Wildlife area in Mill End needs help

Message from volunteers at the Community and Rose Gardens

As you may know, there is a wildlife area in Mill End, next to the allotments. Although it was cared for by local people for many years, these residents are now very elderly and unable to continue. TRDC approached us recently to see if we could help.

At this stage, all our gardening volunteers are busy looking after our community garden and the rose garden. So we’re looking for younger people who might be willing to lend a hand. As it’s a wildlife area, if doesn’t need a great deal of care, but at present it’s really overgrown and in a state of neglect.

If you would like to volunteer, please send a message to Jane & Annabel who are leading this project via: www.sustainablethreerivers.org/contact

Join Library focus group – Citizens’ Panel

Message from Hertfordshire County Council
Deadline to join: 1st November

In 2025, Hertfordshire Libraries celebrates 100 years of a countywide library service and have secured funding from Arts Council England to deliver a programme of events and activities to appeal to everyone who lives, works or studies in Hertfordshire. To understand the preferences and views of residents, Hertfordshire Libraries have recently launched a survey seeking feedback from members of the public, whether they are existing library users or not.

As part of this, we are inviting you to an online focus group session this November, where we would like to hear your views on the sorts of events and activities you would like to see taking place in your local library.

If you are interested in attending, please could you RSVP to libraries.centenary@hertfordshire.gov.uk with the time(s) you will be available from the dates below by Friday 1 November. Please could you also let us know if you have any additional requirements for us to be aware of prior to the session. We plan for the focus group to run for about 75 minutes:

Monday 11 November (18.00-19.15) – Online
Thursday 21 November (12.00-13.15) – Online

If you can’t attend one of the focus groups and if you haven’t done so already, we would be grateful if you could respond to the Libraries’ centenary survey through this link: Hertfordshire Libraries’ Centenary – Please note that the survey closes on Tuesday 31 December.

Empty retail units

Message received Feb 11, 2024 – via Contact us form

I’m keen to find out about activity around the empty retail units on the High Street. I’d love to see at least one of them turned into a community space. Maybe this is something I can develop. I’d love to know of any existing plans like this. Many thanks.

RDRA response:

I agree with your sentiments about vacant units in the high st. RDRA would support you in your endeavour to turn these into productive community spaces/projects.

We however have no control or have any influence with the individual landlords or their agents. You’d have to approach them directly and negotiate with them to get them to agree to what you want to do. 

Help name a new community messaging system

Message from OWL

As you may well be aware, we will be signing up to Neighbourhood Alert on 1 April, 2024 to replace OWL.  Neighbourhood alerts is already used by 32 police forces, which will help us to share information about cross-border crimes and incidents more easily. 

Please be reassured we will continue to keep you updated on local, relevant news including crime prevention advice as we have done over the past 18 years with OWL. 

The new system will help us send more targeted and relevant messages to you from us and our partner agencies – if that is what you choose when you sign up.

We know that being part of a community messaging system helps prevent crime in your local neighbourhood and we hope you will continue to receive the free, local messages and you will let us know what the issues are in your local area. The new system seeks to develop our ability to support Neighbourhood Watch, whilst also providing a broader offer to engage with you and our communities given the changes in digital technology and the way in which people communicate and seek information.

It’s quick and simple to sign up – we will share the link with you as soon as it is available.  You will be asked about your preferences so we will only be communicating with you about issues that affect you directly or things you are interested in, so you are not bombarded with irrelevant messages based on your postcode.

Our webpage will be branded Neighbourhood Alert but we also have the option of adding a local name for example ‘Herts Connected’, ‘Our Herts Community’, ‘In the Know’ – and we would like your help in creating a new identity for our community messaging system.

Please let us know your thoughts by emailing corp.comm@herts.police.uk about re-branding by 5pm next Friday (16 February). Many thanks for your continued support.

Community engagement

Message from TRDC

My name is Jay Williams and I’m the Community Engagement Officer for Three Rivers District Council. 

I sit on the strategy partnership team which is responsible for a range of local initiatives and projects. I would be very grateful for if you could circulate to this to all the members to get a better understanding of the role we play in the community.

Our main objectives are:

  • To facilitate the constructive conversation and collect feedback from residents. 
  • Hosting community fairs and awareness events across the district. 
  • Organising community forum for partners and charities.
  • Communicating emerging trends and themes from residents. 
  • Promotion of healthy mental and physical lifestyle through interventions.

Stay up-to-date with local events and initiatives & sign up to the Partnership Bulletin here: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKTRDC/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKTRDC_18.

Jay Williams