Daventry & District Forum - November 2015

What’s inside:

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Tea Christmas Dance & AGM Preparing for Winter How to make the most of your energy bill DDF Member Questionnaire Rural Social Isolation Project Johnnie Amos Winter Flowering Homeowner Grants Plus much more!  

I S S U E 3 3 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ngs from Gloria

Anything that can help support and normalise the life Seasons gree ngs to all members. Autumn has of a child is a blessing to all concerned. returned so quickly and Christmas will soon be upon Ian’s work is thus very commendable as he follows in us. To date this year our organisa on has organised his father’s footsteps. Please give generously within and delivered many fun and informa ve events your means at our next forum Tea Dance & AGM on including the Summer Tea Dance as part of Daventry Wednesday 9th December, featuring Burt Barber on Arts Fes val where we received such posi ve keyboard. There will be a collec on point for feedback. Many thanks goes to Sarah Sims from dona ons, all contribu ons will be gratefully received.

Daventry & District DDF will be represented in the Daventry Housing for her sup‐ Remembrance Parade and will lay a wreath on behalf port in this partnership of the forum at the War Memorial on Sunday 8th collabora on. Our November 2015. A er all, many of our forum mem‐ Forum events con nue bers can well remember the sad loss of family mem‐ to be very well bers, neighbours and friends. a ended and long may they con nue to do so. A new pilot project is aiming to reach out to vulnerable

older residents living in Daventry District who are Reaching out across feeling isolated and lonely. Please look out for the the Daventry District is ar cle on Rural Social Isola on within this newsle er difficult and we are constantly reviewing how best we with further informa on on how it is proceeding. can include members of the community that would Thank you all for your a endance and support during benefit from our forum mee ngs. this year and also I wish to thank the management and At our last Forum the feedback forms were administra on team for all their hard work. excep onally good. We take note of all your Teamwork helps get things done and we all have a role comments as we con nually strive towards improving to play. I look forward to seeing you at the next forum the quality of our public mee ngs including the Saxon and I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas!

Suite sound system, refreshments layout and more me for members to visit stands and enjoy their teas Best Wishes

or coffees.

Gloria Edwards‐Davidson

If you would like this newsle er via email, contact eparry@ daventrydc.gov.uk.

If you require it in an alternate format, phone 01327 302523. For type talk, prefix with 18001.

Or email equali es@ daventrydc.gov.uk.

We are grateful for the con nued support of Daventry District Council

Enclosed within your newsle er is a member ques‐ onnaire. We would very much like to hear from you as your views and feedback is very important to us. I would encourage members to take part in this brief survey as your contribu on will be invaluable and you can return your survey back to us by freepost which makes it even easier to give us your thoughts.

Alterna vely you can complete this survey online by visi ng www.surveymonkey.com/r/DDFMember2015.

For the DDF 2015 Christmas Campaign we have decided to do something for the children of our district. The DDF commi ee will be raising awareness and funds for Pete Spencer's Helping Hands Memorial Fund. This fund is a very local and worthy cause helping very sick children living locally.

Many years ago when I was a Social Worker for Children and Families in Daventry I personally experi‐ enced the good work done by Ian Spencer’s father Pete. The charity was then called ‘Helping Hands’ and it lived up to that name. Resources from Statutory Agencies were and s ll are limited. The reless effort put in by Ian’s father con nues to progress.

Indeed it con nues to improve the quality of life for children and their families’ disabili es both physical and mental can be complex and frustra ng for children and their carers.

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Project to help tackle Rural Social Isola on Daventry District Council is working with Parish Councils, the Local Strategic Partnership and The Daventry & District Forum on a new pilot project aiming to reach out to vulnerable older residents living in Daventry District who are feeling isolated.

The Rural Social Isola on Project is being run by Daventry District Council and partners in order to be er support people aged 65 and over who are suffering a feeling of loneliness or isola on.

Charity Mind moved to new home The Mind charity moved to its new home off Braunston Road in July following the comple on of an eight month construc on project by contractors working for Daventry District Council (DDC).

Built from recyclable materials and designed to be easily maintained, the new facility is highly energy efficient, benefi ng from low‐ cost ligh ng and high‐ quality insula on.

Mind provides some of the mental health services on behalf of Northamptonshire County Council, suppor ng people to achieve and maintain wellbeing by providing one‐to‐one support as well as an extensive range of courses on self‐ esteem, anxiety management, confidence building and more.

Its new, larger premises features a large ac vity room ideal for larger group work such as Chair Yoga sessions and sessions encouraging people to socialise and gain confidence.

For further informa on please contact 01327 879416 or visit www.northamptonmind .org.uk

It is ini ally aiming to iden fy the scale of the issue through pilot schemes running in Weedon, Byfield, Moulton, Long Buckby, Brixworth, Braunston, Crick and Flore.

Postal surveys are being sent out in those parishes towards the end of November and a series of focus group sessions will be held in 2016 to be er understand the issues and discover what schemes might be developed locally to tackle isola on.

For more informa on, please contact DDC’s Community Projects Team on 01327 871100.

Homeowner grants available for essen al repairs Thousands of pounds worth of unclaimed grant funding is available within Daventry district to make essen al repairs to your home.

“It was so easy,” said Ms Tracey.

One such local resident has benefi ed from this scheme on offer over the last few years; Ms Tracey has been able to install new windows and gu ering, fix damp problems and repair a leaky roof on her co age and all with the help of ‘Home Repairs Assistance’ (HRA) grants.

“You just phone Care & Repair and one of their friendly caseworkers visits you at home to iden fy the work that might be needed and to check whether you are eligible for the grant. They then give you a call back to say if you’ve got the grant.

HRA grants can provide up to £5,000 to fund work including the replacement or repair of central hea ng boilers and radiators, new security measures, replacement windows and doors, roof repairs and so much more.

“Once the grant is in place all the hard work is done for you by Care & Repair. You don’t have all the hassle of finding people to come out and give quotes, somebody’s taking all that stress away from you so you don’t have to worry about a thing.

This par cular grant is available to all homeowners aged 18 and over who receive a qualifying means‐tested benefit.

If that wasn’t good news enough if work required exceeds £5,000, eligible homeowners can also access a further £5,000 of funds in the form of an interest‐free loan repayable only when the property is sold which is amazing news. Ms Tracey was able to secure the grants and loan with the help of Care & Repair Daventry.

Care & Repair Daventry is based at Daventry District Council. It offers prac cal advice, guidance and solu ons to people who need repairs or adapta ons so they can carry on living in the comfort and security of their own homes. This service works closely with health and social care professionals including occupa onal therapists, architects, engineers and contractors as well as the general public.

“It’s nice to know you’ve got something to fall back on if you’re only on a limited income and you struggle to afford big repairs.

Home repairs can be expensive but the Home Repairs Assistance grants (HRA) are specifically designed to help people who are on a limited income carry out essen al work on their homes. If you take into account the £5,000 interest‐free loan that is also available, homeowners of limited means can access up to £10,000 to make those essen al repairs that they might otherwise not be able to afford.

For more informa on phone Care & Repair Daventry District on 01327 871100, or visit: www.daventrydc.gov.uk/ CareandRepair

Winter Flowering by Johnnie Amos PAGE

Most gardening always seems to revolve around summer flowering plants, but this doesn’t mean that’s the end of flowering plants un l the spring! ‐ There are a large and special group of highly scented and colourful shrubs, trees and climbers that will give us a real li when posi oned near the house, or whilst wandering around the garden on sunny winter days.

Like me I’m sure you too are fascinated by how nature produces such plants that makes use of what li le ac ve insect life there is at this me of year, but once you catch their perfumes, you can smell for yourself how they do it.

Think of Frangipani, Cloves, Nivea, Citrus, Tiarae Tahi , Cinnamon and many more perfumes ‐ these are amongst the many scents found in winter plants.

My top scented plants for winter include Edgworthia Chrysantha ‐ Clove scented, Chimonanthus Praecox (Wintersweet), Sarcococca hookeriana (Christmas box) – highly scented, Daphnes / bholua (Aureomarginata), Abeliophyllum dis chum (easily damaged by harsh frosts), Clema s Flammula – white full and very fragrant, Lonicera x purpusii –‘winter beauty’‐highly scented!

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But for decora ve purposes Golden King, Silver Queen and J C Van Toll are amongst the best. If you have an old established garden you may be fortunate to have Ilex Aquifolium or the common Holly – a male and female are required in fairly close proximity for berries. Ilex Aquifolium Pyramidalis AGM (Award of Garden Merit) is a female form of the original and has very dependable fruits.

Be prepared though! – Gather some berried holly about three weeks before Christmas or a whole tree can be stripped overnight by Fieldfares, the migra ng birds who arrive from Greenland just before Christmas.

Also ne ng off a small area of the tree should be undertaken in late autumn to at least save some of the berries being taken by birds.

Two good ivies to look out for are Hedera Colchica and Gold Heart but today you will find many varie es in good nurseries and garden centres.

I would like to wish you happy fes ve season and produc ve gardening in 2016!

But as we are approaching the fes ve Season, I thought that Producer & Presenter this year it may be interes ng to take a closer look at the BBC – Hor culture & Botany flora most closely linked to Christmas, the Holly and Ivy. There are many varie es of holly, from the smallest of leaves without prickles to the largest that are vicious!!

www.johnnieamos.co.uk

Our Christmas Campaign – Pete Spencer’s Helping Hands Memorial Fund The Pete Spencer's Helping Hands Memorial Fund was established in 1980 by Pete Spencer M.B.E., and now operates within a 12 mile radius of Daventry. The fund offers support to local children (age range from new born up to 18 years) with serious illnesses and disabili es, providing specialist equipment, and organised ac vi es.

The fund is a registered charity and has a panel of four trustees, helping children with a wide range of medical condi ons including Cancer, Leukaemia, Muscular Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Au sm, Epilepsy, Dwarfism & Downs Syndrome. O en referrals are forwarded from the Children’s Occupa onal Therapy Service, or Health visitors based at Danetre Hospital, as well as schools, and friends of the families who have children affected by an illness or disability. Our future aim is to con nue to offer support to local children and their families.

Please contact Ian Spencer 01327 872162 to get involved or for further informa on. Dona ons to this amazing local charity can be sent to ‘The Pete Spencer's Helping Hands Memorial Fund’, 4 Keble Close, Daventry, Northants, NN11 4RG.

Memories of WW2 at Daventry Museum Money with his collec on of firearms and Gerry Thompson with his prolific research in to the history of local military men who lost their lives during the Second World War. Gerry is also happy to give help and advice Memories of World War 2 opened on about family trees and research.

Saturday 5th September and runs to Friday 18th December. During this me For further informa on please contact there will be ac vi es including Roger Daventry Museum on 01327 301246 or online at www.daventrymuseum.org.uk

Daventry Museum is holding an exhibi on commemora ng 70 years since the end of WW2 with a display of photographs and artefacts.

Check if you are paying too much for your energy

Are you energy ready?

When cold weather approaches, consider these simple ways to make your home more comfortable and keep those escala ng energy bills at bay.

Check for Draughts

Check your Insula on

Check around doors and windows for leaks and draughts, add draught excluders underneath doorways if needed and make sure doors seal properly, these are available from all good do‐it‐yourself stores. If your windows are very draughty, consider replacing them with more efficient ones that could cut your energy costs substan ally.

Insula ng your lo can be the most cost efficient way to cut home hea ng costs, par cularly in older homes. Large amounts of heat can be lost through walls as heat rises, so it’s a really good idea to get these insulated and there may be op ons if your cavity is hard to treat. Daventry District Council signposts residents to Flourish Partnership who can help put you in touch with a local installer who can help, for further informa on telephone 0800 488 0543.

Preparing for Winter – Top Tips!

‘Big Switch Daventry District’ is a collec ve energy switching scheme helping residents to save money on their energy bills. Registra on is quick, easy and without fees or obliga ons. Savings have averaged £283 per year with some residents in larger and older proper es saving in excess of £600! To register to take part you don’t need to have a computer, you can ring the Council on 01327 871100 or if preferred you can also register online at www.daventrydc.gov.uk/ bigswitchdaventry.

Once you have registered, you will be sent an offer which you can decide whether to accept.

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Never block up air vents

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Have your electric blanket serviced, this should be done every three years

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Have you had your flu jab or pneumonia jab yet? (Contact your local GP)

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Install an audible carbon monoxide alarm in every room that has a gas appliance

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Order your repeat prescrip ons in plenty of me. Ask your chemist if they operate a prescrip on pick‐up and delivery service especially if bad weather is forecast

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Keep a mixture of sand and salt handy to put on steps or paths in icy weather (Try your local DIY store)

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If where you live is liable to flooding, sign up for FREE flood warnings from Floodline – tel: 0345 988 1188 (24 hour service – local rate)

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If you have a dog and are unable to get out in bad weather contact the Cinnamon Trust (01736 757 900) as they may be able to match you with a dog‐walking volunteer in your area

www.ageuk.org.uk 2/11/15

For more winter ps please visit www.daventrydc.gov.uk/leisure/ddf

Li le Mince Pie Cakes

Ingredients

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/ gas 5. Line 12 bun ns with paper cases. Put the flour, sugar, spice, bu er, eggs and milk into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand whisk or wooden spoon for 2‐3 mins, un l the mix is light and fluffy.

con nuing to

2. Put a spoonful of cake mix in each case, then a rounded tsp of mincemeat. Cover the mincemeat with a spoonful of cake mix and smooth.

further ar cles on

175g self‐raising flour 100g light muscovado sugar 1 tsp mixed spice 175g so ened bu er 3 eggs 2 tbsp milk about 140g mincemeat icing sugar, for dus ng

Method:

3. Bake for 15‐18 mins un l golden brown and firm. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm or cold. www.bbcgoodfood.com 2/11/15

Thank you for support DDF, please look out for the flyers enclosed!