Homes for Ukraine arrivals pass 1,400

Homes for Ukraine arrivals passes 1,400

Cllr Kevin Bentley, Essex County Council Leader, has thanked residents of Essex for their outstanding generosity which has seen more than 1,400 Ukrainians welcomed to the county under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. As of Thursday 28th July, 1,408 people had arrived into Essex from Ukraine under the Government scheme. There are a total of 1,081 sponsors in Essex, matched with 2,471 Ukrainians. Of these 1,408, or about 57%, have arrived in Essex. These numbers continue to increase. Generous Essex residents have helped the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) reach an important milestone, with it being announced on Thursday more than 100,000 people from Ukraine have been welcomed into homes across the UK. Cllr Bentley said: “Since the start of this dreadful war, residents of Essex have gone above and beyond to provide support for our Ukrainian friends, first in contributing to the humanitarian aid efforts and more recently by opening up their own homes to welcome people from Ukraine with open arms. “The Government has announced 100,000 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK under the Ukraine Family and Homes for Ukraine schemes. Essex has played a huge part in this, and I want to thank the people of our county for their astounding generosity. They have responded to what is a humanitarian crisis on a scale that many of us have not seen before in our lives with our county’s trademark hospitality and kindness. “Getting these schemes up and running in a relatively short timeframe has been an enormous task and I must also praise our partners across the public and voluntary sectors for their efforts, as well as all the staff involved. “Of course, we know there is more work to do, and we will continue working hard to ensure Ukrainians who arrive into Essex have all the support they need, both as soon as they arrive and for as long as they are in this county.”

Don’t forget to visit our website: www.northwealdvillagelife.co.uk Or sign up to the Facebook Group www.facebook.com/groups/ Northwealdvillagelife

North Weald Junior Cricketers into Under 12 Cup Final; Adult League Team Mid Table at the Half Way Stage

North Weald’s juniors have continued their development in 2022, reaching the West Essex Junior Cricket League Under 12 cup final. Three wins out of four in the group stage was enough to see them progress to face Dunmow. Major individual contributions in the group stage included 33 from Udai Atwal, 35 from Ben Fuller and 4 wickets for 11 runs from Josh Ram in a victory at Stansted, and 17 from Ewan Crawford and another good score of 35 from Udai Atwal in a win at High Roding.

The league side ended the first half of the season mid-table in Division One of the Herts and Essex Border League, with four wins and five losses from their first nine matches, and rounded off the first round of matches with a convincing win at Bancroft Lions.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, a rapid 91 from opening batsman Alex Merritt saw North Weald race to 134 without loss, before being pegged back to 151-5. Kalpesh Bari then scored a valuable 48 to lift the side to a total of 263-9 off 40 overs. Early on Kalpesh Bhana removed in form batter Henry Edmunds for 15, and the total proved too much for Bancroft Lions, who finished on 206-7.

Meanwhile on Sundays, the highlight of the season so far was a first club century for Ross Haworth at Stansted, who retired not out on 100 (as he needed to catch a Sunday evening flight!) North Weald successfully chased 168 to win with 7 wickets left, after an excellent bowling and fielding display on a hot July afternoon had restricted Stansted to 167-9 from their 40 overs.

IMPORTANT Defibrillators

Recently I understand defibrillators from both Thornwood and North Weald have been needed to help people who have become unwell whilst awaiting emergency services. So to ensure all residents are aware of the location of our defibrillators, here are the details. Once you ring emergency services to inform them of someone needing emergency assistance, they will give you the code required to access the defibrillator looked in coded cabinets. North Weald:- Outside the Methodist Church Hall. Thornwood—Outside the Parish Hall.

Airport Parking – don’t get caught out!

Every year Essex Trading Standards receives high numbers of complaints from holiday makers who have unwittingly used bogus airport parking companies and have returned to their vehicles to find damage, content theft and unexpected mileage. There are so many things to arrange when going on holiday that it’s very easy when booking parking to just look at price and availability, but this can lead to problems when you return to your vehicle. In some cases claims of secure parking can actually mean a field or a street near the airport. When choosing airport parking companies, Essex Trading Standards would give the following advice : Choose a reputable company. Use one of the main car parking companies whose name you recognise. Visit the official airport website. All of the major UK airport websites have links to approved parking sites. Look closely at the website you are considering using, do they have full contact details to allow you to query anything and if necessary complain? If possible prebook in advance, you will then be able to get the best price and compare different options. When you leave your vehicle make sure there are no valuables left in it. If possible take photos of the car to show its condition when you left it. Happy Holidays from Essex Trading Standards !

Where have all the butterflies gone?

Once upon a time, butterflies were common in this area, but now we are fortunate if we see a few. As a teenager (yes, I can remember that long ago) nettles abounded with small tortoiseshell caterpillars along the nearby River Roding. I have not seen them in recent times. The UK's butterfly population has fallen sharply as they are affected by rising temperatures and fragmented habitats. There are 59 recorded species in Britain, representing those that live in the country year-round as well as two seasonal migrants. So far this year, I have seen fewer Butterflies than usual in the garden. There has been the occasional Brimstone, Comma, Small White, Red Admiral, Peacock, Meadow Brown and Common Blue but that’s all. It is still early in summer so hopefully their numbers will increase. Their bright colours ensure that they are one of the most recognised and recorded animals, which makes them a valuable indicator species to show when an ecosystem is under threat. While the decline is dramatic, we can all help as small changes to our gardens can play a significant role in helping them recover. Buddleia (the butterfly bush) and Lavender are particularly attractive to butterflies but remember the food plants for the caterpillars. I have just added Nasturtium in pots to the garden, a favourite food for the caterpillars of Small and Large White butterflies. The 2022 Red List of British butterflies, published by Butterfly Conservation, classed five more species as threatened this year. However, the list found some cause for optimism, with the Large Blue butterfly, which became extinct in Great Britain just over 40 years ago, now recovering following a successful reintroduction scheme. Dr Richard Fox, of Butterfly Conservation, says, 'Shockingly, half of Britain's remaining butterfly species are listed as threatened or near threatened on the new Red List. Even prior to this new assessment, British butterflies were among the most threatened in Europe. Butterflies face many pressures, mostly from habitat loss. For example, 80% of chalk grassland has ceased to exist since 1945 with the loss of the rare plants that grow in these soils.’ Dr Blanca Huertas, of the Natural History Museum, says, 'Butterflies are dependent on a specific set of factors in each stage of their lifecycle. As eggs and caterpillars, they are very sensitive to any changes in the microclimate and rely on certain plants. When they are adults, they are often more generalist, but modifying a habitat will take away plants that these butterflies depend on. This affects their ability to survive.'

While butterflies are under threat, the Red List demonstrates that there is the potential for a recovery. Alongside the Large Blue, the High Brown Fritillary and Duke of Burgundy have seen their populations stabilise in recent years. As well as restoring breeding and feeding habitats, it is also important to ensure connectivity between them. As butterflies cannot travel long distances, this involves providing flower rich field margins that can act as stepping stones to link suitable habitats. Keith Snow

Ongar Wildlife Society (OWLS)

OWLS is taking a break in August but will meet again in September when wildlife photographer, Lynn Rix will tell of her expeditions to capture images of African wildlife. She will add her personal experiences and tell of the people of the areas and their ways of life. Still to come this year are talks on Animal Coloration, Beyond Safari Tourism and 54 Acre Outdoor Wildlife Classroom, the story and natural history of Lambourne End Outdoor Centre. You are invited to join OWLS. We meet on the third Monday of each month at 7.30 for 8pm. Visitors pay just £5 but you can become a member for an annual fee of only £25. As we are a way through the year, this year’s fee will be reduced. To help you locate our venue, Toot Hill Village Hall, the post code is CM5 9LR. Keith Snow

A son is taking on a two-month long, 820km, solo trek across the Pyrenees mountain range in memory of his mother, and to raise funds for the Hospice charity who cared for her.

Craig Jenkins (age 49 years from Takeley and now living in Valencia, Spain) has set himself the challenge of walking the GR11 route, that runs through the Spanish Pyrenees close to the border with France, and covers 820km (522 miles). The trek will take Craig an estimated 60 days and he set out on Sunday 3rd July 2022. His fundraising target is £1,000. Craig is raising funds in memory of his mother, Linda Jenkins, who was cared for by St Clare Hospice in Hastingwood in 2015. Linda attended the Hospice charity’s Wellbeing Hub for day services, as well as receiving care on the Inpatient Unit, before her death from a brain tumour on 9th December 2015. Craig commented, “Ever since I was with Mum in the Hospice, I have wanted to do some sort of challenge to fundraise for St Clare. Seven years after Mum’s death, I am finally, hopefully fit enough to take on the huge challenge I have planned.” “During July and August I will attempt to hike solo across the top of the Pyrenees mountain range in Spain from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. One of the biggest challenges is the elevation change – ascending and descending a total of 128,000ft which is the equivalent of climbing up and down Mount Everest 6 times!” “I will be carrying everything I need on my back, including a tent, sleeping bag, cooking stove and food, and stopping at small mountain villages every 3 or 4 days for supplies. I eat a strict vegan diet, so finding supplies in remote Spanish villages adds another layer of difficulty for me!” Commenting on the difference St Clare Hospice’s care had made, Craig said: “The whole experience at St Clare was really positive. From the moment you walk in to the Reception, to the people who work in the kitchen, to the staff and volunteers you meet. The whole Hospice has a really good energy about it, and you come away from there feeling that energy. It’s an amazingly happy place.”

Craig began his trek on Sunday 2nd July 2022 starting at Cap de Creus in Catalonia, the most easterly point of mainland Spain, on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. He is due to finish 60 days later (31st August) at Cape Higuer on the Bay of Biscay, the westernmost edge of the Pyrenees.

The route is divided into 45 separate stages, varying between 10-30km each, and Craig plans to complete most stages in one or two days, with scheduled rest days. That means Craig will be walking around 15-20km per day, camping each night where he finishes.

You can follow Craig’s progress via his Instagram page at: Instagram.com/ahimsacraig/

Read Craig’s story of care from St Clare Hospice at: stclarehospice.org.uk/stories/craigsstory

You can sponsor Craig on his Just Giving page at: justgiving.com/fundraising/gr11mum

Photo: Owen Hayward

Over the past 10 years your Local Heritage Railway has put on many exciting events for both enthusiasts and families. We have only been able do this with the help of our loyal volunteers. Our research shows that most of our volunteers live in post code areas close to the Railway – just like you! In order to continue providing a high level of service to our visitors we urgently need to recruit additional volunteers to work with us into the autumn and for our Christmas events. We have vacancies in many departments on both week days and operational days (usually weekends). For further information and to find out what positions may suit you, please contact: volunteering@eorailway.co.uk You will have the opportunity to learn new skills, make good use of your existing skills, enjoy the mental and physical benefits of working in the open air and have the opportunity to make new friends. Membership costs just £20 per year and that includes four copies of our quarterly 44-page magazine Mixed Traffic, which is packed with interesting railway related articles. We have also published a 44-page book charting the story of the Railway – The First Ten Years. Why not pop into our shops at North Weald or Ongar and obtain your copy, priced at just £3.50. Epping Ongar Railway – it’s part of your local heritage!

Robert Good. Epping Ongar Railway Volunteer Society