Sport Relief Grants

Sport Relief Community Cash grant

Apply now for a Sport Relief Community Cash grant

Comic Relief brings Sport Relief Community Cash to North Essex and Suffolk. The Fund is now available, with Essex Community Foundation working with Comic Relief to get the cash to the groups that need it most.

Cash grants of £500 to £1,000 are available to small grassroots community organisations in North Essex (Colchester, north Braintree and Tendring) that are doing great work to help local people living tough lives. It is not only sporting projects or organisations that can apply, but groups across the whole of the community.

Applications for Sport Relief Community Cash need to be submitted by Monday 15th February 2016. Interested groups should click here for the grant criteria and guidance on how to apply.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Grants Team on 01245 356016 or [email protected] should you have any questions.

Essex Community Foundation are:

an independent charitable trust improving the quality of life of people in our community by investing and distributing funds on behalf of a wide range of donors. Since 1996 our donors have invested £26 million of charitable funding directly into Essex, Southend and Thurrock making it a great place to live, work, learn and grow.

Further information about the Fund is also available at www.essexcommunityfoundation.org.uk

23rd January 20162nd December 2016

PAWS January – Barney’s Bobbies

Michael Benning talked about Barney's Bobbies

PAWS January – Barney’s Bobbies

Relating the story of Barney’s Bobbies, Michael joined the police force in 1969 and was paid the princely sum of £17 per week. He spent the first 5 years of his career ‘on the beat’ and spent many nights rattling shop doors and was in trouble from sergeant Barney if he did not detect some sort of crime on his shift! The sergeant was very hot on discipline and correct uniform and his ‘Bobbies’ were some of the best on the force.

Michael soon had a new job on Cycle Patrol, which was great except that the bike was far too big. On telling his sergeant that he could not reach the pedals even if he could get on the bike, he was told to just wheel it around until he grew! There were no personal radios in those days so he had to phone in to the station every hour to get instructions using a Police Box (Tardis).

TV programmes such as Dickson of Dock Green and later The Bill were good representations of how the Police worked. Michael finished his career on the hijack team at Stansted Airport and ran many marathons in the Police team. He also gave us an insight into how things had changed in the Police Force over the years and of some of the amusing and sometimes dangerous incidents that he had been involved in.

Our next meeting is on the 23rd February when our speaker Stacey Belbin will tell us about “Lady Grace the boat.” Visitors are welcome at a cost of £5.00. Details of all our meetings and speakers can be found on the diary of the home page of the Winstred 100 website.

If you would like further information about P.A.W.S please ring either of the following committee members: Alice Holmes 01206 735510 or Jane Anderson 01206 735505.

8th January 20163rd May 2016

Energy Switch, Funding & More

Offers to help you join Energy Switch and Funding opportunities are just two of many subjects in the numerous news updates Essex County & Colchester Borough Councils issue every week, the following are extracts that might be of particular interest.

Save hundreds in the Essex Energy Switch

An energy-saving initiative which has already saved Essex residents almost £1 million has reopened for new applications. Register now for the Essex Energy Switch to potentially save hundreds of pounds on your energy bills.

Registration is open till 1 February 2016. After this, energy providers will bid against one another in an auction with the winning bidder being the company offering the lowest price to all applicants. Following last year’s Switch, residents saved approximately £263 per household.

Anyone who pays for energy is eligible to take part. Signing up takes just a few minutes online. Visit www.essex.gov.uk/energyswitch for more information and to find out how to take part.

Funding available for community projects

Colchester’s Big Choice funding application process is now open! Bid for a share of £200,000 to fund new or existing community projects in Colchester. Finalists will be entered into a public vote at the end of February 2016 to decide on the winners.

If you have a project that could be eligible CBC needs to know more about it. Not all applications will go through to the final vote but in order to qualify CBC needs to know who you are, what you do and how your idea will benefit the residents of Colchester Borough.

Completing this online application form will guide you through the information CBC needs so please complete it carefully and take note of the deadlines as CBC has to stick to them. The online application form needs to be completed and received by CBC by 12 noon on the 15th January 2016. Click here to find out more

#InstaEssex – Capturing the culture of Essex

What best describes Essex culture to you? Is it some of our buildings and architecture; our artwork and theatres; local street and contemporary social culture; or perhaps there’s an iconic image you think sums up the county? Whatever it is, the #InstaEssex campaign wants to capture it with a photography competition that’s open to both amateur and professional photographers.

15 winning images will be displayed at London Liverpool Street station and at branch line stations across Essex. From these winners the top three will be awarded cash prizes of £1,000 (first prize), £500 (second prize) and £250 (third prize).

If you’re stuck for inspiration why not take a look at the Explore Culture website. Or if you’d like to brush up on your photography skills, why not take part in one of the #InstaEssex workshops.

If you don’t fancy submitting a photo but still want to share your thoughts, you can join the discussions on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using #Instaessex. The competition is open until Mon 15 February 2016 so there’s plenty of time to get snapping!

How to avoid a cold (caller) this winter

Free “No Cold Caller” stickers are now available at Essex libraries to help vulnerable people protect themselves from rogue traders.

Local Health Matters Meetings

Taking place twice a month in various parts of the North East Essex area, these meetings are free to attend without prior booking and give you an opportunity to discuss matters of concern or interest to you regarding Local Health matters. The minutes of the recent meeting in Colchester will give you an idea of what they are about:

Boost Your Online Skills

If you were fortunate enough to receive a new smartphone, tablet or PC at Christmas and you’d like help to get online, then why not brush up your IT skills for free at CBC’s digital bazaar events and online drop-in sessions beginning this month and running throughout 2016.

At CBC’s digital bazaar events and online drop in sessions, you are encouraged to bring your own device where you will receive professional help with setting it up.

Computers are available at all of the events and staff are there to support and teach you and undertake tasks such as setting up email addresses. You will also have the opportunity to meet some of CBC’s dedicated multi-skilled Zone Teams who have in-depth knowledge of local areas.

One to One Support

CBC also offer one-to-one support at any of the library hubs across Colchester. To book a free one hour session please complete CBC’s online form or call 01206 282222.

Winter’s on its way

The unseasonal mild spell is coming to an end. Are you ready for wintry conditions on the roads? Keep up to date with road conditions via Essex County Council’s website or Twitter accounts.

Visit ECC’s winter travel web page for useful information about salt bins, salting (gritting) routes and links to other winter-related advice about school closures, flooding alerts and health. Follow @Essex_Travel and @EssexGritters for all the latest winter road updates from Essex County Council on Twitter. ECC does not manage the A12, A120, M11 and M25. Visit the Highways Agency website for information about these roads.

At midday every day during winter a weather report comes in to Essex County Council and the decision is made whether to send gritters out onto the Essex roads. Essex County Council has 59 gritters which grit 2,500 miles of roads in the county using a mixture of salt and brine. Find out how the gritting service works in a feature which appeared in the East Anglian Daily Times this week.

Remember to always drive to the weather conditions to keep safe on the roads this winter.

4th January 20162nd December 2016

PAWS December – Xmas at The Fox

PAWS December – Xmas at The Fox

36 members arrived at The Fox on Mersea Island on Tuesday 8th December for the PAWS Christmas Meal. Those who could not attend missed a treat! There was lots of laughter and chat, with everyone enjoying the chance to relax and talk to other members. The room was decorated for the occasion and the tables were very festive. We had a quiz with lots of banter as to who had the correct answer, particularly as to how many points a snowflake has. Everyone had a silly present from the lucky dip but the balloons proved to be a bit of a challenge with no one succeeding in blowing one up! All agreed that we had a super evening. Hope you enjoyed spending your Debenhams voucher! Jane.

Our next meeting is on the 12th January, 2016 (earlier than normal due to the pantomime) and our speaker will be Michael Benning & his topic “Barney’s Bobbies” – ‘Barney’ was Michael Benning’s first Sergeant and the talk is an amusing and lighthearted look at the changes and differences in policing from the 1960s to the present day with some barely believable Sgt Barney ‘war stories’ and policing anecdotes.

Visitors are welcome at a cost of £5.00. Details of all our meetings and speakers can be found on the diary of the home page of the Winstred 100 website. If you would like further information about P.A.W.S please ring either of the following committee members: Alice Holmes 01206 735510 or Jane Anderson 01206 735505.

31st December 20153rd May 2016

Trees for Years 2016

Returning for it’s tenth year, Colchester Borough Council have 2016 free trees and fruit bushes to give away in its popular Trees for Years giveaway. The free plants are available to Colchester Borough residents, community groups and parish councils. Residents can collect up to three plants per household and up to 15 per community group, school or parish council.

Species available this year are:

Raspberry Canes.
Gooseberry Bush.
Acer campestre – Field Maple.
Betulapendula – Silver Birch.
Cornusalba ‘Siberica’ – Red Stem Dogwood.
Cornusstolonifera ‘Flaviramea’ – Yellow Stem Dogwood.
Blackcurrant Canes.
Forsythia x intermedia ‘Spectabilis’.
Prunuspadus – Bird Cherry.
Corylusavellana – Hazel Cob Nut.

If you are unsure about which plants would be suitable for your garden, members of the Parks Department will be available to give advice on which plants would be suitable for different size gardens. There will also be a useful pamphlet giving care guidelines, the following is for the 2015 event which has some of this years plants as well:

2015 Plant Descriptions Leaflet.

The 2016 bare root trees and fruit bushes will be available on a first come first served basis.

Trees must be planted on private property. Postcodes will be recorded to monitor the distribution.

The event takes place on Saturday 30 January, from 10am to 1pm, in the car park of Colchester Borough Council’s offices at Rowan House, in Sheepen Road, Colchester.

Trees for Years has previously been funded through sponsorship by OfficeIS, but CBC are looking for new sponsors for future years.

7th December 20152nd December 2016

PAWS November – Upstairs, Downstairs

PAWS November – Upstairs, Downstairs

Our speakers in November, Jackie and Marion, were great fun and we all enjoyed their talk “Upstairs, Downstairs”. They started by asking ten members to come to the front and each was given a parcel to open. Inside were articles of clothing worn by someone in a large household in Victorian times; hats, aprons, a nightdress and a bag.

As each person was dressed, the ladies told us what job they did, explained their duties and showed us some artefacts connected with that job. Jackie told us that most of the staff needed to be very intelligent to do the work that they did and cope with the demands put upon them, but at the time were thought of as pretty low standing.

We were all fascinated by the many articles that they brought with them, and enjoyed trying to guess what they were used for. The enthusiastic ovation at the end of the talk was testament to the enjoyment of members.

Happy Christmas

As we don’t meet in December, other than for our Christmas Dinner, the committee would like to wish all our Members and Visitors a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Our next meeting is on the 12th January, 2016 (earlier than normal due to the pantomime) and our speaker will be Mary-Anne Bartlett – Her topic “Art Safari”. Visitors are welcome at a cost of £5.00.

Details of all our meetings and speakers can be found on the diary of the home page of the Winstred 100 website. If you would like further information about P.A.W.S please ring either of the following committee members: Alice Holmes 01206 735510 or Jane Anderson 01206 735505.

2nd November 20152nd December 2016

PAWS October – African Medley

African Medley

Our October meeting saw the return of Dougal Urquhart, ranger at Cudmore Grove, with a talk on “African Medley”.

Dougal and his wife have made four trips to Africa over the last 7 years visiting Gambia, Namibia, Ethiopia and Morocco. He has a passion for bird watching and nature in general preferring to stay at eco-lodges along the way. He showed us a collection of slides of birds including the Red Billed Fire Finch, Grey Heron, Osprey, Red Billed Hornbill and Flamingo, to name but a few. He was also able to show us the rare Ethiopian Wolf which very much resembled a Fox.

Dougal is an excellent speaker and all enjoyed the evening tremendously.

Next meeting – a change

Our next get together is on the 24th November and there is a change to our programme Jackie Marshall-Ward will give us a talk on “Upstairs, Downstairs”.

5th October 20152nd December 2016

PAWS September – All About Balloons

All About Balloons

sue-kidd--edward-lubbock Sue Kidd and Edward Lubbock came along to our September meeting and told us all about the joys and disasters of Hot Air Ballooning. They both got into ballooning in the mid-80s and are now the proud owners of their own balloon G-SUED. They explained that, like an aeroplane, you have to have a licence to fly a balloon and have to go through extensive training to get it. It is necessary to know the laws relating to flying a balloon, about the weather, how a balloon is put together and how to deal with emergencies. They explained that there are two types of balloon; those with hot air produced by a burner and those filled with hydrogen or helium. Gas balloons are smaller and rounder than hot air balloons and more likely to explode! The biggest dangers to a balloonist are pylons and mist, although less so since the advent of GPS systems. Balloons come in many shapes and sizes and are often used for advertising. We all enjoyed this fascinating insight into the world of balloons.

Next Meeting

Our next get together is on the 27th October when Douglas Urquhart returns with his talk on “African Medley”.

6th September 20152nd December 2016

PAWS August – Sad Farewell to Sue Copeland

Fond Memories of Sue Copeland

I am sure that most of you will have heard the sad news about Sue Copeland’s untimely death on the 15th August. Sue was a member of Peldon, Abberton & Wigborough W.I. for many years and indeed a founder member of PAWS.

It was a fitting tribute to her, that there must have been over 250 people who attended the service of celebration of her life on the 3rd September. Steve and her family did her proud and she would have loved it. The following are a few tributes from members:

sue-copeland-hong-kong-2008 — Sue Copeland in Hong Kong 2008

Let’s remember Sue with a smile and the return of smile to us from a very talented, love for life lady. Someone you can say, I am so very pleased to have known her.

Sue was a wonderful, clever, sparkly lady and we will miss her.

I didn’t know Sue very well but know how much she meant to many people in PAWS.

I remember when I first met her she was so friendly and kind.

We will all miss her so much.

She was always so happy and smiling, a really lovely lady.

Lots of lovely memories of a very special lady.

Sue was always so cheerful and hardworking for so many causes, so full of sensible and new bright ideas, all held together with such a wonderful sense of fun and humour.

I am sure that we all have fond memories of her care and wonderful sense of fun. Thank you Sue, it was a pleasure to have known you.

Our next get together is on the 22nd September when Edward Lubbock and Sue Kidd will tell us about “Hot Air Ballooning”. Visitors are welcome at a cost of £5.00.

3rd August 20152nd December 2016

PAWS July – Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

41 members and 2 visitors attended our July annual social night. This year’s theme was the “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party”. This was an opportunity for those who wished to dress as their favourite character from ‘Alice in Wonderland’ or ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ to do so and indeed they did. A collection of rabbits, mad hatters, the queen of hearts and 2 Alices to name but a few arrived early, “Not late” for another lovely evening. There was themed tea party food including sandwiches and a variety of cakes washed down with a “Drink Me” bottle of fizz and I’m glad to report we did.

There were 3 quiz’s to be completed, the joint one was won by the team consisting of Helene Gooding, Jean Hicks, Pam Leggett, Marianne Smith, Wyn Oxton and Caroline Wilson with 17 points out of a potential 20 and the best dressed was awarded to Jean Hedger as the outstanding “Mad Hatter” of the night. Also the game “Pinning the moustache on the Cheshire Cat” was won by Angela Clark.

As we don’t meet in August our next get together is on the 22nd September when Edward Lubbock and Sue Kidd will tell us about “Hot Air Ballooning”. Membership is currently full but visitors are very welcome at a cost of £5.00.