ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

Bromley Youth Council launched their anti-bullying campaign in the Glades Shopping Centre on 22 November.

 

Youth Council members and councillors are helping to raise awareness to help give young people the confidence to speak out if they are being bullied.

Cllr Stephen Wells, executive member for education said: “Bromley Youth Council has worked hard to make a significant contribution to an issue that concerns many young people today, particularly with the move away from physical bullying to online cyberbullying.

“I am very pleased to see how all schools are engaging in this campaign.”

The youth council, which made bullying its top priority in its manifesto this year, has joined forces with the Youth Support Programme, schools, colleges, councillors and agencies such as the police to help beat the bullies.

Anti-bullying pledges developed by the youth council have been distributed to schools and youth clubs and currently 44 have been signed and returned. These state that everyone should be free from all forms of bullying and that young people should be able to enjoy life, feeling safe, secure and accepted. In addition a poster campaign raises the question: ‘Banter or Bullying?’ Youth council chairman Andrew Spears said: “Some bullies are genuinely not aware of the impact their comments are having on other people’s lives. “We hope by raising awareness of these issues, we can stop the bullies.”

Also committed to getting the message across are children’s champion Cllr Pauline Tunnicliffe and Cllr Tim Stevens, executive member for public protection and safety.

Cllr Pauline Tunnicliffe said: The message is don’t stay silent. “There are plenty of people who can help such as a parent or a responsible adult at school or a youth worker.

“I want every young person to feel confident that their concerns will be taken seriously and acted on sensitively.”

Cllr Stevens said:  “The insidious nature of bullying on the Internet means it can become very serious and sometimes require police intervention.

“The important thing is to get help from someone trusted so that the right course of action can be taken.”

Further information, guidance and advice on beating the bullies can be found on Bromley’s website at www.bromley.gov.uk/bullying (Source: Bromley council press release)

 

EVENT MARKS THE END OF ANTI-BULLYING WEEK

 

Young people in Croydon have been shown how to stand up to bullies at an event rounding off this year’s national anti-bullying week.

 

The council’s youth service hosted a day of workshops and film-screenings at the Clocktower in Katharine Street.

People who have been victims, and those who want to help prevent others being unfairly picked on, were encouraged to come along and share their experiences, talk about solutions and watch a series of newly-made films produced by local young people.

The films explore the issues and problems that result when bullies target people who they see as being weaker than them.

Paul Greenhalgh, Croydon’s executive director of children, young people and learners, said: “Bullying is a something that people can tackle better when they know that there are others who are ready to help them. Events like this are important because they show how much support there is for anyone who finds themselves being victimised.” (Source: Croydon council press release)

 

 

WINTER POTHOLE REPAIR FUND ANNOUNCED….

 

Urgent work to repair potholes caused by the recent snow and ice in Croydon will be carried out using a new £100,000 winter pothole fund say Croydon council.

 

To keep Croydon’s traffic moving safely, teams from the highways department will be inspecting many of the borough’s roads over the next few weeks to locate and fill in any new potholes.

Cllr Phil Thomas, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said: “The weather over the last few weeks will have opened up a number of new holes in roads across the borough. “Whilst it has been recognised that we have done a great job keeping our traffic flowing with our gritting programme, we will soon have to tackle the potholes that result from ice breaking up road surfaces.

“We’re making the money available to deal with this problem because of the dangers that we know that these hazards can pose to cyclists, motorists and pedestrians alike.”

The council already inspects all of the 2,500 roads across Croydon on a regular basis to ensure that they are kept in the best possible condition.

Cllr Thomas continued: “We have invested around £15m over the last few years on carrying out long term repairs to many roads in Croydon, without which the situation would undoubtedly be a lot worse than it is.”

Residents who are concerned about any holes in their roads can report these to the council for inspection at www.croydon.gov.uk/potholes (Source: Croydon council press release)

 

….ROCK SALT AROUND THE CLOCK*

 

Round-the-clock gritting by Croydon Council’s winter response teams kept the borough’s main roads open throughout the recent snow.

 

One Friday alone saw priority roads and pavements treated with 500 tonnes of grit in an operation involving scores of staff and a fleet of nine vehicles.

Croydon’s 570 roadside salt bins were topped up prior to the severe weather and teams are now working to replenish them.

Meals on wheels services ran without any problems, and the council’s social services Careline team was on hand to offer assistance to elderly or vulnerable residents who needed help.

Waste and recycling operations were carried out as far as possible, however icy conditions meant that collections in some side roads had to be left for later in the week. Residents in these roads have been asked to leave their bins and boxes out so that they can be picked up at the earliest opportunity.

Cllr Thomas said: “This immense effort from our staff and our contractors  meant that on Monday morning the majority of residents and businesses found the remaining snow posed little obstacle to getting around as normal.

“The advice we issued to people about leaving their cars at home, and the recommendations we gave to local firms about staggering leaving times on Friday, helped our gritters keep the main roads clear even during the heaviest  of the snow.

“Our gritting rounds cover over 700kms of roads and these were treated time and again on Friday and over the weekend. “Over just these three days we’ve put down over 1,000 tonnes of salt on the borough’s roads and pavements.  “We still have ample supplies, however, as we started the year with a stockpile of 4,400 tonnes, and we already have plenty more on order.”

(*Headline and source: Croydon council press release)

 

WOMAN ILLEGALLY SUBLET COUNCIL HOME

 

A WOMAN has been ordered to give up her council home after she was found to have illegally sublet it – and moved to Bromley. She has also been ordered to pay £10,000 in back rent.

 

The council was granted possession of Nicola Chin’s property in Pawsons Road, Croydon, following a hearing at Croydon County Court.

The court heard the 37-year-old had left her home in September 2009 and moved to Bromley.

Chin had given her keys and rent card to a friend, allowing him to move in with his family. The council began to investigate after the friend tried to take over the tenancy.

Chin was also ordered to pay £10,000 in rent arrears and £3,000 court costs.

Cllr Dudley Mead, cabinet member for housing, said: “At a time when social housing is needed more than ever, it is vital the council continues to clamp down on illegal subletting.

“We are pleased with the outcome of this case, as now the property will be freed up for a tenant who needs a home.”

(Source: Croydon council press release)

 

83-YEAR-OLD MAN ALMOST CONNED OUT OF HIS HOME – 95 CALLS FROM SCAMMERS BLOCKED IN JUST THREE WEEKS

 

The plight of an 83-year-old man who was conned out of thousands of pounds, and was on the verge of losing his home, has prompted a timely warning from Croydon council.

The warning coincides with a report from national charity the Alzheimer’s Society, revealing that people with dementia are being cheated out of at least £100m.

The charity estimates that up to 112,500 (15 per cent of) people with dementia have been victims of such financial abuse as cold calling, scam mail, or mis-selling.

Mr A, from Croydon, fell victim to scammers from abroad. Over a number of years, the heartless fraudsters bled dry his savings account and convinced him to part with his pensions income each month.

And it was only the intervention of the council’s trading standards and vulnerable adults teams that prevented him signing over the deeds to his house.

The case came to light when Mr A’s bank became concerned about repeated withdrawals from his account. Trading standards officers investigated and found that he was the victim of a number of overseas-based scams.

Croydon’s director of public safety, Tony Brooks, said: “This case should act as a warning to everybody that they must not hand over money or bank details on the vague promise of a big cash windfall.

“Mr A was almost addicted to responding to such scams and it was proving difficult to convince him that he was the victim of fraud.

“He was convinced that he was a would-be winner and was refusing help. “The council’s adult services department had become involved and was keen to prevent further abuse.”

Eventually, Mr A agreed to allow trading standards officers to intervene. A telephone filtering device was installed and, over only three weeks, 95 calls from known scammers were blocked.

Mr Brooks said: “The tone of many of these messages was very persuasive, and, in some cases, aggressive and harassing.”

Additionally, Mr A’s post was redirected to a remote mail box, run by trading standards officers, who sorted his mail on a daily basis. More than 40 scam letters were removed, and legitimate post delivered to Mr A.

Cllr Simon Hoar, cabinet member for community safety, said: “This is a truly heartbreaking case which has seen a vulnerable old man ruthlessly conned by fraudsters who had no compunction in taking everything he owned.

“But, in a terrific example of joined-up cooperation, our trading standards team, adult services and local banks have acted quickly to save this man from what would have been a devastating loss – that of his home.

“Unfortunately, because the scammers aren’t based in this country, a prosecution is unlikely, but, as a result of this operation, the team has obtained details of another British bank account belonging to a 91-year-old man from Cumbria whose account was being raided by fraudsters.

“His family was hitherto unaware of the problem, but he’s now being safeguarded and protected – a great result for the council’s teams.” (Source: Croydon council press release)

 

COUNCIL TO SET EXAMPLE BY TACKLING MENTAL HEALTH DISCRIMINATION

 

A pledge to take action to end mental health discrimination is being taken by Croydon council.

 

As part of the nationwide Time to Change campaign, councillors Margaret Mead and Sara Bashford will be signing the pledge on behalf of the council.

Time to Change director Sue Baker will be attending the pledge-signing on Wednesday, January 30, hosted by Hear Us, a local mental health charity funded by the council and Croydon Primary Care Trust.

The pledge will commit the council to leading the way in the borough to tackle stigmas around mental illness and promote understanding.

Hear Us has received a grant from Time to Change for its Reach Out Challenge project, where it will be visiting the council to talk to staff about how mental illness is “everybody’s business”.

Volunteers from the project with a range of different experiences of mental illness are going into organisations in Croydon to talk one-to-one with staff who may regularly meet members of the public with mental health difficulties.

Mental health problems affect one in four people and in Croydon as many as 84,000 may be directly affected at any one time.

Councillor Margaret Mead, cabinet member for adult services and health, said: “Mental illness can affect all of us at some point and discrimination can wreck people’s lives.

“People with mental health problems often feel they have to hide it, for fear of how others might react.

“It doesn’t have to be this way, which is why I am signing this pledge on behalf of the council, to show we are committed to talking about mental health to help promote understanding and tackle any stigmas.”

The Reach Out Challenge project is funded by Time to Change, which is the country’s biggest programme to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. The programme is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

For more information about Hear Us, visit http://www.hear-us.org

(Source: Croydon council press release)

 

DEMENTIA PREVENTION STRATEGY LAUNCHED

A DEMENTIA strategy to help raise awareness of the illness and take early action has been launched by Croydon council.

More than 3,00 people in Croydon have been diagnosed with the condition , and there are 800,000 cases across the UK.
Given the rising demand for support, the strategy aims to bring about early intervention and help people build up skills and confidence to live as independently as possible.
It will be based around providing more information about dementia and the services available; increasing the early diagnosis rate; and increasing support to carers.
People with dementia will also have their mental and physical needs assessed more regularly in primary care.
Over the next five years, the council expects more resources will need to be found for home care and care home placements.
Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities have been identified as a key focus, with their dementia rates expected to increase 20 times higher than those of white UK origin.
Cllr Margaret Mead, cabinet member for adult services and health, said: “This strategy will change the landscape of dementia care across the community.
“Dementia is a terrible illness and we need to increase our understanding and awareness of the condition.
“Focussing on early diagnosis and prevention will help manage demand and improve quality of life, both for patients and their carers.”
(Source: Croydon council press release)