COUNCIL CALLS TIME ON PLANS FOR HISTORIC PUBS / NOMINATE YOUR LAMBETH COMMUNITY HERO / “DON’T BE RUSHED, DON’T BE HUSHED” – It’s scam awareness month as Croydon pensioner loses £6,000 in phone con / SOUTHWARK TEAMS UP WITH MILLWALL FC FOR MEN’S HEALTH WEEK 2015 /GROUND-BREAKING LAMBETH PROJECT WINS NATIONAL AWARD
COUNCIL CALLS TIME ON PLANS FOR HISTORIC PUBS
Southwark council have listed two pubs – the Elephant and Castle pub on Newington Causeway and the Thomas A’Becket pub on the Old Kent Road – as assets of community value.
The pubs, both nominated to be listed by the Walworth Society, each lost their licences earlier this year following violent incidents, say Southwark council.
“And both have recently made headlines – with the Thomas A’Becket set to be sold at auction and the Elephant and Castle attracting squatters after an estate agents showed an interest in setting up on site” said a council spokesperson.
Now Southwark council have listed as assets of community value under the Localism Act 2011, for their history of community use and potential for the future.
“This means that for the Elephant and Castle pub any change of use will have to go through the council’s planning committee, and for the Thomas A’Becket no public sale can be made for the next six weeks at least, to give the community a chance to express their interest in buying it” the spokesperson added.
Southwark’s cabinet member for regeneration and new homes Cllr Mark Williams said: “Both pubs are of local historic interest and we want them to stay in use for local residents and visitors alike.
“The Elephant and Castle Pub sits on the new public square we are creating at the Elephant, and the Thomas A’Becket is in the Old Kent Road regeneration area.
“We are working with local residents to preserve heritage buildings along the Old Kent Road and this pub has a rich history for music and sport, with Henry Cooper training there.
“Both pubs have strong potential to continue playing a part in their neighbourhoods, and I am very pleased that we have been able to work with local communities and the Walworth Society to give these pubs a chance for the future.”
Jeremy Leach from the Walworth Society said: “The Walworth Society is delighted at this news as nearly all of our pubs have been lost at the Elephant and Castle and along the Old Kent Road.
“Recognising these pubs as community assets can help make sure that residents and visitors alike will have places to go to enjoy themselves and get a real sense of two places which are at the heart of the story of South London and a huge part of its identity.” (Source: Southwark council press release)
NOMINATE YOUR LAMBETH COMMUNITY HERO
Nominations have opened for the 2015 Lambeth Community Awards, which recognise the unsung heroes of the borough.
There are eight different categories in the awards and nominations are welcome from anybody who believes they know an individual or group that they feel should be recognised.
Mayor of Lambeth Cllr Donatus Anyanwu said: “These awards are a great way to celebrate the people in our borough who make it such a wonderful place to live.
“They are often selfless and humble and go about their lives doing things for others without shouting about it – let’s give them the credit and recognition they deserve and nominate them for a Community Award.
“I’m looking forward to reading about all these wonderful people and meeting them to say ‘thank you’.”
Nominations close on August 17th and can be made through the online form at www.lambeth.gov.uk/communityawards.
Once the nominations have been received, a panel of judges including councillors, the Metropolitan Police, Fire Brigade and indepen`dent members of the business and voluntary sectors of the community, will shortlist in each category and announce the winners at a special ceremony in the Autumn.
For more information please visit the website or email [email protected]
“DON’T BE RUSHED, DON’T BE HUSHED” – IT’S SCAMS AWARENESS MONTH
– as Croydon pensioner loses £6,000 in phone con
CROYDON have launched their scams awareness month with the slogan ‘Don’t be rushed, Don’t be hushed’.
Its aim is to warn consumers about being rushed by scammers, and refusing to be hushed into silence by a sense of shame, foolhardiness or weary acceptance.
Working in partnership with the Citizens’ Advice Service, the team will be focusing, on a week-by-week basis, on different types of scams, and providing real-life case studies of incidents that have happened to Croydon residents.
The focus for the first of the four weeks of the campaign is on telephone scams and concerns a recent incident in Shirley.
An elderly householder received a telephone call purporting to be from a US – based organisation, referring to a competition that she had previously entered.
She was told that she had won £90,000, and it would be delivered to her by a courier once customs had been cleared. A second call from a person claiming to be a customs officer in the USA, told her to expect a call from UK customs.
She then received a call from somebody claiming he was from HMRC who told her that, ordinarily, she would have to pay another two per cent of the winnings up front in cash to clear customs, but that this figure could be reduced to 0.3pc as she was drawing the state pension.
Upon instruction, she sent a cheque for £1,800 to an Essex address. She then received another call from a person claiming to be the gaming commissioner from the USA, who told her that the runner-up in the competition had been disqualified and that she was now entitled to £200,000.
But to claim the enhanced prize she needed to pay a further £5,000.
Convinced she was about to receive enough money to secure a comfortable lifestyle in retirement, she sent the requested cheque to the Essex address.
Realisation that she might have been scammed came when she dialled the UK telephone number she had been given, and the number was not recognised.
“Initial enquiries by council trading standards officers have revealed that the Essex address is that of another known victim” said a Croydon council spokesperson. “Enquiries are ongoing.”
Croydon’s cabinet member for communities, safety and justice Cllr Mark Watson said: “This very sad case is just one example of a telephone scam. “There are many variations, but the aim of all of them is the same as any scam – to part consumers from their hard-earned cash.
“Everybody should beware telephone calls from strangers promising large prize wins. “If you have a suspicion that it might be somebody trying to scam you, explain that you are going to hang up and ask them to call back at a later time when you will have a family member or a friend with you.
“Alternatively, you can call our trading standards team and they’ll be able to give you the best advice.”
If you have been scammed, report it to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or by calling 0300 123 2040 to help stop it happening to others.
For more information, visit Citizens Advice Consumer Service at www.adviceguide.org.uk or contact Croydon’s trading standards team on 020 8407 1311.
Next week’s focus will be on online scams and there will be scams publicity, displays and talks in the borough of Croydon throughout July. (Source: Croydon council press release.)
SOUTHWARK TEAMS UP WITH MILLWALL FC FOR MEN’S HEALTH WEEK 2015
Southwark council teamed up with Millwall FC for National Men’s Health Week 2015 to offer complimentary tickets to selected Millwall FC home matches to men who signed up for a free NHS Health Check.
Southwark’s cabinet member for public health, parks and leisure Cllr Barrie Hargrove attended the event and took part in a NHS Health Check. A walking football session also took place with former Millwall FC football player Dave Cusack also taking part.
NHS Health Checks are available in Southwark to anyone (men and women) who:
Is between 40 and 75
Has not been diagnosed with heart disease or related conditions e.g. high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease, stroke or diabetes
Lives in Southwark or are registered with a Southwark GP
Has not had an NHS Health Check in the last 5 years (Source: Southwark council press release)
GROUND-BREAKING LAMBETH PROJECT WINS NATIONAL AWARD
Lambeth council’s Without Walls project which supports adults with learning difficulties in their own community, has won best Innovation in Social Care at the MJ awards.
The approach focuses on physical activity and delivers personalised and individual support rather than standard, establish day-services or residential care.
Lambeth’s cabinet member for adult social care Cllr Jackie Meldrum said: “I’m delighted that our team have been recognised for their excellence and innovation.
“The Without Walls project not only provides a much better service for users, but it does so at less cost; reducing the need for expensive and often detrimental residential care away from a person’s home community and instead putting them in control.
“I hope other councils will take on a similar approach to adult social care – it really does work, as we’ve proved here in Lambeth.”
Working with psychologists, the Without Walls service identified that structured physical activities are consistently beneficial for adults with complex care needs.
Things like walking, running, gardening, swimming, dancing are all offered in local parks, leisure centres and adventure-play grounds.
The project is about giving service users freedom and removing boundaries which often restrict what they want to do and are capable of.
The MJ Awards are held every year to recognise good work in local governments. As well as winning the Innovation in Social Care award, Lambeth council was also shortlisted and commended in the legal services category. (Source: Lambeth council press release.)