field Officer will be available to help with your queries about completing the 2011 Census

EVENTS DATES

• Thursday 10 March 2011 - Windsor Leisure Centre, Stovell Road, Windsor - 10am-3pm
• Monday 21 March 2011 - Town Hall, St Ives Road, Maidenhead - 10am-3pm

We are also looking for volunteers to help us run the events as there will be many interesting jobs to do. If you would like to volunteer some of your time please contact Laurel Hegarty on 01628 683662 or email tsc@rbwm.gov.uk.

For more information about these events please visit http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/social_tsc_news.htm

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has great pleasure in offering you the opportunity to exhibit your organisation's services to local residents and the chance for volunteers to take part.  The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is hosting two special events for all residents of the Borough in March 2011.  People in need of care and support, their carers and the general public will learn more about prevention and the services available to them locally.

We invite local businesses, voluntary organisations, clubs and societies to hold a stand or demonstrate your products and services for free at one or more of these events.  We are also looking for volunteers to help us run the events as there will be many interesting jobs to do.  If you know of volunteers who would like to join in please contact Laurel Hegarty on 01628 683662 or email tsc@rbwm.gov.uk.

Event Dates

• Thursday 10 March 2011 - Windsor Leisure Centre - 10am-3pm
• Monday 21 March 2011 - Town Hall, Maidenhead - 10am-3pm

For more details and the booking forms please visit http://www.rbwm.gov.uk/web/social_transforming_social_care.htm.

When you’re buying new furniture and products for your home, have you ever thought about visiting a reuse organisation?

Buying reusable furniture and kitchen appliances is great value, good for the environment and you might just find a hidden treasure.  

From the 31 January 2011 Runnymede Borough Council is making changes to the way it collects recycling and waste.

If you are looking for a high class education for your daughter, visit Luckley-Oakfield School, an Independent Day and Boarding School for girls aged 11-18 years.

The school has high expectations for all its students, achieves excellent academic results and is proud of its exceptional added-value record. Pastoral care is considered paramount because every girl is important. Luckley students encounter rich and varied opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom, through which to develop their self-confidence and skills.

Flexi, weekly and full boarding provides a wonderful ‘home from home’ for students. The boarding community creates a supportive, stimulating and happy environment for students both from the UK and overseas. Luckley-Oakfield is set in beautiful Berkshire countryside with outstanding facilities and grounds.

If you think this may be the right school for your daughter, contact the Registrar on 0118 974 3221 to arrange to visit. Alternatively, come along to our Open day on Wednesday 16th March from 9.30am to 12 noon.

Entrance exams for September 2011 entry take place on Saturday 15 January (Year 7 entry) and Wednesday 19 January (Year 9 entry).

Coach routes are available from Maidenhead, Cookham, Twyford, Camberley, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Windlesham, Ascot, Binfield, Hartley Witney, Eversley, Finchampstead, Shiplake, Henley, Wargrave and from Wokingham Station.

Mary is the proprietor of a bar in Dublin . She realizes that virtually all of her customers are unemployed alcoholics and, as such, can no longer afford to patronize her bar. To solve this problem, she comes up with new marketing plan that allows her customers to drink now, but pay later. She keeps track of the drinks consumed on a ledger (thereby granting the customers loans).

 Starting 26th January in Chertsey, we are running a 7-week course for people who are learning to manage the day-to-day issues that arise when living or in recovery from a mental health condition. The course will be on Wednesday afternoons and run by two trained facilitators who have experience and understanding of mental health conditions. The group will have no more than 12 participants.

• Some of the things we will look at are:
• Problem Solving and Goal Setting
• Anxiety and Depression Management
• Triggers and relapse awareness
• Relaxation Techniques
• Healthy lifestyle

Learn new skills, meet new friends and increase your confidence. This group approach is friendly, informal and motivating

If you would like to know more, or to book a place on the course please call our freephone number: 0800 988 5520

You are all aware of thefts of tools from vans parked overnight, but we would like to alert you to an increase of theft from tradesman's vans during the day.
 

Just Advocacy and the National Autistic Society have partnered to facilitate Self Advocacy Groups for adults who have all been diagnosed with either Asperger syndrome or High Functioning Autism. These groups currently run in 2 locations (Camberley and Reigate) in Surrey. During sessions the topic for discussion is decided by the group (the most popular topics tend to be to do with relationships and managing in difficult or awkward social situations) and everyone is encouraged to share their ideas, potential areas of difficulty and suggestions for coping strategies. The group also goes on regular outings that are decided upon collectively. These have so far taken place locally during normal session hours but the group is planning an outing for the summer that would take them further afield-some suggestions have been to go to London, the coast or a theme park. We do ask for a £1 contribution per session for refreshments and individuals need to fund themselves for outings.