New trees help increase town's biodiversity

"The Forest of Avon Trust has done a fantastic job of supporting the community’s and South Gloucestershire Council’s efforts in this area, and I look forward to working with them with more projects in the future."

Woodland Trust Regional Director Ross Kennerley said: "It was great to be able to meet with Luke and to discuss the widespread benefits that trees in urban areas bring for people, nature and climate.

n MESSAGE FROM AVON & SOMERSET PCC

"Seeing the newly-planted trees in the ground in the heart of Thornbury shows what can be achieved when organisations and local communities work together."

The trust has provided more than £250,000 towards tree planting and woodland creation across the region.

Mr Kennerley said more landowners were needed to come forward and provide space for trees and nature.

You’re not the only victim if you buy a fake

AS the national lead PCC for Economic and Cybercrime, I’m always supportive when I see a national campaign highlighting the impact that fraud can have on communities and how we can work together to stop this criminal activity.

This is why I was delighted to see that the charity Crimestoppers has launched a year-long national campaign to raise awareness about the personal dangers and harms that consumers face when they knowingly or unknowingly buy fake goods.

Causing a £9 billion annual loss to the UK economy, counterfeit goods fraud can be defined as the sale of fake items as authentic goods from established brands.

The criminals behind this crime intend to deceive and exploit consumers into buying fake products, thinking they’ve bagged themselves a bargain. It’s worth stressing that those individuals who deliberately buy a fake product are also committing a crime and contributing to the problem.

There’s always a victim when you buy a fake product: fake goods cause 80,500 UK job losses every year and the crime has links to organised crime groups who are complicit in human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and prostitution.

While criminals are becoming more skilful at finding new ways of ripping people off, there are a few signs to look out for to protect yourself when you’re looking for a good deal.

These include: the price being too good to be true; dodgy websites and an unusual place of sale; spelling and grammatical errors on websites and product packaging; differences in product or packaging; and missing information like the batch number.

I’m urging local people to report any information they have in relation to counterfeit fraud using Crimestoppers’ anonymous reporting service, which can be found online or by calling 0800 555 111.

Dog theft is a wide concern for pet owners in our force area.

Last month, to mark National Dog Theft Awareness Day, my team spoke to Avon & Somerset Police’s Animal Welfare Legislation Officer, PC Natalie Cosgrove.

She told us that the force recorded 16 cases of dog theft in 2021 and only five in 2022. While a reduction and, I’m sure reassuring to many, that is still five cases too many.

If you are a dog owner, there are specific security precautions you can take to make dog theft harder, including camera doorbells, keeping doors locked and sensor lighting outside your house.

I would also like to remind those who have a dog to not leave it unattended in your car, your garden, or tied up outside shops.

Remember, microchipping is not only a legal requirement,

With Police and Crime Commissioner Mark

Shelford

it means your dog will be much easier to track down if it is stolen.

I also urge dog owners to consider DNA tracking to help identify their dog if it is stolen then recovered by the police. More information on DNA tracking can be found on the ‘DNA Protected’ website.

If your dog has been stolen, you should immediately contact the police and report the crime as theft.

n COMMUNITY NEWS

Disabled spaces complete

THE Mundy Playing Fields car park has been extended to accommodate new dedicated disabled parking bays.

A path has also been created to allow for wheel-friendly access around the car park barrier onto the main path towards the Pavilion.

Thornbury Town Council introduced the changes following "valuable feedback from users of the space" using money from the Community Infrastructure Levy, funds paid to South Gloucestershire council by developers building in the district.

A town council spokesperson said: "The Mundy Playing Fields are a valued community asset, provided for the benefit of all residents of the Town.

"It is hoped that these changes will improve accessibility for users of mobility aids and those with young children in pushchairs."

The car park is open between 9am and 4pm during winter hours and is locked overnight.

Updates on access and opening are posted on the signs

Thornbury u3a

THORNBURY and District U3A has nearly 1,800 members and around 90 different interest groups meeting at various venues throughout the area - but there is always room for more!

The groups mainly meet during the day, and interest range from archaeology to walking, with all subjects in-between.

Some meet weekly, others less often, and they include physical activities, crafts, board and card games, organised visits to gardens and churches, concerts and theatre as well as purely “educational” topics.

Details of all our groups, including group leader contact details, venue and times of meeting, can be found on our website, www.thornburyu3a.org. uk.

Our next Welcome Meeting will be held on Monday April 20 at 3.30 pm, in St Mary’s Church Hall, Eastbury Road, Thornbury.

Please come along: we would love to meet meet you.

For further information visit our website or phone our me on 10454 858438 or our chairman, Norman Taylor on 01454 418396.

Jackie Gitsham Membership Secretary

Thornbury Volunteer Centre

MONDAY May 8 is to be a national day of volunteering, with people encouraged to volunteer in their local community as part of celebrations for King Charles III’s Coronation.

The aim is to bring communities together, encourage more people to volunteer and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the Coronation.

Thornbury Volunteer Centre has created a dedicated webpage for organisations seeking volunteers to help out around this time.

If your organisation plans to get involved and would like details to be posted to this page, please email mail@volunteer-thornbury. co.uk with brief details of what the volunteers will be needed for, together with contact details.

If you, your friends or work colleagues would like to help out, please visit our Big Help Out webpage volunteer-thornbury. co.uk/bighelpout, for details of where you can be of assistance and then please contact the relevant organisation direct.