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Volume 3 Issue 2 MARCH 2017

Houghton Regis Helpers E-News

Interested in Volunteering with Houghton Regis Helpers?

SEE the BACK PAGE for contact details...

Spring is here!Spring is here!

Welcome to the Spring 2017 issue of

E-News

Inside this Issue:

Report on our 5th AGM

Message Board

News Updates: Pancake Race

Day; Cheering Volunteering

Awards; Staying Safe and Well

Hints and Tips

Events Coming Up

Welcome to new members

How to Contact Us

Honorary Officers 2017

Chair - Eric Gallucci (elected 2016 to 2018)

Vice-Chair - Terry Jones (elected 2017 to 2019)

Treasurer - Sheila North (elected 2016 to 2018)

Secretary - Jenny Gallucci (elected 2017 to 2019)

Committee 2017

Rae Bird Ange Kings

Carol Butler Betty Todd

Susan Goodchild Peter Todd

Flippin’ Fun!

Read more about

Pancake Race

Day on page 3

Get involved in Volunteering for the Houghton

Hall Park Project. Contact Nicole Kenny Project

Officer on 0300 300 6940 or visit

www.houghtonhallpark.org

LATEST

NEWS!!

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Houghton Regis Helpers E-News

We held a successful AGM on Tuesday 21 February 2017, attended by 18 volunteers and ten guests, including Cllr Carole Hegley (CBC), Cllr Ken Wattingham, Cllr Chris Slough and Cllr David Abbott (HRTC), and Tara Earnshaw, Community Development Officer (HRTC)

The Chair welcomed members and guests to the evening, which included the formal annual general meeting, a light finger buffet and drinks, and a talk on Staying Safe and Well at Home, from Kayleigh Jean, Area Community Safety Officer, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Our Annual Report for 2016 was presented by the Secretary - if you would like a copy it is available on the website www.houghtonregishelpers.co.uk or request one by email.

The report includes a welcome from the Chair; highlights of the year; volunteer and clients news 2016; information and photos on the help we give throughout the year; a summary of our policies and procedures; and thank you to our supporters; and events coming up in 2017.

In 2016 our volunteers completed 1312 jobs, helping 115 local residents and the local community - the graph below summarises the services we have provided to those in need, comparing 2016 with 2015, based on our quarterly returns to Beds Rural Communities Charity (BRCC)

Our Treasurer presented the end of year accounts, showing a healthy balance of £2750 to carry forward to 2017. The accounts were independently examined by David Jones, who was thanked for his support and for stepping in to help at short notice. David agreed to act as independent examiner for the coming year, saying he is happy to help the organisation.

Report on Annual General Meeting

MESSAGE BOARD

Messages from our emails...

Andrew Selous, Member of Parliament for SW Bedfordshire: ‘Thank you for your very kind invitation but unfortunately please accept my apologies as I won’t be able to attend due to Parliament sitting late on Tuesday 21 January 2017. Please do not hesitate to contact me if there are any issues you wish me to take forward on behalf of the Houghton Regis Helpers Team ‘

Clare Evans ,Town Clerk Houghton Regis Town Council: ‘I can’t believe you are on your 5th AGM, where does the time go? I hope it goes well and is as well supported as ever. You all do such a great job in our community, thank you’ Kayleigh Jean, Beds Fire and Rescue: ‘it was a pleasure to attend your AGM and meet so many generous people’ Sue and Chris Slough: ‘it was a privilege to have been invited along. It was clear from the meeting that you are all

such great, caring people who have the best interested of others in your minds’

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Pancake Race Day 28 February 2017

A cold, windy but sunny morning enjoyed by over 100 schoolchildren and almost as many adults on the Village

Green. Houghton Regis Helpers team of Eric, Roger, Susan and Terry entered the race with high hopes, only for

Terry to take a tumble near the finish (luckily no harm done!) Great effort though - well done team!

Thank you to all our volunteers who came along to help

serve the drinks and pancakes and to cheer everyone

on. Sarah from the Town Council says, ‘I would also like

to say a big thank you

to Houghton Regis

Helpers for serving the

refreshments at the

Pavilion, which was

greatly appreciated –

especially on such a

cold day’

News Updates

Pancake Race 2017 photo courtesy of Joanna Cross

Photography

Eric, Carol, Jenny and Theresa

attended the launch of Cheering

Volunteering Awards at CBC

Chairman Cllr David Bowater’s

Civic Reception on 16 February

2017.

At this event we were informed

about a new grant scheme

‘Inspiring Volunteering’ set up

to assist voluntary and

community organisations to

encourage volunteering .

The Awards night this year will

be take place on Tuesday 6 June

6.30 p.m. at the Grove Theatre.

Houghton Regis Helpers will be

‘manning’ an Information Stand

in the theatre foyer prior to the

awards. We have 10 tickets

available for volunteers to come

along and enjoy the evening.

Please contact Jenny by email or

phone if you can help on our

stand and/or would like a ticket

for the event.

This year there will again be seven

awards, six of which you can submit

nominations for. The seventh award is

the Panel’s Choice Award, where the

selection panel will choose a winner

and two highly-commended

nominees from all of the nominations

received.

For more information about the event

and how to nominate a group or

individual for an award visit:

http://

www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/

council/stronger-communities/

awards-event.aspx

Closing date for nominations is 31

March 2017

Hints and Tips on

Staying Safe and Well

Sign up to Beds Fire Alert - quick and

easy way to receive important safety

messages. www.bedsfirealert.co.uk

Before going to bed at night close inside

doors; turn off and unplug portable

electrical appliances; keep door and

window keys accessible

Charge your mobile phone in the DAY-

TIIME not at NIGHT!

Leave a light and the radio on when

going out

If a relative or neighbour has dementia

label the cupboards - use RED ink (this is

the first colour we learn and the last

colour we forget)

The Lions Message in a

Bottle scheme is a simple idea

designed to encourage people

to keep their personal and

medical details on a standard

form and in a common location

- the fridge. To order one (free) email:

miabcenorder@lions.org.uk

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The next issue

of

E-News will be

MAY 2017

Please send your

articles, photos,

ideas to the Editor!

T H E B A C K PA G E

Houghton Regis Helpers E-News

Phone:

07587 004514

Call us between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If we

are busy, or you call outside these hours,

please leave a message and we will do our

best to call you back within 24 hours

Email:

houghtonregishelpers

@hotmail.co.uk

Like, or join, our Facebook page!

Houghton Regis Helpers

Website

www.houghtonregishelpers.co.uk

Postal address:

Houghton Regis Helpers

c/o Houghton Regis Town Council

Peel Street

Houghton Regis LU5 5EY

How to Contact Us Events coming up!

Annual Easter Egg Hunt on

Saturday 15th April 9-12 in Bedford

Square and at Houghton Regis

Library

We are having an Information

Stall at this event - please

contact Jenny if you can help!

Afternoon Teas in the Pavilion will

be provided at May Fayre by

Houghton Regis Helpers .

Please contact Jenny if you

can help! Thank you

Welcome to the team!

New volunteers joining us this month

are Susan and Yvonne.

GARDENING TIME AGAIN!

Now

that

the

days

are

getting longer and, hopefully,

warmer, our volunteers will be

helping with gardening again!

We already have several waiting

for help! We aim to help local

residents keep their gardens to a

manageable level to that they can

look after the maintenance them-

selves. Any offers of help from

volunteers gratefully received!