The Annual Canvass is in progress!

This year’s Annual Canvass has started. Over the course of July we will be contacting all 89,000 households in Herefordshire to check their details for the Electoral Register, as required by law.

We will be sending over 50,000 communications via email and text message where possible, and posting out hardcopy forms as necessary.

Last year we received a number of queries as to the authenticity of the email domain. The email will arrive to electors from herefordshire.electoral.services@notifications.service.gov.ukand will contain a link directing them to the online web response (https:www.elecreg.co.uk/hfds-e). This email is genuine and the link is safe to click.

There will be two separate letters going out:

1. One that requires a response under any circumstances. We believe there might be updates and changes in these households. For any households who do not initially respond, we will be chasing further - including sending a canvass form with a pre-paid envelope and, if no response, knocking on doors as necessary.
2. One that requires a response ONLY if the details we already have are incorrect. We believe there are no changes to report in these households. This letter is only sent if we have been unable to get a response using emails and texts.

As a response is not necessarily required, all we are asking the public to do is to please read their correspondence carefully and follow the instructions.

We are of course promoting responses (where required) by internet but are well aware this is not for everybody, so we have telephone and SMS options for them.

We are grateful for any assistance you can give to any of our residents that might need help, and also with any wider publicity. You can also view the annual canvass FAQs at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/annualcanvass

Electoral Services can be contacted on 01432 260107 or canvass@herefordshire.co.uk with any issues.

Marches Counselling Service

Long Covid Support and course info

Herefordshire Council joins local grant givers, Eveson Trust and Bulmers Benevolent Fund, to support the Marches Counselling Service (MCS) in working with people with Long Covid. Sadly, physical symptoms have been seen by some as ‘all in the mind’, or alternatively the emotional impact of contracting long covid is not acknowledged.

Aware that many people with long-covid are finding it difficult to access support. The service is offering group-work looking at management of the condition, which can be accessed online. Courses are initially ten sessions of 90 minutes each and offer different approaches to managing long-covid. Course leaders are experienced therapists who recognise the core need for pacing, the variety of physical symptoms associated with this condition, and the potential for trauma being present. They are all experienced in helping people deal with difficult emotions and trauma reactions. Each course will accommodate up to twelve people.

If this is of interest to you, please contact MCS. You will be offered an initial confidential assessment which enables you to ask any questions, discuss payment and which course makes sense for you. Courses are planned to begin in September. If you would like more information, please contact us on marches.counselling@gmail.com or visit our website: www.marchescounselling.org

Have Your Say

Herefordshire Local Plan 2021-2041 – Place Shaping Consultation

Monday 13 June – Friday 29 July 2022

Place Shaping is the third public consultation to be undertaken in 2022, the results of which will help inform the preparation of a new local plan for Herefordshire. 

Information can be found at the following web address https://hlp.commonplace.is/

The consultation sets out possible options and/or potential strategic development areas for Hereford, each of the County’s market towns together with a range of alternative settlement hierarchies for rural parts of Herefordshire.

The consultation does not set out firm proposals, which will come later in the process, but does look at different ways that Hereford, the market towns and rural areas could be developed over the next 20 years. 

Following the close of this consultation a draft local plan will be prepared.  Much of the evidence base for the plan will be developed over the summer and autumn and, together with the results of the consultations undertaken during 2022, will form the basis to support the plans policies and proposals.  Further consultation upon a draft local plan will be undertaken in 2023.

Herefordshire Council would love to hear your views on the options of potential areas for growth presented for each of the market towns and the rural areas. There is a tile for each to find out more. Please go to the questions tile to answer the questions once you've read the information. 

There are a number of events planned for officers to go out and speak to residents about the options and answer questions. The dates for these events start at the end of June and more information about the venues and times can be found on the events website tile.

For those unable to attend the events but wanting to hear questions answered, we will be uploading the Members’ and Parish/Town Council briefing meetings onto the website.

There is also the chance to suggest areas that may not have been explored as possibilities yet, by pinning your suggestion and comments in the Interactive Map.

For landowners or agents wanting to submit information about a specific site, there is the opportunity on the Call for Sites page.

If you have any questions about the forthcoming consultation, please feel free to contact us.

ldf@herefordshire.gov.uk or 01432 383357.

The May Country Diary is now available with a bumper crop of sightings. Click here.

To end our weekend of Jubilee celebrations, you are warmly invited to the Lyonshall Church service at 2.30 pm.

This will be followed by tree planting, then an opportunity to walk around Lyonshall Castle by kind permission of Mr and Mrs. M. Hughes.

Afternoon tea will be available at the Memorial Hall after the service. Everyone welcome.

The consultation on Saturday was successful with lots of shared ideas and enthusiasm. Visit the White Lion Meadow page for a short report, click here.

This March Diary is a bumper edition - lots happening out there. Well done all contributors and especially Julia. Click here.

Do you need advice on debt, benefits, energy, housing or anything else?

The Citizens Advice Bureau can help! Please contact them to have a chat with an advisor and book an appointment. Here's how:

1. Telephone - If you’d like to speak to someone, you can call us on 0344 826 9685.
The telephone advice service is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday from 10am – 3pm.

2. Text - on 0786 00 77 311
Stating (i) your name (ii) your postcode (iii) the type of advice needed (for example DEBT, HOUSING or BENEFITS). They will then call you back on your mobile phone.

3. Email - Online at advice@citizensadviceherefordshire.org.uk for initial contact by email. Please also give a contact phone number in case we need to contact you for more information.

The Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay is confirmed to visit Herefordshire during its final journey through England this summer, as the full route is revealed.

Click HERE to follow the link

The latest April sightings and photos of Lyonshall wildlife is available. There is also a story of a local hedgehog adventure. Thanks to all contributors. Click here.

Plant a tree for the Green Canopy

As part of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, parishioners are invited to plant a tree as part of the Green Canopy.

If you think you can find space for a tree and would like to consider planting one can you please contact tree warden David Griffiths - he has some trees & guards available.

Please email - porthcelyn@btinternet.com

Things have been happening on White Lion Meadow over the autumn and winter months. There will be regular news items to keep you all updated. For the first report click here. 

Herefordshire Council Support information Page Click HERE

Lyonshall Gardening Club is a newly established group open to everyone. We meet on the first Thursday of every month at 7.30pm in the Memorial Hall.

The club’s aim is to keep things informal, sociable, affordable and enjoyable.

Whether you are a keen gardener, a new enthusiast, or just curious, we aim to share the love and knowledge of horticulture.

There are no subs to pay, just £2.50 entry fee on the door.

Refreshments provided, raffle and seasonal plant stall.

Dates for your diary…

April 7th Robin Pearce “Crazy Daisies” - Exploring the world of daisy like flowers available to gardeners May

5th Cary Goode Cary, a garden designer, talks about the creation of Rhodds Farm in Lyonshall and gives an insight into opening your garden for the NGS

June 2nd Quiz and social evening We start the Platinum Jubilee celebration weekend with a gardening themed quiz evening with a Royal twist

Herefordshire Council would like to know of any property has been affected by recent flooding?  

By letting them know where & what happened, especially if it hasn't been reported, Herefordshire Council & their partners can use the information which may help reduce the future impacts of flooding.

Report it here: https://myaccount.herefordshire.gov.uk/record-a-flooding-incident  

Or contact TalkCommunityEnquiries@herefordshire.gov.uk

Qwell is available across Herefordshire and Worcestershire with free, safe and anonymous, online support and wellbeing advice for adults. 

Below is a link to a free session which is taking place on Friday 18 February 2022 at 11:00.  for you to discover more about the services available and gain resources to help signpost adults to Qwell.

Qwell Information Session for Adults in Herefordshire & Worcestershire Tickets, Fri 18 Feb 2022 at 11:00 | Eventbrite

Did you know that people living in a low income household that receives Universal Credit (at a level below the threshold for free school meals and/or free prescriptions), can now apply for a one-off payment of £60 to help with food, energy and other essential costs?

The one-off payment is available through Herefordshire Council, which has been allocated over £1million by the government as part of a new Household Support Fund to help vulnerable people and families this winter.

Applications close on Monday 28 February 2022. For information and to apply for the grant, visit the Herefordshire Council website.

Do you know anyone that has lost work or been made redundant due to Covid-19? Anyone that has struggled going back to work after being furloughed, or are feeling isolated working from home?

If so, The Cart Shed have a fantastic free programme to help people get back on their feet, to build their confidence and connections back. A fresh start for anyone that’s feeling anxious due to the impact of Covid-19 on their work.

The Post Covid Employment programme offers people a day a week (for 4 to 12 weeks), to take part in woodland activities in our beautiful Herefordshire countryside. Enriching, engaging, supporting wellbeing – all run by the amazing, experienced Cart Shed team.

Businesses can access the free support too, who have employees that have struggled during Covid. Sessions can also help employers who are having to make employees redundant due to Covid-19, to support a successful moving on for their staff.

For more information, contact The Cart Shed on info@thecartshed.co.uk, call 01544 318231, or visit The Cart Shed website. 

Herefordshire Council has commissioned a new digital mental health service for all adults aged 19 and over to access in the county. 

Qwell, which is delivered by Kooth, the UK’s leading digital mental health and wellbeing organisation, offers free and confidential digital counselling and emotional support.

The service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via computer, tablet or smartphone.  There are no waiting lists or referrals needed, which will enable people to quickly and easily access support, at a time that is convenient for them.

There are one to one counselling support sessions available, with fully qualified wellbeing practitioners (12pm to 10pm weekdays and 6pm to 10pm weekends and holidays), alongside an extensive range of self-care and psychoeducational materials, peer to peer support via moderated community forums, helpful articles and personal tools, such as an online journal.

To find out more about the new service, take a look at our newsroom article at www.talkcommunitydirectory.org/qwell

If you spot a problem on the roads or with drainage or a footpath there are a number of ways you can report it to Herefordshire Council

Your one-stop-shop for up to date information is the Herefordshire Council website.

• If you spot a defect on the network, you’ve got two options for reporting it:
• You can raise a report on the council website, via the Travel and Transport page, then subsection Roads.
• Or, you can call our Customer Services Team on 01432 261800. For emergencies, you should always report by telephone.
• When you report issues this way, we can make sure everything is properly logged, assessed, and allocated to the right teams as quickly as possible.
• You can check the progress of a defect, or see if it’s already been logged, via the progress map on council website.

For things to do with Public Rights of Way, including reporting defects, you can check out the dedicated section of the council website. 

• You can also find up to date information about Herefordshire highway works, including road closures and diversions, on one.network.
• Balfour Beatty tweet to @HfdsStreets to let road users know about all things highways. Follow and tell your family and friends too, so you’ll always know when to take extra care.

You can also find on Facebook – check out our Herefordshire Highways page.

The Rural Crime Team is about to begin using the Neighbourhood Matters website to disseminate crime prevention information and broadcast good news stories. P

Please sign up to the bespoke West Mercia Police Neighbourhood Matters website at www.neighbourhoodmatters.co.uk.

This will enable you to receive crime prevention notices as soon as they are posted. In addition, you may wish to have a look at the West Mercia Police Rural Matters Facebook site which already highlights our activities and includes videos, visits and advice delivered by the team across the rural parts Herefordshire.

Be Amazing. Become a Foster Carer in 2022

If you have been thinking about fostering, the New Year is a great time to start your journey. By next Christmas, you could be giving the ultimate gift to a child by transforming their lives.

Fostering ranges from short emergency stays, weekends or holidays, to longer term placements, which means you can find an option which fits in with your work and family commitments.

You will be fully trained and supported, and receive an excellent financial package, plus full allowance to cover all the child’s costs.

Options include:

• Short breaks in your home for children with disabilities
• Supporting a young adult with life skills like cooking, laundry and budgeting
• Therapeutic fostering - working with children with complex behaviours
• Being the forever home that some children need

Call the fostering team on 01432 383240, email us at fostering@herefordshire.gov.uk or visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/fostering

Balfour Beatty has refreshed the Riparian Responsibilities information to further engage riparian owners to take responsibility for their ditches and drains through awareness, support and guidance.   

Where there is a lack of cooperation and there is a safety risk to highway users, or significant damage to highway, they have now put in a place a process to enable a more formal approach.

Check out these information documents;

Riparian owner good maintenance guide

Ditches and drainage - your responsibilities

Balfour Beatty has also updated the Herefordshire Council website which includes a refresher and updates the information leaflets.

The one-stop-shop for up to date information is the Herefordshire Council website.

• If you spot a defect on the network, you have two options for reporting it:
• You can raise a report on the council website, via the Travel and Transport page, then subsection Roads.
• Or, you can call our Customer Services Team on 01432 261800. For emergencies, you should always report by telephone.
• When you report issues this way,  everything is properly logged, assessed, and allocated to the right teams as quickly as possible.
• You can check the progress of a defect, or see if it’s already been logged, via the progress map on Herefordshire Council website.
• For things to do with Public Rights of Way, including reporting defects, you can check out the dedicated section of the Herefordshire council website.

Did you know?

• You can find up to date information about Herefordshire highway works, including road closures and diversions, on one.network.
• Tweets to @HfdsStreets to let road users know about all things highways. Follow us and tell your family and friends too, so you’ll always know when to take extra care.
• Also on Facebook – check out  Herefordshire Highways page.

As part of the continued development of Talk Community and building on the great work to date, Herefordshire Council are delighted to announce the launch of the Talk Community website - www.talkcommunity.org

The website provides key information about Talk Community including videos, good news stories and launch the summer volunteering campaign – ‘give an hour this summer,’ and provides three areas that support in bringing Herefordshire together:

• How can I help myself?
• How can I help my community?
• How can my community help me?

Herefordshire Council are also changing the name of WISH to become the Talk Community Directory, this will still provide the same great service and functionality but with some minor amendments and name change.  WISH continues to be a highly-valued resource to our communities with its success growing and experiencing a record 59% increase in website visitors in 2020, compared to 2019. The new website address is - www.talkcommunitydirectory.org

Please take the time to visit the website and if you have any feedback email talkcommunitydirectory@herefordshire.gov.uk

Due to the impact of Coronavirus over 5.5 million people are claiming Universal Credit.

Many of them are new to claiming Universal Credit having been negatively impacted by Coronavirus.

For a guide and help to claim please follow this link

Job Centre Plus Link

Keep Herefordshire Warm

As winter’s cold weather starts to bite, we all need to stay warm and healthy in our homes. For many families, higher energy bills and keeping warm is going to be a struggle in the coming months. Keep Herefordshire Warm are pleased to offer a series of short webinars aimed at helping you to support struggling families this winter.

The webinars are free and last 20 minutes with a Q&A session at the end.  You can register for each session by simply clicking through to the Eventbrite link below each topic.

They cover a range of relevant topics; 

• Health in a cold home and COVID19

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/health-in-a-cold-home-and-covid19-tickets-128386536587    

• When should you be concerned about energy welfare?- signs to look out for.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/when-should-you-be-concerned-about-energy-welfare-tickets-128389110285 

• How can we save money on home energy this winter?

 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-we-save-money-and-energy-on-home-energy-this-winter-tickets-128389657923

• What Funding is available for improving your home?

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-funding-is-available-for-improving-your-home-tickets-128390598737 

Early Help Hub

Herefordshire Council’s Early Help Hub offers a confidential support service to Herefordshire families with children aged 0 to 19 years. 

The Early Help team can provide families and professionals (working with families) with advice and guidance to support them through the difficult times and help them to get back on track.

Difficulties could include:

• Family relationships

• Challenging behaviours

• Domestic abuse

• Housing issues

• Struggling with finances

• Emotional and mental health

• Safety in the community

• Substance abuse

The Early Help Hub team are available on 01432 260261 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, closed on bank holidays) or email earlyhelpcontacts@herefordshire.gov.uk

To find out more about the Early Help service visit: www.herefordshire.gov.uk/earlyhelp

For information about local support services for families, visit the WISH website www.wisherefordshire.org

Warmer homes Herefordshire Council is working with E.ON to help people across the county improve the heating of their homes by installing free first-time gas central heating systems in around 300 eligible residents’ homes. 

The project follows a successful funding bid by the Council to the £150 million Warm Homes Fund, established by National Grid, and administered by community interest company Affordable Warmth Solutions. 

Eligible households not connected to mains gas and currently relying on inefficient ways of heating their homes, for example electric storage or panel heaters, could be eligible for the measures, which are part of the Warmer Homes Herefordshire scheme. Subject to eligibility, where there is no existing gas supply to the property, a new gas network connection will also be provided by Affordable Warmth Solutions, usually at no cost. Still funded by Affordable Warmth Solutions, eligible properties (must be without existing central heating, unless the existing system uses solid fuel). Under this rural programme they would be able to support the installation of heating systems– e.g. LPG Gas, or Renewable heating (e.g. heat pumps or biomass systems).

For the full eligibility criteria and to apply, they would encourage any residents to call Keep Herefordshire Warm on 0800 677 1432 or email khw@severnwye.org.uk and take a look at: https://keepherefordshirewarm.co.uk/

Leominster Food bank offer support to those who meet the criteria for food parcels.

A short briefing note is attached which explains how someone gets referred and how it works. 

Please read the attached document HERE to see how to find out if you qualify. 

Contact Details: Food bank mobile is 07715410575 and email address is leominsterfoodbank@gmail.com

If you walk the Parish Footpaths for your daily exercise please stick the the public footpaths.

Keep your dog on a lead and pick up it's poop and take it home with you please!!

Please click for the  Definitive Footpath Map  and just enter your postcode.

Stop Loan Sharks Helpline Information

In these difficult times its important to ensure you know who you are lending money from.

The Stop Loan Sharks helpline is available to all and full details can be found by following this LINK

Look out for local news here