A Free Festive Feast for Residents Hundreds of Local People Aged 65 and Over Gathered to Take Part in Council’S Free Christmas Meal Events This December
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Your Christmas Cheer Turn to pages See a selection of fun, festive photos sent in 14 and 15 by residents Your Council keeping residents informed Issue 152 21 December 2015 www.walthamforest.gov.uk @wfcouncil A free festive feast for residents Hundreds of local people aged 65 and over gathered to take part in Council’s free Christmas meal events this December The borough’s senior residents John Patient, pictured right, told were full of festive cheer as they Waltham Forest News: “I’ve been tucked into traditional turkey lucky to attend multiple Christmas lunches and dinners at Waltham meals over the years at Leyton Forest Council’s free Christmas Orient and Walthamstow and can’t meal events. fault them at all. For the Council to The popular annual events, which be able to continue to host these took place earlier this month, saw events in light of financial pressures local people aged 65 and over is brilliant. It’s a really enjoyable day gather together to welcome in the for everybody.” festive season. Waltham Forest Council Leader, There were four Christmas events Chris Robbins, told Waltham in total – one at Leyton Orient Forest News: “Events like the free Football Club, two at Walthamstow Christmas dinners are fantastic Assembly Hall and one at Chingford occasions that celebrate our senior Assembly Hall – attracting more residents and acknowledge the than a thousand older residents. valuable contribution they make to Attendee Valerie Card and her the Waltham Forest community.” friend, Patricia Southan, both proclaimed the Walthamstow event as: “absolutely brilliant.” They said More info Senior resident, John Patient, had a cracking time at the it was also a great chance to catch For more information about services Council’s free Christmas meals event up with friends and meet new for older residents, visit www. people in the borough. walthamforest.gov.uk/adult- Lifelong Walthamstow resident services or phone 020 8496 3000. 2 News Water works at Walthamstow Wetlands The latest stage to transform corner of the borough, we don’t lose Walthamstow Wetlands into the sight of the fact this is home to a largest wetland nature reserve in diverse range of wildlife.” London will see the creation of The project has been spearheaded new reed beds to help preserve by the Council, which secured water quality and improve £4.47million of funds from the wildlife habitats. Heritage Lottery Fund last year. They The wetlands site remains one of have further supplemented this with Thames Water’s biggest sources just over £1million, with another of London’s drinking water and is £1.84million from site owners the largest fishery in the city, as Thames Water and £750,000 from well as being a site of international the Greater London Authority. importance for wildlife. The Wetlands will open to the Cllr Clare Coghill, Cabinet public in Spring 2017, under the day- Member for Economic Growth and to-day management of the London High Streets, said: “Preserving the Wildlife Trust. delicate balance of biodiversity is central to this project. It’s really More info Cllr Clare Coghill takes to the water to survey the latest stage of work to transform Walthamstow Wetlands. important that at the same time as For more info, visit www. encouraging more local residents walthamforest.gov.uk/ to take advantage of this beautiful walthamstow-wetland-project. Detective Chief Superintendent Borough Commander Waltham Forest Police In my opinion Richard Tucker Since taking over as Borough when it comes to tackling crime, the cold weather arrive and continue with our excellent police service and we are here to Commander of Waltham Forest with a 31 per cent reduction in celebrations take place over performance, and also review and work for you. Working together in September, I can firmly say crime this year, compared to Christmas and the holiday season. identify where we can improve with the Council, we can make that I have joined a committed figures from 2014. In real terms, It is important that we remain further still. The prevention of crime sure that Waltham Forest remains team that is focused on this means that we have 4,372 less vigilant not only at home but also is key and I ask that you take steps the safest place in London. making Waltham Forest a safe victims of crime and that is down while out and about, enjoying to secure your property and deter I wish you and your families a place to live, work and visit. to the hard work of my team and ourselves with family and friends. any opportunist thieves. If you do very Merry Christmas, a fantastic I am extremely proud of my the strong partnership we have Whether it is ensuring that our this, then we can work together holiday season and a happy and officers, and their bravery in with Waltham Forest Council. homes, property and vehicles to drive down offences and bring healthy New Year. responding to the recent incident As we strive to continue with are safe and secure or reporting offenders to justice. We are your at Leytonstone Tube Station. I can this reduction in crime, we will be any suspicious circumstances assure you that this is a very rare faced with challenges in the future in relation to terrorism, I ask that incident, and we will continue to which will shape how we function you stay safe and make us aware work with our partners to ensure as a police service. And so I urge of any incidents so that we can Want to have your say? Waltham Forest remains a safe you to continue to support and continue to provide the level of If you live or work in Waltham Forest, have something you’d like to get off place. work with us, to make sure that we service that Waltham Forest is used your chest, and can do it in around 350 words; Waltham Forest News wants Waltham Forest continues to keep Waltham Forest a safe place. to. to hear from you. Email [email protected] and tell be the leading borough in London At this time of year, we see By working together we can us what you’d like to write about. Waltham Forest News Editor: Jenny Singh Advertising and promotional Their inclusion does not mean that enquiries: the council endorses the company or Waltham Forest News wants to Mica Marshall 020 8496 3000 (press 6) product being advertised. hear from people in the local [email protected] community. If you have a story Waltham Forest News is produced using that you’d like us to cover, email Waltham Forest Council does not trees from sustainable managed forests walthamforestnews accept responsibility for the content where more trees are planted than @walthamforest.gov.uk or phone of any non-council advertisements in felled. Please recycle Waltham Forest 020 8496 3000. Waltham Forest News. News when you have finished with it. Waltham Forest News is published fortnightly by London Borough of Waltham Forest with a print run of 110,000 copies delivered to homes, organisations, businesses and bulk drops in the borough. The official independently audited free letterbox delivery of Waltham Forest News is 96,794, ABC Regional Dec 2013 to Dec 2014 Issue 152 I 21 December 2015 www.walthamforest.gov.uk 3 Christmas opening hours In brief During the Christmas holiday, Saturday 2 January and Monday 4 an emergency service only on and New Year’s Day all Waltham Mini-Holland there may be some changes to January respectively. All collections these days. Forest Libraries will be closed. Council services that might affect will return to normal from Monday But on Christmas Eve, and from consultation you, for example when you can visit 11 January. Streets and parking Monday 28 December to Thursday Thanks to over 700 of you who gave your nearest library. Local reuse and recycling centres There will be two hours free 31 December, all four Library Plus your views and suggestions in the last A full list – from opening hours at will be open except for Christmas parking in all town centre car branches (Chingford, Leyton, part of the Lea Bridge Road Mini-Holland leisure centres, to information about Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s parks at the weekends throughout Leytonstone and Walthamstow) consultation (Bakers Arms to Wood Christmas parking arrangements – Day. December and free parking in all will be open from 9am to 5pm and Street section). This feedback will now is available on the Council website, If you have a real Christmas town centre car parks after 3pm local libraries (Hale End, Higham be carefully analysed and considered as which is updated regularly. tree you can place it next to your Monday to Friday throughout Hill, Lea Bridge and Wood Street) part of our final designs and where we brown bin after the holidays and the December. The car parks included will be open from 10am to 5pm. can, we’ll incorporate your suggestions. Refuse and recycling Council will take it away. You should are Bedford Road E17, Brandon And while local libraries will be Where we can’t, we’ll try to explain the Refuse and recycling collections make full use of your brown and Road E17, Church Lane E11, Hall closed on Sunday 27 December, reasons why. As the Mini-Holland scheme will take place as normal up to and green bins over the festive season. Lane E4, High Street E17, Linford the four Library Pluses will operate is funded by Transport for London (TfL), including Thursday 24 December. For a quick, at-a-glance guide to Road E17, Mission Grove E17, their regular Sunday opening times, they need to approve our plans so we’ll Collections usually scheduled for what you should ‘feed’ your bins, Richmond Road E4, South Grove which vary by library.