May 2008 Archives
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On The Beat: Chesham
Posted by Julie Voyce on May 2, 2008 12:10 PM
RESIDENTS of the Chesham West neighbourhood have been urged to take part in Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) activities and make it an integral and essential part of their community.
Speaking after the first NAG meeting in Chesham recently, the deputy mayor of the Chesham Town Council, Alison Pirouet said: “I believe the NAG initiative is a good one, but the community must participate more to make it community-led with supporting roles from the police, local councils and other agencies.”
The call was echoed by Tina Gatherum, who owns a business and lives in Chesham: “I do feel we need to get the community into this project and I am keen to identify some areas that we can work on.
“If we can get people involved in putting right the small things the NAG can make a difference and it will be easier to get everyone involved in more key issues”.
Annie Sweet, a local resident who represented Little Spring School at the meeting said: “With the right group and agencies involved this will work and it is what the community needs. Dealing with issues in the community is important so we all need to get involved.”
The NAG has set its three the top neighbourhood priority as anti-social behaviour, speeding and drugs.
At the meeting, the NAG set a number of actions and tasks which will be completed by nominated people from the community. They will be responsible for responding to issues that have been identified by the local community.
A date for the next meeting has been set for Wednesday, May 21 at the Chesham Town Hall.
The neighbourhood team, which is dedicated to tackling crime and quality of life issues in Chesham West, consists of Sgt Learie Bacchus, PC Gary Blackburn, Neighbourhood Specialist Officer, and Poilce Community Support Officer Charlotte Brand. The team can be contacted via the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.
All communities in Buckinghamshire have dedicated neighbourhood policing teams – there are 57 across the county – who work in partnership with the local councils, fire service and community and residents’ associations represented on the local neighbourhood action groups.
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In The Chair with Toby Ingham
Posted by Julie Voyce on May 12, 2008 10:17 AM
A woman I'll call Carol, flinches whenever a car races past her; three years ago her husband was run over and killed by a reckless driver. The driver was given a brief custodial sentence and a year driving ban, but for Carol everything changed - for her his death is a life sentence.
She feels terribly alone. She still does some of the things she used to do with him, she lives in the house they lived in, but she is alone now and it no longer seems like a home. She still has his car, she can't bear to part with it but she can't afford to keep it. She is sometimes angry with him - why wasn't he more careful that day? These feelings make her feel guilty and disloyal to him.
Their friends were kind and patient with her but despite their best intentions she felt awkward, no longer part of a couple. She felt like a bore always talking about her loss, but it is often the only thing on her mind, so after a while she stopped talking to them about it. Recently her doctor has prescribed sleeping pills which do help. People tell her they know how she feels, that they've been through it, but they haven't, they didn't lose him. His death has shaken her confidence in everything. She knew grief was natural and painful but she didn't know it was such an exhausting emotion. At first Carol had some brief counselling but she couldn't really take to it, she just couldn't find the motivation. It didn't feel like there was anything brief about her situation.
We behave as though we know so much, as though so much of life is certain.
We get used to the notion that we can fix everything quickly, that everything in life can be improved and made better, but not everything can be made better. Some things just have to be endured and lived with, through time we may find a way of accepting things but these events will always be a part of who we are.
Every time a car speeds past Carol she still can't help wishing it would slow down.
Toby Ingham
UKCP Psychotherapist & Counsellor
www.counsellingbuckinghamshire.co.uk
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On The Beat: Chiltern Local Police Area
Posted by Julie Voyce on May 20, 2008 12:13 PM
POLICE are reminding residents to secure their sheds and garages in a bid to deter opportunist thieves this spring as the gardening season is picking up.
Mr Mike Levine, Crime Reduction Adviser at Amersham police station, said: “Many sheds whilst being of good construction fall short on basic security. It is easy to unscrew the ironmongery, steal contents and in some cases replace the screws to make it look as if the shed has not been tampered with.
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“….and another thing !” Public Sector Pensions
Posted by Julie Voyce on May 29, 2008 5:07 PM
By Chris Mellor
John Lowe, in particular, and Preston Colville seek for the Examiner to disseminate the truth and encourage reasoned debate on public sector pensions (BE Letters May 29). Both fail badly at the first hurdle in this regard by being sparing and misleading with the full truth.
Mr Lowe fails to point out that public sector employees can retire on a pension PLUS a tax free cash lump sum equal to three-eightieths of final salary for each year’s contributions. Broadly accepted to be the overall equivalent of a pension equating to two thirds of final salary for a forty year working period. I see little relevance in Mr Lowe pointing out that there is a cap on service at 45 years. Work 45 years and a public sector employee gets a full pension !
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This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Bucks Bloggers in the May 2008. They are listed from oldest to newest.
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